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GrandTrunkFan wrote:
I sorta remember the mini unit trains to Sunfield. I remember seeing cars filling the two tracks behind downtown. Never remember seeing the little yellow Alco though.

Are these the tracks you speak of? These haven't been used since the 90s?

J T wrote:

GrandTrunkFan wrote:
I sorta remember the mini unit trains to Sunfield. I remember seeing cars filling the two tracks behind downtown. Never remember seeing the little yellow Alco though.

Are these the tracks you speak of? These haven't been used since the 90s?

Yes those are the ones. OCCASIONALLY there may be a tank car or two being unloaded on the siding along the street. I'm assuming farm chemicals for the large family farm that bought that elevator. My best friend lives in Sunfield and he tells me when they are unloading. One of those tracks continues (albeit buried) across Sunfield Hwy and used to serve the small manufacturing plant there.

Jetlink wrote:

GrandTrunkFan wrote: 4. When did the elevator in Mulliken close down? When did they stop shipping by rail? The elevator in Mulliken closed down between 1998 and 2000. I don't think they were open to receive any grain after 1998. I know ADM sold it in 2000 or very early 2001

This got me thinking, When did the large ADM elevator open outside of Grand Ledge on the old branch to Ionia? If ADM owned Mulliken and I believe they owned Sunfield for a time due to seeing ADM No Tresspassing signs around the property in the early 2000s, did that one get built to consolidate these smaller facilities?

I'm not sure when it was built but it has been there a while. My dad used to call it West MAC. I know the MAC stood for Michigan Agricultural Commodities. I know ADM bought them sometime in the 90's but the elevator has been there much longer than that. I would have to ask Dad or Grandpa.