The Detroit Southern RR

[heartlandguy]

Got a pig iron train coming from the CIND this afternoon. Runs through with whatever is down in Cincy on CIND's side. The PI-CIDE09 is currently making his way north, holding in Washington C.H. right now for a southbound.

M-FRCI09 rounding the connection at Washington C.H. DSR 700 (B30-7) and DSR 355 (GP35) with 39 cars.

M-CIFR09 rounding the curve at Tremont City. DSR 400 and DSR 401 (GP40s) with 31 cars.

M-FRCO09 rumbling across CSX at Quincy, snagging orders as well. DSR 225 (GP38-2) and DSR 403 (GP40) with 28 cars.

A-FRWK09 approaching Lima. DSR 703 (B30-7) and 34 autoracks.

PI-CIDE09 in the siding at WCH for M-FRCI09. CSCD 6637 (GP40) and DSR 704 (B30-7) with 35 pig iron loads.

[heartlandguy]

The series of upgrades on the DSR is to begin on Monday, April 22nd, about one week from now. A series of tie, ballast, and work trains will be run this week to get materials in position. We have divided up the work crews, in order to speed up some of the process. Gang #1 will work south from Diann to Washington Court House, on former DT&I trackage. At the same time, Gang #2 will work from Midland City to Columbus, on former B&O trackage. This will help get both lines completed quicker.

-Ballast trains will have a "B" suffix
-Tie trains will have a "J" suffix
-Other work trains or equipment moves will have a "W" suffix
-These trains will not operate with our standard alphabetical symbols, but rather with a numerical system, usually with an "0" after the letter (eg: W039-22)

[heartlandguy]

M-FRCI16 getting onto the AW at Midland City. DSR 402 (GP40) and DSR 703 (B30-7) with 43 cars

M-CIFR16 at Thackery. DSR 701 (B30-7) and DSR 704 (B30-7) with 37 cars.

M-FRCO16 at Bloomington; DSR 226 (GP38-2), DSR 400 (GP40), and 26 cars

M-COFR16 at South Solon. DSR 220 (GP38-2) and DSR 700 (B30-7) and 30 cars

A-FRWK16 rumbling through Cairo. DSR 355 (GP35) and DSR 221 (GP38-2) with 25 auto racks.

B020-16 hitting the NS diamonds at Leipsic. DSR 352 (GP35) and 15 ballast hoppers.

[heartlandguy]

Today, work begun on a project that will revive the former DT&I between Diann and Washington Court House. A large tie gang has started out in Diann, replacing ties. Ballast will soon follow... The goal of this project will be to get this line up to 40-45mph an compete with CSX in Detroit-Cincinnati service.

A similar project will begin in a couple of days on the former B&O from Midland City to Washington Court House. This will help get the whole project done quicker.

[heartlandguy]

Track gangs have started slowly marching north from Midland City on the former B&O to Washington C.H. The southbound crews on the DT&I have the TSCR diamonds near Liberty Center. Don't know the condition of the diamonds, but I don't think any work will be done with them as of now. Both crews are expected to continue on with work, and at their rate of progress, are expected to now meet in Springfield, OH.

Slow times for pig iron traffic in and out of Cincy to Delta, which means shorter trains. We hope for this to improve as Spring goes on...

M-CIFR06 crossing the MSRR at Malinta. DSR 402 (GP40) with 21 cars...

M-COFR06 banging the CSX diamonds at XN, south of Leipsic. DSR 225 (GP38-2), DSR 400 (GP40), and 33 cars.

A-WKFR06 changing crews in Lima. DSR 702 (B30-7) and DSR 701 (B30-7) with 30 autoracks.

T-LIAD06 departing Ford Park yard in Lima. DSR 221 (GP38-2) with 25 cars (10 for Campbell's in Napoleon, 9 for TSCR in Adrian, 6 for other industries)

G-MELI06 at Delta, meeting M-CIFR06 in the siding. CSX 4753 (SD70MAC) and CSX 8058 (SD40-2) with 90 grain loads. Will be tying down in the siding at Ottawa...

[conrailman75]

I know you based this railroad's roster on the real DT&I, but I recently seen something about the real DT&I that I found rather ironic. The DT&I was incorporated from the bankrupt remnants of the REAL Detroit Southern Railroad, so your DSRR actually existed in real life, albeit back before 1905. And, as Paul Harvey says, now you know the rest of the story

[heartlandguy]

Pig Iron traffic is back after a lull over the month of April. 30-40 car cuts of it have been flowing on our Cincy-Detroit train and being set off in Delta, OH for the Northstar Steel mill. F-CIFR13 has about 36 pig iron loads on the rear end today.

