Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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AARR
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Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE) started service in 1984 on the ex-KBEC/PENN/MC/???? from 44th Street in Grand Rapids (MP 75.7) to Vermontville (MP 34.6) for 41 miles. In 1999 they acquired the line from 44th Street to Burton Jct. (MP 79.8) adding 4 miles. Interchanges are with CSX (via trackage rights in Wyoming Yard) and GDLK in Grand Rapids Burton Yard.

Ex-D&M RS2u 467 was acquired at the start-up:
Owner: Grand Rapids Southeastern
Model: Alco RS2u Built As: DM 467 (RS2)
Serial Number: 73646
Order No: 20024
Frame Number: prime mover # 10110 Built: 11/1946
Notes: Upgraded to 1600 HP in 1956. Acquired from D&M 1984
Other locos with this serial: GRSE 467(RS2u) DM 467(RS2)
Image

In the late 1990’s with a growing grain traffic and the acquisition of the remaining branch into Grand Rapids, another ex-D&M RS2m was acquired:
Owner: Grand Rapids Southeastern
Model: Rebuilt Alco RS2m Built As: DH 4020 (RS2)
Serial Number: 77571
Order No: 20390
Frame Number: prime mover # 11212 Built: 11/1949
Notes: Acquired from LSRC 1997
Other locos with this serial: GRSE 977(RS2u) LSRC 977(RS2u) DM 977(RS2u) LI 1520(RS2) DH 977(RS2)
Image

In 2011, LSRC was scrapping all its Alco’s and CRSE acquired a pair of C425M-AC’s to assist with the heavy grain unit trains that were being generated online:
Owner: Grand Rapids Southeastern
Model: Alco C425M-AC Built As: PRR 2443 (C425)
Serial Number: 3433-07
Order No: 21247
Frame Number: 3433-07 Built: 12/1965
Notes: "City of Bay City" Overhauled in 1999-2000
Other locos with this serial: GRSE 181(C425M-AC) LSRC 181(C425M-AC) LSRC 181(C425) DM 181(C425) PC 2443(C425) CR 2443(C425) PRR 2443(C425)
Image

Owner: Grand Rapids Southeastern
Model: Alco C425M-AC Built As: PRR 2439 (C425)
Serial Number: 3433-03
Order No: 21247
Frame Number: 3433-03 Built: 12/1965
Notes: "City of Grayling" Overhauled in 1999-2000
Other locos with this serial: GRSE 1280(C425M-AC) LSRC 1280(C425M-AC) LSRC 1280(C425) DM 1280(C425) CR 2439(C425) PC 2439(C425)
Image

Engine house is in Hastings

Customer History:
- Initially serviced handful of customers including Green Valley Agricultural in Caledonia (inbound fertilizer and outbound grain small shipper), Caledonia Farmers Elevator (inbound feed and fertilizer and outbound grain small shipper), Bradford White in Middleville (outbound water heaters), Hastings Iron and Metal (outbound scrap) and Citizens in Vermontville (inbound fertilizer and outbound grain. There were a handful of other small customers.

Current Customer List:
• Keebler Bakery in Wyoming is an original customer from the 1999 acquisition and receives 11-15 car loads a week of flour, salt and sugar.
• L&W (formerly other names including Great Lakes Gypsum Products) in Wyoming resumed service after many years in 2018 and receives one to three cars a month of drywall.
• Beta Plastics in Kentwood started service in 2000 and receives two-cars of plastic pellets about once a month.
• Caledonia Farmers Elevator is an original customer but has grown substantially over the years. They receive fertilizer (25-30 cars annually), feed (two to three cars a week) and ship out 1,100-1,400 cars a year in small car lots up to 90 car units.
• Green Valley Agricultural closed their downtown elevator by 1990 but in 2015 opened a large fertilizer terminal southeast of town with a loop track (shared with CFE new grain bins). They receive up to 400 cars a year of pot ash in 80 car units and up to 300 cars a year of liquid nitrogen in 60 car units.
• Flexflab west of Hastings opened in 2000 and receives two to three tank cars per week.
• Citizens in Vermontville is an original customer but has grown substantially over the years. They receive fertilizer (60-80 cars annually of mostly liquid nitrogen) and ship out 1,150-1,550 cars a year of grain in small car blocks up to 90 car units.

Operations consists of the crew going on duty weekdays at 7am and running wherever needed. Keebler is serviced three days per week and the rest of the line one to three days a week.
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GrandTrunkFan
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern

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I feel like Bradford White could have a part in this too. Not necessarily shipping out finished product, but when I worked there, they received lots of truckloads of steel coils and could potentially have tank cars for the water heater insulation. Also had lots of stamping scrap hauled out of there. While the real KBEC scared them off, and a hefty amount of traffic with it, a much more organized shortline operation Im sure could have woo-ed them back.
Nick

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AARR
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern

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Thank you for the reminder to mention my history with BW.

