GRE Questions

Anything pertaining to railfanning in Michigan.
PM1946
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:11 pm
Location: Grand Rapids MI
Contact:

GRE Questions

Unread post by PM1946 »

I'm curious about the Grand Rapids Eastern. I believe it has only two customers, Amway in Ada and King Milling in Lowell. (I'm not aware of any others.) My guess is that Amway receives raw materials by rail on a limited basis but does not ship out finished product by rail. As far as I know, the GRE trundles grain hoppers out to Lowell Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. My question is, do the hoppers bring raw grain to King Milling, or do they take milled grain to a packaging plant somewhere, or both? I'd appreciate any input. Thanks.

User avatar
AARR
Ann Arbor RR Nerd
Posts: 37905
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:39 pm
Location: Washington, MI

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by AARR »

King's receives wheat (maybe something else) but mostly wheat. They don't ship anything out.

Amway gets plastic pellets, liquids for detergent and maybe soda ash.

There is a small plastic plant in Grand Rapids that gets occasional service too.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

User avatar
kd_1014
Mike
Posts: 1043
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2018 3:29 pm
Location: Creston, Grand Rapids

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by kd_1014 »

GRE brings raw grain to King, where it is milled into flour. GRE also has an interchange with the Coopersville and Marne, interchanging loaded centerbeams for Standard Lumber in Walker. Interchange is done just west of Ann St. Yard at the old St. Mary's Cement spur.

User avatar
~Z~
Sofa King Admin
Posts: 12908
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:14 pm
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Contact:

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by ~Z~ »

Customer lists with info on what they get can be found in the wiki as well. Scroll down to GRE info: http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/M ... R,_MS,_GRE
Webmaster
Railroad photos on Railroadfan.com

railrod1949
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1317
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:19 am
Location: Waterford, MI

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by railrod1949 »

~Z~ wrote:Customer lists with info on what they get can be found in the wiki as well. Scroll down to GRE info: http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/M ... R,_MS,_GRE
Is there a google map that show all MM and MS rail customers? If so, please post the map. Where is Groenleer Hardware exactly located in Ferrysburg? Where is Shape Co. and Bay Logistics exactly located in Spring Lake? There are no trackage? Where is Brinks Refinery exactly located in North Muskegon?

User avatar
Doktor No
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1076
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 4:49 pm
Location: Rockford, Michigan

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by Doktor No »

Is there a google map? Try looking in Google Maps!! Groenleer Hardware unloaded in Ferrysburg just west and under US31 but havn't in years as far as I know. They used to get CP hopper fertilizer loads. Brinks is at the old Zephyr tank farm in North Muskegon just across the Muskegon River bridge.
Even try the Consumers Energy outage maps. They show all the rail lines as they exist today.
Curb Your Enthusiasm.

railrod1949
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1317
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:19 am
Location: Waterford, MI

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by railrod1949 »

Doktor No wrote:Is there a google map? Try looking in Google Maps!! Groenleer Hardware unloaded in Ferrysburg just west and under US31 but havn't in years as far as I know. They used to get CP hopper fertilizer loads. Brinks is at the old Zephyr tank farm in North Muskegon just across the Muskegon River bridge.
Even try the Consumers Energy outage maps. They show all the rail lines as they exist today.
Got it! Brinks Refinery (old Zephyr Tank Farm is located on the east side of the MMS trackage and the south side of Holton Road (M-120) in North Muskegon. Bay Logstics and Shape co are in Spring Lake but no trackage. Where exactly in Spring Lake are located? Groenleer Hardware was located on Elm Street west of US-31 in Ferrysburg. Nugent Sand is now at their new location in Berry Junction.

User avatar
AARR
Ann Arbor RR Nerd
Posts: 37905
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:39 pm
Location: Washington, MI

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by AARR »

Shape doesn't have a spur but Bay Logistics does. It's a 5-bay spur with run around track.
railrod1949 wrote:Bay Logstics and Shape co are in Spring Lake but no trackage.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

User avatar
SD80MAC
Ingersoll's Mr. Michigan
Posts: 10431
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:59 pm
Location: Grand Rapids

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by SD80MAC »

FWIW, neither Shape nor Bay Logistics currently does anything by rail.
"Remember, 4 mph is a couple, 5's a collision!"
http://flickriver.com/photos/conrail680 ... teresting/
Image

DLM
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 234
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:33 pm
Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by DLM »

Bay Logistics is north of Pontaluma Rd. in the big warehouse buildings along tracks. Closer to Norton Shores than Spring Lake.

railrod1949
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1317
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2015 8:19 am
Location: Waterford, MI

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by railrod1949 »

DLM wrote:Bay Logistics is north of Pontaluma Rd. in the big warehouse buildings along tracks. Closer to Norton Shores than Spring Lake.
Got it! Bay Logstics is on north side of E Pontaluma Road, just west of US-31 in Spring Lake Township.

