Wow! JAIL at Old town! Lansing and Durand 2/7/2020

Give us a run down of what you saw, post pictures if you'd like...any info is welcome.
GP30M4216
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Wow! JAIL at Old town! Lansing and Durand 2/7/2020

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

Friday turned out to be a great day for mid-Michigan rail action. J32885 and I managed to see over a dozen trains from 5 different railroads in less than 10 hours. We shall light a candle in thought for our friend Mackinac Mac who was fighting Mother Nature and Buick Goodyears on his trip back from da U.P. and wasn't able to join us.

Lansing:
08:35am - Amtrak Blue Water No. 365 arrived as LNS station. The MARP volunteer station attendant later said she estimated 220 people boarded the westbound train this morning. They just barely had them on to depart by 8:45, on time. P42 #61 leading, Charger 4627 trailing, 6 cars.
08:55 - a CN MOW truck rolled east with a single GTW flatcar in tow.
09:05 - CN 3804 single unit led a mixed freight westbound over Trowbridge diamond. Possibly train A401. Nice faded ICG 86' boxcar in the mix, probably nearing retirement age.
09:35 - Another westbound CN mixed freight at Trowbridge, engine 2235 leading, with 8868 trailing. Two cuts of loaded autoracks mixed in with this one. Train A491.

No sign of further action on CN or CSX so we relocated to CP-MA and find JAIL waiting to get onto CSXT. We head for Ensel. ADBF pickups in position to prep Old Town spur for service.

JAIL had the 1758 and 1760 today. No cars northbound for Lansing. They arrived at Ensel around 10:05.

10:20 - lone 1760 switches onto the Old Town spur of the former LS&MS at Turner Street to retrieve the N&W gondola from Friedland. Lots of railfans and others with cameras turned up at the Cesar Chavez Avenue crossing for the passage. Probably the highest concentration of railfans in the entire state at that moment. ADBF crews flag each crossing as before. A store owner on the block let us know a towtruck hauled a parked car off the tracks earlier in the morning. :lol:

10:30 - CSXT Q329 passes and has no Lansing work. We are not sad we missed it.
10:40 - 1760 has the gon in tow and brings it back north. JAIL has no additional work in Lansing today. JAIL rearranges their lineup with 1758, the gon and 1760 in consist. At 11:15, they weave their way back onto CSX at Ensel.
11:30 - JAIL is held at Cedar for a WB CN train, which we miss. We are also not sad we missed this.
11:40 - JAIL on the move and we catch them south of Cedar. We catch them one more time at the Willoughby Road crossing south of Lansing in the warmth of the sun beside snowy evergreens.
12:30 - CSX D708 is eastbound approaching Trowbridge, with lone SD40-3 4035 LHF leading the train. GLC interchange cars are noted in consist.

LUNCH - We waste some time eating in Old Town and then setting off eastwardly at a leisurely pace toward Durand, arriving a little before 15:00.

I admit its been several years since I've been to Durand. I hadn't seen the new signals in person, or experienced the "horn free" environment. The OWLS diamond is so quiet for through routings on the Flint Sub. I also didn't know of the uber-convenient ATCS display in the depot window so you can see approaching lineups. Great!!

Durand:
15:25 - CN train 514, all containers, led by SD50 5413 and Canadian Cab SD40-2 5340(?) in the CNNA scheme come around the High Wye from Flint and head down the Holly for Moterm.
15:35 - HESR's daily train (still 740?) arrives in Durand from Bay City. HESR 2026, 3414 and 3390, all orange, lead this train in excess of 100 cars. A Penn Central covered hopper is in-consist.
15:40 - M396 heads east on the main behind CN 3884 and friends. Mixed freight and autoracks.
16:00 - HESR is doubling their train around the Port Huron Wye into Durand Yard. Another westbound is lined through.
16:25 - With HESR in the clear, an eastbound CN comes slowly through town. CN 5785 leading an ACe, a GE, and CN yard slug 201, class GY-00b. Coming from Homewood? Looked like an SW frame but a Geep body. This train went on forever, and at reduced speed to meet the upcoming westbound on the fly at E. Durand. Anyone know this train number?
16:33 - CN 3828 west leading two SD70ACe's and 159 cars of mostly mixed freight. Then a short wait while we warmed up in the car...
17:20 - CN 2196 + CN + BNSF led a fairly short freight WB over the diamond, almost all autoracks with a few mixed freight thrown in.
17:30 - HESR the rear of their train out of Durand Yard so they can return north.
17:45 - Train 251 arrived from Pontiac on the Holly Sub, picked up some additional head end crew at the Depot, and curved west on the Chicago wye. CN3845 and 3840 for power. Almost all autoracks with about 10 mixed thrown in.

