Huron and Eastern Customer List

Anything pertaining to railfanning in Michigan.
User avatar
SD80MAC
Ingersoll's Mr. Michigan
Posts: 10431
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:59 pm
Location: Grand Rapids

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by SD80MAC »

Lately I’ve been seeing/hearing of lots of Reading & Northern open hoppers on the HESR. The Durand train came into town the other day with 9 of them. They apparently come from GLC who picks them up from the Ann Arbor. Who on the HESR is getting anthracite?
"Remember, 4 mph is a couple, 5's a collision!"
http://flickriver.com/photos/conrail680 ... teresting/
Image

User avatar
AARR
Ann Arbor RR Nerd
Posts: 37904
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:39 pm
Location: Washington, MI

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by AARR »

Someone said they might be going to Sargent's Dock & Terminal in Saginaw for transloading
SD80MAC wrote:Lately I’ve been seeing/hearing of lots of Reading & Northern open hoppers on the HESR. The Durand train came into town the other day with 9 of them. They apparently come from GLC who picks them up from the Ann Arbor. Who on the HESR is getting anthracite?
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

User avatar
NS3322
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1255
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 12:08 pm
Location: CP-LEVITT

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by NS3322 »

It's been about two years so I have decided to audit the list again. Plus, I am also creating an interactive Google Map of the HESR with all of the customers.

Here's what I have:
hesrcustomers1.JPG
hesrcustomers2.JPG
Possibly inactive customers I have questions about:
Cooperative Elevator Fertilizer - Bad Axe
Tri-State Forest Products - Buena Vista
Cooperative Elevator - Deckerville
Farmers Co-Op Grain - Elkton
ADM Edible Bean - Fairgrove
Midwestern BioAg - Kinde
Central Warehouse - Saginaw
M.A.C. Sand Sales - Vassar

Outflow
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:31 pm

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by Outflow »

I live in bad axe near tracks and can confirm the co op does get infrequent rail service. I pass it everyday on my way to work and in the past year I would say there may have been about ten times I have seen hoppers,usually 1 or 2, at the plant.

Also as of late last year there were still tank cars going to kinde or at least that was the last time I noticed cars at kinde.

One last note last week the southbound out of bad axe had a boxcar with it something very unusual to see at this end of the line unfortunately I don't know what customer it may have ended up at.

User avatar
AARR
Ann Arbor RR Nerd
Posts: 37904
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:39 pm
Location: Washington, MI

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by AARR »

Outflow wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 12:56 am
One last note last week the southbound out of bad axe had a boxcar with it something very unusual to see at this end of the line unfortunately I don't know what customer it may have ended up at.
The box car may have been for bean loading at either Ubly or Ruth
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

User avatar
NS3322
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1255
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 12:08 pm
Location: CP-LEVITT

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by NS3322 »

Outflow wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 12:56 am
I live in bad axe near tracks and can confirm the co op does get infrequent rail service. I pass it everyday on my way to work and in the past year I would say there may have been about ten times I have seen hoppers,usually 1 or 2, at the plant.

Also as of late last year there were still tank cars going to kinde or at least that was the last time I noticed cars at kinde.

One last note last week the southbound out of bad axe had a boxcar with it something very unusual to see at this end of the line unfortunately I don't know what customer it may have ended up at.
Thanks for the update on the Co-op in Bad Axe!
AARR wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 7:22 am
Outflow wrote:
Sun May 02, 2021 12:56 am
One last note last week the southbound out of bad axe had a boxcar with it something very unusual to see at this end of the line unfortunately I don't know what customer it may have ended up at.
The box car may have been for bean loading at either Ubly or Ruth
That is what I am thinking.

User avatar
NS3322
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1255
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2015 12:08 pm
Location: CP-LEVITT

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by NS3322 »

Related question, does anyone know if the elevator in Akron has a locomotive switcher or is it just a farm tractor with hi-rails?
It kind of looks like a Plymouth switcher on Google Maps, but the more I look at it the more I think it's just a tractor.
Akron Switcher.JPG
akronswitcher.JPG

Outflow
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:31 pm

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by Outflow »

NS3322 wrote:
Sat May 01, 2021 9:43 pm
It's been about two years so I have decided to audit the list again. Plus, I am also creating an interactive Google Map of the HESR with all of the customers.

Here's what I have:
hesrcustomers1.JPG
hesrcustomers2.JPG

Possibly inactive customers I have questions about:
Cooperative Elevator Fertilizer - Bad Axe
Tri-State Forest Products - Buena Vista
Cooperative Elevator - Deckerville
Farmers Co-Op Grain - Elkton
ADM Edible Bean - Fairgrove
Midwestern BioAg - Kinde
Central Warehouse - Saginaw
M.A.C. Sand Sales - Vassar
For an update I was passing through Elkton today and noticed 1 boxcar at the farmers co op warehouse that wasn't there a few weeks prior so I would think they are still actively using rail

1TrackMind
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 222
Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 5:47 pm

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by 1TrackMind »

NS3322 wrote:
Tue May 04, 2021 3:56 pm
Related question, does anyone know if the elevator in Akron has a locomotive switcher or is it just a farm tractor with hi-rails?
It kind of looks like a Plymouth switcher on Google Maps, but the more I look at it the more I think it's just a tractor.
Id say tractor.

