bnsfben wrote: ↑Sat Dec 17, 2022 2:43 pm
Man o' War wrote: ↑Sat Dec 17, 2022 2:14 pm
Manistique wrote: ↑Sat Dec 17, 2022 10:53 am
Must be a Saturday 515 for Chrysler Mount Clemens. He just went past MP 22.5 with two boxcars so maybe a pickup at Ferndale? He went south past here at 7:30 am.
L533 (GTW 5933) out of Port Huron switched Chrysler in Mount Clemens today (yesterday as well). L515 set out the 2 boxcars at East Yard for 533 to retrieve and haul back to MC. Folks in Mount Clemens would just as soon never see 515 again. Wasteful, inefficient, time consuming operation if there ever was one...
Man o' War
What’s wasteful and inefficient about 515 working Chrysler?
It's the way they have to get there to do it. Dragging 15-20 loaded lumber cars for Nolan Distribution, all of DCons loaded interchange scrap gons, and tanks and hoppers for PolyTerm (CN Cargo Flow) to Mount Clemens only to haul them right back an hour or two later (tantamount to an extra 25 miles) isn't exactly easy on the fuel. Then taking a 25 car or more train into a siding that holds at best 30 cars - and running around that train in order to push it clear of Chrysler (Rule 503 employed) taking 20 minutes while effectively blocking a major east/west Macomb County artery in the process. And then, a number of times per week, meeting M382 or M383 and plugging crossings again when they have to clear the main but are too long to clear them is not endearing them to the locals or authorities.
I'm not at all sure why the majority of that train isn't left at Gillen on the old WB main at the Turkey Trail, and picked up on the way back from Mount Clemens in order to work Gillen/Nolan customers. Or just leave it on the #1 main south of Nolan. It's not like traffic can't get around it - it's a double track railroad. I'm sure they have their reasons, as cryptic as they may be.
By the way, I've just stated my observations here, but if you really want to hear how inefficient it can be, then just listen to some of the crews themselves on the radio. They'll inform you fully! I've stated nothing that some crews have not already brought to light.
Man o' War
