Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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AARR
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Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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Mid Michigan (the original :wink: ) 1984
Acquired ex-GTW Greenville Sub from Rich Road west of Middleton (MP 12.4) to end of line in Sheridan (MP 30.9) for 18.5 miles. The section from Rich Road to Fish Creek west of Carson City (MP 19.3) has active customers. The line west of there is used for car storage.

Started out with ex-GTW S4.

Interchanges with GLC (formerly TS&B) at Middleton.

Operations is typically one to three times a week.

Served about 5 customers with Refinery in Carson City being largest (13-car block per week). Other customers inlcuded a couple elevators in Carson City (Harris Milling and Kellogg's), a fertilizer dealer in Carson City (Klein), a plastics plant in Sheridan that received 1-2 cars per week, and also in Sheridan a small elevator and lumber yard that both discontinued rail service within a year.

Around 1992 Crystal Refinery closed.

Picked up ex-GTW SW9 in early 1990's and scrapped S2.

1997 Kellogg's expanded their capacity and increased car loading from around 30 to 60-75 per year. Their siding was rebuilt to accomodate loading 15 car blocks.

2002 a utility plant was constructed east of Carson City that receives 5-6 cars a week of natural gas liquified (NGL) from the wells near Kalkaska.

2010 Kellogg's expanded again and now ship around 120-180 cars per year including 25 car blocks.

Current service is 1-3x per week. In addition to the utility plant and Kellogg's, Klein still receives 50-60 cars a year of fertilizer (during the 90's they approached 100 a few years due to state contracts for dry fertilizer), and the plastic plant in Sheridan still receives 1-2 cars per week (although it wouldn't surprise us if the discontinue direct service from us and go to transloading from Clare which would force us to abandon everything west of Carson City unless we could pick up the growing elevator in Sheridan).

Interchange is with GLC whom, like TSBY before them, is a good partner.

New business opportunities are scarce however there's talk about a bio-diesel plant on the property where Crystal Refinery once was and as mentioned previously the elevator in Sheridan has expanded but still is not interested in rail service.

Updated 8/16/10
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Re: Mid Michigan

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Updated 5/6/12
Operations on this line have been discontinued as all customers have gone to truck or in case of power plant pipeline
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Re: Mid Michigan

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AARR wrote:
2002 a utility plant was constructed east of Carson City that receives 5-6 cars a week of natural gas liquified (NGL) from the wells near Kalkaska.
That would be Liquified Natural Gas, AKA LNG
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Re: Mid Michigan

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MQT3001 wrote:
AARR wrote:
2002 a utility plant was constructed east of Carson City that receives 5-6 cars a week of natural gas liquified (NGL) from the wells near Kalkaska.
That would be Liquified Natural Gas, AKA LNG
This movement actually took place between Kalkaska and Alma. The refinery in Alma received the cars. The tank cars were stenciled "Natural Gas Liquified" so I write it that way. But your way works too cause I know you know what you are talking about :)
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Re: Mid Michigan

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Good news, this line is reopened. It will run from Carson City to a connection with GLC in Middleton. Power is the ex-GTW SW9. Klein Fertilizer is reopening and will build a tank farm on the old Crystal Refinery Site west of town. It is expected to receive about 4-5 cars per week of mostly nitrogen but will also receive some liquid deicer. Service is expected to be weekly. Klein also will receive a few cars of dry fertilizer at their old location near downtown.

Carson City to Sheridan is railbanked for now.
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Re: Mid Michigan

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@ GR H & C « Wed 5:04:56 pm » The Kellogg elevator in Carson City at one time had a home built track Mobile they constructed out of a John Deere tractor. I about flipped when I saw it.

Besides the unusual John Deere tractor track mobile, they also had sitting in the yard a 0-4-0 fireless steam locomotive. And, in a barn they had a GE 44 tonner with its trucks removed sitting up on cribbing that they said they were going to rebuild. This was in 1995.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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A very late update: In 2016 Klein Fertilizer sold to Gratiot Agricultural Production Services (GAPS). GAPS traffic was significantly lower than Klein receiving 4-5 10-car blocks of nitrogen per year. In 2022 they are forecasting to receive between 65-70 cars of liquid nitrogen in 15ish car blocks.

