One of CSX Transportation's longest locals is the Wyoming Yard-based D700. With a service area 133 miles long, it often runs turns 200 miles long in a single 12-hour shift, working most customers on the CSX Grand Rapids Sub. Sadly, this is only possible with only four to five customers requiring service three times per week. Currently, the default schedule calls for the train to run the full customer schedule on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and run just 30 miles west to do the Waverly Pickup and return to Wyoming on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But on Tuesday October 22nd, 2013, they had a different assignment: Run 115 miles west to New Buffalo and pickup 50 sand-service CHs from storage in the yard there, then return to Wyoming, switching out Standale Lumber in Grandville on the way. The crew left Wyoming shortly after 800 ET with a C40 and ES40 for power, far from the usual Geep or Road Slug set D700 usually uses on long run days. After dropping off the lone centerbeam for Grandville in the run-around there, they highballed west lite power to New Buffalo. After collecting 50 stored hoppers, they headed back east, undoing their 115 mile run to get to New Buffalo. This is where we pick them up. We were at Wyoming Yard when the RN dispatcher gave permission to D700 who at the time was in Zeeland at the time to use the switches in Grandville to switch out Standale Lumber. We got to Grandville just as the train rounded the corner down by milepost 7. The crew worked quickly, as their hours of service deadline was fast approaching at 1900. As you can see, they pulled two and spotted one load of fresh western timber. They hastily got back to their train, charged the air then took off to Wyoming, needing to cover 3 miles and get to the yard at Lamar to tie up before HOS. They barnstorm over the busy Wilson Avenue crossing, as a Standale Lumber employee works quickly to unload the fresh lumber before the rain started to fall. All-in-all, it was nice to be able to see D700 switch out Standale Lumber. The move is not very uncommon, happening multiple times per year, but happens without much warning and lasts precious few moments. To my knowledge, this is the first video of a train actually making the switching moves, I do have one video from several years ago here on YouTube of D700 getting back to their train in Grandville, but only shows them leaving Standale Lumber, none of the switching is included. Consist: - CSX 5385 [ED40DC] - CSX 7335 [C40-8W] - 52 cars [Mixed] -- 2 Empty Centerbeams -- 50 Empty Sand CHs Location/Time: - CSX GR Sub, Grandville, MI, Franklin St xing (1st time), on 10-22-13 at 18:20 EDT - CSX GR Sub, Grandville, MI, Wilson Ave xing, on 10-22-13 at 18:50 EDT Thanks for watching! Rate, Comment & Subscribe! For more from the Thornapple River Rail Series, visit my channel at www.youtube.com/user/mqt3001

• published: 23 Oct 2013
• views: 63