Busy day in Escanaba/Gladstone today

[peteynmu]

Today was a real busy day for shipping in Escanaba, and for train-watching. It was even really sunny. Some rare ships came in, and some rare power showed up on the CN/WC.

I headed to Gladstone about 9:30AM. #411 was sitting in the yard, with only the Tilden-Algoma all-rail loads. They hadn’t doubled up their train yet, which is the usual routine before departing Gladstone. I found out they would be sitting there for a couple hours still, waiting for #412 to arrive in Gladstone from Sault Ste. Marie. #411 had GCFX SD40-2 #6033, GTW GP40-2 #4733, and a CN big SD-something for power (couldn’t see the # as it was behind cars in the yard).

The Gladstone switch was working the south end of the yard with CN SW1500 #1567. I got a couple pictures from the ditch of the highway, at a place where there is a hole in the brush alongside the yard.

While walking back to my Jeep, I noticed a real interesting sight across the bay. A footer’ was arriving in Escanaba, as a tug-barge departed. I expected it to be an Interlake footer’, as a couple of them are still active on Lake Michigan. That guess would prove wrong.

I got to Escanaba, and headed to Ludington Park first. It was too late to catch the departing boat; from a distance it looked like the GREAT LAKES TRADER. They must have loaded iron ore at the WC oredock in Escanaba for Ispat-Inland Steel in Indiana Harbor.

I went to the WC oredock next. The JOSEPH L. BLOCK was tied-up at the south side, and to my great surprise the BURNS HARBOR was pulling into the north slip. The BURNS HARBOR started loading iron ore right away, I don’t know for which steel-mill she’s loading. I got several pictures despite afternoon backlighting as this footer’ is a very rare visitor to Escanaba.

While I was busy, #412 did arrive in Gladstone & #411 departed. #412 headed south from Gladstone-Larch on the Marinette sub, then up the connection and Larch-Escanaba on the Ore sub.

I headed back towards Gladstone, intercepting them on the way at the old Superior carlot along the highway. Another rare visitor, CSX SD50 #8519 was leading. I decided to follow this train due to the colorful consist. Trailing units were CN GP40-2 #9454 & GCFX SD40-2 #6922.

They pulled into Wells, cut-off the Algoma-Tilden all-rail empties on their tail-end at Main St. crossing in Wells, then the train pulled across Escanaba to the 6-Yard. I was able to get pictures at the north leg of Wells Y and ELS Jct. in Escanaba.

The Escanaba dumper-job came out of the Ore Yard, waited at the north switch of Wells Y for #412 to clear, then ran up the Ore sub to pick-up the all-rail empties at Wells and pull them into the Ore Yard.

About this time boats would distract me from trains again. The ARTHUR M. ANDERSON arrived in Escanaba from the KCBX dock in Chicago with coal for the C. Reiss dock in Escanaba. I walked back behind the jail for a few pictures of them docking.

The boat had to take a couple runs to plough through the ice by the dock. The bay is mainly ice-free, except around Gladstone and along docks and shorelines in Escanaba. If it keeps up like this year-round shipping may be a possibility this year. She did manage to dock, and began unloading coal.

There is still a pile of limestone at the C. Reiss dock as well. I haven’t seen any limestone loads heading north on the CN/WC for the Empire Mine in a while, so these shipments must be on hold for the winter.

Also, speaking of piles of bulk material; with the rush of boats the WC oredock has seen lately, the pellet-reclaimer has taken a nice bite out of the ore stockpile at Escanaba.

L-539 arrived in Escanaba from Sawyer while I was watching the ANDERSON. They yarded the train in the 6-Yard, then the light-engine ran back across town and tied-up on the south-leg of Wells Y by the dumper. The fuel-truck soon arrived to quench this engines thirst. Noticed the air-conditioner on the roof of CN SD40-2 #6123; not needed today.

I stopped by the NFG tie-up track. WC SD45's #7525 & 7514 were tied-up, and would leave later on SORE 1 north for Partridge. I missed that train; was trapped behind the landfill by #412. SORE 1 must have departed later than usual, since the empty Algoma-Tilden hoppers off #412 were late getting to Escanaba. Theory of relativity in action.

So, as I was saying, I headed to the 6-Yard as #412 was ready to go. They had picked-up CN GP40-2 #9618 at the 6-Yard, and would need the additional power as they were out of Escanaba with 123 loads and 28 empties.

They doubled the train, then realized they had Quinnesec cars to set-out at the 6-Yard which weren’t on the set-out list. They did this work anyway. I got blocked in by the train at Ski Hill Rd. in Escanaba, but didn’t mind much as I like watching freight cars roll by more than most railfans I got a couple pictures too.

After this, somebody with garbage to dump decided to turn around because they probably thought I was spying on them (this is a favorite spot for people who want to avoid landfill fees, as is the PPE Y area on the Marquette Range). I headed back to Wells, where SORE 3 south was arriving at Escanaba.

I messed up the picture at Main St. crossing in Wells due to monkeying with the camera too much. WC SD45's #7501 & 7523 led 50 loaded orecars (WC) into town. They yarded the train on track #2 in the Ore Yard, then the power went light to the NFG tie-up track for some rest.

The Ore Yard had a couple cuts of loaded WC orecars, and a couple cuts of empty WC orecars. There was also 1 set of empty DMIR quads; no Minorcaish power around though. One of the WC ballast hoppers was connected to some bentonite covered hoppers as well, maybe a bad-order.