[I&Ofan4life]

Heartland I would like to dicuss the Midland Sub trackage as I own from Norwood Ohio to Parkersburg WV. Rebuilding is next step after the bigger project down south. I noticed you owned all the way to Midland City and just wanted to say Hello and that your trackrights are still in place and your trains will dispatched in a timely manner

[heartlandguy]

Heartland I would like to dicuss the Midland Sub trackage as I own from Norwood Ohio to Parkersburg WV. Rebuilding is next step after the bigger project down south. I noticed you owned all the way to Midland City and just wanted to say Hello and that your trackrights are still in place and your trains will dispatched in a timely manner

Welcome to the group! Thanks for letting me know about this. But, I think that the former B&O Cincy-Parkersburg main is owned already by another railroad. The Appalachian Western Railway, I believe (viewtopic.php?f=24&t=24747). We have trackage rights on that line into Cincinnati that way. I'm sure the owner (TCtrainguy17) would be willing to negotiate something, since I remember him saying it wasn't a very busy line..

[I&Ofan4life]

Thanks for the heads up we just Started the Cincinnati South Eastern today after the Cincinnati Charottle Railroad went belly up. The former C&C mangement were a bunch of dirty crooks and we were told we owned the right of way as the tracks were ripped up. The Cincinnati South Eastern has a thread and we would like to maybe dicuss an interchange in Cincinnati

[heartlandguy]

Thanks for the heads up we just Started the Cincinnati South Eastern today after the Cincinnati Charottle Railroad went belly up. The former C&C mangement were a bunch of dirty crooks and we were told we owned the right of way as the tracks were ripped up. The Cincinnati South Eastern has a thread and we would like to maybe dicuss an interchange in Cincinnati

No problem, sounds like the C&C guys were terrible. I'll let you know on your thread about interchange in Cincinnati.

[I&Ofan4life]

Lets just say they left the CSE in ruins and with only one engine and track worse than the former Maumee and Western . We do have hope as a lot of towns along the way and other companys like yours want us to succeed and okay we will dicuess interchanging in Cincinnati.

[I&Ofan4life]

When the main line is finally reopened the CSE wants to partnership with the Carolina Southern and Detriot Southern handling autoparts from Willimington NC up to Detroit Mich via the CS, CSE, and the DS. Finished Autos would be brought down the other way. Let the CSE know what the DS thinks about this shipping arrangement.

[heartlandguy]

When the main line is finally reopened the CSE wants to partnership with the Carolina Southern and Detriot Southern handling autoparts from Willimington NC up to Detroit Mich via the CS, CSE, and the DS. Finished Autos would be brought down the other way. Let the CSE know what the DS thinks about this shipping arrangement.

I think that would be a great arrangement! Let us know when you want to start them. Were you thinking of doing solid trains of northbound auto parts, or just blocks of 15-20 cars?

[I&Ofan4life]

I was thinking about a soild train and then maybe if we can capture the job we may be running another train of nothing but UPS trailers

[heartlandguy]

I was thinking about a soild train and then maybe if we can capture the job we may be running another train of nothing but UPS trailers

Alright, that works, just curious.

[I&Ofan4life]

Okay we hopefully can take Canada traffic south, and bring traffic from the South Northward.

[heartlandguy]

Update:

Work is making good progress on the former DT&I from Diann to Springfield. Crews have made it into Lima, OH. Work will stop for a couple days while materials and supplies get replenished. While that goes on, everything north of Lima will be inspected, and if all goes well, will be 45mph trackage by the weekend. Meanwhile, crews on the south end have reached Washington Court House, OH, and will begin the trek northward on the former DT&I. Everything south of there on the former B&O to Midland City will be inspected, and may be up to 45mph trackage this weekend, as well...

[heartlandguy]

With some newer traffic on the horizon, the DSR looking into purchasing some more locomotives for our fleet. They will most likely be more EMDs, around 5-10 of them, but the rest is for another day... We are also working to try and expand our trackage in the Detroit area.

M-FRCI15 at Washington Court House, snagging orders before turning onto the former B&O. DSR 701 (B30-7), DSR 403 (GP40), and 47 cars.

M-CIFR15 approaching S. Charleston and PC's Panhandle diamonds. DSR 404 (GP40), DSR 402 (GP40), and 42 cars.

M-FRCO15 at Springfield. DSR 222 (GP38-2), DSR 703 (B30-7), and 33 cars.

M-COFR15 at Grove City. DSR 224 (GP38-2) and DSR 355 (GP35) with 29 cars

A-FRWK15 crossing PC's Ft Wayne Line at Sugar Street in Lima. NS 9049 (C44-9W) and DSR 400 (GP40) with 35 auto racks.

[heartlandguy]

Forgotten about in the earlier post, MQT sent a ballast train from Detroit down the DSR to Cincinnati for interchange this afternoon with the Cincinnati South Eastern RR (CSE). The train is to help rebuild their line from Cincinnati to the Carolinas. The Marquette power should be returned north tomorrow morning, unless noted otherwise.

B-RMCI15 (Ballast: MQT Rougemere, Detroit MI-CSE, Cincinnati OH) ETOA CINCINNATI OH @ 15:48pm 5/15/13.
MQT 2035 (GP40-3), MQT 2032 (GP40-3) and 65 ballast hoppers.