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Per a Cherry Growers rep, the decision has been made that the rail spur at Cherry Growers is not to be used again. They were in decision-making status since 2010 while they evaluated any possible future need for it and have made the decision to discontinue it's use and marketing that they have access to rail period. It will no longer be maintained. Also, the company (actually a co-op) is undergoing a major downsizing and will focus only on cherries. The Go-Go Squeeze plant on the property is a totally separate company and in it's own building and will continue to receive apples from local farmers and somewhere out west off-season by truck.

So, probably never a train to Grawn again! Let's see how long the track stays in place....

Was just there today. Company out back makes applesauce. Called Mertain or something close to it. Sad about this section of track. CG won't use it again and the propane dealer at the very end hasn't received any cars since the Chessie era I believe. IMHO, they should end it right before it crosses Cass. Beitner Hill will be a lot safer without the tracks. Lots of industry along Cass though..... maybe one day? If the old Sara Lee plant starts taking cars again as per the rumor, they could just push them in from the old Boardman yard..... Conductor might not like it though or, put a run around track in place just south of Rifkin's big spur. Not likely the State would rip it all out. With only the one customer in Williamsburg (Amerhart - which I visit often), I doubt they really push for more customers here anymore anyways..... I have a lot of fond memories of watching Chessie Geeps (7,9,30 &35's) running through and many ride alongs with Michigan Northern after they took over, on this line.

MIGN-Todd wrote:I doubt they really push for more customers here anymore anyways

Per Chris Bagwell, President or GM (not sure?) GLC has a relatively new sales rep (less than a year) who has been pushing the lines north of Clare including Traverse City.

MIGN-Todd wrote: propane dealer at the very end hasn't received any cars since the Chessie era I believe.

Back in 1988 or so, TSBY did deliver 2 loaded LP tank cars to Amerigas (it was another name back then). I got to ride on the TSBY #466 (RS-2) from Boardman Yark to the LP place where we dropped the two loads off and then picked up 2 loads from Cherry Growers. It was the first loads (and last, I think)- Track had not been used in year past Cherry Growers, so the push from the runaround track to the LP place (just under a mile) was at a walking pace, with the now passed away railroad cop Charles (can't remember his last name- went by "Chuck") walking alongside. Ah, memories!

The state will keep the railroad right of way and probably won't tear up the tracks!

Unfortunately I think now that we "value" railroads, we fight to save every inch. But most of what we try to save now are just marginal branch lines. We let all the reasonable thru lines go...before we figured out they were worth saving..the ones we wish we could have back. I doubt such a backwater branch would have any future as a line of significance.

MIGN then TSBY cop was Chuck Stevens

Besides bad track & lots of trees growing in the ties by amerigas why do they not use rail? Not enough aggressive marketing people? Poor service from C&O scared them off? Anti-Rail top management? Cost? I'm in the marketing industry and to me it just seems they are not being aggressive enough.

wyrickj wrote:Besides bad track & lots of trees growing in the ties by amerigas why do they not use rail? Not enough aggressive marketing people? Poor service from C&O scared them off? Anti-Rail top management? Cost? I'm in the marketing industry and to me it just seems they are not being aggressive enough.

A similar discussion about the propane facility in Petoskey ensued on this board some time ago. I didn't look for the thread, but I recall a propane industry insider explaining the reason for no rail shipments. IIRC, the use of rail requires larger shipments of product and the cost of money tied up in inventory more than offsets the savings in transportation.

The tracks will not be torn up!

wyrickj wrote:Not enough aggressive marketing people? Poor service from C&O scared them off?

TSBY, GLC and Traverse City officials push rail service. Companies prefer trucks do to more predictable schedules. GLC provides good service to Traverse City but once the cars are on the Class 1 connectors they have no control.

Standard Railfan wrote:

wyrickj wrote:Besides bad track & lots of trees growing in the ties by amerigas why do they not use rail? Not enough aggressive marketing people? Poor service from C&O scared them off? Anti-Rail top management? Cost? I'm in the marketing industry and to me it just seems they are not being aggressive enough.

A similar discussion about the propane facility in Petoskey ensued on this board some time ago. I didn't look for the thread, but I recall a propane industry insider explaining the reason for no rail shipments. IIRC, the use of rail requires larger shipments of product and the cost of money tied up in inventory more than offsets the savings in transportation.

Seems like if you have a large scale operation that rail is your best friend for receiving shipments. If your a smaller company trucks would have to be your only viable option unless you like taking losses. I think that's the contributing factor in a situation like this. How many large companies are left with access to rail service in that part of the state? Not very many I would think. The UP is the same way. Once the mines and timber quit for both area's that to me is what started the decline for large scale rail service up there. Last time I checked Cherries are seasonal. What else are you going to do with a rail spur that is not used for 75% of the year?

The Cherries themselves were seasonal but, the rail service was year around. My shop is across from Grawn's run around track. When CG was shipping, GLC was in town a few times a week. One, two and, a few times four cars were brought in. On one occasion, GLC even left a locomotive there overnight to switch.

Years later, the tracks are still there.

It still goes out to the propane dealer on the very west end. IIRC there is a sign on the rails just beyond the scrap yard that the track from that point west is out of service.

Interurbanlover wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:49 pm

Years later, the tracks are still there.

Well since the State owns the tracks it would make sence for the State to at least maintain the track for future possible industry. For Cherry Growers it keeps the truckers honest. hopefully the new GLC marketing man will be as aggressive as the marketing people on the LSRC and drum up new business.

Frozen cherries from somewhere in MI are being transloaded on another short line railroad. I don’t know if the frozen cherries are from the Traverse City area but it’d be nice to see GLC get that business again.

KenB wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 02, 2022 10:45 am

Well since the State owns the tracks it would make sence for the State to at least maintain the track for future possible industry. For Cherry Growers it keeps the truckers honest. hopefully the new GLC marketing man will be as aggressive as the marketing people on the LSRC and drum up new business.

Maybe they can talk GoGo Squeeze into at least getting inbound fruit, or fruit juice. They don't use corn syrup so no luck with tanks of that.

Jim_c wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 02, 2022 6:05 pm

Maybe they can talk GoGo Squeeze into at least getting inbound fruit, or fruit juice. They don't use corn syrup so no luck with tanks of that.

I believe some of the apples going to Materne (GoGo Squeez) in TC are transloaded on the West Michigan Railroad, per Trains Magazine.

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 02, 2022 7:54 pm

Jim_c wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 02, 2022 6:05 pm

Maybe they can talk GoGo Squeeze into at least getting inbound fruit, or fruit juice. They don't use corn syrup so no luck with tanks of that.

I believe some of the apples going to Materne (GoGo Squeez) in TC are transloaded on the West Michigan Railroad, per Trains Magazine.

They are, that’s what the ramp is for at the West Michigan Railroad.


I would like to know the cost savings involved with using twice as many trucks to haul the apples across the state (one boxcar is two truck loads) versus directly hauling cars up to GoGo to be unloaded? Especially with fuel prices today that cannot be much.

All they’d have to do at GoGo is rebuild the crossing in the plant because it’s paved over otherwise it’s basically good to go. All of the necessary infrastructure is still in place.

I wonder how much GLC has tried to bring this business back if at all.