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Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 8:49 pm
by Saturnalia
Moving this out of the Where am I thread for continuance and archival...
J T wrote:Somewhere on the west side of the state...

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J T wrote:Ok, so far no correct answers. And it seems most of the guesses are for lines that are still in service. So here's a view from the ROW looking east...


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And to make things even easier, here's a shot looking west with remnants of a much lower interurban grade paralleling the old railroad ROW on the north side:

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J T wrote:It's actually Crockery Creek, but you guessed it. :D


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Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 8:57 pm
by Saturnalia
I found in Carl Bajema's The Lake Line: the GR, GH & M Ry two pictures of the aforementioned interurban bridges over Crockery Creek near Nunica.

Pardon the craptastic photos.

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First, the main bridge over the creek for the Interurban. I guess the IU really didn't have an elevated ROW, you can see the GT off to the left, and much above. Their bridge is just out of view. I'd in interested to know the build dates on those bridges...JT you should have tried to find the builder's plate!

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The second one shows the IU working to repair sinkholes following significant flooding. I'm guessing the image was taken from the GT grade, given the heading of looking NE.

Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 9:06 pm
by Raildudes dad
The arrow is at the floodway bridge location with little if any water flow most of the year. Crockery Creek and the 2nd bridge is about 750 feet east. (I've been on and under both evaluating them for suitability / usability for the North Bank Trail)

Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2015 9:35 pm
by J T
RDD is correct, and that's the reason why I have to go back for pics of the other bridge. I should have been looking at a map image on my phone when hiked to that bridge, then I would have been aware of the other one to the east (which is not visible from either Cleveland St. or I-96).

Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 9:00 pm
by wyrickj
So I take it the friends group was able to buy the row? I know they had disputes with what I had assumed to be a nimby.

Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 9:40 pm
by J T
MQT3001 wrote:I'd in interested to know the build dates on those bridges...JT you should have tried to find the builder's plate!
It's the first thing I look for when coming across old railroad bridges. Unfortunately I couldn't find one on that bridge.

Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 11:35 pm
by wyrickj
J T wrote:
MQT3001 wrote:I'd in interested to know the build dates on those bridges...JT you should have tried to find the builder's plate!
It's the first thing I look for when coming across old railroad bridges. Unfortunately I couldn't find one on that bridge.

Is it open to the public just unimproved?

Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 1:33 pm
by Raildudes dad
Crockery Township owns from 112th? Nunica to east of the bridges. They have an agreement with the next owner to get to 96th. The trail will go south to Cleveland and then east to the old RR ROW at State Road / 88th where the DNR has an easement in the RR grade from there thru Coopersville to the trail at the RR and Hayes east of Marne.

GTW did not put name plates on anything. These are the same era as Indian Mill Creek, Deer Creek, the 1920's. GTW got rid of all their timber trestles at that time.

Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 3:16 pm
by J T
Raildudes dad wrote: GTW did not put name plates on anything. These are the same era as Indian Mill Creek, Deer Creek, the 1920's. GTW got rid of all their timber trestles at that time.
None of the GT bridges ever had builder plates on them like this?

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Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 5:01 pm
by Raildudes dad
Over the years I have safety inspected (as in FHWA or FRA mandated) the two bridges over Monroe, the old bridge over Turner, over Alpine, over Bristol, over 3 Mile, over Indian mill Creek, over Sand Creek, over the old GR&I, over Deer Creek and over Crockery Creek and the Crockery Creek flood way (the last 2 were done for the township). The only ones with name plates are Alpine and 3 Mile, both built by the highway authority, not the RR. There is no evidence there ever were name plates later stolen or removed.

Re: Crockery Creek Bridges

Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 6:43 pm
by J T
Thanks for the info. Now I don't have to waste my time looking for them. :D