MMRR to cease operations in 2025?

[AARR]

Will MMRR be able to interchange directly with HESR or will it still have to go to Durand by GLC?

The actual Mid Michigan RR is the line from Alma to Paines. MMRR itself is going to be merged into the Huron & Eastern, per the latest G&W plans. The railroad isn't going away, it's just going to be operated as part of the HESR (which it almost is currently anyway). The MMRR crews will have to decide if they want to go to HESR or go to the Grand Rapids Eastern or Michigan Shore.

[LansingRailFan]

Who will operate the Yuma Mine?

Michigan Shores is lossing the sand traffic, the sand will come from Yuma on the GLC. There has been crews working at the plant in Yuma for the last month and GLC is doing some minor track work cense the line has sat dormant for the last five years. The Yuma plant is waiting for parts to come from over-seas before they can get rolling again.

[chapmaja]

Will MMRR be able to interchange directly with HESR or will it still have to go to Durand by GLC?

The actual Mid Michigan RR is the line from Alma to Paines. MMRR itself is going to be merged into the Huron & Eastern, per the latest G&W plans. The railroad isn't going away, it's just going to be operated as part of the HESR (which it almost is currently anyway). The MMRR crews will have to decide if they want to go to HESR or go to the Grand Rapids Eastern or Michigan Shore.

Doesn't MMRR have trackage rights into Saginaw from Paines anyway to access the HESR?

[LansingRailFan]

Will MMRR be able to interchange directly with HESR or will it still have to go to Durand by GLC?

The actual Mid Michigan RR is the line from Alma to Paines. MMRR itself is going to be merged into the Huron & Eastern, per the latest G&W plans. The railroad isn't going away, it's just going to be operated as part of the HESR (which it almost is currently anyway). The MMRR crews will have to decide if they want to go to HESR or go to the Grand Rapids Eastern or Michigan Shore.

Doesn't MMRR have trackage rights into Saginaw from Paines anyway to access the HESR?

AFAIK they only do to swap engines. Otherwise all cars to MMRR were interchanged from LSRC or GLC

[NoviRailfan]

HESR solidifying their position as Michigan's most active shortline.

[AARR]

How busy are the original HESR lines east of Saginaw? The few trains I see out there are usually less than 20 cars.

HESR solidifying their position as Michigan's most active shortline.

[NoviRailfan]

I can't speak to the number of trains on that part of their system. But by reported car loads, they are tops amongst the shortlines in Michigan with well over 30,000 carloads per year.

[LansingRailFan]

I can't speak to the number of trains on that part of their system. But by reported car loads, they are tops amongst the shortlines in Michigan with well over 30,000 carloads per year.

Biggest midget

[AARR]

I think that is an old number that included cars from Dow and Karn-Weadoak.

It would be interesting to know the carloads HESR handles from its lines in the thumb (Sebewaing Sub, Bad Axe Sub, Kinde Branch, Ruth Branch, Vassar Lines and Port Huron Sub).

I can't speak to the number of trains on that part of their system. But by reported car loads, they are tops amongst the shortlines in Michigan with well over 30,000 carloads per year.

[NoviRailfan]

I think that is an old number that included cars from Dow and Karn-Weadoak.

Fair point - But even if you back out all the coal traffic and 50% of the "chemicals and plastic" traffic, their numbers are still above any of the other reporting shortlines. Also, they serve a number of the largest elevators in the state so they likely are moving at least the same volume of traffic since the last report.

[MQT1223]

Guessing this means that trains will be originating out of the Bay City/Saginaw area then? No need to keep a geep in the house at Alma. Wonder if the Alma interchange will also be a thing of the past minus unit trains. Are there even any active customers in the Alma area?

[AARR]

I have "guesstimated" That HESR handles 15,000 cars a year from its non-CMGN lines in the Michigan thumb. That equals about 60 cars per weekday. Yet, except for an occasional unit grain train, I seldom see anything longer than 20 cars. I'd like to know if I'm even in the ballpark with my guess and if I am where are all the cars going?

I think that is an old number that included cars from Dow and Karn-Weadoak.

Fair point - But even if you back out all the coal traffic and 50% of the "chemicals and plastic" traffic, their numbers are still above any of the other reporting shortlines. Also, they serve a number of the largest elevators in the state so they likely are moving at least the same volume of traffic since the last report.

