Michigan Rail business news redux

[GRHC]

Will Keystone continue to receive rail service?

Apparently the Endeavor facility located in Harlem Michigan has been sold and is now owned by a company named Keystone according to the word on the street.

Keystone received 2 car loads at the Harlem facility today.

CERES SOLUTIONS, CO-ALLIANCE & ENDEAVOR AG & ENERGY ALL BECOME KEYSTONE COOPERATIVE.
https://www.keystonecoop.com/welcome

[redside20]

Expansion planned for Amways plant in Ada

https://www.wcsg.org/news/featured/3-27 ... -facility/

[AARR]

My impression was the plant was underutilized and would need increased production to maximize its potential.

The plants yard, which if I have accurate information might receive 7-10 cars a week, looks like it can handle triple that volume.

I’m open to corrections and accurate information.

Expansion planned for Amways plant in Ada

https://www.wcsg.org/news/featured/3-27 ... -facility/

[JBaxter]

My impression was the plant was underutilized and would need increased production to maximize its potential.

The plants yard, which if I have accurate information might receive 7-10 cars a week, looks like it can handle triple that volume.

I’m open to corrections and accurate information.

Expansion planned for Amways plant in Ada

https://www.wcsg.org/news/featured/3-27 ... -facility/

Not all of this expansion will take place at the site in ada that receives rail traffic, this looks like it more has to do with their facility off of Spaulding. Their yard has a massive capacity, it once housed the entire American freedom train. Over the summer they moved 3 cars in 2.5 months. One cover hopper in, one tank car out, and one covered hopper in. But the volume could have changed since then based on their production needs

[Plannerdad]

Seems like I see a couple cars a week in the yard for Amway. I know there was at least 1 this week.

[NS3322]

My impression was the plant was underutilized and would need increased production to maximize its potential.

The plants yard, which if I have accurate information might receive 7-10 cars a week, looks like it can handle triple that volume.

I’m open to corrections and accurate information.

Expansion planned for Amways plant in Ada

https://www.wcsg.org/news/featured/3-27 ... -facility/

Apparently, Amway wants to move operations at a California facility to Ada...

https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county ... expansion/

[GP30M4216]

It was a big deal around 2006-07 when National in Niles began using rail and NS B-1-G began bringing coiled wire to them. I’m not sure when they last got rail service, but the end is near…

https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/20 ... utType=amp

[atrainguy60]

Photo update of the construction of the new auto rack transload in Gaylord.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=76 ... 7624642414

[AARR]

In a million years I would have never believed there was enough vehicle business to justify the cost of an auto reload in Gaylord.

Photo update of the construction of the new auto rack transload in Gaylord.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=76 ... 7624642414

[GP30M4216]

Any chance it’s actually for military vehicles from/for Camp Grayling?

[atrainguy60]

Any chance it’s actually for military vehicles from/for Camp Grayling?

Doesn't sound like it according to this interview (11:20 in)

https://dehayf5mhw1h7.cloudfront.net/wp ... ickoff.mp3

[redside20]

Well there goes the georgia pacific boxboard plant in milan.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/20 ... oyees.html

[GP30M4216]

Well there goes the georgia pacific boxboard plant in milan.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/20 ... oyees.html

Dang, another blow for the Milan NS local. Hopefully, another corrugated board maker sees potential in that plant and location and picks it up….and continues to use rail!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I always end up looking at boxes that arrive in the mail/from Amazon/etc. to see where they were made (and if I know if they use rail). In West Michigan, we get a lot of boxes from PCA in Grandville (served by CSXT), but I’ve seen boxes from Georgia-Pacific in Milan too and I’m like “hey they use rail too!” Bummer.

[SD80MAC]

Track work is underway at the former sand plant in Livingston on CSX. The new business is supposed to be doing something with cement by rail. Will be some more work for L301.

Heinz in Holland on the CSX Dock Track just got the contract to make sauce for Taco Bell, should be seeing more boxcars of tomato paste heading that way.

[NS3322]

Well there goes the georgia pacific boxboard plant in milan.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/20 ... oyees.html

Dang, another blow for the Milan NS local. Hopefully, another corrugated board maker sees potential in that plant and location and picks it up….and continues to use rail!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I always end up looking at boxes that arrive in the mail/from Amazon/etc. to see where they were made (and if I know if they use rail). In West Michigan, we get a lot of boxes from PCA in Grandville (served by CSXT), but I’ve seen boxes from Georgia-Pacific in Milan too and I’m like “hey they use rail too!” Bummer.

Is the old Ford plant in Milan still being used for storage?

[GP30M4216]

Well there goes the georgia pacific boxboard plant in milan.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/20 ... oyees.html

Is the old Ford plant in Milan still being used for storage?

Was the Milan Ford Plant used for car storage after the plant was closed? I know the nearby Ann Arbor Saline Branch trackage was (and may still be) used for car storage between Pittsfield Jct and Saline after that Ford/Faurencia plant closed around the same time.

Meanwhile back to Milan: sprinkled through out this article are some updates from 2023 about the Milan plant’s issues and possible future: https://www.bridgemi.com/business-watch ... behind?amp

Google Aerial Maps shows the Ford plant lead and sidings are all empty. Meanwhile, three boxcars are spotted on the G-P plant siding, 2 near the mainline and one right outside the plant. I’m not sure how many can be kept inside G-P or what the switching routine was for which cars were spotted where.

[NS3322]

Was the Milan Ford Plant used for car storage after the plant was closed? I know the nearby Ann Arbor Saline Branch trackage was (and may still be) used for car storage between Pittsfield Jct and Saline after that Ford/Faurencia plant closed around the same time.

I believe I remember reading Ford had received boxcars at the old Milan plant for storage moves. Not sure if this is true.

[GP30M4216]

Interesting discussion near the end of this article about the reconstruction of the U.P. Propane spur in Escanaba to receive tank loads a few years ago: https://www.dailypress.net/news/local-n ... -counties/