CSX St Clair Branch

Locomotive identification, railfan locations, frequency information, etc. can be found here.
sd70accsxt700
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AARR
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So they refine salt and package it at Cargill, correct
I'm told they make road salt so whatever process that involves is what they'd do. My source could be wrong too though and they may make other kinds of salt. but whatever the case I don't think they can just mine salt and package without processing. I believe they package in 20 and 40 pound bags and possible larger sizes.

Raildudes Dad will know about the refining process...or Doc.
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AARR
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CSX St. Clair Branch (ex-PH&D)

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Updated AFAIK
CSX works the line three to five times per week from their new yard by Davis Rd. Here's what I show as customers:
Marysville – MoPart: Inactive for over 10 years
Marysville - Bulk Guys: Spur was rehabbed around 2011 but AFAIK remains inactive. If active, they would receive small carload blocks of salt and/or sand.
Marysville – Huntsman Polycom acquired by Flint Hills Resources then closed in 12/2014: Inactive. Spurs still in place but buildings were demolished around 2015.
Marysville – Marysville Underground Terminal now DCP Midstream Partners: Inbound butane and liquid petroleum gas which are stored in ex-salt taverns. Some goes out by rail too.
Marysville – Marysville Ethanol: Has been closed since 2019 and is inactive
Marysville - CSX Transload Yard: Receives covered hoppers of plastic pellets at its 6-track transload yard.
St. Clair – Spartech Polycom now Dynamic Polymer Solutions: Still active but receives its cars at CSX's Davis Rd. transload rather than its own spurs.
St. Clair – Blue Water Plastics now Engineered Plastic Components: Still active but receives its cars at CSX's Davis Rd. transload rather than its own spur.
St. Clair – Amoco was acquired by Dome Petroleum then recently Plains LPG Services: Under Dome they received inbound butane and liquid petroleum gas which are stored in ex-salt taverns. Some goes out by rail too. After DTE stopped coal shipments Dome, was the largest online customer. I don't know what its traffic is like under Plains.
St. Clair – Cargill: I don't know if they are active or not. If they are active, they would either receive or ship bagged salt (Kosher, road, water softener?).
Belle River – Detroit Edison: Inactive unless they still receive an occasional high and wide load.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

redside20
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Re: CSX St Clair Branch

Unread post by redside20 »

For losing a huge customer, three to five times a week is still a decent volume and like a cat with nine lives, csx continues to hold on to St clair.
Exit stage left

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NS3322
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Re: CSX St Clair Branch

Unread post by NS3322 »

Cargill is very much active. I think they ship bagged salt in boxcars.

From 2021 aerials there are tank cars at Marysville Ethanol. I think they resumed operations?

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AARR
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Re: CSX St Clair Branch

Unread post by AARR »

Video of Cargill being switched by CSX. Video by AmtrakGuy365 on 5/10/22.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoxfYwBpj9Y

Can anyone tell by the springs if those box cars are loaded or empties?
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

GreatLakesRailfan
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Re: CSX St Clair Branch

Unread post by GreatLakesRailfan »

NS3322 wrote:
Mon Mar 13, 2023 5:38 pm
From 2021 aerials there are tank cars at Marysville Ethanol. I think they resumed operations?
That's part of the Marysville Underground facility. The ethanol plant is part of the same complex, but I think most of what they get/ship is via truck.


Also, it's news to me that the ethanol plant is inactive. I don't know where AARR's information came from, but someone on that end of Marysville is getting grain and the ethanol plant is the only thing in the area that would get grain year round.


I've looked at a lot of old PH&D waybills lately. They used to ship lots of carloads of LPG by rail from Marysville and St. Clair. That traffic has apparently all gone to trucks, as evidenced by the LPG trucks from around the state that can be seen getting on/off the freeway here all winter long. I think there's still some storage of LPG cars in addition to what's being shipped in for storage and distribution.

Also, for AARR and anyone else who isn't on Facebook and hasn't seen the various PH&D documents posted there the past couple months, here's an illustration of how grain used to move on the PH&D:
Outbound Waybill 234- 11Mar77.jpg
Outbound Waybill 518- 28Mar77.jpg
~ Charles W.

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