The GLOR has begun selling off, to wholely owned subsidiary companies, certain branch lines outside of the railroads core service area. One of these lines is the Traverse City Branch, which runs from Walton Junction to Traverse City to Grawn, with a Branch to Williamsburg. The line will be known going forward as the Traverse City Southern Railroad.
The railroad will operate with a single train, running anywhere needed along the route on an as needed basis. Locomotives will be based in Traverse City. The train will be operated as symbol TC-1, and will interchange with the GLOR at Walton Jct.
The railroad will purchase a pair of locomotives from the GLOR, #387 (GP35-2) and #395 (GP35M-3). If additional power is needed it will be leased from the GLOR. #387 was an original AA Railroad GP35, and has spent a substantial portion of the recent years operating in the Cadillac area, including multiple stints operating on TC-1. The paint scheme for #395 will be the modified version of the GLOR paint scheme, whereas #387 is expected to be given a special Traverse City Paint Scheme to be determined.
All employees will be transfered from the GLOR to the TCSR as determined by labor agreements in place for the GLOR. The labor agreements in place will remain in effect for the duration of the agreements, which run until 12-31-25.
The GLOR has done a decent job of maintaining the TC Branch over the years and the tracks are rated Class 1 for 286K cars.
Current Customers on the line are
Grawn Propoane - propoane tankers
Go Go Squeeze -Grawn- Refridgerated and Insulated Boxcars -inbound fruit
Beacon Recycling -outbound scrap metal, occassional inbound rail cars for scrapping
Sare Lee - inbound fruit, flour and sweeteners
Williamsburg Propoane - propane tankers
Ameriheart - inbound centerbeams
Grand Traverse Team Track -Covered Hoppers, Flat Cars, Tak Cars and Boxcars - infrequent use
Grand Travrse Area Road Commission Transload - salt and deicer solution. Occassional Sand /stone loads
Grand Traverse Distribution Transload - salt and deicer solution
Kinglsey Lumber - Kingsley - Centerbeams
ITC - Traverse City - Flat Cars - Infrequent Use
Northern Building Supply - Centerbeams and Boxcars (New customer 2024)
Traverse City Southern Railroad (TCSR)
Re: Traverse City Southern Railroad (TCSR)
The TCSR has been running on average 3-5 days per week recently. Friday was an exceptionally busy day in terms of carloads.
The train began their day heading west from the depot / engine house towards Grawn lite power. Split the power upon reaching the south end of the passing siding / yard at 16th st. 395 pulled into the siding and coupled up to 4 cars, 2 flour hoppers and 2 refridgerated boxcars. They left 4 insulated boxcars, and 8 propane tankers on the siding. They then coupled returned to the mainline, backed up and coupled 387 to the north end, so the train was 395, 2 flour hoppers, 2 refridgerated boxcars, and 387. They then proceeded southbound to Dendrinos Drive, where 395 uncoupled and pulled south, pulling into the Sara Lee siding and pulling out 3 flour cars. After making the pull, they proceeded south to pass S. Airport Rd, where the crew locked up the locomotive and returned north to Dendrinos Dr, and climbed aboard 387. 387 proceeded south to Sara Lee and spotted the 2 flour cars and 2 refrigerated boxcars into the Sara Lee Siding. 387 then pulled out, and headed back north, and then east on the line to Williamsburg. They pulled one pole flatcar from Consumers, and 2 boxcars off the team track, before heading west and dropping those on the line south out of town by the Library. 387 then returns north and heads east again, towards Williamsburg. They pulled 1 empty centerbeam from Amerihart and 3 propane tanks from the siding at Williamsburg Propane. After switching the cars so 387 was on the west end of the track, using the passing siding at Willamsburg propane, they headed back to TC, coupling those 4 cars to the cars already by the Library. 