Watervilet Paper Company

[MQT3001]

What happened to them, and when? Just looking for any info AND PICTURES on the former spur off of CSXs GR sub...

[csxt4617]

Look for a copy of the Eco Works video on the Grand Rapids sub from 1991 or 92. They show a little footage of D700 switching it not long before it closed.

[sd70accsxt700]

There is nothing left of the Paper company. In fact last July 4th, we watched the Watervilet fire works from the empty lot. My family is from Watervilet, and still live there. It was torn down durring 2001fall, to spring 2002. 91-92 seams awfule late to be switching it, but I only got down there four times a year. The tracks were heavly overgrown gowing down to the plant, starting around the late 80's, so that could be a good time for the last switches. I know the switch has been gone for at least 10 years. I believe from what family has told me they got coal and shipped out paper. I know the Watervilet siding came out between 85' and the late 90's cant rember exactly when. My family owend the houses, on the west side of the tracks right at the west end of the old siding (where the signal is). I was hopeing that someone had some insight on the old track on the north side of Main St. downtown, where what appears to be a old siding on I beams sticks out over a area that is dug out. I suppect it was a local company that receved coal for houses and they unloaded into the dug out area.

[trnwatcher]

There is nothing left of the Paper company. In fact last July 4th, we watched the Watervilet fire works from the empty lot. My family is from Watervilet, and still live there. It was torn down durring 2001fall, to spring 2002. 91-92 seams awfule late to be switching it, but I only got down there four times a year. The tracks were heavly overgrown gowing down to the plant, starting around the late 80's, so that could be a good time for the last switches. I know the switch has been gone for at least 10 years. I believe from what family has told me they got coal and shipped out paper. I know the Watervilet siding came out between 85' and the late 90's cant rember exactly when. My family owend the houses, on the west side of the tracks right at the west end of the old siding (where the signal is). I was hopeing that someone had some insight on the old track on the north side of Main St. downtown, where what appears to be a old siding on I beams sticks out over a area that is dug out. I suppect it was a local company that receved coal for houses and they unloaded into the dug out area.

I think alot of the footage that was used in the video was shot between 1988-1990.

[csxt4617]

Ok, the copyright date on the tape is 1991. I believe alot of it was shot between the summer 1990 and summer 1991, as there's a few units in the new YN2 CSX scheme, including some brand new CW40-8's (first order delivered summer 1990). I'm pretty sure I got my first camera in 1990 (well, actually Christmas 1989), and I got pics of a few of the same trains they were filming. BTW: I'm actually watching it while I'm replying There's one train with snow on the ground, so obviously that's not summer 1990. There's also another one with new SP GP60's 9729 and 9730, which were built in May 1991 (and they note it being a late spring day in May on the video). I would guess the winter scenes were probably late 1990/early 1991, but who knows. The scene with the yard job at Waverly looks like late fall/winter/early spring (no leaves on the trees) and has a YN2 GP30m, so it's probably not early 1990 (the YN2 scheme debuted in March 1990). The Watervliet (not vilet ) paper mill footage looks like summer, so I'd guess it's 1990. I do remember the paper mill spur and I didn't really get into railfanning until 1989 or 1990. Anyway, if you'd like to see what kind of traffic ran here in 1990/1991, definitely look for the tape. I also gave the wrong title, it's actually listed as Chicago Subdivision (CSX changed it to Grand Rapids sub at some point). They also did an equally interesting one on the Plymouth sub in the same timeframe, including some CP and CN traffic using the tunnel in Detroit (before it was cleared for double stacks).

edit: Don't know if it was done at the same time, but the Plymouth sub also says copyright 1991, and I see a train coming into GR with the first Santa Fe GP60B being delivered, which was built 7-91 (I also saw that same train near St Joe later that day I remember it being unusual, as the new power wasn't the last unit in the consist. They had 2 SOO units and a CP C424 behind it). There's also some footage of Mid Michigan switching the interchange at Elmdale on the now removed line from Elmdale-Greenville.

[SD80MAC]

Ok, the copyright date on the tape is 1991. I believe alot of it was shot between the summer 1990 and summer 1991, as there's a few units in the new YN2 CSX scheme, including some brand new CW40-8's (first order delivered summer 1990). I'm pretty sure I got my first camera in 1990 (well, actually Christmas 1989), and I got pics of a few of the same trains they were filming. BTW: I'm actually watching it while I'm replying There's one train with snow on the ground, so obviously that's not summer 1990. There's also another one with new SP GP60's 9729 and 9730, which were built in May 1991 (and they note it being a late spring day in May on the video). I would guess the winter scenes were probably late 1990/early 1991, but who knows. The scene with the yard job at Waverly looks like late fall/winter/early spring (no leaves on the trees) and has a YN2 GP30m, so it's probably not early 1990 (the YN2 scheme debuted in March 1990). The Watervliet (not vilet ) paper mill footage looks like summer, so I'd guess it's 1990. I do remember the paper mill spur and I didn't really get into railfanning until 1989 or 1990. Anyway, if you'd like to see what kind of traffic ran here in 1990/1991, definitely look for the tape. I also gave the wrong title, it's actually listed as Chicago Subdivision (CSX changed it to Grand Rapids sub at some point). They also did an equally interesting one on the Plymouth sub in the same timeframe, including some CP and CN traffic using the tunnel in Detroit (before it was cleared for double stacks).

edit: Don't know if it was done at the same time, but the Plymouth sub also says copyright 1991, and I see a train coming into GR with the first Santa Fe GP60B being delivered, which was built 7-91 (I also saw that same train near St Joe later that day I remember it being unusual, as the new power wasn't the last unit in the consist. They had 2 SOO units and a CP C424 behind it). There's also some footage of Mid Michigan switching the interchange at Elmdale on the now removed line from Elmdale-Greenville.