When I first took over the line BW shipped out water tanks in trailers from a local circus loading ramp. Up to 7 flat cars per day. They stopped rail service shortly after. Unfortunately, too date, I haven't been able to persuade them to return to direct rail for the commodities you listed (chemicals, steel coils and scrap). For now they are satisfied using trucks from local sources.
GrandTrunkFan wrote:
Sat Dec 04, 2021 1:38 am
I feel like Bradford White could have a part in this too.
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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GRSE is having discussions with Lime and Gypsum Products in Vermontville. They currently truck their product from their plant in Turner (on LSRC). Routing would be LSRC (who will have to reinstall the Turner Spur switch) to Plymouth then CSX to Grand Rapids. It is difficult to compete with trucks on short haul stuff. But since it is not a time sensitive product, L&GP might be persuaded with the cost savings of shipping in 20-car blocks. There is land available in Vermontville near Citizens Elevator that L&GP could use to stage their product rather than their current yard about a mile from the tracks. Most of their products are for agricultural use (fertilizer), but they also have a few industrial customers (concrete).

If LSRC takes over CSX's line from Plymouth to Grand Rapids there is a much better chance of getting this done.
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GRHC
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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AARR wrote:
Wed Mar 16, 2022 4:54 pm
GRSE is having discussions with Lime and Gypsum Products in Vermontville. They currently truck their product from their plant in Turner (on LSRC). Routing would be LSRC (who will have to reinstall the Turner Spur switch) to Plymouth then CSX to Grand Rapids. It is difficult to compete with trucks on short haul stuff. But since it is not a time sensitive product, L&GP might be persuaded with the cost savings of shipping in 20-car blocks. There is land available in Vermontville near Citizens Elevator that L&GP could use to stage their product rather than their current yard about a mile from the tracks. Most of their products are for agricultural use (fertilizer), but they also have a few industrial customers (concrete).

If LSRC takes over CSX's line from Plymouth to Grand Rapids there is a much better chance of getting this done.
According to information that I found on Railroadfan.com’s Historical Q & A section the KBEC at one point transported hopper loads of sand/aggregate (with disastrous results from what I read) out of Irving MI. Is there any chances of the sand/aggregate loading operation resuming?

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AARR
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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Excellent observation! The last remaining aggregate/sand dealer is High Grade Materials in Dutton. They are a small operation quite satisfied to receive their product from local sources by truck.

On a side note: I have never been able to learn anymore about the Irving aggregate traffic. I do not know if it was in or outbound, whom it was for, etc.
GR H & C wrote:
Thu Mar 31, 2022 9:20 pm
According to information that I found on Railroadfan.com’s Historical Q & A section the KBEC at one point transported hopper loads of sand/aggregate (with disastrous results from what I read) out of Irving MI. Is there any chances of the sand/aggregate loading operation resuming?
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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The first board commission meeting regarding relocating Lime and Gypsum Products near GRSE in Vermontville went well. As to be expected there are a few NIMBY's whose questions will have to be responded to show good faith to the board. The board seems to like the idea that it will take trucks off the roads, which are beat up. It surprised GRSE representatives that L&GP said the number of truck reduction would be the equivalent to 500 rail carloads. There is still a way to go but at least things are starting smoothly.
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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Star of the West acquired Citizens in December 2021. This will not have any impact on outbound grain shipments, but it might reduce the number of inbound fertilizer shipments especially liquid nitrogen as Star of the West prefers to deliver nitrogen at the former Citizens in Potterville and they do not have as strong of a following for dry fertilizer (most of those are going to the Green Valley Agricultural terminal near Caledonia). To date Star of the West has received five cars of pot ash (vs. the 20 Citizen's received by this time last year) and five cars of liquid nitrogen (vs. the 30 Citizen's received by this time last year).

Operations continues to be three times per week around Grand Rapids (primarily to switch the Keebler Bakery transload) and once a week for general freight east to Vermontville (which usually only goes as far as Hastings). Unit trains of fertilizer and grain operate as needed. There are usually four to five each of dry and liquid fertilizer unit trains to Green Valley Agricultural near Caledonia. Both Caledonia Farmers Elevator and Star of the West ship one to three times per month of grain from five cars to 90 car units.

There are no updates about Lime & Gypsum Products receiving their product by rail.
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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Both Caledonia Farmers Elevator (CFE) and Star of the West (SotW - Vermontville) have shipped several 85-90 car unit trains of feed corn for CSX and NS (via GDLK) respectively.

CFE loads at the loop track south of Caledonia (used jointly with Green Valley Agricultural) and it is an easy operation. The train is picked up in Grand Rapids and returned within 24 hours.

Loading at SotW requires two crews but it goes quickly. The train was picked up in Grand Rapids and returned within 36 hours.

