Ludington Windmill Trains

[~Z~]

Small note: plant is closer to RR Zeeland and Washington is closed due to thick fog, not ice on the road. I've seen it closed in 60 degree weather before due to fog.

Anyway, nice series of photos from jochs, jt, and vid from trnwatcher.

[J T]

Nice vid trnwatcher. You selected a nice place for it with the tanks in the background.

Yeah, that generating facility near Zeeland (railroad vriesland) looks cool, but in the winter can create bad chasing issues because the steam emmited wikk condense and freeze on the road, the then the road crews will close the road (there are gates permenatly set up).

Actually, it's west of the Zeeland detector, so I'm going to go out on a limb and guess it's "railroad Zeeland." It's also not "near Zeeland," it is actually within the Zeeland city limit. The crews close the road due to zero visibility, not condensation freezing on the road. If that were the case, all roads would be closed every time they iced up due to falling snow.

[Saturnalia]

Nice vid trnwatcher. You selected a nice place for it with the tanks in the background.

Yeah, that generating facility near Zeeland (railroad vriesland) looks cool, but in the winter can create bad chasing issues because the steam emmited wikk condense and freeze on the road, the then the road crews will close the road (there are gates permenatly set up).

Actually, it's west of the Zeeland detector, so I'm going to go out on a limb and guess it's "railroad Zeeland." It's also not "near Zeeland," it is actually within the Zeeland city limit. The crews close the road due to zero visibility, not condensation freezing on the road. If that were the case, all roads would be closed every time they iced up due to falling snow.

Ahhhh I stand corrected. I forgot the vriesland signals are down around the next bend. I was thinking about the Vriesland Detector, which is within a mile of the plant (Corner of Fairview & the CSX right?). There is no railroad Vriesland.
Quick milepost study reveals:
CG 20.7---Zeeland
CG19.9---Zeeland Signals
CG19.8---Fairview (89th Ave)
CG19.1---Defect Detector
CG16.4---Vriesland Signals

***Besides the Zeeland MP, those milepost numbers are approximate.

[J T]

Ahhhh I stand corrected. I forgot the vriesland signals are down around the next bend. I was thinking about the Vriesland Detector, which is within a mile of the plant (Corner of Fairview & the CSX right?). There is no railroad Vriesland.

Yeah, it's in that vicinity, but I still wouldn't refer to it as Vriesland. And I've always heard it referred to as the "Zeeland detector." Also, Vriesland is technically south of 196 near 64th St., and the "Zeeland detector" is about 2.5 miles west of the Vriesland signal and very close to, if not on, the Zeeland city limit.

That would be like referring to Fuller Jct as being in Comstock Park.

[Saturnalia]

Ahhhh I stand corrected. I forgot the vriesland signals are down around the next bend. I was thinking about the Vriesland Detector, which is within a mile of the plant (Corner of Fairview & the CSX right?). There is no railroad Vriesland.

Yeah, it's in that vicinity, but I still wouldn't refer to it as Vriesland. And I've always heard it referred to as the "Zeeland detector." Also, Vriesland is technically south of 196 near 64th St., and the "Zeeland detector" is about 2.5 miles west of the Vriesland signal and very close to, if not on, the Zeeland city limit.

That would be like referring to Fuller Jct as being in Comstock Park.

Fuller is actually in GR based on the sign on 131 being north of Ann St. GR-Walker-Comstock Park-Alpine Twp in less than 5 miles

Isn't Wyoming yard at least partially in Grandville? The sign on I-196 is somewhere in there

[SD80MAC]

I think you missed JT's joke.

The Grandville city line is somewhere just east of Ivanrest. Lamar is still in Wyoming, IIRC.

[J T]

Isn't Wyoming yard at least partially in Grandville? The sign on I-196 is somewhere in there

I don't know where exactly the western yard limit is, but the eastern limit of Grandville is on a vertical line roughly half way between Byron Center and Ivanrest. That puts the Grandville city limit just west of the 196 business loop overpass and just east of the Porter St/Chicago Dr intersection.

I think you missed JT's joke.

Jon, I figured I'd just let that one go.

[Jochs]

OK CLASS, LET'S GET BACK ON THE SUBJECT! STOP THIS IDLE CHIT-CHAT!

