How many GP-40s do they want? Sad a once all Alco railroad. Oh well.
Here's the ad at Rail Swap:
http://railswap.org/cb/cl/classifieds.c ... =retrieval
Railroad Forums
Lake State Alcos
- Discussion of products from the American Locomotive Company. A web site with current Alco 251 information can be found here: Fairbanks-Morse/Alco 251.
Moderator: Alcoman
From the Multiply LRSC Group:
A visit to the LSRC yielded the following notes:
At the Saginaw shop (visited with LSRC permission), the GP-35m 2052 is being repaired and prepped for paint (good bye ugly black paint!). The 1280 is jacked up undergoing wheel and truck work. Also inside were 381 and 1162. The 5921 is parked outside awaiting a minor repair. 469 and 974 continue to languish nearby. Active units at the yard were 181, 1178, 1169, and 1177.
1171 and 1164 took Train 126 to Bay City, but parked the 1171 in Essexville near the bridge switch and left it there (they did not take it across the river). The 1164 crossed the bridge running light, rounded the wye to D&M Junction (by the Marathon truck terminal) and picked up the cars left on the main by the Alpena train. They did not go into North yard.
At Bay City, M-420W's 3504 and 3500 were in charge of the 301 Job. They also took the Train 327A north to Pinconning. It was a nice chase, although the increasing puffy clouds were a challenge to deal with for best photo lighting. (see attached photo)
Back at Saginaw, the late afternoon Train 127 to Flint was powered by GP40M-3 quartet 1164-1178-1177-1169.
Note that all 7 Alco and MLW locos C-425m / C-425MAC / M-420W are all still active on the roster!
Bruce Lyons, the Indiana LSRC Fan
A visit to the LSRC yielded the following notes:
At the Saginaw shop (visited with LSRC permission), the GP-35m 2052 is being repaired and prepped for paint (good bye ugly black paint!). The 1280 is jacked up undergoing wheel and truck work. Also inside were 381 and 1162. The 5921 is parked outside awaiting a minor repair. 469 and 974 continue to languish nearby. Active units at the yard were 181, 1178, 1169, and 1177.
1171 and 1164 took Train 126 to Bay City, but parked the 1171 in Essexville near the bridge switch and left it there (they did not take it across the river). The 1164 crossed the bridge running light, rounded the wye to D&M Junction (by the Marathon truck terminal) and picked up the cars left on the main by the Alpena train. They did not go into North yard.
At Bay City, M-420W's 3504 and 3500 were in charge of the 301 Job. They also took the Train 327A north to Pinconning. It was a nice chase, although the increasing puffy clouds were a challenge to deal with for best photo lighting. (see attached photo)
Back at Saginaw, the late afternoon Train 127 to Flint was powered by GP40M-3 quartet 1164-1178-1177-1169.
Note that all 7 Alco and MLW locos C-425m / C-425MAC / M-420W are all still active on the roster!
Bruce Lyons, the Indiana LSRC Fan
hi all. Just wanted to update ya'll on the status of the LSRC units. all seven units are active. no new units coming in the very near future. I believe.. all seven units, if the LSRC dont break em, will make it into 2010. 
traffic is steady right now, but as the summer draws to an end, things will slow down. Stone will end when the ground freezes and thats a huge lose each year. However, the good side is.. right now stone is moving, and it's not uncommon to see alcos/MLW's in matched sets!! sever days now, we've seen the 798, 3500 and 3504 running as a set. 281 and 381 have been doing the same. 181 is in saginaw and the 1280 I believe is in grayling. now is a reat time for pictures !!
take care..
Patrick
Owner of the LSRC Multiply site.
traffic is steady right now, but as the summer draws to an end, things will slow down. Stone will end when the ground freezes and thats a huge lose each year. However, the good side is.. right now stone is moving, and it's not uncommon to see alcos/MLW's in matched sets!! sever days now, we've seen the 798, 3500 and 3504 running as a set. 281 and 381 have been doing the same. 181 is in saginaw and the 1280 I believe is in grayling. now is a reat time for pictures !! take care..
Patrick
Owner of the LSRC Multiply site.
Just a few questions, hopeding to be in LSRC territory next week:
Is 975 still at Alpena?
What is access like for trying to see the 469 and 974 at Saginaw?
There are no other 244 (or "former 244", as he case may be) engine units left on the property besides these 3, correct?
Any good bets for finding Alco power on the road? I know little of LSRC's current ops or where the Alcos are most likely to be running.
Thanks.
Is 975 still at Alpena?
What is access like for trying to see the 469 and 974 at Saginaw?
There are no other 244 (or "former 244", as he case may be) engine units left on the property besides these 3, correct?
Any good bets for finding Alco power on the road? I know little of LSRC's current ops or where the Alcos are most likely to be running.
Thanks.
Some LSRC YouTube videos here featuring some Alcos:
http://www.youtube.com/bonehead1902#p/u/23/cR7VnrrIlrg
http://www.youtube.com/bonehead1902#p/u/23/cR7VnrrIlrg
hi guys.. just a quick update. Sorry I didnt get on sooner as i dont check this site often. ALL Alcos are stored. only the MLW's are active right now. 181, 281, and 381 are all stored in Saginaw and right now its unknown where the 1280 is at. the 3 M420W's can still be seen across the system but almost always in trail. Sorry to bring bad news, but things look bad for the alcos and MLW's up here.
