News Briefs - November, 2002

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Santa Trains...

Santa will arrive on the Central Michigan Railway at Bay City again this year.  He will arrive Saturday, November 30th at 6:00 p.m. at the Santa House at Veterans Memorial Park.  They most likely will use caboose CMGN #1 to carry jolly old St. Nick.  From Paul Cameron.

CSX Paw Paw River Bridge in Benton Harbor being rebuilt...

The CSXT Paw Paw River double track bridge at Benton Harbor will get its former draw bridge short span

replaced with a new stationary span on December 1st.  The bridge has not been used as a movable bridge in well over 70 years and the counterweight in the short span in the photo was removed years ago.  A Cincinnati contractor is doing the work.  In the photo , right side can be seen the bearing shaft end from the former lift bridge.  The entire span in the photo is being replaced in December, one track at a time.   From Jim Lindholm.

Port Huron area receives a snow dump...

The Bluewater area saw over 12 inches of snow in spots after lake effect snow dumped steadily on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.  The railroad frequencies were alive with reports of frozen switches in the CN Port Huron yard.  From Dan Meinhard.

Huckleberry Railroad running school trips in December...

The Huckleberry Railroad at Flint's Crossroads Village will be running some trips for schools in December.  The trips will be on December 3rd, 4th, 10th, and 11th at 9:30, 10:20, 11:10 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 12:50 and 1:40 p.m.  The regular train trips for the holiday season start on November 29th at 5:00 p.m. and run thru December.  Call 1-800-648-PARK for further information.  The train runs with a steam locomotive, passenger cars and caboose.  From Ken Borg.

A rare engine visits CSX Rougemere yard...

A rare and unusual CSX SD-40 was sighted at Rougemere yards today (11/23).  This unit, one of only 15 straight SD40s on the CSX roster, is painted in the CSX scheme 2, with modified ends.  Under the cab, it is lettered as the Osborn Yard Bowl Locomotive, making it a very rare visitor.  Also of noted at Rougemere: Chessie Caboose 903141 which is still in active service here, frequently making shuttle runs to GTW on the west side of the Rouge Plant.  From Nathan Neitering, at the Chessie Chapter.

NS Thanksgiving operations...

With reduced shipment volumes associated with the Thanksgiving Holiday, Norfolk Southern will reduce scheduled operations beginning late Wednesday, November 26.  Operations will be modified through the holiday weekend with resumption of normal schedules on Monday, December 2.  During this period, every effort will be made to meet customer requirements while allowing as many employees as possible to spend time with their families through the holiday.  Questions and/or service requirements for local facilities should be directed to Customer Service-Central Yard Operations at (800) 898-4296.  Customers with shipments moving over the holiday period should allow for additional transit time.  Please contact the National Customer Service Center if you have other questions regarding holiday service operations or active shipments at (800) 635-5768.

Derailment at Consumers Power, West Olive...

The CSX W303-17, the West Olive coal train, derailed seven loads must west of Hiawatha Road, between Holland and Muskegon near the power plant today (11/18).

Tornado derails train in Fostoria and Hamler, Ohio...

Tornado's struck the CSX in northern Ohio tonight (Sunday, 11/10).  In Fostoria, a tornado or wind shear

literally picked up an articulated, loaded tri-level auto rack car which was mid-way in its eastbound Q202 train and drop it on its side on adjacent track 1.  The train immediately went onto emergency and the front and rear ends stopped.  The train was only traveling about 10 m.p.h. at the time.  No other cars derailed or were damaged.  Adjacent to the overturned auto-rack, a large tree was also uprooted and dropped on the front porch of a house.  No one was hurt in either incident.  Reports from Hamler, Ohio were sketchy, but apparently several cars derailed blocking both CSX main tracks.  Hamler is 10 miles west of Deshler.

Radio traffic also indicated that the Norfolk Southern had at least one main line blocked due to the top of a house blown across its tracks.  Both roads experienced centralized traffic control failure and power failures throughout the area.  Tiffen, Ohio was also hit hard.

Ford exiting the railroad business after 80+ years...

Anthony Rzucidlo reports that effective November 30th, Ford Motor Company will no longer be in the railroad business.  Yard duties at Ford's Rouge Complex will be taken over by Canadian National on December 1st.  The remaining dozen or so workers will either retire or be absorbed into other plant jobs.  The railroad maintenance crew will stay on the job until March, at which time they will also be reassigned.  Ford's three remaining locomotives are currently for sale.  Rzucidlo, a security supervisor at Ford and president of the Michigan Railroad Club, reflected on the long history of Ford's railroad:  "Ford probably has had railroad crews since the giant Rouge complex opened in the late 1910's.  This is the end of an era."

NS Roadrailer on Mt. Clemens Sub...

Dan Meinhard reports seeing a first on the Mt. Clemens Subdivision of the CN:  Train #174 was pulling a NS roadrailer through Port Huron to Sarnia.  Power was a single CN SD-70.  Could this be a test train for the CN?  On November 7th, Dan adds that he received further information that NS has ended its contract with CP and entered into a new contract with CN to move the Triple Crown roadrailers between Toronto and Detroit.  Today, another train went by his house at MP 53 on the Mt. Clemens Subdivision near Port Huron.

Caboose sighting...

Anthony Rzucidlo reports that a Chessie System (C&O) extended vision caboose was spotted within the CSX Rougemere Yard in Dearborn.  Nathan Nietering also writes that the wide-vision Chessie System caboose was most likely number 903141 (C&O Reporting Marks).  This caboose was also seen on November 3, 2002.  It is unusual to see a caboose in Rougemere since the yard jobs were moved to Plymouth a few years ago.  903141 has also recently been observed in active service in Saginaw. 

Steve Sobel to present at Michigan Railroad Club...

At their November 6th meeting, the Michigan Railroad Club will present Steve Sobel, who will be presenting a slide show on Northern Michigan and upper Ontario railroads.  This will be a dual projector program.  According to Ken Borg, it will be "well worth the trip" because Steve puts on an excellent show.  The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. with the program around 8:00 p.m.  It will be held in the auditorium of the Henry Ford Library in Dearborn, on the south side of Michigan west of Greenfield (west of the Dearborn Police station).  All are welcome.  There are no admission fees or parking fees.  From Ken Borg.

More News Briefs from October...