Pontiac, Michigan

[Steve4031]

Hi,

Going railroading tomorrow. Chicago to Pontiac, Michigan and back in a day. I have yet to collect the mileage between Detroit and Pontiac. Just wondering if anybody knows about the area around that station. I'm looking for a good restaurant. I only have about an hour.

 

[Superliner Diner]

Hi,
Going railroading tomorrow.  Chicago to Pontiac, Michigan and back in a day. I have yet to collect the mileage between Detroit and Pontiac.  Just wondering if anybody knows about the area around that station.  I'm looking for a good restaurant.  I only have about an hour.

Steve,

I was able to collect this mileage last June on my swing through Michigan. The tracks between Detroit and Pontiac (which now belong to one of the Canadian railroads) look OK, yet the trip is quite slow. The timetable is heavily padded because of this.

There is not much to do around the Pontiac station. Most of the development in the city is a few miles to the east and northeast, near the Silverdome and the border of Auburn Hills, where there is another sports venue. When my son and I were there last year we just took a taxicab between the station and our hotel about 3 miles away.

We arrived there in the evening on Train #352, and left the next day on Train #351. One was roughly 9 PM, the other 7 AM. The station building was open at neither of those times. I don't know if it is open during the daytime hours, but I would not count on it since they only recently put back the midday trains that you will be taking to and from Pontiac. Until April 28th, they were terminating #350 (and originating #355) in Detroit (and sometimes Dearborn) when they were carrying refrigerated express shipments.

I would plan on eating lunch on the train before you get there, or on your way back west. Spend your hour on or near the platform shooting photos, or bring a good book to read!

 

[Steve4031]

Thanks

Will do.

 

[Steve4031]

Nice day on the rr for me. Lots of Freight traffic coming out of Chicago on Norfolk Southern to Porter, Indiana. From there, not much traffic. The train was not particularily full going to Pontiac, but coming back it pretty busy.

The tracks from Detroit to Pontiac are not that interesting, unless you are one who has to collect mileage. Then it is worth it. There is a coffee shop that serves good soft pretzels that is about 5 minutes from the station. There is NOT much at all in Pontiac.

Interesting operation note. The Chicago Pontiac trains operate with an engine on each end, in push-pull mode. Then some refrigerator cars for produce are added on to the pack of the train. Looks pretty weird.

 

[Superliner Diner]

Nice day on the rr for me. Lots of Freight traffic coming out of Chicago on Norfolk Southern to Porter, Indiana. From there, not much traffic. The train was not particularily full going to Pontiac, but coming back it pretty busy.
The tracks from Detroit to Pontiac are not that interesting, unless you are one who has to collect mileage. Then it is worth it. There is a coffee shop that serves good soft pretzels that is about 5 minutes from the station. There is NOT much at all in Pontiac.

Interesting operation note. The Chicago Pontiac trains operate with an engine on each end, in push-pull mode. Then some refrigerator cars for produce are added on to the pack of the train. Looks pretty weird.

Steve,

Saw the Reefer Railer on the back of #350 two consecutive days last June. I'm surprised that they are still running. However I believe that the car is one of a few that are also on the Empire Builder between Wenatchee, WA and Chicago. The Washington Fruit Express program will most likely continue for a while. Once at Chicago it's put on other trains to be distributed to various eastern points. That car was the reason the train was terminating in Detroit. Since its destination was somewhere between Dearborn and Detroit, there were some instances where they terminated the train in Dearborn and sent passengers to Detroit by bus.

 

[Steve4031]

Saw the Reefer Railer on the back of #350 two consecutive days last June. I'm surprised that they are still running. However I believe that the car is one of a few that are also on the Empire Builder between Wenatchee, WA and Chicago. The Washington Fruit Express program will most likely continue for a while. Once at Chicago it's put on other trains to be distributed to various eastern points. That car was the reason the train was terminating in Detroit. Since its destination was somewhere between Dearborn and Detroit, there were some instances where they terminated the train in Dearborn and sent passengers to Detroit by bus.

From what I saw Thursday, this operation occurred near Pontiac. The train left Chicago with the consist like this: engine, amcafe, horizon coach, horizon coach, engine, reefers.

In Pontiac, when I returned from my Pretzel, I noted that the consist was now this: Engine, horizon coach, horizon coach, shack car, engine, and reefers. So while I was puttering around in Pontiac, they took the cars off of one end, and put others on the other end. Get what I mean?

Now if this was occurring in Dearborn, or Detroit, I suspect I would have experience a long switching delay. Right now, I regret that I did not stick around to watch this operation. Maybe they would have let me remain on the train.

 

[jccollins]

The station building was open at neither of those times. I don't know if it is open during the daytime hours, but I would not count on it since they only recently put back the midday trains that you will be taking to and from Pontiac.

Pontiac, MI is an unstaffed station according to Amtrak.