CSX still operates the C&O Montague Subdivision, now named the Fremont Subdivision by CSX and rightfully so; the tracks don't go to Montague any more. The Michigan Shore operates 6 miles of former Grand Trunk trackage, serving it's three customers (in order from largest to smallest) Nugent Sand, Webb Chemical and Dana Co. (formerly Sealed Power).
As stated above, Muskegon is only shadow of what it used to be in the railroad industry. Not only in terms of trackage, but also in railroad customers. Today, CSX serves: Sappi Fine Paper, Gerber Baby Food, Fremont Co-op, West Michigan Dock & Market, Brinks Refinery, and most recently, Bay Logistics. As well as making a daily (except on the weekend) interchange with Michigan Shore.
CSX's North Yard is home to 3 usually ratty GP38-2's. Occasionally a GP40-2 will drift into town. 1 of those units stays at the yard all the time and is used by Y120 and Y220. The other two units are the road units and are used by D727 and D728. For anyone with further interset in this category, click here. North Yard consists of 13 tracks. Breaking it down, there are 5 stub storage tracks (three on the north side and two on the south side), a main line, 6 yard tracks and a scale track.
Michigan Shore uses an SW1200 painted in a dark red and grey version of the RailTex design paint scheme. The engine nuber is 73 and it is former Kansas City Terminal 73.
On with the rundown of the operations:
We'll start at (or around) sun-up and work our way through the day.
0600
Michigan Shore starts their day, heading first to Nugent sand
0730
CSX Y120 starts their day working North Yard. Once the D727 arrives (anytime between 6 & 8 AM on a GOOD day) the Y120 breaks the train up into their seperate blocks (Michigan Shore, Sappi Fine Paper, Fremont and Bay [D728]).
0800
CSX D728 is on duty their tasks include going north to Fremont to work Gerber and Fremont Co-op and then south to Bay. Their routine seems to differ day to day, as some days they will work Fremont first, and then go to Bay. Other days they do it in reverse. Bay does not need to be worked every day, just when cars come in on the D727 from Grand Rapids. The only catch is the D728 has to wait for the D727 to get in because both trains share the same engines. More often than not, the D727 runs out of time on OOS, sending D728 out to fetch them, extending their work day. If all goes well (meaning the 727 made it in on time), the 728 should be done by 1200-1300, or 1400-1500 if they have to switch Bay.
0800
By now, Michigan Shore is heading to Webb Chemical.
1000
Michigan Shore returns to their yard with the empty tanks from Webb, picks up the loaded sand cars from Nugent and heads to CSX's North Yard. After that, they head back to their yard and their day is over. Ocassionally, Dana needs to be worked and they'll do that between working Webb and going to CSX. Also, as an aside, Nugent has been requiring to switches per day, thus extending Michigan Shore's work day. Sand cars have been making a quick trip through Muskegon; coming in on the Cannonball in the morning, going right into service at Nugent a few hours later, and then getting pulled the next morning and out of town the next evening.
1100
Michigan Shore has made the interchange, and now Y120 will weigh the loaded sand hoppers to make sure they're not overloaded. Afterwards, Y120 starts builing the outbound D727, taking the Michigan Shore interchange, the previous days D728 cars, and the previous days Y220 cars and putting them all on the main line. Occasionally, the Y120 will head about a mile north of North Yard to work Brinks Refinery and when they return to the yard, they tack those tanks on the end of the D727.
1530
Y220 is now on duty and will take over Y120's work. First off, if there is anything that Y120 didn't complete, Y220 will finish (i.e. if they didn't get the D727 completely made or if they didn't assemble a train for Y220, they'll do that). The Y220's main duty is to work the Sappi Fine Paper mill. They usually head out to do that around 1600-1700 and return around 1900-2000 to finish up their day.
2000
D727 is now on duty for another night of fun on the CSX mainline; heading to Grand Rapids, working Holland along the way, going south AND north. They'll return in the morning, where we'll start all over again...