I must see this video! Has it been offered on DVD at all?

[sd70accsxt700]

As far as I know its a long gone company.

[MQT3001]

Ok, the copyright date on the tape is 1991. I believe alot of it was shot between the summer 1990 and summer 1991, as there's a few units in the new YN2 CSX scheme, including some brand new CW40-8's (first order delivered summer 1990). I'm pretty sure I got my first camera in 1990 (well, actually Christmas 1989), and I got pics of a few of the same trains they were filming. BTW: I'm actually watching it while I'm replying There's one train with snow on the ground, so obviously that's not summer 1990. There's also another one with new SP GP60's 9729 and 9730, which were built in May 1991 (and they note it being a late spring day in May on the video). I would guess the winter scenes were probably late 1990/early 1991, but who knows. The scene with the yard job at Waverly looks like late fall/winter/early spring (no leaves on the trees) and has a YN2 GP30m, so it's probably not early 1990 (the YN2 scheme debuted in March 1990). The Watervliet (not vilet ) paper mill footage looks like summer, so I'd guess it's 1990. I do remember the paper mill spur and I didn't really get into railfanning until 1989 or 1990. Anyway, if you'd like to see what kind of traffic ran here in 1990/1991, definitely look for the tape. I also gave the wrong title, it's actually listed as Chicago Subdivision (CSX changed it to Grand Rapids sub at some point). They also did an equally interesting one on the Plymouth sub in the same timeframe, including some CP and CN traffic using the tunnel in Detroit (before it was cleared for double stacks).

edit: Don't know if it was done at the same time, but the Plymouth sub also says copyright 1991, and I see a train coming into GR with the first Santa Fe GP60B being delivered, which was built 7-91 (I also saw that same train near St Joe later that day I remember it being unusual, as the new power wasn't the last unit in the consist. They had 2 SOO units and a CP C424 behind it). There's also some footage of Mid Michigan switching the interchange at Elmdale on the now removed line from Elmdale-Greenville.

I must see this video! Has it been offered on DVD at all?

ME TOO.....I'M REALLY FOAMING RIGHT NOW....an info you can give I'll use to find a copy!

[Steamlogger]

I produced the ECO Works videos. I still have my masters but they are on tape and do not have equipment to transfer to digital at this time.

These videos were shot after 1998 as that is when I got my first video camera.
This thread brings back memories of many great times rail-fanning during this time period.

[csxt4617]

Yeah, I found my tapes on ebay a long time ago. They also made one other, I think with a steam engine chase (C&O 2765?) in the early 90's. Anyway, after talking with my brother, I think I may have one of the dates wrong. I was using rrpicturearchives.net for my dates, and I think they have the first CSX CW40-8 order build dates wrong. They have them as 1990 (and an article in Diesel Era from 1992 also says 1990 in the table of builder numbers/dates), but I think they were built in 1991 (the same article in Diesel Era also says 1991 in the actual article). I was up in 7653 a couple days after it was built, and I'm pretty sure it was 1991. My brother was up north camping with my parents that same weekend (I had to work, so I didn't go), and he also remembers hearing Plaster Creek Tower was closing that weekend on the scanner when he passed thru GR. They have the last train coming into GR that was given yarding instructions by Plaster Creek on the Plymouth sub tape, with the last WM painted unit on CSX in that train. I also remember that WM unit was supposedly in GR that same weekend I was up in 7653 too. Hard to remember specific dates with all that stuff, since it's been so long ago (20 years?!? where does time go? )

edit: replying to steamloggers post:
There's no way those were shot after 1998! You sure you didn't mean after 1988? Do you have more footage than what was included in the videos? As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed both videos. Lots of great stuff in them.

[Steamlogger]

Sorry it was 1988. ECO Works was the video company I had with my brother from 1990 to about 1997.
I have countless hours of train videos from that period. We cut it down to the best of each location.

We also used some footage from http://www.youtube.com/user/mygirl22ward

We did "Midwest Steam" first. It is video of 1225 on its run to Grand Rapids after its rebuild, NS 1218 in northern Indiana, and the Shays at Cass (Steamlogger LOL)
Then we did the two CSX videos across MI. We also did a video of Fostoria OH. And a video of 756 when it was relettered C&O 2765 for trips on CSX.

Around this time we also produced about 50 half hour shows for the local, Grand Rapids, MI, cable access stations.

[csxt4617]

The 2765 video was the one I was thinking of. A little bit of it is included at the end of the Plymouth sub tape. I saved a bunch of those youtube videos from mygirl22ward too, good stuff. Was the 1/2 hour GR cable access shows just regular train videos too? Would be sweet to see that stuff on DVD.

[Steamlogger]

The cable shows were a mix of model trains and real trains. Most within a one day drive of Grand Rapids.
We started with the GRMRRHS but parted ways after a while.

[Steamlogger]

I have a youTube of one of my live steam locomotives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1N7bOj4eA8

[MQT3001]

I produced the ECO Works videos. I still have my masters but they are on tape and do not have equipment to transfer to digital at this time.

These videos were shot after 1998 as that is when I got my first video camera.
This thread brings back memories of many great times rail-fanning during this time period.

Put them on DVD I can garuntee that they'd sell like hot cakes

Thanks for all the great info BTW

[GR Ron]

I agree - I would love to get a set or two or three........!!!!!

[bctrainfan]

With all the techno geeks on here, someone must have the proper set-up to transfer from video tape to digital, and I would think the cost would be minimal, other than the time investment!! I think there would be quite a bit of interest if it can be done, Steamlogger!