Service in the Grand Rapids Terminal is still three days per week (primarily to serve the Keebler Bakery) while east of Grand Rapids service remains at one to three times per week.

Among the loads of feed CFE has received (averages two to three cars per week) includes several large gondolas of cotton seed.

Lime & Gypsum Products seems for now they are satisfied using trucks. MI's heavy load limit and their plant is near Turtle, MI so rail service will be more attractive "if" LSRC were to take over CSX's Plymouth and Lansing Subs.
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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Business continues as usual. Lime & Gypsum Products will continue to use trucks for the time being.
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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All four engines have been overhauled from 2020 to 2023 (the last one, RS2u 467 is scheduled for later in 2023). Minor repairs are handled at the Hastings small engine house. Major repairs are shipped to WNYP where one of the best Alco mechanics works.

GRSE surpasses the minimum profitability of 100 cars per mile per year. They have reinvested in their track and the entire line is now up to 286,000-pound standards.

It takes all four engines to pull an 85-90 car loaded grain train or a 60-80 car fertilizer unit train. It is quite a sight and sound when the four venerable Alco’s are at work.

On the one or two days a week that a train is not operating the crew will pitch in doing other duties. Even though the railroad is profitable, margins are thin and multi-tasking keeps costs down and the money at home.
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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Although the engine house is in Hastings, two engines are usually staged near the Keebler Bakery transload siding. The crew reports there Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 7-8am. The first order of business is switching the Keebler transload then heading to Grand Rapids exchanging cars with GDLK (who forwards them to CN and NS) and CSX. Afterwards they head back to Keebler and tie up. This usually takes them three to four hours.

One day a week, after returning from Grand Rapids, the crew will go east to at least Hastings and as necessary to Vermontville switching carload customers including Caledonia Farmers Elevator (inbound feed and fertilizer and outbound carload grain), Green Valley Agricultural (inbound carload fertilizer), Flexflab (inbound silicon) and Star of the West (inbound fertilizer and outbound carload grain). The engines operate in a push/pull setup, and it can take an additional six to eight hours to get back to Grand Rapids. On the next operational day, they will deliver the interchange cars to their Grand Rapids connections.

Caledonia Farmers Elevator and Star of the West ship unit grain trains from 85-110 cars. Green Valley receives unit trains of dry and liquid fertilizer. When handling a unit train the other two engines are added to the consist before they make their way into Grand Rapids to make the pickup. From there they proceed east. CFE loads at a loop track east of Caledonia where GVA also receives fertilizer. This is a very modern elevator and can load a unit train in seven to nine hours.

Star of the West, however, is the older style and can take 11-15 hours to load with the engines doing a lot of pulling, pushing and moving the cars around on the single passing siding. The 900’ siding can only hold 14 cars so after the first 28 cars are loaded, they must take them to Caledonia where they stash the remaining cars to be loaded on the loop track. It takes three to four trips between the Caledonia loop track and Star of the West to complete the job. This adds another 12-16 hours of time to the process. Star of the West is talking with GRSE about installing their own loop track. It would be the first one for Star of the West, the Vermontville elevator ships enough product to warrant the savings, and Star of the West is open to investing in this location.
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Re: Grand Rapids Southeastern (GRSE)

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GRSE handled 5,100 carloads in 2023 broken down as follows:
• Keebler Bakery – 750 inbound cars of baked goods ingredients
• L&W – 31 inbound cars of drywall
• Bata Plastics – 24 inbound cars of plastic pellets
• Caledonia Farmers Elevator (Caledonia location) – Received 51 cars of cottonseed, 152 cars of animal feed ingredients and 29 cars of fertilizer (dry and liquid).
• Caledonia Farmers Elevator (Hastings loop track location) – shipped 1,541 cars of grain (12 unit trains totaling 1,079 cars and the rest in carload blocks of 25 or less).
• Green Valley Agricultural – Received 364 cars of pot ash in four unit trains of 90 cars each. They also received 297 cars of nitrogen in four blocks of 75 cars each.
• Flexfab – Received 169 cars of silicon (GRSE us expecting an increase in traffic after a recent expansion).
• Star of the West – Received 27 cars of fertilizer (dry and liquid) and shipped out 1,665 cars of corn, soybeans and wheat (1,166 in 13 unit trains and the rest in carload blocks of 25 cars or less).

They exceed the 100 cars per mile per year rule and are profitable. With a low Operating Ratio, they will have money to reinvest in the railroad.

All four Alco’s have not been rebuilt in 25 years and are becoming unreliable. Management is looking into their options including rebuilding the Alco’s, but economics will have a major impact on what they decide.

Bridges and track are in good shape, rated for 286,000 lbs cars and 25 mph (although they usually keep it between 15-20 mph for fuel savings).

GRSE is popular with railfans who come to see the Alco’s in action. If you respect GRSE’s equipment and property, railfans are free to watch from public locations.
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