Unless you like seeing nothing but track be my guest! Only 6 trains a day use the GR Sub....
Yeah if you're looking for quantity GR might not be your place. But you act like it's radioactive or something.
A little effort goes a long way around GR. If you know your stuff you can usually keep busy. It ain't no Vickers or Chesterton, but honestly where in Michigan is that even true?
6 railroads including Amtrak, lots of varies scenes and plenty of schedule variation. It's honestly probably second to metro Detroit in terms of variety and overall traffic - it just doesn't all pass the same spot.
If you're going April 3rd, you'll most likely see Q327, Q326, L302, L303, and Amtrak. Most of the locals and shortlines don't run on Sundays unless they decide to run an extra. Y297 usually makes a run up to Fuller in the evening to work the industries and GRE interchange. Wyoming Yard will probably have a yard job working some cuts sometime in the day.
Unless you like seeing nothing but track be my guest! Only 6 trains a day use the GR Sub....
It's what you make it. Enjoy the trains, food scene, beer scene, or something else of personal interest. Or find new personal interests. Or just stay home.
david
p371 and 327 normally will be by grandville by 900a,
700 wb has been approx 1100a to 100p, return has been after dark
when they go west of holland.
lately 326 eb has been from 1230p to 430p lately depending on barr departure
y121 out of waverly only will go to zeeland when they have work there,
empties and loads to the plant run as needed
the oval at judd is at the east end of wyoming yard could be a good spot, but that could have piles of snow in the way
could see y106, z151, and the elk transfer there along with 705 and 706 ( 706 is a am departure and 705 has been a pm
departure out of rougemere )
How many customers get service in Zeeland now? From the looks of Google Maps, 3 places have spurs, but only one has cars present. Also, the Ottawa Beach Branch is still in as far as the Natural Storage place correct? Do they still get service?
Zeeland has 3 customers: Zeeland Lumber, Vandenbosch John A Co. Elevator, and Plascore. All three are active CSX customers.
The Ottawa Beach Branch is still intact to the old TLC/Ryder Trucking Warehouse at the end of the line, but I don't believe they have received any cars there since Michigan Natural Storage bought the building. Deluuw Lumber, on the east end of the branch, is an active customer.
When in Grand Rapids check out the Padnos facility off of Wealthy St. SW and Front Ave. SW. they have an interesting array of trackage that dates back to the Michigan United electric railway ( the last interurban trackage in use in MI to my knowledge ) and a small center cab GE industrial switcher on site
Just curious, are there any roads that parallel the following sidings?
Grand Junction Mp CG54
Gross Mp CG61
Wells Mp CG41
Not sure if I got the mileposts right, the timetable I use has no mention of Kirk Siding (Mp CG72?).
I don’t know if these sidings are city names or are just control point names that the railroad came up with, so if anyone could point anything out with where these sidings are, it’d be nice.
Gross Siding is just south of the village of Bangor. There are multiple crossings along this siding between Division which is just east of the EE of the siding down to 36th St just east of the WE signals. There is an industrial park road to the east of the tracks that parallels the northern half of this siding. Beware it is signed for 25mph and the local copper will hang out there sometimes. But the multiple crossings give lots of possible photo locations. Google maps or a DeLorme will be your friend.
If you take 57th St. South out of Fennville Michigan (M89) you’ll come to 57th St. grade crossing mp CG41.25 and at that grade crossing is the beginning of Wells siding mp CG41 The East end switch is visible and accessible from that grade crossing and the siding itself is crossed by 122nd Ave. and 120th Ave. and ends before 118th Ave. When the leaves are on the trees most of the siding and the west end switch are not visible from 57th St.
The track crosses 57th St. on an angle and then straightens out to run parallel with 57th St.
The maps linked below are very useful for learning your way around the Grand Rapids sub. The are more of these maps in the CSX section of the wiki on this site.
Grand Junction is a good spot. Sometimes coal train helpers are stationed in the siding and added on there to get up the Saugatuck grade. Also the bike trail that was the old NYC branch from Kalamazoo to South Haven crosses CSX just north of the siding. It's a popular staging area for cycling and train buffs.
The maps linked below are very useful for learning your way around the Grand Rapids sub. The are more of these maps in the CSX section of the wiki on this site.
Great map a little bit outdated though (many of the industrial sidings are gone as well as the yard in Benton Harbor and the yard in New Buffalo is basically a relic)