[Jochs]

I imagine that the blades will also be brought in by train, as 56 turbines will require 168 blades, and transporting them by train would be more efficient.
In the past I have seen blades being transported on the highway, like this one on I-94 on 8/12/11.

[BB]

Trail King has a stretched trailer capable of carrying two blades at a time.

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q287 ... G_1023.jpg

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q287 ... _1064a.jpg

[AARR]

If they come in by rail each blade requires 3 flat cars IIRC, or is it 4

[J T]

Over the long haul, that seems like a really inefficient way to move windmill parts. These are coming from Colorado, right?

[BB]

Two 89' flatcars for one blade is what I've been seeing. Them blades sure do flex on the flat cars, look like whales flopping around going down the tracks, haha. The trailer pictured above they flex up and down in the middle.

They also have the spine car method.
http://www.ttx.com/equipment/listingtyp ... power.aspx

Over the long haul, that seems like a really inefficient way to move windmill parts. These are coming from Colorado, right?

I would say so considering needing an escort for front and rear of each trailer and only traveling weekdays during daytime. Apparently the blades are being built in Denmark and Colorado. Most of the blades will be delivered to Burns Harbor by ship and then loaded onto rail cars. Article on Ludington Daily News website.
http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/ ... -big-parts

I think an earlier article mentioned four tower sections were trucked in from Quebec. Manitowoc has a place that builds tower sections and the Badger has a contract to haul them across for eastern destinations. Too bad they couldn't get in on the local construction project too.

There's also a photo on the homepage showing the train in Ludington. They only keep them up for a few days before changing different photos so have a look.

[Saturnalia]

That solves the how many pieces per tower question: 3
3 tower, 3 blades, 1 nacelle per tower.

[Mr. Tops]

Train number two is out of Colorado. SBRCXW 01 with UP 6895-UP 6684, though you may not see those as evidenced by the first train. This one is only 40 loads (short count -- 58 long count), but is slightly bigger at 5370 ft. This train has 18 2-pack articulated 89 foot flats for blades, 14 8-axle straight deck flats for nacelles, and on the head end, six single flat cars and two 65 foot bulkheads. So, this train has a little bit of everything. Not sure if he has any bases, if there were any left over from the last train. Right now, this is the way it looks, barring any turning, adding/cutting power.

Head End-UP 6895
1 KRL 89' flat
1 KRL 75' flat
2 PEYX 65' bulkheads
1 KRL 75' flat
3 KRL 89' flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 QTTX 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 QTTX 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 QTTX 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 QTTX 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 QTTX 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 QTTX 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 QTTX 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 KRL 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 KRL 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 QTTX 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 KRL 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 KRL 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 KRL 73' 8-axle flat
1 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
1 KRL 73' 8-axle flat
4 TTYX 89' 2-pack flat
Rear End-UP 6684

This one is DPU already, one on each end, but they are both facing forward so it won't work out as nice at Barr as it did last time unless the pick up another unit on the rear somewhere. Train is currently at Vroman, NE, just east of North Platte. Coming from Brighton, CO and is running Brighton-Cheyenne-North Platte-Marysville-Kansas City-St. Louis-Villa Grove-Chicago. Current ETA into Barr is 5/4/12 1415.

[~Z~]

FYI, in case anyone didn't read it elsewhere, there are slated to be 6 windmill trains total to Ludington, with #2 on the way as Mr Tops mentioned.

[Saturnalia]

FYI, in case anyone didn't read it elsewhere, there are slated to be 6 windmill trains total to Ludington, with #2 on the way as Mr Tops mentioned.

Wow, that's it? Or is that JUST the trains from Colorado?

[BB]

Here's a short clip of blades flexing on the UP going north into Minnesota.
http://youtu.be/scFCgAtzYNk?hd=1

[Saturnalia]

Here's a short clip of blades flexing on the UP.
http://youtu.be/scFCgAtzYNk?hd=1

Is that the train headed for here?

[J T]

FYI, in case anyone didn't read it elsewhere, there are slated to be 6 windmill trains total to Ludington, with #2 on the way as Mr Tops mentioned.

I figured it would be around 5 or so total. I hope I can catch at least one or two more.