Marquette Rail's Turn Job - a Day in the Life at a Big Time Shortline

[@crosstiespike]

Found you tonight at midnight, very very professional. I Am Impressed. Will donate if you accept them.

[@davidbarnett9312]

Interesting. Over the decades, life on the railroads have changed. As an SP brakeman from 1967-1972, the end of the train was the caboose. The only communications we had with the engineer were hand signals and our lantern. Roller bearings were not standard, so watching for 'hot boxes' on curves was a must. I quickly landed a job as a part of one of the local crews running from Houston to Hearne. After we dropped off most of our consist at Gifford Hill in Houston, it was a car here and a car or two there at Hockley [United Salt Mine], Waller, Hempstead, Navasota, Bryan/College Station, and then tie up in Hearne only to rinse and repeat the following day on our way back to Houston. Great video. Excellent narration. The shortlines appear more interesting than the big boys. Thanks.

[@LouisianaRailProductions]

Your stuff just gets better and better!

[@lostallmymirth]

Dear TRRS, Excellent videos...and commentary. My singular input would include some additional commentary regarding what I consider certain interesting way points on this line. White Cloud: The reason for the strange curvature here is due to a wye created from an early East/ West line out of Big Rapids to Muskegon completed in 1873. This was two years before the line from Grand Rapids to White Cloud was completed in 1875. Indeed, it was not until 1890 that a line was finally completed from Baldwin to Traverse City. In Baldwin, prior to the abandonment of the East/ West line from Midland to Ludington, a previously constructed direct line to Traverse City was abandoned in 1954 due to the dismantlement of "High Bridge" (the highest in Michigan) over the Manistee River. Just thought someone might be interested.

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

lostallmymirth Hey, this is great stuff, much of which I am aware of, but for time's sake and whatnot I decided not to include these notes. I may include these in future programs about the line. In the meantime, thanks for the additional notes here, thanks for the kind words, and I hope you continue to enjoy my work!

[@PereMarquette1223]

Awesome piece of film Alex. You gotta take me chasing sometime. I wanna catch Marquette and all them SD40-2's. Classic.

[@bobjohnson6371]

Great video, thanks for some great shots and history..

[@TOOCOOLFORME]

You shoot some excellent videos. Keep it up. I model the B&O 1958.

[@carmichaeltrainproductionc9663]

This vey well done Love it and Proud to be a subscriber!!

[@ericoxner326]

Love that southern railway horn.

[@coxsj]

Really nice work! Thanks.

[@hoscalecsxgrandrapidssubdi3437]

loved it awesome work

[@kittty2005]

I've been watching your videos this morning from 3:00A.M. to now and plan to watch all of them,love your commentary,very enlightening.Was wondering though,do any of the short lines of Michigan do power sharing,such as many intermediates do or are the rails not strong enough.

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

The short lines of Michigan do sometimes swap power around, but this is because a bunch of them are owned by the same entity - that being the G&W roads. So the MQT, GRE, MS and HESR sometimes trade power to find the right balance, because ultimately they all run for the same primary company - Genesee and Wyoming.

[@denisetindall1487]

I like train videos videos on KZbin 👍

[@electric7487]

5:15 That horn has to be a P5 11:20 The line from Fremont to White Cloud, per historical sources, appears to have been torn up in 1963.

[@vettebecker1]

19:00, if this trains a rockin don't come a knockin!!!

[@BERXJoe]

I know right? I've spent my entire life chasing trains on Guilford and never saw a train rock like that!

[@ixiairisborne1695]

12:02 - Model Railroaders, take note: When they say "real railroads don't have S curves," they're wrong. ;)

[@jimsmits151]

Feeble wobble lol!

[@richardwoods5873]

Jointed rail or not, those waggons shouldn't be swaying around like that at 19:30; badly maintained track, new sleepers and ballast needed.

[@cicknobb5321]

What does MP stand for?

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Milepost

[@kittty2005]

I bet this railroad hasn't many problems with hobos,they'd get sea sick.

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Haha great comment! Thanks for watching!

[@honestycounts9352]

Why so many engines for such a short train? On level ground like that just two engines could do the job just as well as 4.

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

+Honesty Counts These turns are rather unpredictable in how many cars they're going to have. When the train leaves Baldwin, which is where power could be added or subtracted, they have no idea how many cars they're going to have northbound. That is entirely determined by how CSX is doing, and can range from 20 to 120 cars. Thus, they generally leave at least three on the train, however they cut out or shut down the unneeded units as required for good train movement and handling.

[@CaddenZank]

it's more the hills they face. They never know how tough it will be with their train so they put extra on in case.