GAPS has a dry fertilizer terminal in Fowler that my GRE has been serving since 2014.

Despite the reduction in traffic MMGN will hold on and look for additional business.

The SW1200 continues to soldier on.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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Another late update: In 2018 a coalition of local farmers decided to start receiving cottonseed at a Team Track in Carson City. They were tired of dealing with dealers opening and closing and moving around and dramatic price fluctuations. They will unload at a refurbished elevator siding on the west side of the old Klein dry fertilizer terminal. In the first year they received 20 cars in those large open top hoppers. In 2022 they are anticipating about 3 cars per month. If they are able to grow the range of their distribution, and there is a good chance for that, carloads could double or triple in a short amount of time. they are calling themselves, "Mid Michigan Animal Nutrition" (MMAN).

This operation is very different from the operation TSBY operated in Middleton up until the early 1990's. TSB received cottonseed in boxcars. A small front end loader would unload the box cars in a small covered shed (perhaps 15x15) and unload directly into a waiting dump truck. The old unloading shed is still in Middleton.

Since the cottonseed business is doing well, MMAN is also looking into receiving bulk animal feed. We are eyeing the old Kellogg's elevator location on the south side of the tracks. There remains several storage silos and bins but it would take quite a bit of renovating to handle modern covered hoppers of feed.

The tracks to Sheridan are still railbanked. However, the lumber yard has talked to me about resuming rail service. To be honest, I would love to do it but would have to refurbish 12 miles of track (that hasn't been used since the 1980's) for only 1-4 carloads of lumber per month. And, for them to get the price discount they are seeking I would have to pick up 24 hours after setting out (center beams have a very high per diem charge). So, I have some thinking to do about this.

It is nice that there are several new prospects even if they might be long shots at this time.

Service is performed as needed and averages weekly. Although, during peak fertilizer seasons we may operate 2x per week and when slow only when the cottonseed comes in.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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AARR wrote:
Wed Mar 30, 2022 6:27 pm
Another late update: In 2018 a coalition of local farmers decided to start receiving cottonseed at a Team Track in Carson City. They were tired of dealing with dealers opening and closing and moving around and dramatic price fluctuations. They will unload at a refurbished elevator siding on the west side of GAPS dry fertilizer terminal. In the first year they received 20 cars in those large open top hoppers. In 2022 they are anticipating about 3 cars per month. If they are able to grow the range of their distribution, and there is a good chance for that, carloads could double or triple in a short amount of time. they are calling themselves, "Mid Michigan Animal Nutrition" (MMAN).

This operation is very different from the operation TSBY operated in Middleton up until the early 1990's. TSB received cottonseed in boxcars. A small front end loader would unload the box cars in a small covered shed (perhaps 15x15) and unload directly into a waiting dump truck. The old unloading shed is still in Middleton.

Since the cottonseed business is doing well, MMAN is also looking into receiving bulk animal feed. We are eyeing the old Kellogg's elevator location on the south side of the tracks. There remains several storage silos and bins but it would take quite a bit of renovating to handle modern covered hoppers of feed.

The tracks to Sheridan are still railbanked. However, the lumber yard has talked to me about resuming rail service. To be honest, I would love to do it but would have to refurbish 12 miles of track (that hasn't been used since the 1980's) for only 1-4 carloads of lumber per month. And, for them to get the price discount they are seeking I would have to pick up 24 hours after setting out (center beams have a very high per diem charge). So, I have some thinking to do about this.

It is nice that there are several new prospects even if they might be long shots at this time.

Service is performed as needed and averages weekly. Although, during peak fertilizer seasons we may operate 2x per week and when slow only when the cottonseed comes in.
There’s been a steady and persistent rumor that a Michigan based potato chip producer is looking to open a new production facility. The unnamed company is looking to open the facility close to a locally sourced potato supply which Macomb county is known for for. There’s been talk of opening the facility in Sheridan Michigan if they can acquire the necessary tax breaks.

