Lowell Street Trackage???

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MQT1223
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Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by MQT1223 »

A discussion came up last night at Culvers regarding a spur that went through downtown Lowell in the middle of the street. Street running in Lowell, something I had never thought of...

The spur is easy to pick up where it enters the road, at the corner of Kent and Monroe in downtown Lowell off the old PM, however how far does this supposed street trackage go and where does it end? I always thought that the only rails that ever were on that spur went across Front St, where there is a clear patch in the road of a former grade crossing that goes into a modern warehouse.

Reminds me an awful lot of the spur that came off the PM in Grandville that went down Division, guess the PM was willing to serve no matter where the track had to be laid!
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by J T »

Are you saying there were two spurs that came off the curve, one crossing at Front/Washington and another following the Monroe Street alignment? Or are you suggesting a second spur came off the one that crossed over Front St?

Option 1 or 2?

lowell.jpg
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by MQT1223 »

J T wrote:Are you saying there were two spurs that came off the curve, one crossing at Front/Washington and another following the Monroe Street alignment? Or are you suggesting a second spur came off the one that crossed over Front St?

Option 1 or 2?

lowell.jpg
#1 was my main thought, but your view makes me not rule out #2.
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by Michael »

From the 1978 USGS Topo
Image

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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by iandt »

Michael wrote:From the 1978 USGS Topo
A Kent County Atlas, visible here, shows a similar track arrangement as it existed in 1907:

http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/ ... /Michigan/

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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by J T »

Michael wrote:From the 1978 USGS Topo
Image
Very interesting! That shows a different alignment from the 1907 map. The 1907 map is actually consistent with what is evident in the pavement at the corner of Washington and Front. Hmmm...
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by MQT1223 »

Those rails must've been in the pavement for a long time, as that patch is fairly new.

Any idea what was served throughout the period? I'm counting 3 customers that were served over the time period of the two maps.
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by Mark F »

Happened to notice that the cross bucks at Jackson St are now gone. When did they get pulled? Some of the rail to the west of the crossing is gone but I'm pretty sure that the track on the east end of town hasn't been officially abandoned yet.

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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

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Mark F wrote:Happened to notice that the cross bucks at Jackson St are now gone. When did they get pulled? Some of the rail to the west of the crossing is gone but I'm pretty sure that the track on the east end of town hasn't been officially abandoned yet.
We're pulled last fall when the rails east of Malta to Jackson were removed and sent to Muskegon for an expansion project. DNR is trying to get the last mile of ROW this year along with the southern half of the Elmdale Sub.
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

SB 118 has been referred the House Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee after being unanimously approved by the Senate. It removes a liability hangup that has prevented the DNR from purchasing these properties. If you bike, contact your rep and tell him / her to support the legislation.

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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by aghudley »

MQT1223 wrote:
DNR is trying to get the last mile of ROW this year along with the southern half of the Elmdale Sub.
Does the DNR have designs on converting any of the Elmdale Sub between Malta and Elmdale or perhaps Freeport to a bike trail or are they just interested in Lowell to Greenville? I thought the Lowell to Greenville portion was already in the bag.

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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

The Lowell To Greenville ROW has already been purchased for a trail. The DNR is ready to buy the east mile of the GRE ROW and Lowell to Elmdale once the legislation passes. There is no ROW left south of Elmdale.

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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by MQT1223 »

When I said last half I should've specified more. Malta to Elmdale is about all that's left of the former Elmdale Sub that's not under the DNR banner.

Elmdale to Freeport has been gone for so long its nearly untraceable in most places.
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by Doktor No »

AT one time the spur in question served the headstone/monument shop. I remember that being in place years ago. The piece left of the spur was used to unload plastic beads for Attwood. Wonder where that business went? Was in use when CSX had it up until maybe 10/15 years ago...
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by GrandTrunkFan »

Doktor No wrote:AT one time the spur in question served the headstone/monument shop. I remember that being in place years ago. The piece left of the spur was used to unload plastic beads for Attwood. Wonder where that business went? Was in use when CSX had it up until maybe 10/15 years ago...
There was also a couple boxcars that sat on that spur for a couple years IIRC
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by MQT1223 »

GrandTrunkFan wrote:
Doktor No wrote:AT one time the spur in question served the headstone/monument shop. I remember that being in place years ago. The piece left of the spur was used to unload plastic beads for Attwood. Wonder where that business went? Was in use when CSX had it up until maybe 10/15 years ago...
There was also a couple boxcars that sat on that spur for a couple years IIRC
A friend of mine recalls some old reefers that were stored there too.
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

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Doktor No wrote:AT one time the spur in question served the headstone/monument shop. I remember that being in place years ago. The piece left of the spur was used to unload plastic beads for Attwood. Wonder where that business went? Was in use when CSX had it up until maybe 10/15 years ago...
Attwood changed corporate ownership around that time. After the sale, the plastic injection department was closed and rail service discontinued.

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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

Legislation to allow the DNR to purchase Lowell to Elmdale and the piece from Grand River Dr to Montcalm Ave passed the Senate today. Off to the Guv for signature.

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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

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Raildudes dad wrote:Legislation to allow the DNR to purchase Lowell to Elmdale and the piece from Grand River Dr to Montcalm Ave passed the Senate today. Off to the Guv for signature.
''

OK, so assuming the Guv signs off on this, is the funding available and is the railroad (or surviving holding company) willing to sell? This sounds like a great step but I'm wondering if it seals the deal or not?
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Re: Lowell Street Trackage???

Unread post by J T »

Raildudes dad wrote:Legislation to allow the DNR to purchase Lowell to Elmdale and the piece from Grand River Dr to Montcalm Ave passed the Senate today. Off to the Guv for signature.
Now to tear down that house on the ROW at Elmdale... :lol: :evil:
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