A Resurrection From the Dead

[AndyWS]

I see. So, looks like the old M&StL Griswolds are just within the north end of the abandonment.

[SirKrunch]

Afraid so.

One set is here...
And then there's one lone one here.
I'd have to guess the Griswold on display in the town with this caboose would likely have been the other signal at this crossing at one time.

The only signals to survive abandonment will be the "franken" signals at D15 which were put together from spare parts. Originally after the line was railbanked, only the masts remained at the crossing, and only one crossbuck. The lone crossbuck was turned around backwards and had one exempt sign on it. The tracks at the time were paved over.

Oh, the tracks North of the removed diamond at Ackley are actually owned by NCRA yet, and were operated by CN/CC up until 2006. NCRA put them in Cat 1 last year, and they are currently in the abandonment process with the STB.

[ESlade4]

Sir Krunch, I happened on this Forum via Flickr stats. I had a question for you if that's ok.

They also now do transloading in the added "yard" area about a mile or so South of Ackley for the Co-operatives on the abandoned portion of the line South of MP 209.

Do you know which end of the yard/siding south of Ackley they transload at? I've caught United Suppliers tanks on the siding and on CN's siding by the Ackley Depot but haven't seen them transload or caught the white trailer anywhere but PLE and the farm across the road that PLE stores stuff at.

From what eslade4 had mentioned elsewhere - I believe the M&STl Yahoo Group page - The last run South of the plant was in December of 2011, when they went South to collect all the cars stored along the line and bring them up to EOT at 209.

The STB filing said the line was embargoed on 12/27/11 south of MP209. The IARR in theory could have picked up at least some of the Union stored hoppers on 12/16/11 after I caught them starting up. I couldn't stay for a chase that day. They also might have done it later, I don't have photo's of the hoppers north of MP209 until 1/31/12. If anyone knows if the IARR could pull all ~33 empty CH's through Steamboat or if they had to split them up I'd love to know. I know I have pics of 3004 with 8 cars, maybe 12 but I've never seen them pull more than that and from what has been said on the M&StL yahoo group Steamboat Rock was the ruling grade going both directions between Marshalltown and at least Ackley if not Mason City.

[SirKrunch]

Unfortunately, I don't know exactly. I'm just going by what I've read off newsgroups and what not. I would have loved to have followed the line better the past few years, but between job layoffs and where I'm at right now trying to get back on track, getting up there more often just hasn't been possible.

What I don't understand though, is that they seemed to have enough business to at least keep the track to United @ Eldora. (Unless for some reason the plastics plant couldn't send/receive cars at all off the CN line.) But again, perhaps that comes down again to the mentality that they really only intended to purchase the line for salvage value and to serve the plant only.

I think we've gone way off topic in this thread... probably best to move this part of the conversation elsewhere. Sorry about that MG. I didn't mean to steal your thunder.

[ESlade4]

I'm sorry about hijacking the thread as well. I created a new one here for the IARR portion of the thread for any interested.

http://rxrsignals.net/Phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2531