Eastern Railroad Discussion > Conrail Detroit Yard questions

Is Junction (?also called Livernois) Yard used primarily by CSX or NS? Is the former Wabash traffic kept separate from the former Conrail/NYC traffic?
Does CSX still run lots of traffic via the Lincoln Secondary, and where does it yard? Does CSX bring most of its Detroit traffic in by the Lincoln Sec. or former C&O?
Does NS bring most of its Detroit traffic in by the CR Detroit Line or the former Wabash?
Thanks!
Andy

My overall impressions, from 60 miles away in Toledo:

CSX uses the Lincoln Secondary primarily for the doublestack trains that operate between the intermodal terminal at the east end of Livernois and points south. When they had the Detroit Edison business at Trenton, empty hopper trains came back that way, but NS has the coal contract now. There's also a yard crew that works the branch's customers, but I'm not sure if that's a CSX crew or a Conrail crew.
NS runs more Detroit trains over the former Conrail Detroit Line than it does over the Wabash. The Wabash east of Butler is primarily used by automotive-traffic trains between Detroit and points south or west of Fort Wayne, along with the CP trackage rights trains. Chicago traffic all operates via Toledo because NS is not supposed to use the northwest transfer at Butler, which CP paid for.
Livernois Yard has quite a bit of cars in it these days, but I'm doubtful that any CSX or NS road freights originate or terminate there. From what I can tell, CSX runs its trains into and out of Rougemere, and NS runs manifests into and out of Oakwood with work at River Rouge, and from those yards, transfers are run to Livernois to feed the rest of Shared Assets. (One of the NS pairs goes to/from Wayne.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/18 15:35 by toledopatch.

NS’ major Detroit area terminal is Oakwood Yard in Melvindale. It is a also major user of Conrail’s Sterling Yard as well as Livernois Yard as many road trains originate / terminate at either one of them. It uses North Yard to a lesser extent.

Here are the scheduled NS road trains in the Detroit area along with the trains’ consist and yard originating / terminating yard:

120 Kansas City, MO - Detroit, MI Oakwood manifest / parts / autos
121 Detroit, MI Sterling - Decatur, IL autos
122 Kansas City, MO - Detroit, MI Oakwood manifest / parts / autos
171 Detroit, MI Sterling - Villa Grove, IL (UP) autos / parts
176 Detroit, MI Oakwood - Detroit, MI Sterling autos / parts
181 Detroit, MI Oakwood - St. Louis, MO autos / parts
14T Detroit, MI Oakwood - Fostoria, OH autos
255 Detroit, MI Oakwood - Kansas City, MO Voltz roadrailer
256 Kansas City, MO - Detroit, MI Oakwood roadrailer
288 Atlanta, GA - Detroit, MI Oakwood autos
289 Detroit, MI Oakwood - Shelbyville, KY autos
20N Chicago, IL Ashland - Detroit, MI Livernois intermodal
21N Detroit, MI Livernois - Hammond, IN Colehour intermodal
25E Fairlane, OH - Wayne, MI autos
27V Walkertown, NC - varies but goes to Sterling or North Yard 1-3 times a week autos
29G Norfolk, VA - Detroit, MI Sterling autos daily
29J Fairlane, OH - Detroit, MI North autos runs as needed
29V Fairlane, OH - Detroit, MI Oakwood autos runs as needed
331 Detroit, MI Oakwood - Bellevue, OH manifest
332 Bellevue, OH - Detroit, MI Oakwood manifest
31M Detroit, MI Sterling - Hammond, IN (IHB Gibson) autos
38E Bellevue, OH - Wayne, MI manifest
39E Wayne, MI - Elkhart, IN manifest

NS trains by route:

•ex-Wabash Detroit District
120, 121, 122, 171, 181, 255, 256, 289
CP trains 140, 141, 147, 240, 241, 242, 244

•ex-Conrail Detroit Line
14T, 288, 20N, 21N, 25E, 27V, 29G, 29J, 29V, 331, 332, 31M, 38E, 39E


CSX’s major Detroit terminal is Rougemere Yard. Intermodal traffic is out of Conrail’s Livernois Yard. Most automobile traffic is out of the ramp at New Boston.

Here are the scheduled CSX road trains in the Detroit area along with the trains’ consist and yard originating / terminating yard:

Q131 Detroit, MI Livernois - Salem, IL (UP) intermodal
Q132 Salem, IL (UP) - Detroit, MI Livernois intermodal
Q231 Detroit, MI Livernois - Louisville, KY autos / intermodal
Q241 Detroit, MI Rougemere - Baldwin, FL autos
Q274 Walbridge, OH - Detroit, MI Rougemere autos
Q276 Detroit, MI Rougemere - Connellsville, PA autos
Q384 Grand Rapids, MI - Selkirk, NY manifest
Q385 Selkirk, NY - Grand Rapids, MI manifest
Q508 Cincinnati, OH - Detroit, MI Rougemere manifest
Q509 Detroit, MI Rougemere - Cincinnati, OH manifest
Q510 Willard, OH - Detroit, MI Livernois intermodal / manifest
Q516 Walbridge, OH - Detroit, MI Rougemere manifest
Q517 Detroit, MI Rougemere - Walbridge, OH manifest

Most trains run the Saginaw Sub to / from Plymouth. The Detroit trains run the Detroit Sub but Q384 / Q385 run the Plymouth Sub. Both Q384 and Q385 work Plymouth Yard.

Other notes:

Q231 originates at Livernois with intermodal traffic then picks up autoracks at New Boston.

Q241 and Q276 originates at Rougemere. Usually runs lite to New Boston to pick up train.

Q274 sets out most, if not all, of the train at New Boston. Power and remainder of train (if any) terminates at Rougemere.

Q510 sets out manifest at Rougemere. The remaining intermodal traffic terminates at Livernois.

Andrew

"Back in the day" up to the early '80's there was Livernois Yard (North receiving & Eastbound Class), The Train Yard (Departure Yard, Advance Departure Yard & west end of the Westbound Class), The South Receiving Yard, and Southbound yard. Collectively they were called Junction Yard. The hump yardmaster (located at Tower A) controlled the east end of the westbound class & the south receiving yard..There were also yardmasters at Livernois, The train yard, & Southbund Yard. Today, 30 tracks of the 32 track westbound class are gone, 4 of the 6 track departure yard are gone and all of southbound yard is gone and the Livernois yardmaster controls all that is whats left.

Fred Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Back in the day" up to the early '80's there was
> Livernois Yard...

>There were also yardmasters at
> Livernois,

And one of those yardmasters was Warren "Hound dog" Powell, the "friendly yardmaster at Livernois" as he would announce himself over the radio. A chain smoking ball of energy with a commanding voice who was well liked by almost everybody at Livernois Yard including the railfans.

I'd sneak into the engine service facility off Livernois Ave to grab a few pictures of whatever was sitting around. It didn't take long before that booming voice came out of a nearby talk-back speaker (early pole mounted intercom system) instructing me to proceed to the tower where he would offer me a cup of coffee (very welcomed during the winter months) and we'd share stories.

Back in the day indeed.

daniel