RailRoadFan.com

Hi,

I've known about a disused spur in the southeast side of Grand Rapids for a while now, and I recently had the opportunity to explore it and a few of its level crossings in person during a trip to Norton Shores that I took two weeks ago. The one I am talking about once led to Roskam Baking, and crosses 40th, 44th, and 52nd Streets.

South of 52nd Street, between Broadmoor Avenue and Patterson Avenue, the spur splits off into two. The west lead goes to Roskam Baking, and West Side Beer Distributing appears to have been a former customer on the east side.

It also appears that the 44th Street crossing has been paved over.

1. Anyone know when Roskam Baking quit rail? What did they ship?
2. When the spur turns southeast from its direct-south routing, it seems that there may have been another branch continuing directly south at some point. Is this correct?
3. What other customers were on the east branch of this line? It seems to end abruptly at Kraft Avenue. Did the line continue eastward? If so, where to?

You’re talking about the old Kentwood/Amway spur. The track that went to Roskam was actually Steelcase, who got coal by rail for their on-site power plant. Roskam bakery only moved into that part of the old Steelcase property a few years ago, they never got rail service there. The track was built in the late 80s and last saw service in the late 90s. West Side beer only ever got a handful of cars, just to keep their truckers honest. Steelcase got coal right up until the end. The switch from the CSX main was removed in the early 2000s and the first crossings to be removed were 44th Street and M-37, probably around 15 years ago. Patterson came out about 10 years ago. The line is owned by MDOT and it would not surprise me if it was fully removed in the coming years.

The line never went south of where it currently splits to head to Steelcase and West Side, but there were originally plans for it to go south of where M-6 currently is. The line never went beyond 10 cars lengths east of Corporate Dr but it had been graded to go east of there for future expansion that never happened.

I just wish a new customer would open south of Roskam/Steelcase so the line could be brought back to life. And hopefully someone on the east branch as well.

If not, then I hope then the Kentwood/Amway Rail Trail it is.

See the Historical Section for the info on the spur