Unused Spur Line in Battle Creek

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NS3322
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Unused Spur Line in Battle Creek

Unread post by NS3322 »

I have always wondered about this spur in the Fort Custer Industrial Park:
42.342824, -85.264765

When did the last train go over this spur?
Any other information and history would be greatly appreciated.

dave989
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Re: Unused Spur Line in Battle Creek

Unread post by dave989 »

Back in the seventies, old mayor Brydges had envisioned the Fort Custer industrial park with
rail service from Penn Central then Conrail. Trucks took over because rail service was terrible.
Right now there is not much around the old spur as most industries are south of Dickman Road M-96.

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DaveO
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Re: Unused Spur Line in Battle Creek

Unread post by DaveO »

The rail currently shown in place matches up with the rail shown on the 1972 Augusta topo(there was also additional rail shown that's not there today).
But that rail doesn't show on the 1985 and 1998 Augusta topos.
It shows on the Kalamazoo 1:100000 topo from 1982.
So was the rail left in place or just put back on the alignment from years earlier?

bctrainfan
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Re: Unused Spur Line in Battle Creek

Unread post by bctrainfan »

That spur was improved a bit out near the main for MOW to use during the recent Amtrak upgrades. The portion that leads to the Customs/Cargo building has not been used in many years, probably 20 or more. It has some fairly sizeable trees growing up between the rails. There were also other tracks at one time to the buildings to the west to service the Army at the Fort and I believe one that was used to deliver coal to the power plant at the VA hospital. Someone else here probably has more info.

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NS3322
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Re: Unused Spur Line in Battle Creek

Unread post by NS3322 »

bctrainfan wrote:That spur was improved a bit out near the main for MOW to use during the recent Amtrak upgrades.
MOW is the only activity I've ever seen...
Image

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Michael
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Re: Unused Spur Line in Battle Creek

Unread post by Michael »

USGS topos of Camp/Fort Custer from the first and second world wars

Image

Image

Super Chief
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Re: Unused Spur Line in Battle Creek

Unread post by Super Chief »

A lot of those buildings were still standing in the early 70s before the industrial park. The rail was still in and I had always hoped it would have drawn rail users but over the years only hi-tech companies came. One of the worst fatal Michigan train accidents happened just east of there. A passenger troop train with German prisoners derailed and a lot were killed. They all were buried in Battle Creek. Fort Custer has had a lot of history with railroads.

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