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I don't get trackside much these days, I haven't seen one of these new "Chargers", but I've heard they are pretty quiet, and don't have much "Personality".. I hated the "Barneys" when they showed up in the 1990's But now, I'll probably miss them. At least they SOUNDED like a locomotive And I have ri...

Not to Hi-Jack this thread, but as long as we are on the subject, How about the Mid-Michigan GP-9 5967? In the early 1990's my cousin and I were lucky enough to get a cab ride on that from Lowell to Elmdale and back. That was freshly painted in a sharp blue and white scheme at that time. Just wonder...

Fritz, I've never tried to make a list, but I've ridden a few trips up the old G.R.& I north of Cadillac. Actually, I think it was "Lake Central Tours" that organized them, but I think they borrowed cars from Bluewater. ( I could be mistaken ). They were great trips. I have fond recall of Tom, I wan...

Friend of mine that works for CN told me that engine is gone. But, Kelloggs itself, is just about gone as well.... They tore down 90% of what was there just 10 years ago... They even tore down the office buildings, the cafeteria, and even destroyed the huge parking lot... Kelloggs is LEAVING Battle ...

Been a long time since I logged in here, Looking at NYC mans post, If I recall correctly, the city of battle creek cited a "sanitary ordinance" and was attempting to force the railroad to install a sewer line, and water line to the tower. It was all for naught, in 1981 the tower came down with the "...

Well, having a few cocktails this evening, remembering old "Nichols Tower" in Battle Creek. I knew an operator there , Walt Wilson. He passed away a few years ago, so I can tell some stories now. Nichols Tower had what was probably the last dirt outhouse in Battle Creek (Nichols never had a city wat...

Rumor was Kellogg's was interested in the property for expansion. Last thing I heard was more than a year ago, and that they were still interested in the area north of their facility including the area of the former CargoFlo facility (maybe was where the roundhouse was before that?) in the area now...

I used to hang out there all the time in the summer during the break in the school year. I was about 13 at the time. I would ride my old Schwinn Stingray-Banana Seat bike about 4 miles from my house to the shops.. Usually on the weekend, that way the "Officials" weren't around. I made friends with a...

Well, here's a conundrum. I see that a lot of balls were dropped in this transaction. First of all, the buyer should have done "Due Diligence" Checking the property records before signing, But also, the seller, and realtor should have done the same. I have known more than a few people that have purc...

Wow, only two posts on this thing.... You guys busy lighting off fireworks? Looks like a classic case of "String-Lining". For anyone not familiar with the BO tower area in Kazoo, the incident happened on "the wye" from the GDLK to the NS/AMTK line. That is one real SHARP turn! Now, I know it is too ...

Thanks for that insight saturn.. Just goes to show that when the "Rules" are interpreted literally, common sense goes out the window. I hope that when the "High-Speed" service finally gets up and running, there are some brains actually functioning SOMEWHERE.....
Lives are at stake!!!!!!!

Todd

I never could understand why GTW (at that time), singled the main between Schoolcraft and Penn. It bit them in the ass in the 1990's. Right now it probably is just fine, but if we see another traffic up-swing, it will become the bottleneck it was again. The Marcellus siding? It was a long-running jo...

If that is the only reason (axle count), why not put on an extra coach instead? I ride these trains now and then and some more seats seems more prudent than hauling a car of air. BTW, the only Amtrak trains in Michigan that travel on CN more than the less than one mile in Battle Creek are #364/365. ...

#350 has a baggage car?? I haven't been keeping up lately, but I can't recall a baggage car on any of the michigan trains since the early 1980's. What gives?

Todd

I gotta' say... I really liked the old Turbo! Sure, the old E-units and roach-coaches were nostalgic, but a ride on the Turbo was fantastic. Huge, clear glass windows allowed good viewing, the "Turbo Cafe" left MUCH to be desired, but on a 3-hour trip to Chicago, why not wait and have lunch in the w...

I don't recall Pontius ever having a GTO. He had lots of old neat cars though. When I first met him he was driving a 1969 Cadillac ElDorado. He also had at the time, an old Ford Econoline flat nose van, a Ford pickup, and those were just the vehicles that he had registered to be on the road. He had ...

My cousin just posted some slides and videos on you-tube on BO tower. They are old videos and old slides so the resolution isn't all that super. but they capture an era at BO that most of you weren't born yet. Search Bobozo389 on you tube.

Todd

Given the dates, and remote locations, I'd hazard a guess as a nearby orphanage, and the cause of death as Small Pox, or influenza. I cannot confirm this, just an educated guess..

Todd

Today my cousin Bob and I went to BO. Amtrak guys were there to board up the windows. We had a conversation with them and neither them, nor us, could figure out the future of the tower. I would think that if demolition were planned right away, they would not bother boarding the place up. Anyway, we ...

Looks like the clock is finally running out for old BO. I find it hard to believe that there doesn't seem to be any sort of preservation movement to save the tower. Sure, It will need to be moved, and no, I don't have the funds to do it. But Towers have been moved before. Look at Griffith, look at M...