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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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You just blew my mind! 8) Ore Ida closed around 1986. Perhaps it is time for another potato operation to move in and Sheridan would be perfect. :)
GR H & C wrote:
Thu Mar 31, 2022 12:30 pm
There’s been a steady and persistent rumor that a Michigan based potato chip producer is looking to open a new production facility. The unnamed company is looking to open the facility close to a locally sourced potato supply which Montcalm County is known for for. There’s been talk of opening the facility in Sheridan Michigan if they can acquire the necessary tax breaks.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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GR H & C is communicating with a rendering company about the possibility of locating a plant between Carson City and Sheridan.

This company is also looking at locations along my Grand Rapids Eastern (GRE) line. Grand Rapids Eastern started up in 1993 when CMGN sold their line from the west side of Owosso (M21) to Coopersville. Soon after, I sold the Marne to Coopersville segment to a private group who is running excursion trains (Coopersville & Marne). GRE handles freight traffic from a connection with HESR on the west side of Owosso to a connection with C&M at Marne. I will eventually post more later.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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Due to many years of low or even no on line customers MMGN has earned revenue storing cars. With 18.5 miles of track (12 miles west of Carson City and no customers) and approximately a mile in sidings MMGN can store up to several hundred cars and retrieve them within 48 hours notice. Due to its location in MI, which other than CN is not on any Class 1's through route, most of the cars are stored because of downturns in business as opposed to using MMGN as Staging or Sit In Transit yards for active revenue service.

Typical storage cars include open hoppers for coal service (CSSX and DTEX are common), large tank cars for LPG service, short covered hoppers for sand service, tank cars for crude oil service, and covered hoppers for grain service. However, all and any type of cars are stored.

Cars that show up for Staging or SIT include covered hoppers and tank cars for ZFS Soy Bean plant in Ithaca (via GLC), plastic pellet covered hoppers for Poly Pavilion in Clare (via GLC), large tank cars for LPG service in Cadillac or butane service in Kalkaska, and other local customers. As GLC's business has grown and stretched their capacity to the limit MMGN provides a convenient location for their customers cars.

Another local railroad, LSRC, whose business has exploded and they find themselves short on capacity, is looking to MMGN as a location to store cars that they might need back on short notice (just like GLC). It is possible that a few autoracks might find themselves on MMGN. This would be the first time autoracks went northwest of Durand since the rail car repair shop in Ashley closed in the early 1990's.

As mentioned, MMGN offers 48 hour turnaround service but often the cars are spotted in Middleton (GLC) within 24 hours. This is attractive to railroads like GLC and LSRC when they need their customers cars fast to fill orders. Other possible LSRC cars that may show up include shorty covered hoppers (cement), open top hoppers (stone) and covered hoppers (Star of the West flour and wheat service).

For now, though, most of the storage cars are longer-term tenants.

If a revenue customer locates west of Carson City it will change the dynamics of car storage and how MMGN does business.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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Another prospect has come up. The tank farm on the west side of the Carson City (former Crystal Refinery and most recently Klein Fertilizer nitrogen and liquid deicer storage) has been underutilized since Gratiot Agricultural Production Services took over in 2016. GAPS is forecasted to receive 65-70 cars in 2022 but typically they get 4-5 10 car blocks annually.

An energy company is looking to establish a propane distribution terminal in mid Michigan and Carson City is in consideration. An already established tank farm and rail service are attractive benefits. But, they are also considering sites on GLC, GRE and MMRR. They want storage for 500 cars a year and the tank farm west of Carson City can accommodate it.

Along with the potato plant and rendering plant it’s nice to have candidates for customers.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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Engine Roster:

Owner: Mid Michigan 7011
Model: EMD SW9 Built As: GTW 7011 (SW9)
Serial Number: 11166 Order No: 4045
Frame Number: 4045-2 Built: 6/1952
Notes: Acquired from GTW 1992
Other locos with this serial: GTW 7011(SW9)
Image

Mid Michigan Animal Nutrition, which had forecasted three cars per month of cottonseed, has actually been receiving four to five per month. With their steady business, and GLC using MMGN for car staging service especially for the soybean plant, is averaging two to three times a week.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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Gratiot Agricultural Production Services (GAPS) has received several 10-car blocks of liquid nitrogen in 2022 and expects to receive a couple more before the end of the year.

