Durand MI

[CSXBOY]

Hi, How busy is Durand MI on a Friday from 9:30 am to 2:30 PM. I know that the CN flint sub is biggest show in town with like 20-30 trains a day. And the CN holly sub like 5-10 trains a day. How many trains does the Great Lakes Central railway have and what about the Huron and Eastern railway? Also the CN flint sub turns into the CN South Bend sub at Battle Creek is it any different? I know the Amtrak's go on the Michigan line. Does the South Bend sub have more trains? Also in Port Huron is there more trains than Durand?

[SD80MAC]

The Flint sub sees 15-20 trains in a 24 hour period. GLC runs a train to Ann Arbor and back, though the time of day varies, Monday through Friday. HESR runs a freight from Bay City to Durand Monday through Friday, and they also run coal trains at various times during the week.

The South Bend sub is a bit busier than the Flint sub. The Holly sub sees maybe 5 or 6 trains a day on a good day.

Port Huron is probably about as busy as Durand because while you don't get the shortline and Holly sub trains in Port Huron, you do get everything that uses the Mt. Clemens sub, plus CSX.

[CSXBOY]

How busy is the MT Clemens sub? Should I go to Port Huron or Durand

[GTW6401]

How busy is the MT Clemens sub? Should I go to Port Huron or Durand

It depends on what you want to see. If you more interested in seeing HESR or GLC, i'd recommend Durand. You'll see more on the Mt. Clemens Subdivision than the Holly during the day.

Port Huron isn't too bad in the afternoons. I mostly hangout by the river in PH but I hear railroad chatter on both sides of the border.

Ive been getting up there around noon and usually stick around until 7pm. I went to Port Huron on the 24th (Friday). There was a decent amount of traffic coming from Sarnia. Heard at least 4 westbound trains come through the tunnel between 3 and 4:30pm. Also had two locals on the Mt. Clemens Subdivision, and CSX went to Flint around 4pm.

I also found the local job working at Domtar around 1pm, and followed them up to Dunn Paper on the riverfront. I've been seeing them regularly around lunch time.

[CSXBOY]

how many trains run on the holly sub during the day? what are the symbols? What times do they run? How many trains run on the Mt Clemens sub during the day? Where is the best location to see trains in Port Huron? Is it safe? What are the symbols for the Mt Clemens sub? And what times do they run? So you are telling me that CSX runs through Port Huron? What symbols and when do they operate? When does the Huron and eastern and Great Lakes central operate? I will not go to Durand if it not as busy as Port Huron.


You can give me like daily or Monday-Friday (Just examples) if you don't exactly know the traffic.

One more thing do the trains blow their horns in Port Huron and I know in Durand they don't. I am not familiar with CN up there at all. I know more in Plymouth for the CSX Saginaw sub and Detroit sub

[Saturnalia]

Here is a weekday sampling of Durand. Pt Huron will be equivalent Mt Clemens to Holland and HESR/GLC to CSX. They're basically equal.



Just pick one and do. Durand is all around easier as I understand. If you're worried about long lulls go to Ohio or Indiana on the CSX B&O or NS Chicago Line. 4x the trains.

[CSXBOY]

I know I saw your video I even subscribed to you

[GTW6401]

One more thing do the trains blow their horns in Port Huron and I know in Durand they don't.

Yes they do in Port Huron. My advice is to visit both spots for a few hours and get a feel for what goes on, and not worry about every little detail. Both Durand and Port Huron have one central spot you see most of the trains at.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

Where is the best location to see trains in Port Huron? So you are telling me that CSX runs through Port Huron? What symbols and when do they operate?

If you want to see the whole train, go to the Amtrak station on 16th Street. Parking can be a little interesting during the summer months though as the parking lot expansion a couple years ago added about half of the spots necessary. If you go to the Amtrak station, be careful to stay off the gravel on the north side of the lot- CN considers that to be their property and their police force does visit the area from time to time. You'll also be within a mile of an international border crossing- US Customs and Border Patrol maintain a presence in the area, and they will more than likely be watching you, even if you can't see them.

CSX has trackage rights from Flint to Port Huron on the Flint Sub (symbols D-711 and D-710, plus whatever the coal trains run as). From Port Huron to the end of the track at the power plant south of St. Clair is the ex-Port Huron & Detroit Railroad. It's all industrial track. I don't know what the schedule is for the line, but they do seem to run at least one train in the evening, usually heading south (from Port Huron) to the yard between Marysville and St. Clair.

Best way to know what's going on in the Port Huron area is your scanner. Westbounds are inspected in Sarnia before they enter the tunnel. Eastbounds often call the yard master in Port Huron to confirm whether or not they'll have to make a set out for Customs in Port Huron before heading to Sarnia. If an eastbound has to wait for a light to get into Sarnia, they'll often get yarding instructions about the same time as they get the light to go through the tunnel. Depending on the time of day, you may or may not be able to catch the HR job north of the yard. The HR job sometimes only runs up to the Domtar mill, and other times runs up to the Dunn mill that is north of the Blue Water Bridge, and runs right next to the St. Clair River. The HR job can be chased, if you know what you're doing (some of the roads at the end of the run have been under construction recently).