387 then proceeded west, coupled to the north end of remaining cars on the yard siding. After coupling, the crew hopped in a crew van and was driven to 395. 395 then pulled north, and left the train on the main in the yard. The crew then jumped to 387 and coupled to the shoving platform that they keep on the north wye track. After coupling, the conductor went onto the shoving platform, and the train proceeded to shove to Grawn. In Grawn, they dropped the shoving platform west of the switch to Go Go Squeeze with the 8 propane tankers. They then proceeded to pull 2 insulated boxcars from Go Go Squeeze, coupling them to the tankers, then dropped the 4 insulated boxcars at Go Go Squeeze. They then coupled to the remaining train, and shoved to the end of the line at Grawn Propane. They dropped the shoving platform west of the switch, pulled 3 cars from Grawn Propoane, coupled them to the shoving platform, dropped the 8 propane tankers at Grawn Propane, which is the maximum they can have on their siding, coupled to the rest of the train and returned EB with 387, 3 empty propane cars, and 2 insulated boxcars. They stopped on the mainline south of Beacon, backed into Beacon and pulled 2 loads of scrap metal, from Beacon, leaving 3 additional cars on the siding. After coupling back to the train, they proceeded north, leaving the shoving platform on the main just north of Right Brain Brewing, and then headed north into the siding with 2 empty scrap gons, 3 empty propane tanks, 2 empty insulated boxcars, and left them on the south end of the siding. 387 then uncoupled and proceeded north, onto the main and backing up to couple to 395 and its train. Those cars were pulled north.then backed south into the siding, and left north of 14th street, while the other cars dropped were south of 14th St. The crew uncoupled and then proceeded north, then backed down the main to the shoving platform, picked it up and headed back into TC. They proceeded to hook up to the cars dropped near the library and return west towards the yard with the shoving platform, 395, 387, and the Williamsburg cars. They then dropped the shoving platform on the wye track, backed onto the main and ran through the main to the south end of the siding, backed onto the siding and coupled the Williamsburg cars to the rest of the cars on the south end, then pushed north, coupling the cars to the rest of the train. The power then cut off the south end, and ran back to the engine house and put away the power. They did not make the anticipated run south to the interchange on Friday.
Saturday saw an unusual Saturday run for the crew. They headed south lite power with 387 leading 395. They split the power south of the siding to the road commission and salt distributor. 387 continued south, picked up a single depressed flatcar at ITC's Keystone Substation, returned to the mainline and stopped just short of 395. The crew hopped on 395 and pulled 4 empty deicer solution tank cars and 3 empty salt covered hoppers from the road comission. Once pulled, they coupled to the depressed flatcar, and headed back towards TC. They pulled the cars to the yard, cut off 395 on the main, connected to the cars on the siding from the previous day, pushing south to clear the switch at the north end. The crew then switched over to 395, coupled 395 to 387, but uncoupled from the train. They then coupled to the shoving platform before recoupling to their train. They then proceeded back into TC and headed south towards Walton Jct. They stopped the train north of Main St in Kinglsey, uncoupled the power and shoving platform and headed south to pull a single centerbeam and single boxcar from Kingsley Lumber. They then returned to their train, recoupled to the train and headed south to Walton Jct.
The train leaving Walton Jct consisted of GP35M-3 #395, GP35-2 #387, the TCSR shoving platform, 1 empty centerbeam, 1 empty boxcar, 4 empty deicer solution tank cars, 3 empty salt covered hoppers, 1 depressed flat car, 3 empty flour hoppers, 1 empty pole flat, 2 boxcars, 1 empty centerbeam, 3 empty propane tanks, 2 insulated box cars empties, and 3 propane tanks.
