Macatawa Bay Dock and Terminal Co. (Padnos)

Anything pertaining to railfanning in Michigan.
GP30M4216
Saver of all History
Posts: 4801
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 10:35 pm
Location: Feel the Zeel, MI
Contact:

Macatawa Bay Dock and Terminal Co. (Padnos)

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

On a recent Friday afternoon I was surprised to catch Macatawa Bay Dock and Terminal Co. GE centercab #4491 at work shifting a loaded gon in the Padnos yard in Holland. It occurred to me that the Padnos facility in Holland has been there for about 100 years and the two centercabs there are reliably the oldest pieces of RR equipment in the city (except the PM caboose over at the depot). Usually, they are pretty much tied down on Friday afternoons. These photos depict them pulling a single car off the scales, spotting it, crossing River Street, then parking 4491 at its usual parking spot alongside the shop building. It seems like their usual practice is to spot loaded cars on the north-most spur in the yard for easy pickup by CSX D702 when they come for them. I've never been there when CSX is interchanging, so I'm not sure where they shove all the empties when they arrive. It looks like they load gons both east and west of Pine on various spur tracks, depending on the metal product.

I like the side mount school bell and the "General Electric / 65 Ton" script lettering on the side. The red flag is a really neat touch and appears to be hand lettered. If you zoom in on the photos, note the add-on LED lamps, the collection of strobes, and of course the truck horns, which was being used generously when I saw them at work. It's neat because scrapyards are usually NO TRESPASSING/no visibility operations, but the Padnos Yard is easily visible from public ROW at both River and Pine Streets and has public grade crossings at both. River is nice because there's a parking lot right there to simply wait in your car. Both crossings have sidewalks, and Pine has a good view both directions, but you have to walk about a block from a parking lot.

What is the history of the MBD&T? Since the Padnos spur goes practically all the way to the dock face of Lake Macatawa, I assume they once went all the way to the seawall? Was it ever a terminal railroad that served other industrial customers? Or has it always been the "in house" railroad for Padnos at this facility?
Moving east at River Street with a load.
Moving east at River Street with a load.
The loaded car spotted, the locomotive occupies the River St. crossing while the ground crew throws a switch.
The loaded car spotted, the locomotive occupies the River St. crossing while the ground crew throws a switch.
Heading back for the parking spot beside the shop. The painted lettering gives a strong sense of place!
Heading back for the parking spot beside the shop. The painted lettering gives a strong sense of place!
Last edited by GP30M4216 on Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

GP30M4216
Saver of all History
Posts: 4801
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 10:35 pm
Location: Feel the Zeel, MI
Contact:

Re: Macatawa Bay Dock and Terminal Co. (Padnos)

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

Where 65 tonner 4491 appears to be well taken care of and neatly lettered, I'm worried its centercab mate is not faring so well. I've checked in on the yard for several weeks and it does not seem like the other MBD&T switcher has moved. It looks like another 65 tonner - anyone know its number? It also appears to sport the MBD&T red flag logo on the cab sites. But no rounded headlamps and older add-on lights, horn, etc. make me think this is not the favorite. Anyone know the story? The track it's parked on is a lead that appears to go into the shop via the large roller door in the distance, but they don't regularly store and RR equipment in that building that I know of. This view looks east from Pine Street.

Actually, for that matter, what's the heritage of the 4491?
MBD&T Centercab.jpg

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

Re: Macatawa Bay Dock and Terminal Co. (Padnos)

Unread post by SD80MAC »

The empties are spotted by CSX on the scale track, with the east-most car being left on the scale itself. IIRC if CSX brings more than 8 or 9 gons at a time, the overflow will be shoved over Pine St. CSX crews have a remote provided by Padnos that controls the traffic lights on Pine St to stop traffic. The 4491 sees the most use, but the other GE does see use as well. IIRC it only has a coupler on the west end, which doesn't really hinder it since they are typically only switching the cars from one side anyway. The loads are staged by Padnos for CSX on the two north tracks in the part of the yard between River and Pine streets. I personally have had to double that hill many times back in the days when Y121 or Y223 only had 1 Geep. It is VERY steep and the curve doesn't help, either. What made matters worse was that the crossing for River St would only activate coming out of Padnos when the engine was ON the road! A few years ago CSX finally made that crossing activatable via pushing a sequence of keys on the radio, which helped out a great deal. Sometimes Padnos would even push on the rear of our train to help us get out, either with their engine or one of their front end loaders.
"Remember, 4 mph is a couple, 5's a collision!"
http://flickriver.com/photos/conrail680 ... teresting/
Image

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

Re: Macatawa Bay Dock and Terminal Co. (Padnos)

Unread post by SD80MAC »

Here's my own shot of 4491 from 2019.

ImageGE Switcher by Jonathon Leese, on Flickr
"Remember, 4 mph is a couple, 5's a collision!"
http://flickriver.com/photos/conrail680 ... teresting/
Image

User avatar
MQT1223
O Scale Railfanner
Posts: 4028
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 1:46 pm
Location: Grandville, Michigan
Contact:

Re: Macatawa Bay Dock and Terminal Co. (Padnos)

Unread post by MQT1223 »

Anyone recall when the Davenport Centercab they used to have here disappeared?

I’d also think that judging by the number the 4491 is a former Army unit?
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996. :)

Post Reply