CSX Montague Subdivision History

Any historical questions can be posted here. Answers would certainly help as well :)
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CSX Montague Subdivision History

Unread post by Talk »

I am interested in learning about the Montague Subdivision. What kind of industries were served and such

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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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Primary industry for many years were the two chemical plants on the north side of Montague. Once that traffic dried up, the rails were pulled in fairly short order.
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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Saturnalia wrote:
Fri Sep 11, 2020 1:11 am
Primary industry for many years were the two chemical plants on the north side of Montague. Once that traffic dried up, the rails were pulled in fairly short order.
Ahh. That would make sense. Thank you

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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

Unread post by Ben Higdon »

Are you referring to only the trackage from the north side of Muskegon up to Montague? For a time the line south of Muskegon was technically also part of the Montague Sub.

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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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The line originally continued north to Shelby and Hart. There were a number of fruit and vegetable packing houses located in the area.
I believe the line north of Montague was abandoned around 1980.

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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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Hooker Chemical and DuPont. Hooker is a Superfund site. Their 50 ton 2 axle GE went to Coopersville & Marne and then the Michigan Southern in White Pigeon. It has since left there. The 50 ton 4 axle from DuPont is currently on the Coopersville & Marne

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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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Just google Hooker Chemical Montague. That alone should keep you busy for awhile. Dangerous place, very creepy to go into and switch. Did it a few times. Didn't enjoy it.
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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I thought I remember reading that, way back, the tracks went all the way to the south side of Pentwater. I know there was a few fruit plants, lumber yards and elevators along the way.

As far as Hooker goes, I did some research a few years ago on that site. Holy Sh!$. That was a hell of a mess. You know its bad when they burry everything in a clay lined pit, cover it with a pyramid shaped mound and place a huge tombstone in the corner of the property stating what chemical everything is contaminated with for generations down the road to read. Look up the chemical known as C-56.

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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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EWRice wrote:
Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:26 pm
I thought I remember reading that, way back, the tracks went all the way to the south side of Pentwater. I know there was a few fruit plants, lumber yards and elevators along the way.

As far as Hooker goes, I did some research a few years ago on that site. Holy Sh!$. That was a hell of a mess. You know its bad when they burry everything in a clay lined pit, cover it with a pyramid shaped mound and place a huge tombstone in the corner of the property stating what chemical everything is contaminated with for generations down the road to read. Look up the chemical known as C-56.
I believe the farthest north they went was Whitehall.
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

Unread post by jrgerber »

These two diagrams are from the Muskegon Railroad Historical Society Facebook page.
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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SD80MAC wrote:
Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:04 pm
EWRice wrote:
Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:26 pm
I thought I remember reading that, way back, the tracks went all the way to the south side of Pentwater. I know there was a few fruit plants, lumber yards and elevators along the way.

As far as Hooker goes, I did some research a few years ago on that site. Holy Sh!$. That was a hell of a mess. You know its bad when they burry everything in a clay lined pit, cover it with a pyramid shaped mound and place a huge tombstone in the corner of the property stating what chemical everything is contaminated with for generations down the road to read. Look up the chemical known as C-56.
I believe the farthest north they went was Whitehall.
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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Doktor No wrote:
Fri Sep 11, 2020 10:12 am
Just google Hooker Chemical Montague. That alone should keep you busy for awhile. Dangerous place, very creepy to go into and switch. Did it a few times. Didn't enjoy it.
Would love to hear a story or two. :)
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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GOOGLE Hooker Chemical Montague/Whitehall. That's where the stories are. Chemical cleanup.
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5DV6YrTtGMg

Also, Hooker was responsible for Love Canal.

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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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Doktor No wrote:
Fri Sep 11, 2020 10:12 am
Just google Hooker Chemical Montague. That alone should keep you busy for awhile. Dangerous place, very creepy to go into and switch. Did it a few times. Didn't enjoy it.
What made it creepy while it was still in operation?
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

Unread post by Doktor No »

When I got to work the Montague Local a couple times in 78/79 there were PYRAMIDS of 55 gallon drums in the woods surrounding the plant. Trees growing THROUGH the drums so whatever was in them no longer was. Tank cars back in the woods, some undergoing repairs and painting. The building had tanks around it and setteling ponds filled with a white powder and others with liquids of unknown content. Major bulk storage tanks scattered about the property. A white powdery film covered everything in sight.
The whole place was surrounded by a high chain link fence topped with razor wire. Things dripped from pipes. Just a totally creepy place.
Now down the road was E.I DuPont De Noumors where they made Freon. Various inbound chemicals and outbound product. Place was clean as a whistle. Nothing out of place. All smokes and lighters were to be placed in a mailbox at the gate before entering and gas mask locations were well marked. Varous spots around the plant for various tank cars of stuff I had no idea what it was....picked up, dropped off, spotted to place, etc. Totally different mindset and operation.
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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And when Hooker closed they dismantled everything, made a massive pit and lined it with clay and plastic, shoved all the crap into it, along with the D9 cats and loaders and everything else including clothing and sealed it up.
Today White Lake is vastly improved as is the aquifer around the area.
The other polluter in town was Whitehall Leather. A tannery operation that was nasty. They shipped gondolas of waste, pig fat scrappings and all outbound. That had to be foul in the summer. Saw a few carloads of that headed south on the Cannonball along US31, jiggle jiggle along. YUKKK!
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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Doktor No wrote:
Mon Jan 25, 2021 3:38 pm
And when Hooker closed they dismantled everything, made a massive pit and lined it with clay and plastic, shoved all the crap into it, along with the D9 cats and loaders and everything else including clothing and sealed it up.
Today White Lake is vastly improved as is the aquifer around the area.
The other polluter in town was Whitehall Leather. A tannery operation that was nasty. They shipped gondolas of waste, pig fat scrappings and all outbound. That had to be foul in the summer. Saw a few carloads of that headed south on the Cannonball along US31, jiggle jiggle along. YUKKK!
What a lovely image. I watched the documentary in the link above and another that was done when the problems were rampant around the country in 1979. It amazes me that they were able to get away with what are obviously substandard conditions. Even if they didn’t know what the chemicals effects on human health were, which largely they did, these places like you say just looked unkempt. Your description of the Hooker site is downright chilling.
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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It's called capitalism in it's worst form. Profits first, public last. Look at the area around Rockford right now. Wolverine Shoe (among a few others) polluted the area with PFOS and PFAS from 3M ScotchGard. That chemical has very detrimental effects at parts per TRILLION! It took a court fight and denials to get them to run city water lines to affected areas AFTER cancer killed more then a few.
These sites dot the landscape. Abandoned refineries along Chicago Drive along the CSX yard continue to pollute the aquifer. On top of those old refineries are now auto and truck junkyards that leached everything from battery acids to tranny and brake fluids to gasoline and oil.
The list goes on.
So it goes.
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Re: CSX Montague Subdivision History

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And get away with it?! They declare bankruptcy and walk away. The Joseph Taxpayer does the cleanup.
St. Louis, Michigan is another place still living with the legacy of Michigan Chemical/Velsicol. If you were born in Michigan and consumed milk from Michigan cows in the early 70's you have PBB's/PCB's from it in your body to this day. Thousands of milk cows were slaughtered and buried in around 1976 that were damaged by the fire retardant mixed accidently into their feed. The Purina elevator on the GTW just west of Battle Creek is the place where that happened, if you remember the big cement elevator with the checkerboard paint job.
Oh and all this is just my honest opinion, gleaned for 67 years of being here.
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