RailRoadFan.com

I'm getting ready to update the Wiki for the Watco/Grand Elk takeover of the Newberry Subdivision and just wanted to confirm that there are only 4 customers remaining on the line. Let me know if I missed something or need to correct anything.

Besse Forest Products - Newberry - Log & Pulpwood Transload - Log Flatcars/Pulpwood Flatcars
Louisiana-Pacific - Newberry - Engineered Wood Siding - Centerbeam Flatcars/Pulpwood Flatcars/Tank Cars/Boxcars
Timber Products - Evelyn - Hardwood Lumber & Veneer - Centerbeam Flatcars/Boxcars
Neenah Paper - Munising - Paper Mill - Boxcars/Tank Cars

Hope WATCO can get a few of the pulpwood sites to resume shipping by rail

Most of the times I have seen Besse in Newberry,the cars have large diameter logs,not your typical pulpwood.
Timber Products also uses boxcars.

Tom Train wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:32 pm

Most of the times I have seen Besse in Newberry,the cars have large diameter logs,not your typical pulpwood.
Timber Products also uses boxcars.

Thank you! I have updated the list.
Do you happen to know when Northern Hardwoods in Newberry stopped using rail?

When did the power plant in Munising stop using rail?

Seems like they were using ships as long ago as the 90's

Dowagiac Train Dude wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 21, 2021 11:30 pm

When did the power plant in Munising stop using rail?

Thank you very much.

I live in Portage (Kalamazoo) on the Grand Elk route between Elkhart and Grand Rapids. I'll offer this as a word of encouragement. I don't know what new business can be found in the U.P. these days but Watco is good at finding new business down here. I suspect they'll try just as hard on the new line and hopefully with good results.

Besse does hardwoods and veneers. They no longer list a Newberry operation

When does WATCO start operating the line?

Mackinac Mac wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:39 pm

When does WATCO start operating the line?

Should be on June 30, 2021. Next Wednesday.
Still trying to find out what power they will be using. I'm thinking it will be two blue ex-GMTX units.

On a side note, the new Algoma Central operation in Ontario will be called the Agawa Canyon Railroad.

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:34 pm

Mackinac Mac wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:39 pm

When does WATCO start operating the line?

Should be on June 30, 2021. Next Wednesday.
Still trying to find out what power they will be using. I'm thinking it will be two blue ex-GMTX units.

On a side note, the new Algoma Central operation in Ontario will be called the Agawa Canyon Railroad.
Agawa-Sticker_1024x1024@2x.jpg

I dig the logo.

Apparently Watco has asked for an extension. It looks like Watco will take over at the end of July or early August. The crew is training on WSOR mid July.

There is a picture at Where Is It that shows the spur that circles through the building. It goes in the south end and out the north.
Is this spur still used? Or are just the spurs at the west end used?
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=24426&start=9580

Bump
There is a picture at Where Is It that shows the spur that circles through the building. It goes in the south end and out the north.
Is this spur still used? Or are just the spurs at the west end used?
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=24426&start=9580

Hey AAARRR.....last I knew, CN was spotting tank cars on the spur that comes in from the south....

Thank you Buster

Buster Manning wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 28, 2021 10:31 pm

Hey AAARRR.....last I knew, CN was spotting tank cars on the spur that comes in from the south....

Reports indicate that the new power for the Grand Elk "Upper Peninsula Division" are in transit.

They are reportedly:
HLCX 3885
GP38-2
1973
Ex-HLCX 3885/HLCX 335/UP 335/HATX 205/MP 2100/MP 949.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsor4053/ ... 3j-TxZpse/

FURX 5551
GP38-2
1969
Ex-FURX 5551/NS 5551/NS 2727/SOU 2727.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kkaf/5173 ... nw-29KWKwk

It will be amazing if they drum up more business, the problem is in the UP, unless its forestry or mining there is no other manufacturing in that part of the UP that would be worthwhile to transload. You don't get into you industrial opportunities until you get down to Escanaba, Iron Mtn, or the Menominee, Marinette area. Even in the Marquette area your industries are the Mine, support for the mine, education and support for education with a new mix of work from home tech jobs. Maybe they can drum up some pulp wood business but then you are competing with log trucks that are already running around at 160k loaded, and dealing with CN rates at the same time.