The train then arrived at Walton Jct with 395, 387 and 25 cars. This may be a TCSR record for the longest single train to run on the line, only to be outdone by what they had to pick up. At Walton Jct, they met GLOR train CP. It is very unusual to have TCSR and CP do a physical meet at Walton Jct, normally it is unintentional. This was very much intentional. The TCSR train pulled south around the wye, and headed south to clear the switch before backing north to just clear of the south wye switch. They cut off their train and headed back onto the wye. GLOR Train CP had brought their train, solely cars for the TCSR and pulled into the siding. CP's power, SD40-2 #4026 and SD40M-2 #4021 then cut off the train, and headed north of Walton Jct. Train CP's crew then backed onto the main, coupled to the cars the TCSR dropped and proceeded northbound, clearing the north end of the siding. The GLOR power then proceeded around the wye, headed north of Walton Jct, backed onto the cars left by train CP, backed south out of Walton Jct Siding, before heading back north towards TC. The return trip north consisted of 395, 387, 16 boxcars, all of which were in derilct condition, 6 covered salt hoppers, 3 deicer tank cars, 1 loaded centerbeam, 2 loaded flour cars, 6 insulated boxcars, 3 refridgerated boxcars, and 12 propane tankers, for a total of 49 northbound cars. The shoving platform was left on the interchange cars to the GLOR, and did not make the return trip north. It was destined for Cadillac for repairs.
Upon arriving south of TC, they left most of the train south alongside Keystone Rd, only heading into TC with the 16 boxcars. They then proceeded into TC, backs the boxcars up to leave 4 on the team track, then headed west, dropping 8 of them into the siding, and heading toward Grawn with the remaining 4. At Grawn, they used the runaround track to run around the 4 before taking them and dropping them at Beacon, where they will be scrapped. The crew then proceeded back to the yard, picked up the remaining boxcars left in the yard, proceeded back to the Grawn passing siding, dropped the remaining cars in the passing siding, then headed back to pick up the rest of the train along Keystone Rd. They then drop the deicer and salt covered hoppers at the Road Commission and take the rest of the train into TC, and dropping it on the siding in the yard. Monday will see another busy day, as the remaining cars on the line will be delivered to customers and most customers will have at least 1 car pulled from their property.
The train began their day heading west from the depot / engine house towards Grawn lite power. Split the power upon reaching the south end of the passing siding / yard at 16th st. 395 pulled into the siding and coupled up to 4 cars, 2 flour hoppers and 2 refridgerated boxcars. They left 4 insulated boxcars, and 8 propane tankers on the siding. They then coupled returned to the mainline, backed up and coupled 387 to the north end, so the train was 395, 2 flour hoppers, 2 refridgerated boxcars, and 387. They then proceeded southbound to Dendrinos Drive, where 395 uncoupled and pulled south, pulling into the Sara Lee siding and pulling out 3 flour cars. After making the pull, they proceeded south to pass S. Airport Rd, where the crew locked up the locomotive and returned north to Dendrinos Dr, and climbed aboard 387. 387 proceeded south to Sara Lee and spotted the 2 flour cars and 2 refrigerated boxcars into the Sara Lee Siding. 387 then pulled out, and headed back north, and then east on the line to Williamsburg. They pulled one pole flatcar from Consumers, and 2 boxcars off the team track, before heading west and dropping those on the line south out of town by the Library. 387 then returns north and heads east again, towards Williamsburg. They pulled 1 empty centerbeam from Amerihart and 3 propane tanks from the siding at Williamsburg Propane. After switching the cars so 387 was on the west end of the track, using the passing siding at Willamsburg propane, they headed back to TC, coupling those 4 cars to the cars already by the Library. 387 then proceeded west, coupled to the north end of remaining cars on the yard siding. After coupling, the crew hopped in a crew van and was driven to 395. 