NS interchange with CN Lansing?

[Scooterb]

Ok saw on the other board about NS CN interchange by MLK in Lansing, Googled it and indeed there is an interchange there. ? How long has this been in place? What gets interchanged? last summer or summer before why didnt NS run the coal trains up the Lansing secondary instead of to Battle Creek unless the interchange is new? Is it possable for NS to get any of the Auto rack business from Lansing. Why cant NS run the coal up the Lansing secondary and interchange with CSX for MSU instead of droping it at Mason?
Thanks for any info.

[SD80MAC]

I believe the line to Lansing is in rough shape. Might not be the best spot to send a loaded coal train.

[~Z~]

IIRC, there were problems with how the interchange worked for longer trains. Something about having to run around the train, and push...i really don't remember. It was on that 'other' board, and of course, it was pushed off the board and into oblivion, instead of archiving

[Norm]

Scooterb,

That "interchange" shows up on a topo map posted by the DNR. That map is about thirty years old, so it appears to have been there for some time. If we're on the same page, the connection would be at the west end of the Olds plant. The line from there runs north to Ensel yard, so it appears any interchange would have to take that route. To me, that line appears to be for loading auto racks for CSX. The trackage shows up on Google Earth, but some of it is not very clear.

No clue why NS would drop coal loads in Mason. Seems that would leave them stranded.

Norm

[Scooterb]

They drop them in Mason then load trucks and truck to MSU. Yes the track is west of the Olds plant. Never knew it was there till I googled it. thought I had heard somwhere NS didnt have an interchange with CN.

[J T]

Ok saw on the other board about NS CN interchange by MLK in Lansing, Googled it and indeed there is an interchange there. ? How long has this been in place?.

Well, I grew up in Lansing and it's been there as long as I've been alive. There also used to be one at the diamond where the NS line and CN line cross just west of Pennsylvania Ave. You can see remnants of it on the google satellite map.

There also used to be another spur off the CN line near Potter Park that crossed Pennsylvania Ave. a block or two north of the CN line. That went through a factory there, then swung north, went down the middle of a street and eventually connected with the CSX line. That's been ripped out since at least the late 70's/early 80's. You can still see remnants of track in one section of street that seems to run right into the side of a building that was put up after the tracks were ripped out (that was as of about five years ago...not sure if they've repaved that street).

There's another spur off the CSX line near the east end of the Ensel yard that as of right now, ends at a scrap metal business just north of Oakland Ave. That USED to follow the river all the way down and cross the CN line and connect up with the old spur that is still there that used to run to Eaton Rapids. There is pretty much NO evidence of this line left, other than a set of tracks in an old section of Hazel street just south of 496 off of Cedar St. You can also seem some remnants of a wooden trestle over the river about a block north of the CN line.

Also, there is still an old railroad trestle over the Gd. River near Lansing Community College that had tracks that ran to the old Board of Water and Light building near Michigan Ave (off of the above mentioned line).

Wow...thinking about those old, long gone tracks is bringing back some good memories of my childhood...

[Hogger1225]

The "spur" off the CSXT line you're referring to at the east end of Ensel is not a CSXT line at all. It is the old South NYC and it used to run all the way through town as mentioned but did not go to Eaton Rapids. The old line that ran through Eaton Rapids branched of the Saginaw Branch at Rives Jct. If you know where to look at Rives, you can still see the old ROW where it veers of the main and went under the old interurban line. The old dirt fill approaches are still somewhat intact. Back to the line mentioned at the east end of Ensel. It is the old line that ran down to Albion. Now I'm not sure where it crossed the Grand Rapids Branch, that would have been WAY before my time was even thought about. Might have been Eaton Rapids, would have to check an OLD rr map. The remnant of that line in Albion is out by the Guardian Industries, that gets switched by the local out of Jackson.
We access that part of the line south of the CN from a switch right at Baker St on the Lansing Secondary. It goes up toward the CN and then curves around to the west underneath Cedar St then back south across Baker St, Isabell, (where the remnant of the old wig-wag is) Washington St, Mt. Hope, and then MLK. 2 industries we still service out that way. Quality Dairy's Plastics Division, (we deliver the plastic pellets used to make all their bottles) and Reid Machinery, just west of MLK. The Northernmost part of that line referred to earlier just off the CSXT Could still service two customers, Darling Building Supply and Friedland, (the scrap metal place).
We used to interchange with the GT just north of the Cedar St diamond, on the west side of the (then PC) tracks, just south of the river. The tracks went through what is now the recycling place and I beleive a city garage, and came out on the GT just east of Cedar St tower.
We still interchange with the CN down in what we refer to as the "New Yard", which is just west of the now unused auto-loading docks underneath MLK.
Hope this clears a few questions up. BTW, the "we" I keep referring to is the NS.

[J T]

The "spur" off the CSXT line you're referring to at the east end of Ensel is not a CSXT line at all. It is the old South NYC and it used to run all the way through town as mentioned but did not go to Eaton Rapids.

Well, the reason I said that was because it was something a railfan told me years ago. Also, if you look at where those tracks crossed the CN line just west of Cedar st., they match up perfectly with the tracks that still exist that spur off the CN line (they go across the old R.E. Olds property). Those tracks USED to go to Eaton Rapids (I followed the old ROW on google satellite map last night just to make sure).

Now I'm curious to see an old railroad map, maybe something from the 50's or 60's.

[GRHC]

Now I'm curious to see an old railroad map, maybe something from the 50's or 60's.

Hello J T from the past my screen name on railroadfan.com is GRHC and I am from the future. Please don’t be frightened I have been sent here to help you with your quest to acquire knowledge and find information.
You will find topographical maps that show rail lines in great detail dating back to the 40s and 50s as well as aerial photos from a website called Historical Aerials. I have provided a link to the site below in order for you to find what you’re looking for. Godspeed to you J T on you’re never ending journey searching for truth and knowledge.
https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer

Hello this is GRHC from the present and I would like to know if the interchange talked about in the above post is still active now that the Jackson and Lansing railroad has taken over the line.

[J T]

Been there, done that. Love that site.

[MrAnderson]

Hello this is GRHC from the present and I would like to know if the interchange talked about in the above post is still active now that the Jackson and Lansing railroad has taken over the line.

It is!

Here's a great picture of it in action.

[GP30M4216]

Hello this is GRHC from the present and I would like to know if the interchange talked about in the above post is still active now that the Jackson and Lansing railroad has taken over the line.

It is!

Here's a great picture of it in action.

That’s a great photo of Hollow Yard, Mr. Anderson! But that volume of “traffic” (centerbeams which are in storage?) is not typical of the interchange between CN and JAIL. If you search this message board for “Hollow” you’ll find many pages of entries discussing this small yard and interchange activities there.

[LansingRailFan]

Hello this is GRHC from the present and I would like to know if the interchange talked about in the above post is still active now that the Jackson and Lansing railroad has taken over the line.

It is!

Here's a great picture of it in action.

That’s a great photo of Hollow Yard, Mr. Anderson! But that volume of “traffic” (centerbeams which are in storage?) is not typical of the interchange between CN and JAIL. If you search this message board for “Hollow” you’ll find many pages of entries discussing this small yard and interchange activities there.

There’s video of that move there on the Facebook adbf group.

[MrAnderson]

That volume of “traffic” (centerbeams which are in storage?) is not typical of the interchange between CN and JAIL. If you search this message board for “Hollow” you’ll find many pages of entries discussing this small yard and interchange activities there.

Yeah, it's pretty infrequent. But still gets some use! Better than nothing.