Mid Michigan Animal Nutrition continues to receive four to five cotton seed gondolas per month. When they receive two at a time they must move the cars around to facilitate end unloading (see picture). A concrete platform was poured so the front end loader could better access the rail car.
Image
However, their possible venture into other bulk animal feeds is dead for now.

Storage cars, both long-term and Storage in Transit (SIT) are very busy and providing much needed revenue. In particular, cars "staged" for online GLC customers is proving to be profitable. MMGN has recently committed to 24 hour deliveries to GLC after notice.

The rumors about a potato product plant and rendering transload are very quiet at this time. They are not considered dead, though.

The tank farm in Carson City remains in strong contention for a new proposed propane distributer. On the plus side are existing tracks, proper zoning requirements, storage tanks and unloading equipment. The only negative is the track between Middleton and Carson City (to the tank farm is about 7 miles) is rated at 5 mph and 263,000 lbs cars. This would need to be upgraded to 286,000 lbs cars and 10 mph. MMGN has some money to invest, GLC said that through their partner, WATCO, they would contribute some and a grant/loan is being requested. MMGN is confident they can get the funds for an upgrade.

Big L Lumber is ready and willing to receive rail shipments (after a nearly 40 year hiatus) should MMGN resume freight service to Sheridan. Currently the track between Carson City and Sheridan (11.6 miles) is only used for storage. It would need some work to upgrade it to handle modern center beam cars.

The 70 year old SW9, 7011, continues to operate reliably. It has most of the same major components as-built. For now there are no plans to do anything other than routine maintenance.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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MMGN has acquired a second engine. It was stored OOS in Farwell at the end of the Lear Seating siding. MMGN has contracted with GLC Owosso Shops to overhaul it.

Owner: Mid Michigan 1977
Model: EMD NW2 Built As: UP 1034 (NW2)
Serial Number: 1695 Order No: E476
Frame Number: E476-10 Built: 7/1942
Notes: Acquired from GLC 2022. Overhauled at GLC Owosso Shops.
Other locos with this serial: TSBY 1977(NW2) UP 1034(NW2)
Image

Mid Michigan Animal Nutrition cotton seed business continues to grow. They received six cars in August which is one more than their previous high of five.

Storage cars remain a strong source of business. As the Zeeland Soybean Plant in Ithaca business grows more cars and GLC capacity is full more of its cars are stored on MMGN short-term and retrieved for delivery to Zeeland. In August several 25 car blocks of inbound soybeans for Zeeland were stored on MMGN. 25 loaded cars tested the SW9 pulling power. This led to the decision to acquire a second engine.

The propane distributer will be making their decision in a month or two about what location they will choose. Carson City has the financial backing to upgrade the track to Middleton for propane loads so MMGN is optimistic they will be chosen.

Although not dead, a potato factory and/or rendering plant are low probabilities to locate on MMGN.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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Effective January 1st, 2023, MMGN will be acquired by GLC. The line to Carson City remains safe as there is a small customer base plus the propane terminal looks like it will be a go adding 400-500 cars a year to the line. The the future of line west of Carson City is questionable. GLC may keep it in place as storage because of capacity shortages on their other sidings which are used used for increased operations/traffic. Look for a weekly job out of Owosso to run to Carson City.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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The sale did not go through. GLC withdrew its offer after the propane terminal chose another location due to the proposed site in Carson City being declared and environmental hazard zone. The tank farm will be razed, and the contaminated soil removed. MMGN/GLC submitted a quote to have the “dirty dirt” removed by rail.

GLC has also discontinued using MMGN for staging its Zeeland Soybean cars. However, they are using MMGN for its Northern Logistics SIT cars. Northern Logistics has a large transload yard in Clare. Its business is growing and there are times they do not have the capacity to store all the cars. It is more economical to send those cars to MMGN than rehab their own tracks.

The line from the west end of Carson City (Fish Creek) to Sheridan is about 11.5 miles and can store around 900 cars. It is common for them to have 400-500 storage cars at any one time. Currently there are around 900 cars stored including four 132-car sets of coal hoppers for Consumers Energy (they are in the process of converting Bay City’s D.E. Karn and West Olive’s J.H, Campbell plants from coal to natural gas). There are also several hundred LPG tank cars online currently.

