Starting point is the east side of Ensel Yard in Lansing, and will cover most photo locations along the line from Ensel to the west end of Fowlerville siding.
The Plymouth Sub, on an average weekday, will see about 6-7 regularly scheduled trains, and often times there will be extras such as coal trains.
First spot on the line is Turner Street at the east end of Ensel yard. This is where Norfolk Southern joins CSX for the run to Michigan Avenue, where they split off onto their own rails again.
Track views from the crossing:
Looking west into the yard:
Looking East:
Westbound train entering the yard:
Just down the tracks heading east is North street, where there is a bridge over the tracks. Here's a picture taken from the bridge of an eastbound train (1999):
Collection of Dennis Schmidt
Also another shot can be had from the parking lot on the west side of the crossing. Here's an example with an eastbound train:
Collection of Scott Bevier
You can also get some good shots of trains going under the bridge from the ground level at North street:
Or at Larch Street on the other side:
Collection of Matt Smith
Just beyond the north street, the tracks curve to the south:
Collection of Dale Berry
and right on around the other side of the curve is Grand River Avenue, or North Lansing on the railroad.
View from Grand River:
Collection of Dale Berry
The next crossing south is interesting, as the tracks pass over a road on a very old C&O bridge, and then cross a side street on the other side.
Crossing name is Sheridan street.
View of an eastbound train crossing the bridge:
Next crossing south is May Street, which has a police station next to it. The police station is cool and makes a nice background, but I would stay and wait for a train here
Pictures:
Collection of Nate Bevier
Collection of Matt Smith
Next crossing south is an over pass with a really neat bridge over Saginaw Road. It's a great spot for pics, especially in the afternoon, but I don't have any from that location yet.
Okay, and the next major location is Michigan Avenue, or MA Interlocking on the railroad. This is where NS and CSX split apart. This is also the location of the former Pere Marquette/Michigan Central passenger station, now Clara's Lansing station, which is a great place to eat while waiting for trains.
There are of course signals at this location, and the westbound signal at North Lansing is also visable from this location too. They are normally red, but if you see a yellow or Green, stick around:
Collection of Charlie Whipp (Also note that this was taken before the dining car was moved in, and the track this train is running on is now gone).
Looking east towards the crossing, and the junction where NS splits from CSX:
Another good shot would be of trains passing over the crossing itself, with the Michigan state capitol in the background:
Collection of Matt Smith
Next stop is around the curve at Kalamazoo/Hosmer Street. Hosmer street is better for photos because if you stand in the right spot, you can get some of Lansing's Skyline in the background:
Also, just around the curve going east, as Scott Mentions below, the tracks cross Pennsylvania Avenue, and there is a nice restaruant next to the tracks that is indeed a good place to wait or grab some grub while waiting.
Here's a view that shows the curve and crossing with CSX Q335 coming through. The building to the left side of the picture is the Restaurant:
Some views of the crossing itself, including track views can be found HERE.
I would also like to note that there is a bridge over the tracks, and I496 about a mile east of Hosmer street, and two miles west of Trowbridge that you can stand on and get some cool overhead shots. The road name is Aurealius (That's spelled wrong).
This road also crosses the CN Line a short distance to the north, and there is a cool coal tower next to the overpass, but that's a story for another day.
Okay, and next stop, the ever famous Trowbridge Junction, where CSX Crosses the CN/GTW Flint Sub:
This location is without a doubt the best spot to watch trains on the line, and also is one of the best spots in the whole state.
The auctual junction where the lines cross is not a good spot to watch from anymore, because of increased security, but there are some public parking lots that you can wait in and you can take pictures from there:
All photos from the collection of Scott Bevier
What most fans do today is wait at the Amtrak station on the CN, and then run over to the CSX Harrison Road crossing when CSX runs by. A scanner is very useful here as CSX can sneak up on you if you are not paying attention.
Here's a few examples of pictures you can take at Harrison, all from my Collection:
Collection of J. R. Valderas (I think)
Hey Aleks, remember this one?
Any number of angles can be taken here
The next crossing up the line is located about 1.5 miles east of Harrison Road. This crossing is farm lane, and is near the east end of the siding.
Photos here are a little bit more difficult, but you can still get some good ones if you know where to stand. I would recommend the south side of the crossing for eastbound trains, and the north side for westbounds.
If you stand in the right spot on the southside, you might be able to work MSU's coal powerplant into the background. If not, the CTC Code Line makes a nice background item too.
See the smoke stacks?
Westbound trains are harder, as you cannot stand on the south side to get them without tresspassing. The north side is good, but is in Shadow for most of the year. The trees lining the tracks make up for the shadows most of the time though:
Another view from the other side:
Please note that they are planning to build an underpass at this crossing within the next few years, so these photo angles may no longer be possible in the coming years.
Next crossing up the line is Mount Hope road, where Trowbridge siding ends, and also where the AX Dispatcher desk takes over control of the line.
There are spots on both sides of the crossing to pull over and you can get some cool shots of trains leaving the siding passing either the signal here, or leaving with the many trees as a background.
