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Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:50 am
by chapmaja
I am looking over the Google Maps Images and see several spurs and sidings in the TC area that don't to customers. I was wondering if anyone knew who they used to go to.
1) just south of Parsons Rd and Tamarack St. Spur goes south off the main and ends in the weeds. Google Street view actually shows a CSX Gon on this track in September 2023. Was this to customers between the line and the airport, or was this to the energy substation next to the spur.
2) The line beyond Williamsburg extends a significant distance east of the last customer before splitting into two tracks and then coming together again and ending short of Williamsburg Rd. What is the purpose of the tracks still being in place, and the extra track (odd design for a runaround track).
3) Spur onto property of Phillips Lifestyles in Grawn. Was this a former brick or lumber related business that has been repurposed?
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 12:27 pm
by TC Man
1)
This spur served Traverse City Gray Iron, which shut down in the late '80's and was town down. Property the spur is on is owned by Traverse City. There is a millwork manufacturer going in now on the lot immediately to the west. Maybe center beams?
2)
The Williamsburg branch is intact as it completes a run around siding with a lead track beyond the last switch. There is also a small transload building on the runaround track that TSBY last served a short time for potato loading into insulated box cars. Currently owned by a farmers group.
3) This was Wick's lumber for years until it closed. Used to receive center beams, bulkhead flats, and box cars in the TSBY days.
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 12:36 pm
by DaveO
TC Man wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 12:27 pm
The Williamsburg branch is intact as it completes a run around siding with a lead track beyond the last switch. There is also a small transload building on the runaround track that TSBY last served a short time for potato loading into insulated box cars. Currently owned by a farmers group.
google aerial shows building now removed.
runaround would allow them to pull amerhart without the conductor riding the point for nearly 9 miles back to tc.
afaik they use 2 engines now which eliminate that issue.
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 1:48 pm
by TC Man
Runaround is rarely used, and they do not separate the locomotives to get around the empties (Dave, they do indeed do that at Beacon though). They use gravity- letting the empties coast down the steep grade of the siding to the main ahead of the locomotives.
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 8:36 pm
by joeyuboats
So, why the 2 locos? Since these guys are always short on power???
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 9:14 pm
by NS3322
TC Man wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 12:27 pm
3) This was Wick's lumber for years until it closed. Used to receive center beams, bulkhead flats, and box cars in the TSBY days.
I recently stumbled on an eBay listing for a 1960s postcard photo of Wickes Lumber in Grawn (note the two boxcars: Norfolk & Western and Canadian Pacific):
Here is the spur in 2023:
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2024 9:34 pm
by kd_1014
joeyuboats wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 8:36 pm
So, why the 2 locos? Since these guys are always short on power???
Because, like TC Man said, they use the two engines at Beacon Recycling. Which is in Traverse City as well.
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2024 4:35 pm
by James Sofonia
chapmaja wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:50 am
1) just south of Parsons Rd and Tamarack St. Spur goes south off the main and ends in the weeds. Google Street view actually shows a CSX Gon on this track in September 2023. Was this to customers between the line and the airport, or was this to the energy substation next to the spur.
I have an old map of that area. It shows a spur that went N. up to a dock in East Bay. Maybe you are seeing some remints of that operation.
2) The line beyond Williamsburg extends a significant distance east of the last customer before splitting into two tracks and then coming together again and ending short of Williamsburg Rd. What is the purpose of the tracks still being in place, and the extra track (odd design for a runaround track).
There used to be a branch line to Elk Rapids that took a hook off of that run around. It ends on short old road behind the Elk Rapids fire dept.
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2024 9:21 pm
by Steve B
chapmaja wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 11:50 am
2) The line beyond Williamsburg extends a significant distance east of the last customer before splitting into two tracks and then coming together again and ending short of Williamsburg Rd. What is the purpose of the tracks still being in place, and the extra track (odd design for a runaround track).
There used to be a branch line to Elk Rapids that took a hook off of that run around. It ends on short old road behind the Elk Rapids fire dept.
I just noticed on historicaerials.com in the 1954 view there appears to be a depot on the future transload building site, giving access to the Elk Rapids Sub on the north (runaround track) side and the Petoskey Sub on the south side.
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 11:02 am
by Dowagiac Train Dude
I will be visiting TC in April, does anyone have a good idea of what days they run in the area?
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 4:06 pm
by TC Man
Dowagiac Train Dude wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 11:02 am
I will be visiting TC in April, does anyone have a good idea of what days they run in the area?
It really varies. Last few months they have come up on every weekend of the week at some point. Usually 1 trip per week, but they've done 2 per week also. Seems Tuesdays and Fridays are the most common, but last couple they've been up on Monday also.
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:09 pm
by TC Man
TC Man wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 4:06 pm
Dowagiac Train Dude wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 11:02 am
I will be visiting TC in April, does anyone have a good idea of what days they run in the area?
It really varies. Last few months they have come up on every weekend of the week at some point. Usually 1 trip per week, but they've done 2 per week also. Seems Tuesdays and Fridays are the most common, but last couple they've been up on Monday also.
Speaking of Tuesday, they were in TC today!
Re: Traverse City Spurs and Sidings
Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:42 pm
by Dowagiac Train Dude
TC Man wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 4:06 pm
Dowagiac Train Dude wrote: ↑Tue Jan 30, 2024 11:02 am
I will be visiting TC in April, does anyone have a good idea of what days they run in the area?
It really varies. Last few months they have come up on every weekend of the week at some point. Usually 1 trip per week, but they've done 2 per week also. Seems Tuesdays and Fridays are the most common, but last couple they've been up on Monday also.
Thank you very much.