One of the best lashups of 2024 so far - Macomb, Michigan

[David Collins]

https://youtu.be/_K-PXy_t96A?si=fqNPGIG1PrsIu72W

One of my closest friends from Ferris State was in town, and she wanted to hang out yesterday. However, it just so happens that lives 5 minutes away from the CN Mount Clemens Subdivision. Knowing that M383 usually passes between 8-10am, I decided to go over to 21 mile just to see if I could get it, which my friend just so happens to live 5 minutes away from.

When she texted me and told me she was ready, the 383 had already been lined southbound for about 30 minutes. Knowing that when a headlight comes into sight, you have at least 5-7 minutes before it shows up. I did not see a headlight, so I decided to go pick my friend up.

We got back to 21 mile, and 383 was still lined with no sign of it. We almost gave up until I decided to check one more time if there was a headlight, and tallyhoe, there was one!

We got the rear of my terrain facing toward the track so we could sit in the back while filming. Then we heard a horn, it sounded like something other than a GEVO for once, and I was positive it was an SD70M-2 leader, but oh man, was I wrong.

The gates came down, Autumn (my friend) whipped her phone out and decided to take a few photos, as the lead units came over the 21 mile crossing, I legitimately couldn’t believe what I was looking at. CN SD70ACe #8102 (one of the only four SD70ACe’s that CN owns and the only one allowed to lead in the states) and GECX 2029 (one of the last few former Tier 4 GEVO demonstrator units left on CN) were both on the front!

CN has thrown railfans a lot of crazy lashups this year, but this one is definitely for the books in my opinion…since the blue ET44’s will be history soon, as CN continues to sideline them and convert/rebrand them into CN units. The 8102 leading was a first for me as I’ve never seen one of the CN ACe’s lead (heck, I’ve only seen two of them), and the citirail mid dpu (also on the train) provided a little more uniqueness to this already noteworthy catch.

For those who enjoy watching the full train and looking at the cars, you’ll like this too, a LONG train carrying pretty much anything and everything!

I also included a screenshot from Autumn’s snapchat story as the caption made me giggle and it was a neat angle.

More to come soon!

[AARR]

You were less than a mile from my mom's house and where I grew up. Yet, I never watched a train at that intersection from that corner so it was cool to see. Nice video.

[CSXBOY]

David the ladies man! Rare catch too! Did she think the train was cool?