It can take several full shifts to retrieve storage cars when they are deep in the back of the line.

Mid-Michigan Animal Nutrition cottonseed business continues to grow. They receive an average of 5-7 cars a month.

Gratiot Agricultural Production Services (GAPS) lost a major contract for Nitrogen distribution. In the past they would receive 40-50 carloads a year usually in blocks of 10. With the loss of the major contract, they will only receive 8-10 cars per year.

MMGN makes one trip a week to Middleton to exchange cars with GLC. However, MMGN usually operates another one to three days switching local industries and the storage cars. An inconvenience is GLC will not allow MMGN to operate on their track, so MMGN must push the interchange cars from Carson City to Rich Road (west of Middleton 6.5 miles) one day then come back the next day to pick up the setout to take back to Carson City. Pushing the cars from Carson City to Rich Road is done at speeds no greater than five mph.

The SW9 and NW2 are well-suited for their tasks and there are no plans to replace them.

Despite GLC backing out of the deal, the ownership of MMGN will continue to operate the line.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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Mid-Michigan Animal Nutrition (MMAN), who operates a successful cotton seed distributor in Carson City, has announced its intent to build an animal feed distributor in Vickeryville (MP 24.9). It will receive organic feed ingredients (ex. canola meal, flaxseed, sorghum, etc.) in blocks of 15-25 cars at a time. An existing but derelict passing siding that is 540’ will be rehabilitated and expanded to the east to Senator Road (2,250’). An east-facing switch will be built by Senator Road and two stub end tracks, one for storage and the other for unloading cars, will be built.

MMGN’s line from Rich Road (west of Middleton MP 12.4) to Carson City (MP 18.9) is rated for 286,000-pound cars. The track from Carson City to the end of the line west of Sheridan (MP 30.9) is exempted and rated for 263,000-pound cars. At the very least the track from Carson City to Vickeryville (MP 24.9) will need to be upgraded to 286-standard. This six-mile stretch and two additional stub-end spurs will cost $4.6 million. The funds will come from MMAN, the state of MI and Federal, loans and several other sources.

MMAN is projecting they can receive 1,000 cars a year when fully operational (Editor’s note: Projections are usually overly optimistic).

They are planning on being open for business by the 3rd quarter of 2024 (Editor’s note: Projections are usually overly optimistic).

Each of MMGN’s engines (NW2 and SW9) are rated for 2,200 tons. A 25-car loaded train will weigh around 3,575 tons so both engines together can pull it westbound at slow speeds. However, neither engine has MU capability so they will each need an operator when used together. MMGN is reviewing locomotive options.

Also, Potato Services of Michigan (PSI) is researching building a plant in Montcalm County. Sheridan is in the mix, being centrally located and has a rail service (Edmore also has rail service but it is at the northern border). Not much else is known about it currently.
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Re: Mid Michigan (MMGN)

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2023 was a good year for MMGN. MMAN received 81 cars of cotton seed and shipments are projected to remain strong. GAPS received 29 cars of nitrogen solution (this will drop in 2024 because they lost a major contract halfway through 2023). 24 cars of dirty dirt were shipped out from the old Crystal Refinery site. Storage traffic, including SIT traffic for Northern Logistics in Clare, was very good often with several hundred cars online. Storage capacity will be significantly reduced with the MMAN’s animal feed project in Vickeryville.

Construction on MMAN’s animal feed plant near Vickeryville is underway with groundwork in process. Track upgrading will begin in the Spring starting with installing heavier rail between Carson City and Vickeryville (about six miles). They are still working toward opening the 3rd quarter of 2024.

MMGN’s engines (NW2 and SW9) are well-suited for working on the line. But their age and lack of MU capabilities have management looking at other options.

MMGN still makes one trip a week to Middleton to exchange cars with GLC. However, MMGN usually operates another one to three days switching local industries and the storage cars. An inconvenience is GLC will not allow MMGN to operate on their track, so MMGN must push the interchange cars from Carson City to Rich Road (west of Middleton 6.5 miles) one day then come back the next day to pick up the set out to take back to Carson City. Pushing the cars from Carson City to Rich Road is done at speeds no greater than five mph.
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