RailRoadFan.com

here is picture of me and my Grandpa Riding on the Rail bike at Wheels on Rails Traverse city here is the link if you want to check it out.

here is the link https://www.wheelsonrailsmi.com/
here is our picture of me and my grandpa on the Rail Bike.

I would highly recommend if you live near Traverse city to go check this place out here is the address 5843-5853 US-31
Grawn, MI 49637
We are located right off of US-31 in Grawn. Pull off onto State Street, turn left on Brooke Street and park diagonal to the tracks in the gravel area. Look for the signs – you can’t miss us!

How far did you guys go down the line? Just to US-37 and back?

I booked a trip for later in the summer. A rare opportunity to ride the rails in the TC area.

The ride only goes to the M37 overpass, where you can enjoy all the graffiti. And lock your belongings at the starting point in "beautiful" Grawn, the drug center of the county. Lol.

TC Man wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 7:54 pm

The ride only goes to the M37 overpass, where you can enjoy all the graffiti. And lock your belongings at the starting point in "beautiful" Grawn, the drug center of the county. Lol.

It's still very cool the business was able to get up and running, I think they did plan to originally go to Beitner Road though.

I've been to far worse places than Grawn. You are "great" at marketing TC for someone named TC Man.

I do think the Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve would have been a better starting point, but I have no insight into the deal they made with GLC and the State.

Sure there are, I specifically mentioned "in the county ", not country. I feel that as taxpayers, we're supporting this business. Heck, we are paying for the weed spraying they just did on this section that was only done this year so far for this operation.

Grawn is not TC, it's 10 miles from TC proper, so I'm good lol. To be honest, I don't agree with keeping the TC trackage open at all for two very weak users. A couple cars a week at best surely isn't making anyone any money.

TC Man wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 8:45 pm

Sure there are, I specifically mentioned "in the county ", not country. I feel that as taxpayers, we're supporting this business. Heck, we are paying for the weed spraying they just did on this section that was only done this year so far for this operation.

Grawn is not TC, it's 10 miles from TC proper, so I'm good lol. To be honest, I don't agree with keeping the TC trackage open at all for two very weak users. A couple cars a week at best surely isn't making anyone any money.

I agree, or GLC needs to get their act together and start working on getting more customers in the area. I could see Gogo squeeze getting rail service, (think the spur is still in place there) However I have done track work for a few customers of GLC and and most didn't have good things to say about them.

ATTM4150 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:53 pm

I could see Gogo squeeze getting rail service, (think the spur is still in place there) However I have done track work for a few customers of GLC and and most didn't have good things to say about them.

The spur is paved over on their property. Wouldn't be able to get there with the rails cut to protect the bike service.

ATTM4150 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:53 pm

TC Man wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 8:45 pm

Sure there are, I specifically mentioned "in the county ", not country. I feel that as taxpayers, we're supporting this business. Heck, we are paying for the weed spraying they just did on this section that was only done this year so far for this operation.

Grawn is not TC, it's 10 miles from TC proper, so I'm good lol. To be honest, I don't agree with keeping the TC trackage open at all for two very weak users. A couple cars a week at best surely isn't making anyone any money.

I agree, or GLC needs to get their act together and start working on getting more customers in the area. I could see Gogo squeeze getting rail service, (think the spur is still in place there) However I have done track work for a few customers of GLC and and most didn't have good things to say about them.

Why did the Dinner Train go away?

GLC marketing department suck,there is business to be had. They need to lease it from Walton Jct. to someone like West Michigan RR that will go after business. Hell I got a call from American Materials month ago asking about shipping tar to grawn in the future, referred them to a friend that works out of Cadillac

ATTM4150 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:53 pm

However I have done track work for a few customers of GLC and and most didn't have good things to say about them.

I know one of the conductors with SRI and he doesn’t have very many kind words for GLC either. He’s praying the rumors of WATCO buying them are true.

Railnazi wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 30, 2023 7:54 am

GLC marketing department suck,there is business to be had. They need to lease it from Walton Jct. to someone like West Michigan RR that will go after business. Hell I got a call from American Materials month ago asking about shipping tar to grawn in the future, referred them to a friend that works out of Cadillac

Did you refer him to a GLC rep in Cadillac? Do they even have a rep in Cadillac other than train crews? I feel like the marketing guy they had (Nagy I think k was his last name) was great at his job, but I think k he manages the company now, so there's nobody assigned to marketing. You'd think tar/asphalt would be a simple transload operation. There's one in Manistee I believe.

