Search found 212 matches

by Tim
Sat Sep 22, 2018 7:30 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Surviving Telegraph Poles in Michigan
Replies: 16
Views: 9818

Re: Surviving Telegraph Poles in Michigan

When I was working for the C&O (1965-1968) the telegraph key was still working between Ensel and MA. I was working nights and the operator at MA and I used to mess around with it trying to teach ourselves Morris. At that time Western Union still had a wire on the pole line although it was a backup l...
by Tim
Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:34 am
Forum: Historical Q & A
Topic: Railroad owns land
Replies: 12
Views: 16239

Re: Railroad owns land

During the Conrail era a pair of officials high railed the MC Main with plot maps to compare the maps to what was actually on the ground. They discovered that a gas/convenience store was partly on Conrail property. I've forgotten exactly where it was however I do recall it was on the east end perhap...
by Tim
Mon Jun 04, 2018 7:04 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Michigan Cabooses
Replies: 205
Views: 171185

Re: Michigan Cabooses

From Michigan Cabooses; may be out of date; Marshall, ATSF 1514 as GTW 75010, steel cupola, James DiMoff, from Battle Creek, poor condition
by Tim
Thu May 17, 2018 9:44 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: List of JAIL RR customers
Replies: 19
Views: 8373

Re: List of JAIL RR customers

Three S Lumber was located in the sw corner of Grand River Ave and the MC/PM joint main. The MC came in from the south just north of the Larch St underpass. The PM came in from the north around half way between the North Lansing Yard Office and Ed’s Bar, now Zoobie’s. Ed’s was a hangout for all the ...
by Tim
Wed May 16, 2018 9:06 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: List of JAIL RR customers
Replies: 19
Views: 8373

Re: List of JAIL RR customers

Capital Steel & Wire was never a railroad customer. Shafer Ready Mix was a customer for a brief time shortly after they located there. IIRC, Shafer was the original customer on the east side of the main and MPC arrived after them. MPC moved here after the Valley Line to Eaton Rapids was abandoned. T...
by Tim
Tue May 01, 2018 12:06 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Peaker (Rail) Services in Brighton
Replies: 11
Views: 6613

Re: Peaker (Rail) Services in Brighton

They also service marine EMD's such as the former Columbia Star
by Tim
Tue May 01, 2018 12:02 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: C&O caboose
Replies: 3
Views: 2641

Re: C&O caboose

It looks like its been repainted recently and is quite visable from I-96.
by Tim
Fri Apr 20, 2018 8:11 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: List of JAIL RR customers
Replies: 19
Views: 8373

Re: List of JAIL RR customers

Also on the Hazen/State Journal track was a grocery chain, Schmits if I recall correctly. Schafers did a lot of business with PC, several covered hoppers of flour per day and a boxcar of something around twice a week. They were in the NE corner of Logan/MLK and the tracks. Also active on "The Farm" ...
by Tim
Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:22 am
Forum: Historical Q & A
Topic: CR Operations in Lansing?
Replies: 17
Views: 11022

Re: CR Operations in Lansing?

The boxcar at Saginaw Yard was used for storage, primarily the car department, during the CR and NS period. The knuckle is removed on the north end to prevent it being moved.
by Tim
Tue Apr 17, 2018 10:15 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: JAIL MLK Crossing
Replies: 27
Views: 10903

Re: JAIL MLK Crossing

The ICC gave it's OK to abandon Springport to Lansing 12/15/1940 with the exception of some trackage in Eaton Rapids. A photo of the last train crew on duty at the Gier St roundhouse was dated as 12/15/1940. However several people have told me the rail was still in during WW-2 and a circus train cam...
by Tim
Tue Apr 17, 2018 7:56 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: JAIL MLK Crossing
Replies: 27
Views: 10903

Re: JAIL MLK Crossing

I was told over a decade ago that the track south of Logan/MLK is owned by Reid. Could be JAIL figured that maintaining the crossing protection wasn't worth the cost for the amount of revenue produced. Would imagine that it would still require some sort of regulatory permission to remove the protect...
by Tim
Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:25 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Soo Line Right Of Way South Of Chassell: Rail?
Replies: 7
Views: 2977

Re: Soo Line Right Of Way South Of Chassell: Rail?

You’re correct that Ma Bell owned the right of way and the railroad just had a lease of some kind. They figured it was less expensive to buy the land rather than lease the right of way for their fiber optics cable. When I helped bury fiber optic cable in Lansing in the early ‘80s, I was told that th...
by Tim
Sun Feb 04, 2018 11:09 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: MSU Switcher Wherabouts
Replies: 8
Views: 7528

Re: MSU Switcher Wherabouts

From the 2/18 Railfan & Railroad; NREX 1437 SW14 Locomotive lease agreement, Nucor Steel Kankakee Inc, Boubonnais, IL, ex MSU, STB 5/1/17
by Tim
Mon Jan 08, 2018 8:53 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Amtrak Baggage Car
Replies: 3
Views: 1649

Re: Amtrak Baggage Car

Back in the 80's and 90's, Amtrak kept a string of loaded ballast cars in Niles and would call the occasional CR extra crew out of Jackson to run a train of these cars up and down the line to take the rust off the rail. Not surprisingly they were called "rust busters".
by Tim
Wed Dec 27, 2017 11:17 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Alexander Scale Model Cabooses
Replies: 7
Views: 2597

Re: Alexander Scale Model Cabooses

Any idea where they went?
by Tim
Sun Nov 12, 2017 2:58 pm
Forum: Historical Q & A
Topic: C&O 614 at Wyoming Yard
Replies: 7
Views: 7034

Re: C&O 614 at Wyoming Yard

Thank you for the post, great!!
by Tim
Wed Nov 08, 2017 8:26 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Michigan Cabooses
Replies: 205
Views: 171185

Re: Michigan Cabooses

Thanks for the information Stinger4me. Sorry to hear about a fan passing however happy to hear it passed to someone who will care for it.
Tim
by Tim
Sun Oct 29, 2017 7:51 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Your E Lansing Amtrak Parking Fees at Work?
Replies: 6
Views: 3996

Re: Your E Lansing Amtrak Parking Fees at Work?

Yup, gone 15 days, that would have been $110, a $40 dollar discount however still more than at Durand. Had a nice trip, snow in Montana with nice fall colors.
by Tim
Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:59 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Michigan Cabooses
Replies: 205
Views: 171185

Re: Michigan Cabooses

While on the caboose subject, does anyone know where the ATSF/GTW one on M-115 just west of the US-10 interchange went. He also had a section speeder and some other RR items.
by Tim
Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:50 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Your E Lansing Amtrak Parking Fees at Work?
Replies: 6
Views: 3996

Re: Your E Lansing Amtrak Parking Fees at Work?

That fee to park is the reason I now catch the train in Durand rather than East Lansing. My recent trip on the Empire Builder would have cost me $150 in parking fees, two dollars more than what my return ticket on the Builder cost.