User avatar
AARR
Ann Arbor RR Nerd
Posts: 37905
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:39 pm
Location: Washington, MI

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by AARR »

When Grand Rapids Press built its new plant in Walker and consolidated operations with several other papers Bay was supposed to get the news print. Around the same time Shape started shipping from the Bay Warehouse and was sending several cars out every day. I don't know what happened but it doesn't seem the news print ever was delivered to Bay by rail.
SD80MAC wrote:FWIW, neither Shape nor Bay Logistics currently does anything by rail.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

User avatar
Doktor No
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1076
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 4:49 pm
Location: Rockford, Michigan

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by Doktor No »

Amway also receives tank car loads of a sweetener product that is also labeled as a marine pollutant. Out of Iowa IIRC.
Curb Your Enthusiasm.

EWRice
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 468
Joined: Fri May 10, 2013 7:07 pm
Location: Muskegon, MI

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by EWRice »

For anybody looking for Bay Logistics, they are in Norton Shores but have a Spring Lake mailing address. That whole area around Pontaluna and Grand Haven Rd is like that. It seems like when Bay was still shipping it averaged 3-5 cars a night. Then it just died. It was fun watching them switch with the loco in between the inbound and outbound cars.

Dok, do you know what the siding was that was just south of Bay? The tracks are long gone but the ties are still there.

User avatar
Doktor No
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1076
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 4:49 pm
Location: Rockford, Michigan

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by Doktor No »

Never been over there EW.
Last edited by Doktor No on Tue Oct 01, 2019 11:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Curb Your Enthusiasm.

chapmaja
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1261
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:02 pm

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by chapmaja »

EWRice wrote:
Dok, do you know what the siding was that was just south of Bay? The tracks are long gone but the ties are still there.

I'm not Doc, but I think that siding would have been a team track of some sort, or a spur for a single customer that would truck their product to that location then load it because they lacked direct rail access. There are plenty of customers I could see using a team track in that area.

User avatar
Doktor No
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1076
Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2015 4:49 pm
Location: Rockford, Michigan

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by Doktor No »

There was a Rycynga Lumber and Truss at one time. I have set out more then a few cars there in the 90's. There was another lumber concern right close by that may have also had a siding...whenever I was doing the CannonBall it was late night dark.
Curb Your Enthusiasm.

chapmaja
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1261
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:02 pm

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by chapmaja »

Doktor No wrote:There was a Rycynga Lumber and Truss at one time. I have set out more then a few cars there in the 90's. There was another lumber concern right close by that may have also had a siding...whenever I was doing the CannonBall it was late night dark.
Rycynga has a facility in Grand Haven, which brings up a question. I thought I recalled that at one time, tracks from the CSX mainline (now Michigan Shore) extended across US31 to the east.

In fact, looking at Google Street view, there is still track in the ground in several locations. This line appears run along Adams St to the east. The switch to this line is still in place just north of Jackson St. per Google Street view.

What was this line and when would it have been take out of service?

I just found another image which shows the tracks ending at what is now Grand Valley Marina. The tracks are still clearly in place in the pavement at the Marina and it appears in the Rycynga property in Grand Haven.

User avatar
Standard Railfan
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1800
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:25 pm
Location: Marquette, MI

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by Standard Railfan »

chapmaja wrote:
Doktor No wrote:There was a Rycynga Lumber and Truss at one time. I have set out more then a few cars there in the 90's. There was another lumber concern right close by that may have also had a siding...whenever I was doing the CannonBall it was late night dark.
Rycynga has a facility in Grand Haven, which brings up a question. I thought I recalled that at one time, tracks from the CSX mainline (now Michigan Shore) extended across US31 to the east.

In fact, looking at Google Street view, there is still track in the ground in several locations. This line appears run along Adams St to the east. The switch to this line is still in place just north of Jackson St. per Google Street view.

What was this line and when would it have been take out of service?

I just found another image which shows the tracks ending at what is now Grand Valley Marina. The tracks are still clearly in place in the pavement at the Marina and it appears in the Rycynga property in Grand Haven.
In 1920 and probably before and after that year, Eagle Ottawa Leather company stood where the RV park now lies on Beechtree at the end of Fulton.

The Sanborn Insurance map from 1920 shows rail lines into the facility coming from the west. https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4114gm.g040211920/?sp=20

Other pages of the same map indicate the siding ran along the ROW of Adams St.

User avatar
SD80MAC
Ingersoll's Mr. Michigan
Posts: 10431
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:59 pm
Location: Grand Rapids

Re: GRE Questions

Unread post by SD80MAC »

FWIW, the GRE will soon be going to 5 days per week operations.
"Remember, 4 mph is a couple, 5's a collision!"
http://flickriver.com/photos/conrail680 ... teresting/
Image

Post Reply