395 then pulled north, and left the train on the main in the yard. The crew then jumped to 387 and coupled to the shoving platform that they keep on the north wye track. After coupling, the conductor went onto the shoving platform, and the train proceeded to shove to Grawn. In Grawn, they dropped the shoving platform west of the switch to Go Go Squeeze with the 8 propane tankers. They then proceeded to pull 2 insulated boxcars from Go Go Squeeze, coupling them to the tankers, then dropped the 4 insulated boxcars at Go Go Squeeze. They then coupled to the remaining train, and shoved to the end of the line at Grawn Propane. They dropped the shoving platform west of the switch, pulled 3 cars from Grawn Propoane, coupled them to the shoving platform, dropped the 8 propane tankers at Grawn Propane, which is the maximum they can have on their siding, coupled to the rest of the train and returned EB with 387, 3 empty propane cars, and 2 insulated boxcars. They stopped on the mainline south of Beacon, backed into Beacon and pulled 2 loads of scrap metal, from Beacon, leaving 3 additional cars on the siding. After coupling back to the train, they proceeded north, leaving the shoving platform on the main just north of Right Brain Brewing, and then headed north into the siding with 2 empty scrap gons, 3 empty propane tanks, 2 empty insulated boxcars, and left them on the south end of the siding. 387 then uncoupled and proceeded north, onto the main and backing up to couple to 395 and its train. Those cars were pulled north.then backed south into the siding, and left north of 14th street, while the other cars dropped were south of 14th St. The crew uncoupled and then proceeded north, then backed down the main to the shoving platform, picked it up and headed back into TC. They proceeded to hook up to the cars dropped near the library and return west towards the yard with the shoving platform, 395, 387, and the Williamsburg cars. They then dropped the shoving platform on the wye track, backed onto the main and ran through the main to the south end of the siding, backed onto the siding and coupled the Williamsburg cars to the rest of the cars on the south end, then pushed north, coupling the cars to the rest of the train. The power then cut off the south end, and ran back to the engine house and put away the power. They did not make the anticipated run south to the interchange on Friday.
Saturday saw an unusual Saturday run for the crew. They headed south lite power with 387 leading 395. They split the power south of the siding to the road commission and salt distributor. 387 continued south, picked up a single depressed flatcar at ITC's Keystone Substation, returned to the mainline and stopped just short of 395. The crew hopped on 395 and pulled 4 empty deicer solution tank cars and 3 empty salt covered hoppers from the road comission. Once pulled, they coupled to the depressed flatcar, and headed back towards TC. They pulled the cars to the yard, cut off 395 on the main, connected to the cars on the siding from the previous day, pushing south to clear the switch at the north end. The crew then switched over to 395, coupled 395 to 387, but uncoupled from the train. They then coupled to the shoving platform before recoupling to their train. They then proceeded back into TC and headed south towards Walton Jct. They stopped the train north of Main St in Kinglsey, uncoupled the power and shoving platform and headed south to pull a single centerbeam and single boxcar from Kingsley Lumber. They then returned to their train, recoupled to the train and headed south to Walton Jct.
The train leaving Walton Jct consisted of GP35M-3 #395, GP35-2 #387, the TCSR shoving platform, 1 empty centerbeam, 1 empty boxcar, 4 empty deicer solution tank cars, 3 empty salt covered hoppers, 1 depressed flat car, 3 empty flour hoppers, 1 empty pole flat, 2 boxcars, 1 empty centerbeam, 3 empty propane tanks, 2 insulated box cars empties, and 3 propane tanks.
The train then arrived at Walton Jct with 395, 387 and 25 cars. This may be a TCSR record for the longest single train to run on the line, only to be outdone by what they had to pick up. At Walton Jct, they met GLOR train CP. It is very unusual to have TCSR and CP do a physical meet at Walton Jct, normally it is unintentional. This was very much intentional. The TCSR train pulled south around the wye, and headed south to clear the switch before backing north to just clear of the south wye switch. They cut off their train and headed back onto the wye. GLOR Train CP had brought their train, solely cars for the TCSR and pulled into the siding. CP's power, SD40-2 #4026 and SD40M-2 #4021 then cut off the train, and headed north of Walton Jct. Train CP's crew then backed onto the main, coupled to the cars the TCSR dropped and proceeded northbound, clearing the north end of the siding. The GLOR power then proceeded around the wye, headed north of Walton Jct, backed onto the cars left by train CP, backed south out of Walton Jct Siding, before heading back north towards TC. The return trip north consisted of 395, 387, 16 boxcars, all of which were in derilct condition, 6 covered salt hoppers, 3 deicer tank cars, 1 loaded centerbeam, 2 loaded flour cars, 6 insulated boxcars, 3 refridgerated boxcars, and 12 propane tankers, for a total of 49 northbound cars. The shoving platform was left on the interchange cars to the GLOR, and did not make the return trip north. It was destined for Cadillac for repairs.
