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Does anybody know when GTW relocated its main line around the Kellogg Airport or whatever it was called at the time? Thanks.

I can't put any verifiable source to it but my recollection is around the time of the first world war. The Library of Congress has quite a few historical plat maps on-line. They are a pretty good source of information. I looked a little and the City of Battle Creek is in there but haven't find one that goes out to the airport.

Thank you for the reply, PatAzo. U of M also has some digitized county atlases; after looking at them I can confirm that the line was relocated sometime between 1894 and 1916. But was it done due to the airfield, which would have been in an extremely primitive condition if it even existed then, or some other reason?

Here are quick screenshots of the maps. The first curve going west out of town seems pretty sharp but I don't think that alone explains the relocation. I also don't understand how the 1916 one shows the old grade connecting on its east end to a spot on the main which is considerably west of where the relocation seems to have started.

A 1906 map shows the original alignment.

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/micounty/3 ... nty++Mich.

I looked in Grand Trunk Western, An Illustrated History. It doesn't mention the relocation. It does say "As the twentieth century began, the Grand Trunk system continued its policy of keeping up to date with most of the latest practices in North American railroading. Two of these were modern electric signaling systems and double tracking... On GTW proper, after about 1910 there were only three rather short sections of single-track..."

Perhaps between 1906 and 1910? When was the airport built?

1940 http://airnav.com/airport/KBTL

PatAzo wrote:When was the airport built?