A southbound GLM (River Rouge MI-Portage IN) has just departed River Rouge Yard on track #1 and is accelerating past Ford Avenue at milepost 11 in Wyandotte, Michigan on June 5th, 1999. The MGL and GLM trains usually have 4 axle High Hood NS units assigned to them. This day SD40-2, however, is an exception to the rule. The reason why four axles are common on this train is because when the train gets to Burns Harbor, the track is only good for the four axles units. Six axles require the inbound crew to swap out power before they can get on the Midwest Steel trackage. We were stoked. Here you can see the lay of the land along this four-track right of way. To the right is Conrail track #1 and the GTW River Spur. To the left is the GTW Shore Line Subdivision. It is not uncommon for a pair of trains moving in the same direction on separate mainlines to pass here simultaneously. |