the Kalamazoo & Lansing
Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 2:07 pm
heres the Kalamazoo & Lansing brief history..
surveyed in 1880 to run from K-Zoo thru Richland past Gull Lake then Vermontville to Lansing the KGL&L ran out of money after building as far as Gull Lake. Some resort traffic to Gull Lake and a couple of industries in Richland kept the wheels turning but no profits. Around the turn of the century the GR&I wanted access to Lansing and looked into buying the KGL&L but was stopped by the MC and the Michigan Commisioner of Railroads but the GR&I did fund the reorganized K&L to upgrade its roadbed and terminal in K-Zoo as well as finish the line to Lansing. The K&L was able to keep its corpate identity as well as its local ownership thru all this and with the GR&I(PRR) traffic to Lansing was turning a profit by WW1. in 1919 a large and ornate terminal was built in K-Zoo. containting passenger station freight house and l.c.l. facilities. A team track is available as well as service to a local warehouse and Gates Fine Furniture factory.
at Parchment Jct a few miles out of Enfield the East Jordan Iron Works has opened a small sorting and shipping warehouse sending 2 in 2 out 5 days a week. also at P.Jct the Gooderham Fuel Co. has set up for receiving coal fueloil and soon gasoline to the tune of 3 to 5 cars a week.
at Richland we find a team track and l.c.l. in the passenger station. the Richland Co-op is a good sized feed/elevator that sees between 3 a week off season to needing a fulltime job and 10 in and out a day peak season. a lumber dealer also recieves 1 to 3 a week.
around the southern edge of Gull Lake we find a lakeside resort wth a flagstop as well as the Speed Queen Washing Machine factory seeing 3 a week
Vermontville (end of modeled) has a team tack and a small elevator the 2 getting 3 a week. there is also a wye to turn.
by 1940 (era modeled) the line had survived the Depression fairly well and was ready to help win the War. the Pennsy sends anywhere from 5 to 15 cars a day to Lansing via Enfield and receives same. the MC also 2 or 3 a week to the l.c.l. dock in Enfield. with the Pennsy showing up once every 12 hours Enfield keeps a yard job almost full time busy.
the only passenger is "The Gull". makes 2 round trips a day. the Gull Lake stop still popular enough for outa-towners that it keeps the train running. the Co. is debating to put l.c.l. for Richland on The Gull instead of on trains 2x
trains 1x are Enfield to Lansing road freights. usually 1 a day each way with PRR cars and K&L cars for Lansing returning with PRR cars. extra x1x as needed
trains 2x are locals ran atleast daily (the Vermontville turn) but extra x2x as needed such as grain rush at Richland
power will be well maintained USRA type steam. 0-6-0's for Enfield, Lansing, and Richland as needed. the 2x power most likely will be 2-8-0's (maybe an ex-Pennsy's H class...still under advisement by the Company) and the "big" power for the 1x trains will be the 3 heavy USRA 2-8-2's built around 1930
The Gull will have 1 Pennsy Pullman 3 days a week from Enfield to Lansing the RPO/baggage and heavyweight coach. the Company is debating on power. Alco has been pushing hard for a trial with a diesel. but 3 days a week it could be a K4s
surveyed in 1880 to run from K-Zoo thru Richland past Gull Lake then Vermontville to Lansing the KGL&L ran out of money after building as far as Gull Lake. Some resort traffic to Gull Lake and a couple of industries in Richland kept the wheels turning but no profits. Around the turn of the century the GR&I wanted access to Lansing and looked into buying the KGL&L but was stopped by the MC and the Michigan Commisioner of Railroads but the GR&I did fund the reorganized K&L to upgrade its roadbed and terminal in K-Zoo as well as finish the line to Lansing. The K&L was able to keep its corpate identity as well as its local ownership thru all this and with the GR&I(PRR) traffic to Lansing was turning a profit by WW1. in 1919 a large and ornate terminal was built in K-Zoo. containting passenger station freight house and l.c.l. facilities. A team track is available as well as service to a local warehouse and Gates Fine Furniture factory.
at Parchment Jct a few miles out of Enfield the East Jordan Iron Works has opened a small sorting and shipping warehouse sending 2 in 2 out 5 days a week. also at P.Jct the Gooderham Fuel Co. has set up for receiving coal fueloil and soon gasoline to the tune of 3 to 5 cars a week.
at Richland we find a team track and l.c.l. in the passenger station. the Richland Co-op is a good sized feed/elevator that sees between 3 a week off season to needing a fulltime job and 10 in and out a day peak season. a lumber dealer also recieves 1 to 3 a week.
around the southern edge of Gull Lake we find a lakeside resort wth a flagstop as well as the Speed Queen Washing Machine factory seeing 3 a week
Vermontville (end of modeled) has a team tack and a small elevator the 2 getting 3 a week. there is also a wye to turn.
by 1940 (era modeled) the line had survived the Depression fairly well and was ready to help win the War. the Pennsy sends anywhere from 5 to 15 cars a day to Lansing via Enfield and receives same. the MC also 2 or 3 a week to the l.c.l. dock in Enfield. with the Pennsy showing up once every 12 hours Enfield keeps a yard job almost full time busy.
the only passenger is "The Gull". makes 2 round trips a day. the Gull Lake stop still popular enough for outa-towners that it keeps the train running. the Co. is debating to put l.c.l. for Richland on The Gull instead of on trains 2x
trains 1x are Enfield to Lansing road freights. usually 1 a day each way with PRR cars and K&L cars for Lansing returning with PRR cars. extra x1x as needed
trains 2x are locals ran atleast daily (the Vermontville turn) but extra x2x as needed such as grain rush at Richland
power will be well maintained USRA type steam. 0-6-0's for Enfield, Lansing, and Richland as needed. the 2x power most likely will be 2-8-0's (maybe an ex-Pennsy's H class...still under advisement by the Company) and the "big" power for the 1x trains will be the 3 heavy USRA 2-8-2's built around 1930
The Gull will have 1 Pennsy Pullman 3 days a week from Enfield to Lansing the RPO/baggage and heavyweight coach. the Company is debating on power. Alco has been pushing hard for a trial with a diesel. but 3 days a week it could be a K4s