Consumers Energy West Olive.

[J T]

Back in the 70s and 80s the Holland Road Knights motorcycle club/gang had their clubhouse next to the tracks very near the power plant and it was always entertaining watching them and the trains

I've always wondered about that house. Seems to be like some kind of place I wouldn't want to visit.

[Standard Railfan]

From the “For What it’s Worth Department”, Annual Sub-bituminous coal consumption, in tons, at JH Campbell:

2018- 4,578,028
2019- 4,826,188
2020- 3,836,150
2021- 4,607,312

[AARR]

Thank you SRF. I like this kind of information.

From the “For What it’s Worth Department”, Annual Sub-bituminous coal consumption, in tons, at JH Campbell:

[Doktor No]

2021 4,607, 312 tons and a carload runs about 110 tons that gets you 41,884 coal cars inbound and divide that by 130 cars you get 322.18 trains to West Olive per year.

[MQT1223]

This would be a great chance for CP to take back their line. CSX would only have two daily trains (not counting Amtrak and the local) when the plant closes.

Even allowing for hyperbole it was never CP's line.

Very true. Also why would the CP want it? A railroad with short sidings, little online business, and depends on trackage rights to get into Chicago. It would also probably require trackage rights into Detroit, as a sale would be to Plymouth only. Sounds great! Short line or no change.

CP's main system gap especially if the CP-KCS merger goes through is Michigan. Sure they have their rights on NS but NS doesn't even want them on their line and repeatedly screws them. I'm quite surprised CP even puts up with the service NS gives them. Amtrak has it worse. CP owns the Detroit-Windsor tunnel now, and not like NS is going to sell the former Wabash off. If CP bought the former PM across Michigan and the Porter Branch at Porter, one could configure a diamond here to run the PM/MC right onto the former IHB, which CP owns a stake in.

[Saturnalia]

Sure they have their rights on NS but NS doesn't even want them on their line and repeatedly screws them. I'm quite surprised CP even puts up with the service NS gives them. Amtrak has it worse.

Honestly, I can't imagine how NS could even be happy with how their own stuff gets down the Chicago Line these days.

[DaveO]

One problem with a diamond at Porter is that
CP would be the junior road and NS therefore would do the dispatching.
Imagine which road will get dispatching priority across such a diamond.
CP would really need to go over/under and that costs real money.

[Talk]

CP would be the junior road and NS therefore would do the dispatching.
CP would really need to go over/under and that costs real money.

wouldn't CP have a similar situation as CN in south bend?

[MQT1223]

One problem with a diamond at Porter is that
CP would be the junior road and NS therefore would do the dispatching.
Imagine which road will get dispatching priority across such a diamond.
CP would really need to go over/under and that costs real money.

Exactly... Why would it not be any similar to CN's treatment in South Bend?

[DaveO]

When I look at ATCS Monitor(which isn't that often anymore) the CN trains pull up and wait for the NS trains that are nowhere near the crossing.
They could easily have made it across had the NS dispatchers chosen to do so.
Going across certainly differs from trying to go with the flow, but it's not the panacea you might think.

[Saturnalia]

South Bend is much more in the free-flow world of the Chicago Line, versus the much more congested area around Chesterton. Watch ATCS and try to see how often there isn't something lined up east or west there. When trains are only coming on/off the CSX, they only tie up one track minimum, a crossing train takes them all.

Plus maintaining diamonds is a living hell NS will do everything to avoid. NS has only the IHB, CSS&SB and themselves at Butler between Chicago and Toledo crossing them. They'll do everything they can to avoid adding more!!

[Chip]

Pardon my ignorance but what makes diamonds such maintenance hell?

[Saturnalia]

Pardon my ignorance but what makes diamonds such maintenance hell?

Ever hear the banging sound? That's pure head-hardening / cold work. And it destroys diamonds and switch frogs alike. The fact frogs and diamonds last more than a month on today's mainlines is a testament to the metallurgist wizards, and the tiresome work of the railroad welders.

Diamonds and switch frogs get essentially cold-rolled to hell, requiring consistent grinding, build-up, and if the thing cracks from overflow or otherwise, then you've gotta air-arc it out and build it all back up.

There's a reason behind flange-bearing diamonds and their "jump frog" cousins: it eliminates the cold-work from wheels slamming into the diamonds and frogs. To give you an idea, on a certain particular railroad, with 5 diamond interlockings, four require consistent attention from the welders, and the one-way, low-speed flange-bearing diamond is basically ignored.

Same goes for maintenance on all of those bolts, too. Standard diamonds are always shaking themselves apart, breaking and loosening bolts and basically tamping themselves into the ground. Flange-bearing diamonds also reduce these effects.

And you may think, well they can just put in a one-way, low-speed flange-bearing diamond set in, with CSX just taking 10 mph to cross. But now those barges take forever to clear the high-speed route! A non-starter, I'm sure. Plus, tonnage isn't great to the flange-bearing side of those diamonds, either. CN has learned that at Durand.

Diamonds suck, bottom line, end of story.

[David Collins]

Diamonds suck, bottom line, end of story.

They provide some good ear candy though

[Standard Railfan]

The end is near. Consumers Energy has reached an agreement with “stakeholders” to end coal use at West Olive (and everywhere else) by 2025.

Get your coal train photos while you can.

https://www.consumersenergy.com/news-r ... r-michigan

[David Collins]

I have a question here, The way I'm going to word it may not make much sense, so I apologize in advance:

With West Olive closing, would it even make any logistical sense for CSX to keep the line OR possibly sell the Grand Rapids Subdivision to LSRC given the fact that most of the moneymaking traffic on that line are coal trains?

[kd_1014]

I have a question here, The way I'm going to word it may not make much sense, so I apologize in advance:

With West Olive closing, would it even make any logistical sense for CSX to keep the line OR possibly sell the Grand Rapids Subdivision to LSRC given the fact that most of the moneymaking traffic on that line are coal trains?

Why LSRC?

[AARR]

Good question. I think GLC/WATCO would be interested and could manage the line quite well.

Why LSRC?

[Chip]

Good question. I think GLC/WATCO would be interested and could manage the line quite well.

Why LSRC?

Not to mention better suited geographically, at least for WATCO. MQT buying it could also make sense if G&W thinks it's worthwhile.

[LansingRailFan]

I have a question here, The way I'm going to word it may not make much sense, so I apologize in advance:

With West Olive closing, would it even make any logistical sense for CSX to keep the line OR possibly sell the Grand Rapids Subdivision to LSRC given the fact that most of the moneymaking traffic on that line are coal trains?

It’s still a very profitable line without the coal traffic. There’s plenty of online business and shortlines to hand cars off too.