The above shot is so much cooler in the fall, when the trees are all colorful. Next year, I WILL get a shot of a train with the colors.
Another east view:
Eastbound train leaving the siding:
Now we leave the Metropolis of Lansing and head off into the countryside.
Once you get past Trowbridge, the scenery starts to change and the line becomes very interesting to photograph trains on.
Our first stop out of East Lansing is located two miles east of Mount Hope Road: Hulett Road.
This crossing is located near the tiny town of Okemos, Michigan, and is, in my opinion, one of the more scenic spots along the line.
Here there is a nice broadside with the train going through the crossing, which is surrounded by a tunnel of trees on both sides:
For westbound trains, there is a curve in the line just east of the crossing, the curve is at a good angle, so you can stand next to one of the signals on the side of the road, and get a great head-on shot of the train coming towards you, with the many trees and CTC lines for scenery and a background. I'll have an example picture coming soon, but in the meantime, here are two that give you the basic idea:
Here's the Telephoto view I promised. People with a longer zoom range would be able to get something similar to this. Pretty scenic isn't it!
For eastbounds, just do what ever you want to:
Both the signals at Trowbridge siding, and the ones just down the tracks at Okemos road, are visable from the crossing, and should give you a good idea on weather a train is coming or not.
Speaking of Okemos Road...
That is the next crossing down, and again one of my favorite spots because of the trees in the background, and the cool searchlight signals. There is a mulch place next to the crossing on the southside, and a line of businesses on the northside with parking.
One of my favorite shots would be the westbound train spliting the signals on the curve, with all the trees in the background. This is a gorgous shot in the summer and fall when the trees have leaves.
View looking west at the signals from the other side of the road.
Also, there is another curve right next to the crossing that would warrant a head-on telephoto shot for westbounds.
Here's a view standing on the southside of the tracks of the curve. The Head-on Tele can be taken on the north side:
This a great spot to wait because the signals are good indicators as to whether trains are coming, and if you have a scanner, there is a defect detector just a mile east at the next crossing. Downtown Okemos is just about a half-mile away for munchies too.
Oh, and speaking of the defect detector....NEXT crossing!!
EXACTLY, one mile east of Okemos Road, is Dobie road. I say exactly because Okemos road is at Milepost CH 81, Dobie is at Milepost CH 80. There's even a little concrete marker to prove it under one of the signals:
This crossing is good for telephoto shots of trains passing eastbound in the morning, and west in the evening.
View looking west:
As you can see, there used to be a siding here.
This view looks east. The famous Okemos detector is the little relay box just down the tracks, at Milepost 79.9.
LONG LIVE THE OKEMOS DD!!!
Again, this is a great place in the fall with all of the fall colors.
There is a private crossing just up the tracks a shortways too, but since it's private I'm not going to give out any details about it.
Dobie is the last public crossing for about two miles, and between Dobie and the next crossing, the tracks run through a literal tunnel of trees, and is very pretty during the summer and fall.
The next public crossing two miles away is Van Atta Road. Nothing really special, and the track layout looks similar to Dobie, but still a nice spot to stop and catch them. I'll have pictures of this location very soon (I hope).
The next crossing up is another mile away, but this one is kind of cool. The crossing is Meridian Road, and is in an area called Meridian Township. This location is know as Meridian, or 77 on the railroad, and there is a set of Searchlight signals on the west side of the road right next to the crossing.
View looking east from the Crossing:
Looking west at the track and searchlight signals:
Another east view showing the Searchlights:
The next crossing of Interest is Zimmer Road, east of Williamston. Again there is another set of searchlights about 1/4 of a mile away to west that are good indicators, and the crossing is in a really neat rural setting.
Corwith road, 1/2 of a mile east of Zimmer, is another good scenic spot to wait.
Pictures to come soon.
Now onto Williamston: The only spot auctually in Williamston to watch them is the Williamston road crossing on the southside of town. CSX has a little office building on the east side of the crossing, and the searchlight signal for the siding (eastbound) is also next to the crossing. The auctual siding is 1/4 of a mile away to the east, but it used to start right next to the crossing, which is why the signal is there. For eastbounds, you have a straight track going down a hill that is great for telephoto shots, and you can also get a cool shot of the train going past the CSX building, if you stand on the south side of the crossing. Example:
Collection of John Ryan
A little advice though, DO NOT stand on the north side of the crossing during the afternoon. Why you ask?
CSX Office:
Collection of John Ryan
For westbounds, you have more telephoto options with a nice curve to the south, and also of trains passing the searchlight signal.
Collection of Pete Kinney
You can also go down to where the siding begins around the curve. To get there just take the dirt road that follows the tracks east.
Occasionally, there will be a train waiting in the siding for a meet, but usually the tracks are empty. Still there are signals here that you can watch. This spot is not a very good spot for photography during the afternnon, as the photo shows, but it works great in the morning:
The East end of Williamston in kind of hard to get to, and unfortunately, I haven't made it to that spot yet, so for now, this is the end of the tour.