To close-out the evening, I got a couple more pictures of the ANDERSON at the C. Reiss dock, and the BURNS HARBOR at the WC oredock. The sun doesn’t stay up long-enough to light-up the north side of the dock like it does in the summer, but it’s best in the evening anyway.

Here’s a couple roll-by reports for #412.

Into Escanaba from Gladstone:
CSX SD50 #8519, CN GP40-2 #9454, GCFX SD40-2 #6922
19 boxcars (8 WC, 7 CN, 2 CP, 1 NA, 1 BC)
3 propane tankcars (1 GATX, 1 PIVX, 1 Procor)
1 empty gondola (Railgon)
5 gondolas of pipe (2 CN, 2 WC, 1 IC)
17 flatcars of pulpwood (9 WC, 4 Besse, 3 AC, 1 CN)
6 bulkhead flats of “flakeboard” (3 AC, 2 CN, 1 DWP)
1 bulkhead flat of plate steel (WC)
24 steel-coil cars (11 CN, 7 IC, 2 GTW, 2 NOKL, 2 WC)
44 empty all-rail hoppers (I didn’t see them, heard from Dumper-job operator)

Out of Escanaba to Powers:
CSX SD50 #8519, CN GP40-2's #9454 & 9618, GCFX SD40-2 #6922
44 boxcars (26 WC, 7 CN, 6 IC, 2 BC, 2 CP, 1 NA)
4 propane tankcars (2 GATX, 1 PIVX, 1 Procor)
11 regular tankcars (2 ACFX, 2 J.M. Huber, 2 UTLX, 1 CGLX, 1 DuPont, 1 GATX, 1 JMHX, 1 OMYA)
12 covered hoppers (4 CGLX, 2 BNSF, 2 DME, 1 CGTX, 1 CRDX, 1 GACX, 1 SF)
1 empty gondola (Railgon)
5 gondolas of pipe (2 CN, 2 WC, 1 IC)
7 gondolas of pulpwood (IPCX)
5 bulkhead flats of “flakeboard” (2 AC, 2 CN, 1 DWP)
1 bulkhead flat of plate steel (WC)
16 flatcars of pulpwood (6 WC, 4 Besse, 3 AC, 3 CN)
24 steel-coil cars (11 CN, 7 IC, 2 GTW, 2 NOKL, 2 WC)

They must have set-out 21 cars at the 6-Yard for Quinnesec, as the numbers don’t come out to 123x28.

I figure most of the boxcars and tankcars picked-up at the 6-Yard were from New Page Papers in Escanaba. The covered hoppers and additional pulpwood loads picked-up probably came down from Partridge on a SORE train.

The pipe and steel-coils are probably from Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie.

I’m kind of wondering now, it seems like most cars on this train and #411 have a local destination/origin. I wonder how much through traffic passes through Sault Ste. Marie, or if any of this traffic comes off the former Algoma Central? It doesn’t seem like much; as it seems most of this traffic stops at the Sault.

I’m not familiar with the Sault at all, but is there still a shortline that runs east out of town towards Sudbury?

That’s it for today for me. Maybe I’ll have more news tomorrow.

Here's the pictures:

http://pete-jensen.fotopic.net/c833006.html

-Pete, MP-122

[Coffee2Go]

darn Pete, you've got the best of both worlds. Such activity! 3 ships in one day! Trains all about. Can't beat that. But you say this shipping activity is atypical for Escanaba? It's usually slower?

[Aleks]

Yes the Huron Central runs between the Sault and Sudbury.
They run 1 train to Sudbury drop the train and pick up one from the yard their and return to the Sault.
The former CP line they run on to Sudbury is in bad shape. 25 mph tops with lots of 10mph slow spots. Crews just make it in one direction before their 10hrs is up.
Most of his train is usually steel in CP cars from Algoma. Power is usually 3 or 4 of the ex CN GP40-2's 3010 to 3013.

[peteynmu]

The port of Escanaba is usually much slower during the summer. The WC oredock gets 2-3 boats a weel, and the other docks combined maybe 1 a week.

The Huron Central sounds like an interesting railroad.

I'm curious now where the non-Algoma Steel traffic on #411 & #412 is to/from. I heard there is a big papermill in the Sault as well, that would explain some boxcars & tankcars probably.

-Pete, MP-122

[Coffee2Go]

Fairport Harbor, which is east of Cleveland gets maybe 2 a week during the summer, mostly stone. It could be more. Salt piles from the Morton Mine are there but I see few ships load of that commodity, mostly truck.



Again you have it so lucky with all the boat and rail traffic. Rail service to that side of the river leading to the mine was ended years ago. The limestone plant closed further up the line so CSX has filed for abandonment. There's been interest in opening the limestone plant again so there's a hold on the ruling. Luckily the CSX Chicago mainline is just a mile from the house and NS 2 miles.

You mention the Anderson, it unloaded stone here a few weeks back. Caught just before dusk so the picture quality is not there.

[Aleks]

I'm not positive, as I only go up through the Sault twice a year to take my son to University in Thunder Bay, but I think I saw what looked like a paper mill just to the East of the bridge between the Michigan and Ontario at the Sault.
The Huron Central although not busy runs most of the trains in daylight for the most part.
They have had units from the Quebec & Gatineau Railway which is under the same ownership umbrela.
I have a few photos in my gallery under Huron Central of course.