Kalamazoo report 7/15/2016

[GP30M4216]

I recently attended a wedding in the Kalamazoo area, and the opportunity presented itself for me to have a free late-morning hour to spend however I please. So rather, than reliving college memories on WMU's campus from 10 years ago, or visiting a favorite restaurant, I went train hunting!

Junkyard area south of BO - no cars seen on the siding - the grass has really grown up tall between the old PRR and the LS&MS. Those Grand Elk painted boxcars and the transfer caboose have really faded, near the old roundhouse site at Gearhart Yard.

A fair amount of power was in the yard at the west end - paired SD40-2s (including 1 Wisconsin Southern unit), plus another SD40-2, and three Geeps all seen. I found GP40-2W #4017 switching at the east end of the yard and pulled in to LC Howard to watch them switch. The LC Howard switch off the North Pass remains connected but is long since unused....

Nice to see all the new signals on the Michigan Line - the cantilever at West Botsford is impressive! Next stop was North Yard by way of BO - I see Willard Street has been mostly demolished parallel to the old MC, and the old D-143 milemarker just east of the tower recently met it's maker and was lying on the ground. North Yard had a small assortment of tanks and covered hoppers visible near Graphic Packaging. North of the plant the desolation is amazing as the Checker site is completely gone and overgrown as are other adjoining industries. It's strange to see Mosel with so few crossings now....but I'm certain there was at least one car shoved way north up the branch which used to go to Epic in Parchment....I thought they closed?

Back southward across Patterson and beyond, I crossed the MC on Pitcher admiring the new signals for BO and noting how overgrown the old siding just north of the diamond has become...also more building demo in the area opening it up for possible new photo opportunities. Crossed the tracks at Gibson Jct. where a nice Conrail Blue block station marker has been put in - nothing seen on Arvco's spur. Sad to see the old cat-eye crossbucks are gone from the Division Street crossing, but glad to see the investment in shiny new protection. Weaved south along the old GR&I, crossed the tracks again at Miller passing Cytec, still a busy customer from the looks of it.

Arrived at the Kilgore area to find some good news - the old CML lumberyard has reopened an an empty centerbeam was on the spur! Next was a U-turn at Green Bay Packaging - nice shiny spur rails - before spying shiny CN 5258, a big V-hood SD40-2 with a pair of boxcars and the old GTW caboose tied down in Kilgore Yard. Not sure how many tracks are left in the yard or if Midlink gets any service, but it seems the local job is based here again?

The next day, in the greater Three Rivers-Schoolcraft metropolitan area, I noted several cars on the spur track to Rettenmaier, a single covered hopper on the new business spur just south of there to the east of the mainline (Van Beek?), and nothing on the Schoolcraft Farm Bureau siding.

Some good news, some sad, but overall it was a great visit and fun to (quickly) get caught back up on the area!

[AARR]

Nice report, GP30. Does LC Howard have another warehouse in Kalamazoo? I thought they received rail service but maybe it's at another location

[SD80MAC]

LC Howard is switched daily by the CN and the Elk.

[GP30M4216]

Re:LC Howard:

They also have a large warehouse on E. Vine Street east of Portage St. between the mainline to Elkhart (LS&MS) and the former PRR line to Pfizer. A spur track diverges off the LS&MS in the neighborhood of Crosstown Pkwy and does a funky S curve through the neighborhood to get there. When I was living in Kzoo 10 years ago, the spur was in decent shape but unused.

If both the CN and the Elk serve LC Howard, and it's not at this facility, me thinks there is another warehouse, maybe in the vicinity of Fulford and Lane Blvd, that is an LC Howard facility with a siding to it. Anyone know?

[AARR]

Last I heard LC Howard received paper and rebar by rail. Things may have changed, though.