Upon arriving south of TC, they left most of the train south alongside Keystone Rd, only heading into TC with the 16 boxcars. They then proceeded into TC, backs the boxcars up to leave 4 on the team track, then headed west, dropping 8 of them into the siding, and heading toward Grawn with the remaining 4. At Grawn, they used the runaround track to run around the 4 before taking them and dropping them at Beacon, where they will be scrapped. The crew then proceeded back to the yard, picked up the remaining boxcars left in the yard, proceeded back to the Grawn passing siding, dropped the remaining cars in the passing siding, then headed back to pick up the rest of the train along Keystone Rd. They then drop the deicer and salt covered hoppers at the Road Commission and take the rest of the train into TC, and dropping it on the siding in the yard. Monday will see another busy day, as the remaining cars on the line will be delivered to customers and most customers will have at least 1 car pulled from their property.
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Re: Traverse City Southern Railroad (TCSR)
Excellent description of the operations
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...
Re: Traverse City Southern Railroad (TCSR)
Thank you. Normally they don't run anywhere close to that many cars. A good week is normally 5-10 cars, so anything above that on a single train is exceedingly rare.
Beacon has received a contract to scrap approximately 200 cars over the next year, so these 16 will simply be the first in a line of cars coming to meet the torch at Beacon. GLOR and TCSR will be storing cars on their line while the cars are in shipment to Beacon. These cars are in addition to the 100 plus that are going to be scrapped in Sturgis.
Re: Traverse City Southern Railroad (TCSR)
TCSR is going to be getting a couple new customers in the next could years.
Reith-Riley will be getting rail access to their Traverse City Plant. The siding will begin on the weat side of M37 south of the Menards store and proceed east across M37 into the plant. The approval process for this plant is underway, and it is expected the new siding will be in operation 10-12 months after the approval process is complete. The company is hoping to have the property up and running for rail service by the 2026 paving season.
This is in addition to another asphalt plant which has been proposed for slightly west of this location near Grawn Propane at the end of the Grawn Branch. Unlike Reith Riley, which already has an active plant, Grawn Paving products has not yet opened their facility as they are still fighting for project approval.
Also Acton Steel in Traverse City has built as spur into their facility and expects to begin service in 2025. Their facility is location just north of Beacon.
The Traverse City team track has been much busier the last several months with an average of 2 carloads per week into and out of the track.
Reith-Riley will be getting rail access to their Traverse City Plant. The siding will begin on the weat side of M37 south of the Menards store and proceed east across M37 into the plant. The approval process for this plant is underway, and it is expected the new siding will be in operation 10-12 months after the approval process is complete. The company is hoping to have the property up and running for rail service by the 2026 paving season.
This is in addition to another asphalt plant which has been proposed for slightly west of this location near Grawn Propane at the end of the Grawn Branch. Unlike Reith Riley, which already has an active plant, Grawn Paving products has not yet opened their facility as they are still fighting for project approval.
Also Acton Steel in Traverse City has built as spur into their facility and expects to begin service in 2025. Their facility is location just north of Beacon.
The Traverse City team track has been much busier the last several months with an average of 2 carloads per week into and out of the track.
Re: Traverse City Southern Railroad (TCSR)
There is nothing new in the TC area to report. The derailment on the GLOR did have some minor impact on the TCSR's operations and customers, but not a signficiant impact as most customers had the volume of backstock they needed to get through the few days of delay.
The GLOR has been leasing a third locomotive to the TCSR as a backup locomotive as 387 and 395 are not spring chickens. The leased unit has normally been a GP38 or GP40 variety, although they have also run some SD40-2's up there as well.
The GLOR has been leasing a third locomotive to the TCSR as a backup locomotive as 387 and 395 are not spring chickens. The leased unit has normally been a GP38 or GP40 variety, although they have also run some SD40-2's up there as well.