I ventured up to Port Huron the other day and caught a train symbol I haven't seen in a long time. The symbol was CN 147. It came across from Sarnia at well over 12,000'. I don't recall the origin for this train but I'm going to guess it terminates at Gateway in Harvey, IL. Listening to the radio 147 had to break up its train at Port Huron due to 5 containers that had customs holds. Some more radio chatter alerted me too a 122. Never heard this symbol before. More trains were out there as well. Another train was holding at PH for Sarnia train 394 which is a manifest. They had a crew called for 0315HRS. It was getting late and I was getting tired so I hopped on the freeway and headed home.
It was a busy night for sure and somewhat reminiscent when I first started going to PH to watch trains back around 2000. Traffic does appear to be coming back somewhat on this part of the CN system. Maybe they really are trying to fill up the railroad?
Q122/Q123 are relatively new Chicago-Halifax trains. 147 is an extra that runs as needed, this has been the case for some time.
For several years CN has been talking about wanting to turn Halifax into the Prince Rupert of the east. This is the first noticeable change.
They still haven't gotten back to the train frequencies that ran out of Halifax before Hunter combined all the intermodal into one big daily train (Q120/Q121) and ran off whatever wouldn't fit that plan.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
SD70Dude Q122/Q123 are relatively new Chicago-Halifax trains. 147 is an extra that runs as needed, this has been the case for some time. For several years CN has been talking about wanting to turn Halifax into the Prince Rupert of the east. This is the first noticeable change. They still haven't gotten back to the train frequencies that ran out of Halifax before Hunter combined all the intermodal into one big daily train (Q120/Q121) and ran off whatever wouldn't fit that plan.
No doubt. I can't find my old trains sheets for traffic on the; Flint, Strathroy and Mt. Clemens Subs. But yeah.. CN alone back in the day had at least 10-12 Intermodal trains going through PH-Sarnia. Add in manifest, extras, and seasonal grain movements. The Flint, and Strathroy Subs alone could see 30-40 trains a day.
CSX has trackage rights on the Flint Sub from Flint(Belsay), MI to Tappan Jct, in Port Huron Township, MI. They ran a few Detroit Edison coal trains a week to East China, MI for DTE Belle River/St. Clair Plants. These trains orginated in Kentucky I believe. Add in about 3-4 manifest from Marysville, MI to Flint. I think CSX traffic may be down to only a few freights a week now..
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