Patrick
Patrick
I would guess that traffic is down which would explain why the Alcos are stored.
http://lakestaterailwaymsn.multiply.com ... l/item/285
So I heard today that the 281 and 381 are done for good. Both down with bad oil coolers.
181 is down with bad wheels.
So I heard today that the 281 and 381 are done for good. Both down with bad oil coolers.
181 is down with bad wheels.
http://lakestaterailwaymsn.multiply.com ... l/item/289
The "Official" Alco/MLW Status UpdateJun 15, '10 12:22 AM
by Bruce for everyone
Everyone has been wondering about the Lake State Alco and MLW status. So I made a visit to the Saginaw Shops on Thursday, June 10 (computer problems prevented a quicker posting), to find out the official status for these seven locomotives.
Please see my folder in the photos section for a few shots that go along with this posting.
After the mandatory visit to the office, I received a release to enter the yard, take pictures, and arranged to meet with the staff at the shop.
Sure enough, only the Alco C-425MAC 1280 is active, and was working on the Flint Train #127 when I was there. The 1280 had led the southbound train to Flint very late on Wednesday, along with 1162-2003-2052. Late on Thursday, 1280 was set up again to lead the southbound Train #127, with 1162-2052 in the consist. Several of the staff explained that the 1280 is still running due to recent maintenance and “She’s a hell of a runnin’ and pullin’ engine.”
As for the other six Alcos and MLW’s, these locos are not retired, but are “stored serviceable” per the Shop Supervisor. There has been a shift in management and shop personnel, to a decidedly pro-EMD group. So these six units are in limbo, but several can be reactivated quickly, if needed. It has not helped their reputation that they have had some carbon build-up, leading to the past problems with discharged exhaust sparks, but I was informed that those problems were not confined only to these locos, and exhaust plenum cleaning is now emphasized with any routine service of all LSRC locos. (I have chosen my words carefully here, please consider your replies.)
Five of our subject locos were parked on the turntable leads next to the shop, all with stacks capped and stored for the short term:
M-420W 798 and 3504
C-425MAC 181
C-425u 281 and 381
(RS-2 469 and RS-3m 974 are still stored there as well, although previously sold.)
M-420W 3500 is still in the roundhouse, with work being done as time permits to complete the recent overhaul of her trucks (new wheels, a couple broken springs replaced, etc). It is uncertain if she will be placed back in service or stored with the others after the work is done.
The oil cooler failure issues previously reported as death blows to the 281 and 381 have been addressed. Parts have been replaced, or are on hand to get these two back on the road.
So time will tell what the near future holds for these four Alcos and three MLWs. LSRC is tight on power right now, so maybe there are some more miles to be racked up pulling freight. But regardless, these venerable locomotives seem to be living on borrowed time.
Bruce Lyons
Indiana LSRC Fan
The "Official" Alco/MLW Status UpdateJun 15, '10 12:22 AM
by Bruce for everyone
Everyone has been wondering about the Lake State Alco and MLW status. So I made a visit to the Saginaw Shops on Thursday, June 10 (computer problems prevented a quicker posting), to find out the official status for these seven locomotives.
Please see my folder in the photos section for a few shots that go along with this posting.
After the mandatory visit to the office, I received a release to enter the yard, take pictures, and arranged to meet with the staff at the shop.
Sure enough, only the Alco C-425MAC 1280 is active, and was working on the Flint Train #127 when I was there. The 1280 had led the southbound train to Flint very late on Wednesday, along with 1162-2003-2052. Late on Thursday, 1280 was set up again to lead the southbound Train #127, with 1162-2052 in the consist. Several of the staff explained that the 1280 is still running due to recent maintenance and “She’s a hell of a runnin’ and pullin’ engine.”
As for the other six Alcos and MLW’s, these locos are not retired, but are “stored serviceable” per the Shop Supervisor. There has been a shift in management and shop personnel, to a decidedly pro-EMD group. So these six units are in limbo, but several can be reactivated quickly, if needed. It has not helped their reputation that they have had some carbon build-up, leading to the past problems with discharged exhaust sparks, but I was informed that those problems were not confined only to these locos, and exhaust plenum cleaning is now emphasized with any routine service of all LSRC locos. (I have chosen my words carefully here, please consider your replies.)
Five of our subject locos were parked on the turntable leads next to the shop, all with stacks capped and stored for the short term:
M-420W 798 and 3504
C-425MAC 181
C-425u 281 and 381
(RS-2 469 and RS-3m 974 are still stored there as well, although previously sold.)
M-420W 3500 is still in the roundhouse, with work being done as time permits to complete the recent overhaul of her trucks (new wheels, a couple broken springs replaced, etc). It is uncertain if she will be placed back in service or stored with the others after the work is done.
The oil cooler failure issues previously reported as death blows to the 281 and 381 have been addressed. Parts have been replaced, or are on hand to get these two back on the road.
So time will tell what the near future holds for these four Alcos and three MLWs. LSRC is tight on power right now, so maybe there are some more miles to be racked up pulling freight. But regardless, these venerable locomotives seem to be living on borrowed time.
Bruce Lyons
Indiana LSRC Fan
I'd love to come up and railfan this line, are they still pretty friendly towards fans. I thought I saw a posting about not being able to get a waiver for company property anymore. Hopefully, that's not true.
Ryan
Ryan