RailRoadFan.com

W085-14 (ballast train) @ 06:11 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 374 axles. UP engines #7680 + #7134 + #8178 (all on the head end) & 89 loaded cars @ 12,600 tons. He will be taking Gross Siding mp CG61.3 & work plans will be made from there.

Amtrak P371-19 @ 06:37 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG19.1 in Zeeland, Mi with 24 axles. AMTK P42 engine #39 & 5 cars (Venture Coach + Venture Business + AmCafé + 2 Venture Coaches).

W085-14 (ballast train) @ 07:02 eastward reported by the DD mp CG66.2 Hartford, Mi with 374 axles.

pudgy wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 19, 2024 12:25 am

L302 skipped Lansing work to make GR.

They were delayed significantly east of Plymouth, as was L303 I had thought. Unsure why.

W085-14 (ballast train) @ 07:21 eastward stopped inside Gross Siding mp CG61.3/CG63.1 & plans will be made from there. A cab was ordered & not sure if they're tying down or a re-crew is en-route. UP engines #7680 + #7134 + #8178 (all on the head end cabs facing F-B-F) & 89 loaded cars. Plan is to move an engine to be a rear dpu to make it over the Saugatuck Hill. Their train is 12,600 tons.

Amtrak P371-19 @ 07:25 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG44.2 in Pearl, Mi with 24 axles. AMTK P42 engine #39 & 5 cars.

Amtrak P371-19 @ 07:42:55 westward N. Center St crossing Bangor, Mi mp CG60.35 AMTK P42 engine #39 & 5 cars (Venture Coach + Venture Business + AmCafé + 2 Venture Coaches) with 6 passengers On at the station mp CG60.5

W085-14 @ 08:22 westward Gross mp CG61.3/CG63.1 on the Main Track with UP engine #7134 solo being moved to the rear of his train to become a rear dpu. His new eastward consist will be: UP engines #7680 + #8178 & 89 ballast cars & rear dpu UP engine #7134 @ 12,600 tons.

Amtrak P371-19 @ 08:39 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 24 axles. AMTK P42 engine #39 & 5 cars (Venture Coach + Venture Business + AmCafé + 2 Venture Coaches).

R598-18 @ 09:08 copied their EC1 to depart the power plant in West Olive, Mi mp CGP 1.0 & diverge onto the Fremont sub-div & head south to the Grand Rapids sub-div in Holland, Mi with BNSF engine #9046 & 130 empty coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9379. He’ll be taking either Wells Siding mp CG41.4 & tie down.

G83217 was parked at Plymouth this AM for GR crew to take to Grand Ledge. Should become G07719 and be moving within the next hour WB.

R598-18 West Olive empties south at Riley St. Holland 9:42 AM.

pudgy wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 19, 2024 9:33 am

G83217 was parked at Plymouth this AM for GR crew to take to Grand Ledge. Should become G07719 and be moving within the next hour WB.

Why did this train need to change symbols?

R598-18 @ 09:57 westward Holland Depot mp CG25.3 Grand Rapids sub-div with BNSF engine #9046 & 130 empty coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9379. He’ll be taking Wells Siding mp CG41.4 & tie down.

L301-19 @ 09:59 Grand Rapids, Mi mark up with the RN Dispatcher: CSX engines #4057 + #2428 & 29 cars (12 loads + 17 empties) @ 2,018 tons & 1,804 feet long. He’ll head westward for work at Buzzi Cement mp CG5.2 & then he’ll go into Waverly mp CG22.8 & later westward to Hartford mp CG68.7 & Coloma mp CG76.7 & to Sawyer mp CG105.2 Engines were spun sometime yesterday, don't know why.

Y121 north at Riley St. Holland 10:26 AM.

R598-18 @ 10:35 westward, Main Track to siding, Wells Siding mp CG41.4 with BNSF engine #9046 & 130(?) empty coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9379. He’ll be tying down.

Y121-19 @ 11:17 westward on the Main Track, Holland, Mi Depot mp CG25.3 with CSX engine #2686 & 1 Box car. He’ll go to the Holland Depot signal & then shove eastward to diverge into the Holland Pass Track.

L303-19 @ 11:22 Grand Rapids mark up & EC1 with the RN Dispatcher what had sounded like: CSX engines #3239 + #4589 & 117 cars (41 loads + 76 empties) @ 5,641 tons & 7,829 feet long. He’s building his train.