Is it safe?

It can be. The Port Huron area has a lower crime rate than parts of Detroit do, for the most part. Use common sense and don't take stupid risks and you should be fine.

[NickThatRailfan]

Hi, How busy is Durand MI on a Friday from 9:30 am to 2:30 PM. I know that the CN flint sub is biggest show in town with like 20-30 trains a day. And the CN holly sub like 5-10 trains a day. How many trains does the Great Lakes Central railway have and what about the Huron and Eastern railway? Also the CN flint sub turns into the CN South Bend sub at Battle Creek is it any different? I know the Amtrak's go on the Michigan line. Does the South Bend sub have more trains? Also in Port Huron is there more trains than Durand?

About 20 on the Flint Sub you have Q116, A450, E251, and M371 that take the Chicago Wye daily and then L507/L508 that runs I belive daily which takes the Port Huron Wye, HESR usually runs 1 train Monday-Friday and GLC I belive runs 2 trains (1 in each direction) and sometimes HESR runs a coal train so Durand maybe 25 trains a day

[AARR]

HESR hasn't run any coal since around 2018. They get an occasional grain or potash unit train in Durand.

...and sometimes HESR runs a coal train so Durand maybe 25 trains a day

[TC Man]

Hi, How busy is Durand MI on a Friday from 9:30 am to 2:30 PM. I know that the CN flint sub is biggest show in town with like 20-30 trains a day. And the CN holly sub like 5-10 trains a day. How many trains does the Great Lakes Central railway have and what about the Huron and Eastern railway? Also the CN flint sub turns into the CN South Bend sub at Battle Creek is it any different? I know the Amtrak's go on the Michigan line. Does the South Bend sub have more trains? Also in Port Huron is there more trains than Durand?

About 20 on the Flint Sub you have Q116, A450, E251, and M371 that take the Chicago Wye daily and then L507/L508 that runs I belive daily which takes the Port Huron Wye, HESR usually runs 1 train Monday-Friday and GLC I belive runs 2 trains (1 in each direction) and sometimes HESR runs a coal train so Durand maybe 25 trains a day

3 months later........lol, a bit of old news by now! Lol

[~Z~]

3 months later........lol, a bit of old news by now! Lol

You mean 3 months and 8 years later. Post was from 2015

[TC Man]

3 months later........lol, a bit of old news by now! Lol

You mean 3 months and 8 years later. Post was from 2015

Holy crap, and I thought 3 months was long!!!

[NickThatRailfan]

HESR hasn't run any coal since around 2018. They get an occasional grain or potash unit train in Durand.

...and sometimes HESR runs a coal train so Durand maybe 25 trains a day

Would CN take it to Durand? If so I saw that train in Battle Creek yesterday the symbol was G887 and it was terminating in Durand

[AARR]

CN-HESR had the coal contract until around 2018 when CSX-LSRC got it.

The coal train you saw in Battle Creek is bound for Lansing, not Durand.

HESR hasn't run any coal since around 2018. They get an occasional grain or potash unit train in Durand.

...and sometimes HESR runs a coal train so Durand maybe 25 trains a day

Would CN take it to Durand? If so I saw that train in Battle Creek yesterday the symbol was G887 and it was terminating in Durand

[NickThatRailfan]

CN-HESR had the coal contract until around 2018 when CSX-LSRC got it.

The coal train you saw in Battle Creek is bound for Lansing, not Durand.

HESR hasn't run any coal since around 2018. They get an occasional grain or potash unit train in
Durand.

Would CN take it to Durand? If so I saw that train in Battle Creek yesterday the symbol was G887 and it was terminating in Durand

No, I must have made a mistake, does CN take the Potash Train to Durand? Becuase when I was in Battle Creek yesterday there was a Potash/Grain train that went through that terminates in Durand it was G887

[AARR]

The potash usually goes CSX-GLC-HESR. Although sometimes CSX will give it to AA who will give it to GLC then HESR.

[NickThatRailfan]

The potash usually goes CSX-GLC-HESR. Although sometimes CSX will give it to AA who will give it to GLC then HESR.

Ah, okay

[bluewonderrails]

The coal train you saw in Battle Creek is bound for Lansing, not Durand.

While it was resolved that it was a grain train for Durand, CN stopped bringing up coal [to Lansing] a little over a year ago. I want to say September 2022 was the last.

As far as I know, only CSX does now for GR sub and still possibly for the Detroit area but I'm not 100% certain on that. I'm only familiar with the GR sub doing it.

LRF post mentioning last Lansing coal (C712 from September 2022)
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