A pretty good day! Mostly cloudy with some flurries but a few peeks of sun, I'll upload a few photos shortly to add to the list!
Last edited by GP30M4216 on Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

blueheron13
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Re: Wow! Lansing and Durand 2/7/2020

Unread post by blueheron13 »

The EB with the slug was A492.
Amateur railfan trying to become a real railfan since 2017.

GP30M4216
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Re: Wow! Lansing and Durand 2/7/2020

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

Adding photos from this trip - certainly not all of them and I decided not to do any image correction...but Enjoy!
Amtrak P42 61 on the point of the Blue Water. Looks like it's been a snowy journey! The rear unit was a Charger. As reported by the station volunteer, about 220 people boarded the train at EL.
Amtrak P42 61 on the point of the Blue Water. Looks like it's been a snowy journey! The rear unit was a Charger. As reported by the station volunteer, about 220 people boarded the train at EL.
A401 west at the East Lansing Amtrak Station.
A401 west at the East Lansing Amtrak Station.
Not too far behind, A491 west crossing Trowbridge Road in East Lansing.
Not too far behind, A491 west crossing Trowbridge Road in East Lansing.
Last edited by GP30M4216 on Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:03 am, edited 2 times in total.

GP30M4216
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Re: Wow! Lansing and Durand 2/7/2020

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

ADBF GP9 1760 is flagged across Grand River Avenue in Lansing, Old Town, to pickup the loaded scrap gon from Friedland Industries.
ADBF GP9 1760 is flagged across Grand River Avenue in Lansing, Old Town, to pickup the loaded scrap gon from Friedland Industries.
Having tied on to the N&W gondola, the train rolls slowly north, being flagged across Clinton Street in the North Lansing Historic District.
Having tied on to the N&W gondola, the train rolls slowly north, being flagged across Clinton Street in the North Lansing Historic District.
Making the Friedland pickup was their only Lansing work. Before long, their train reassembled and heading back south for home rails. GP9 1758 leads the train south (RR east) at Grand River Ave. on CSX rails past an old cantilever crossing arrangement.
Making the Friedland pickup was their only Lansing work. Before long, their train reassembled and heading back south for home rails. GP9 1758 leads the train south (RR east) at Grand River Ave. on CSX rails past an old cantilever crossing arrangement.

GP30M4216
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Re: Wow! Lansing and Durand 2/7/2020

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

As the blue sky appeared, we caught the southbound Jackson and Lansing train at the Willoughby Road crossing, beside some snowy pines.
As the blue sky appeared, we caught the southbound Jackson and Lansing train at the Willoughby Road crossing, beside some snowy pines.
Back in Old Town under the sun, before last week it's been well over a decade since the last revenue car moved on this line. Looking north from Grand River.
Back in Old Town under the sun, before last week it's been well over a decade since the last revenue car moved on this line. Looking north from Grand River.
This home-made crossbuck still guards the sidewalk and road at Grand River Avenue in Old Town. Beyond the track, the first building with the arched overhang is the headquarters of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, a non-profit dedicated to helping historic neighborhoods such as Old Town, and their unique built environment, thrive. More info at mhpn.org.
This home-made crossbuck still guards the sidewalk and road at Grand River Avenue in Old Town. Beyond the track, the first building with the arched overhang is the headquarters of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, a non-profit dedicated to helping historic neighborhoods such as Old Town, and their unique built environment, thrive. More info at mhpn.org.
Last edited by GP30M4216 on Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

GP30M4216
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Re: Wow! Lansing and Durand 2/7/2020

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

Over in Durand, CN 5785 leads eastbound train A492 as J32885 captures the action.
Over in Durand, CN 5785 leads eastbound train A492 as J32885 captures the action.
CN yard slug 201-B, class GY00-b, is fourth in the lineup on A492. What is the heritage of this unit and where does it normally reside? 492 met a westbound near E. Durand.
CN yard slug 201-B, class GY00-b, is fourth in the lineup on A492. What is the heritage of this unit and where does it normally reside? 492 met a westbound near E. Durand.

GP30M4216
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Re: Wow! Lansing and Durand 2/7/2020

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

A westbound led by CN 2196, mostly autoracks, is about to hit the diamond beside the Durand depot.
A westbound led by CN 2196, mostly autoracks, is about to hit the diamond beside the Durand depot.
The last train of the day was train 251, northbound on the Holly, swinging onto the Chicago Wye heading for Lansing, Battle Creek, and beyond. Over 100 autoracks in consist. Between the changing sky conditions and late hour, photography was getting more difficult anyway!
The last train of the day was train 251, northbound on the Holly, swinging onto the Chicago Wye heading for Lansing, Battle Creek, and beyond. Over 100 autoracks in consist. Between the changing sky conditions and late hour, photography was getting more difficult anyway!
Last edited by GP30M4216 on Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

ConrailDetr​oit
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Re: Wow! Lansing and Durand 2/7/2020

Unread post by ConrailDetr​oit »

Those Slugs are primarily used at yards in Canada and was likely on its way back.

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