M326-19 @ 11:24 eastward at New Buffalo mp CG116.5 per the St Joseph Bridge Tender advising the bridge workers.

LansingRailFan wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 19, 2024 9:51 am

pudgy wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 19, 2024 9:33 am

G83217 was parked at Plymouth this AM for GR crew to take to Grand Ledge. Should become G07719 and be moving within the next hour WB.

Why did this train need to change symbols?

I think it’s because the crew that takes the train out of Walbridge or wherever they get on isn’t qualified on that line or they don’t have enough time on their 12 hours to get jt there, so they park it for a period of time on the Saginaw/Plymouth subdivision until a Grand Rapids or Detroit crew gets aboard, which is when it gets the new ID. So the new G series ID is almost like an R series ID (Example: R597/R598 on the west side of the state) but instead with a G and a changed number set.

Correct me if I’m wrong however.

L301-19 @ 11:32 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG19.1 Zeeland, Mi with 128 axles. CSX engines #4057 + #2428 & 29 cars. He’s headed into Waverly mp CG22.8 Later he’ll head west for work at Hartford mp CG68.7 & Coloma mp CG76.7 & Sawyer mp CG105.2

Michigan Shore south at Riley St. Holland 11:38 AM.

M326-19 @ 11:54 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 216 axles. CSX engine #426 + 1 & 51 cars.

L301-19 @ 12:07 westward, Pass Track to Main Track, Holland, Mi Depot mp CG25.3 with CSX engines #4057 + #2428 & 8 cars. He has work at Hartford mp CG68.7 & Coloma mp CG76.7 & Sawyer mp CG105.2 He'll go into the East end of Grand Jct siding mp CG54 where the 2 CSX "pusher engines" are to clear up for M326. He'll then back out of there & proceed westward.

LansingRailFan wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 19, 2024 9:51 am

pudgy wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 19, 2024 9:33 am

G83217 was parked at Plymouth this AM for GR crew to take to Grand Ledge. Should become G07719 and be moving within the next hour WB.

Why did this train need to change symbols?

The G832 symbol was used to get the train to Plymouth. From there a local symbol is used to position the train to final destination. Many of the grain trains that come to Michigan(or anywhere else for that matter) can be rerouted while enroute per customer request if they have another location that needs load outs first. Believe this was CSXs attempt to keep the train sheet neat. From Plymouth it could go north on the Saginaw, or West to Webberville or Grand Ledge.

They'll also update the train IDs to newer dates to reduce impact on the performance metrics...

pudgy wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 19, 2024 12:16 pm

They'll also update the train IDs to newer dates to reduce impact on the performance metrics...

This. This makes the most sense. This is the way. Very easy to sneak a newer date in there when the entire symbol has an administrative precedent for a change. Destination change or not.

Michigan Shore north at Riley St. Holland 12:37 PM.

L301-18 @ 12:42 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG44.2 Pearl, Mi with 44 axles. CSX engines #4057 + #2428 & 8 cars. He has work for Hartford mp CG68.7 & Coloma mp CG76.7 & at Sawyer mp CG105.2 He'll be taking the east end of Grand Jct siding mp CG54 where the 2 CSX "Pusher Engines" are to clear up for M326. He'll then back out of the siding & proceed westward.

M326-19 @ 12:50:53 eastward Bangor, Mi Division St crossing mp CG60.93 cam with CSX engines #426 + #5390 & 51 cars.

W085-14 @ 13:18 contacted Dispatcher with their plans. The crew stated they will be dumping ballast from mp 44 all the way to mp 6.0 Grandville, Mi, than head into Grand Rapids Terminal and possibly heading east on the Plymouth Sub. Dispatcher advised them they will need to wait for L301-19 and E801-18(?) at Grand Junction mp 55.6 before they get moving

BNSF C-BTMCXC (Bound for West Olive) 04/19/24 @ 18:24:20 CDT heading east passing Mount Pleasant, Iowa cam with BNSF #8445 + BNSF #1011 + 130 coal loads + rear BNSF #8493 DPU. The BNSF 1011 will be removed prior to reaching Chicago.

G077-19 had 372 and 305 for power, a YN2 pair leading my count of 88 cars. They had cleared Beck Rd (CH 51 and NOT CH 27) at 11:37. This was G832-17 between Walbridge and Plymouth, was this that G790 I had mentioned a few days ago prior to becoming G832?