[redside20]

Well lets start with the agri traffic on the line and well start with ethanol plant in Caro and the sugar plant there too. tttleshe shuttles of ddg and ethanol should keep them very busy. The elevator at Colling is inactive at this time. Over on the Denmark Branch I can imagine that both of the star of the west facilities in both Reese and Richville see quite a bit of activity. I have no idea how busy Labudde group is which is also in richville that handles vegetable products in covered hoppers

[redside20]

Guessing this means that trains will be originating out of the Bay City/Saginaw area then? No need to keep a geep in the house at Alma. Wonder if the Alma interchange will also be a thing of the past minus unit trains. Are there even any active customers in the Alma area?

Maybe it'll give the HESR a back door route onto the GLC other than the durand connection to get in on some of that Zeeland farms traffic to take back to the thumb or to csx via lake states. All there is in alma currently is michigan paving and materials

[AARR]

Well lets start with the agri traffic on the line and well start with ethanol plant in Caro and the sugar plant there too. tttleshe shuttles of ddg and ethanol should keep them very busy. The elevator at Colling is inactive at this time. Over on the Denmark Branch I can imagine that both of the star of the west facilities in both Reese and Richville see quite a bit of activity. I have no idea how busy Labudde group is which is also in richville that handles vegetable products in covered hoppers

The ethanol plant is busy with inbound corn and outbound DDG & ethanol.

The sugar beet plant next door does not seem that busy. Maybe once a week service.

Labudde I am told gets two to three cars a week.

Star of the West has multiple plants around the thumb that get service but I don't know how busy they are.

[redside20]

Star of the West has multiple plants around the thumb that get service buI don't know how busy they are.

The one in Gera seems pretty busy and they have a transload for Frankenmuth customers. Lately the MAC Elevators in Marlette and Brown City having been shipping unit grainers out like crazy for csx along with Gera on the tiny Port Huron sub.THe three customers in Sebaiwing keep the railroad pretty busy.

[penn central]

Well lets start with the agri traffic on the line and well start with ethanol plant in Caro and the sugar plant there too. tttleshe shuttles of ddg and ethanol should keep them very busy. The elevator at Colling is inactive at this time. Over on the Denmark Branch I can imagine that both of the star of the west facilities in both Reese and Richville see quite a bit of activity. I have no idea how busy Labudde group is which is also in richville that handles vegetable products in covered hoppers

The ethanol plant is busy with inbound corn and outbound DDG & ethanol.

The sugar beet plant next door does not seem that busy. Maybe once a week service.

Labudde I am told gets two to three cars a week.

Star of the West has multiple plants around the thumb that get service but I don't know how busy they are.

I have been going to Michigan Sugar in Croswell a lot in the last couple months and i pass through Brown City each time and there are five huge piles of grain stored on the ground in BC i have never seen that much ever on the ground there those silos are bursting with grain so where gonna have grain trains for awhile to clean that out im sure.

[Standard Railfan]

Well lets start with the agri traffic on the line and well start with ethanol plant in Caro and the sugar plant there too. tttleshe shuttles of ddg and ethanol should keep them very busy. The elevator at Colling is inactive at this time. Over on the Denmark Branch I can imagine that both of the star of the west facilities in both Reese and Richville see quite a bit of activity. I have no idea how busy Labudde group is which is also in richville that handles vegetable products in covered hoppers

The ethanol plant is busy with inbound corn and outbound DDG & ethanol.

The sugar beet plant next door does not seem that busy. Maybe once a week service.

Labudde I am told gets two to three cars a week.

Star of the West has multiple plants around the thumb that get service but I don't know how busy they are.

ADM has (or had) some bean elevators in the thumb that were rail served. One was at Kinde. I have forgotten the other locations. Does anyone know if they still ship by rail?

[AARR]

ADM has (or had) some bean elevators in the thumb that were rail served. One was at Kinde. I have forgotten the other locations. Does anyone know if they still ship by rail?

ADM has large elevators in Arthur and Ubly and smaller ones in Fairgrove and Kinde. AFAIK they all still ship by rail.

[redside20]

Over on the Midland Sub for HESR, there also appears to be in Auburn in which an ADM facility along with a Ittner bean and the andersons the latter of which seems to be only active customer at this time.The dow plant is at the end of the line for them. I hear Michigan Sugar and helena chemical keep the railroad busy on that end of the line towards port huron in croswell. Along with Croswell and Caro, what about the sugar plants in Sebewaing, Carrollton, and Bay City?