User avatar
SW
Rail Trail Explorer
Posts: 11082
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:51 pm
Location: Owosso, MI - 1 mile north of the GLC

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by SW »

I thought I had heard a few years ago the elevator at Colling (north of Caro) was going to resume shipping by rail? Yea or nay?
Owosso Steve

User avatar
AARR
Ann Arbor RR Nerd
Posts: 37904
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:39 pm
Location: Washington, MI

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by AARR »

They received a couple car loads of fertilizer and nothing since that I know of.
SW wrote:
Sun Jul 04, 2021 11:09 pm
I thought I had heard a few years ago the elevator at Colling (north of Caro) was going to resume shipping by rail? Yea or nay?
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

User avatar
R Bedell
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 2:42 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by R Bedell »

The Elevator north of Caro (Vita Plus in Colling) no longer ships by rail, due to OSHA restrictions. They do NOT have the Fall Restraint System needed to protect workers on top of covered hoppers. Presently, that section of track is being used to store a couple hundred un-used rail cars.

User avatar
SW
Rail Trail Explorer
Posts: 11082
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:51 pm
Location: Owosso, MI - 1 mile north of the GLC

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by SW »

R Bedell wrote:
Mon Jul 05, 2021 7:19 am
The Elevator north of Caro (Vita Plus in Colling) no longer ships by rail, due to OSHA restrictions. They do NOT have the Fall Restraint System needed to protect workers on top of covered hoppers. Presently, that section of track is being used to store a couple hundred un-used rail cars.
Thanks. I remember the OSHA thing was why they stopped, but I thought they were going to fix that. Apparently not.
Owosso Steve

User avatar
R Bedell
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 2:42 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by R Bedell »

does anyone know if the elevator in Akron has a locomotive switcher or is it just a farm tractor with hi-rails?
No Locomotive. A Farm Tractor.

User avatar
AARR
Ann Arbor RR Nerd
Posts: 37904
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:39 pm
Location: Washington, MI

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by AARR »

On my paper railroad Vita Plus installed the proper safety harness system and trucks its grain from several other of its MI Thumb elevators to Colling where they load small blocks of 15-25 cars totaling 300-400 cars a year :)
SW wrote:
Mon Jul 05, 2021 12:44 pm
R Bedell wrote:
Mon Jul 05, 2021 7:19 am
The Elevator north of Caro (Vita Plus in Colling) no longer ships by rail, due to OSHA restrictions. They do NOT have the Fall Restraint System needed to protect workers on top of covered hoppers. Presently, that section of track is being used to store a couple hundred un-used rail cars.
Thanks. I remember the OSHA thing was why they stopped, but I thought they were going to fix that. Apparently not.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

User avatar
R Bedell
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 2:42 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by R Bedell »

Presently, that section of track is being used to store a couple hundred un-used rail cars.
The cars are still in storage. But I will go and look again and snap a picture if there is a restraint system there.

User avatar
LansingRailFan
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 11136
Joined: Fri Nov 01, 2019 4:21 pm
Location: Lansing
Contact:

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by LansingRailFan »

R Bedell wrote:
Thu Jul 08, 2021 7:06 am
Presently, that section of track is being used to store a couple hundred un-used rail cars.
The cars are still in storage. But I will go and look again and snap a picture if there is a restraint system there.
Do you know what kind of cars are stored up there? I know on Google maps they had an empty coal train from DTE visible but they pulled it out when they lost the contract to LSRC/CSX

User avatar
R Bedell
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 2:42 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by R Bedell »

As far as I can see, 100% Covered Hoppers.

Outflow
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 29
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:31 pm

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by Outflow »

NS3322 wrote:
Sat May 01, 2021 9:43 pm

Possibly inactive customers I have questions about:
Midwestern BioAg - Kinde
I was riding around early today and happen to go past Midwestern bioag, the small spur havd very little in the way of weeds around it and the ones that are around the tracks are only a few inches tall so at a minimum they appear to be keeping the spur in a decent shape should they a delivery.

On a related note, there is a derailer on the mainline at Midwestern bioag currently so no traffic is currently going to the elevator at kinde and there is nothing there to be pickup up either. The mile from Midwestern bioag north to kinde has some really rotted ties and I wonder if they are planning to do some maintenance before the fall harvest traffic starts.

GTWwatcher
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 282
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2015 2:55 pm
Location: Somewhere along the CN Flint Sub

Re: Huron and Eastern Customer List

Unread post by GTWwatcher »

NS3322 wrote:
Sat May 01, 2021 9:43 pm
It's been about two years so I have decided to audit the list again. Plus, I am also creating an interactive Google Map of the HESR with all of the customers.

Here's what I have:
hesrcustomers1.JPG
hesrcustomers2.JPG

Possibly inactive customers I have questions about:
Cooperative Elevator Fertilizer - Bad Axe
Tri-State Forest Products - Buena Vista
Cooperative Elevator - Deckerville
Farmers Co-Op Grain - Elkton
ADM Edible Bean - Fairgrove
Midwestern BioAg - Kinde
Central Warehouse - Saginaw
M.A.C. Sand Sales - Vassar
Central Warehouse has been closed for years. Tri State Forest Products still gets service, although I'm not sure how often.

Post Reply