Sadly, there has been no real effort to build business in the TC area. I bet if you ask the Cadillac crews, they would tell you they hate going to TC and wish it would go away. 10mph spaghetti track. Look at the track along Keystone Road- they put in tons of new ties and ballast, and now it waves so much that I'm surprised they don't go on the ground.

Chip wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 30, 2023 9:38 am

ATTM4150 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:53 pm

However I have done track work for a few customers of GLC and and most didn't have good things to say about them.

I know one of the conductors with SRI and he doesn’t have very many kind words for GLC either. He’s praying the rumors of WATCO buying them are true.

I believe they already own half of glc. Be nice to see watco merge in with the new Ann arbor.

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 8:13 pm

TC Man wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 7:54 pm

The ride only goes to the M37 overpass, where you can enjoy all the graffiti. And lock your belongings at the starting point in "beautiful" Grawn, the drug center of the county. Lol.

It's still very cool the business was able to get up and running, I think they did plan to originally go to Beitner Road though.

Per a reply from the owner on a Google review, they currently stop at the M37 overpass as that appears to be where a decent uphill gradient starts. They say next year they'll have some pedal assist electric models and hope to be able to head further northeast. Said the current hill is likely too hard for the bicycles to climb. Most of the reviews say the ride is far too short for the price, but said it's overall organized well. Said they give a history lesson about the area while turning the bikes around, but do it under the M37 bridge which is noisy and hard to listen to the speech.

Chip wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 30, 2023 9:38 am

ATTM4150 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 29, 2023 11:53 pm

However I have done track work for a few customers of GLC and and most didn't have good things to say about them.

I know one of the conductors with SRI and he doesn’t have very many kind words for GLC either. He’s praying the rumors of WATCO buying them are true.

Would Watco play nice with allowing SRI excursions? Or is the reason SRI has access because 90% of the GLC system is State owned?

~Z~ wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 30, 2023 10:13 am

Per a reply from the owner on a Google review, they currently stop at the M37 overpass as that appears to be where a decent uphill gradient starts. They say next year they'll have some pedal assist electric models and hope to be able to head further northeast. Said the current hill is likely too hard for the bicycles to climb. Most of the reviews say the ride is far too short for the price, but said it's overall organized well. Said they give a history lesson about the area while turning the bikes around, but do it under the M37 bridge which is noisy and hard to listen to the speech.

Darn! I should have waited. Oh well...

Railnazi wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 30, 2023 7:54 am

GLC marketing department suck,there is business to be had. They need to lease it from Walton Jct. to someone like West Michigan RR that will go after business. Hell I got a call from American Materials month ago asking about shipping tar to grawn in the future, referred them to a friend that works out of Cadillac

GLC had a marketing position listed on job boards up until a weeks ago, I wonder if they filled it?

ConrailDetr​oit wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 30, 2023 7:19 am

Why did the Dinner Train go away?

I worked on this a few months ago. Things ended due to multiple disputes between TSBY and GTDT. I think at the time TSBY wanted to suspend service to TC.
There were a number of issues plaguing the operation unfortunately...I feel like it could be successfully repeated right now.
https://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/ ... nner_Train

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 30, 2023 11:08 am

Would Watco play nice with allowing SRI excursions? Or is the reason SRI has access because 90% of the GLC system is State owned?

I don’t fully understand how that arrangement works but from what I gathered it’s more the latter but GLC makes it as difficult as they can.

~Z~ wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 30, 2023 10:13 am

Most of the reviews say the ride is far too short for the price...

So, basically it won't survive very long.

~Z~ wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 30, 2023 10:13 am

Most of the reviews say the ride is far too short for the price...

People don't understand what 3 miles in one hour means???

As long as they can sell tickets they will survive. Hopefully most riders understand the length of ride (both time and distance). They do warn people that the return ride is slightly uphill. It is a shame that the slightly uphill isn't at the beginning of the trip when people haven't been peddling for 30 minutes.

People here need to remember that GLC can sell all the service it wants, but if it ultimately relies on an Class 1 interchange they can't guarantee anything. Truck service doesn't have that problem.

Steve B wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 01, 2023 8:30 am

People here need to remember that GLC can sell all the service it wants, but if it ultimately relies on an Class 1 interchange they can't guarantee anything. Truck service doesn't have that problem.

The Class 1s are NOT the issue when it comes to GLC. GLC ownership is the issue when it comes to GLC.