Anyone here familiar with the rail operations in Bay City, Michigan?Seems to be several shortline/regional carriers here, quite a few tracks thru town.
Any help would be appreciated.
Ed
Lake States RR (ex-D&M) comes in from the north over former NYC tracks, thru Kawkawlin and then east to the former D&M yard. Then continues south across the Saginaw River on to ex-C&O tracks toward Flint.
The Huron & Eastern operates west to Midland and south to Durand on ex-GTW track.
Bay City has a lot of auto related industry. Midland has the big Dow Chemical plant. From the north come mainly forest products from the ex-NYC, and indistrial minerals from ex-D&M lines.
Thanks for the report.
MidlandMike:I took a more detailed look at the Michigan Rail Map and the regional lines became clearer. Also reviewed the Lake States Railway website.
Looks like Lake States has done a good job of growing their franchise over the years and now has picked up the former CSX line from Plymouth north to Saginaw, which should be quite a bit of traffic/revenue for them.
Is the chemical business out of Midland (and area) still pretty significant? That in itself would add considerable high carload revenue.
I heard a train in Bay City yesterday morning and another in the evening, but had no desire to try to locate it.
From the video on Lake States website, it appears that business has grown significantly on the line, particularly on the northern segments over the past decade.
The NYC used to base their local operations out of Kawkawlin, right next to M13. The last time I was up there (a few years ago), some of the buildings were still standing but being used by outside companies.
There's a newly built grain elevator in Standish that gives quite a bit of business to the LSRC.
MP173 MidlandMike:I took a more detailed look at the Michigan Rail Map and the regional lines became clearer. Also reviewed the Lake States Railway website. Looks like Lake States has done a good job of growing their franchise over the years and now has picked up the former CSX line from Plymouth north to Saginaw, which should be quite a bit of traffic/revenue for them. Is the chemical business out of Midland (and area) still pretty significant? That in itself would add considerable high carload revenue. I heard a train in Bay City yesterday morning and another in the evening, but had no desire to try to locate it. From the video on Lake States website, it appears that business has grown significantly on the line, particularly on the northern segments over the past decade. Ed
Dow Chemical traffic out of Midland is down by +50% compared to what it was over a decade ago. Most of the Saginaw Sub LSRC got from CSX has seen large declines in traffic as well. Due to closure of auto based traffic in: Saginaw, Flint, and the Detroit area. CSX at one time had 10-15 Trains a day on the Sag Sub. That is no more. Hence the lease to LSRC from Plymouth to Mt. Morris. The cards were in the deck when CSX leased to LSRC the portion from Mt Morris to Saginaw years back.
The portion of the Sag Sub that has some moderate traffic is south from Plymouth to Carleton. CSX serves; TDSI, US Ecology, Ford's Wayne Assembly. South of Carleton it becomes the Toledo Terminal. The TT gains some traffic via CSAO Lincoln Secondary that runs between Carleton and Melvindale.
Bay City used to be the home of Industrial-Brownhoist, probably the most famous maker of 'big hook' wrecking cranes in North America.
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Followed a train horn this morning and ended up at Lake State yard near the SC Johnson factory. Not sure of the name of the facility, but the yard had about 6 tracks. The train backed into the yard, dropped its caboose and switched cars. The train had about 40 cars - hoppers, tank cars, empty lumber racks and box cars.
I talked to a Lake State employee and he was forthright with operations info. Train runs daily from Saginaw into BC and swaps out cars for the train coming south from Pinconning. From Pinconning north, the railroad splits into two lines - Gaylord and Alpena.
He indicated the railroad has developed a good level of business north of Bay City with lumber, aggregate, particle board and minerals.
He indicated most of the track is 25mph with some 10mph. The ex CSX Plymouth line is 40 mph. Quite a bit of grain is interchanged with Huron Eastern.
Interesting operations.
Would be neat to see a Huron Eastern train. Might take a car ride down to the sugar beat factory this pm.
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