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Wondering if anyone has an official gradient chart for the Plymouth Sub. I had seen people mention their charts however scouring the Internet, I have not been able to find any official documentation. If someone has the track profile for CSX's entire Michigan trackage that would be even better. Thank you as always.

Update, I have found a gradient charts in an old timetable I had picked up at a train show. For the Plymouth Sub and the rest of CSX's trackage in Michigan.
Conveniently for you folks in West Michigan, the Grand Rapids Subdivision is on the same page but labeled as the Chicago SD. This timetable was effective 09/01/1984.

There you have it. The ruling eastbound grades are Fox (1%), Thornapple (.99%), and Ann Pere (1.2%). Westbound are Salem (.95%), Lake Odessa (1.8%), and Thornapple (.89%).

Kind of wish it showed elevations along the points.

So just east of Ann Pere is the highest elevation?

MiddleMI wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2024 4:05 am

Kind of wish it showed elevations along the points.
So just east of Ann Pere is the highest elevation?

Yeah, the layout of the graph isn't exactly optimal in those regards. It looks like you are correct though, the highest elevation (which I've heard called Canwell Summit) occurs just east of Ann Pere.
The timetable says the summit exists east of the signals at CH 51, however according to other topographic maps it seems the summit sits just west of them, that is also where grain trains have the most trouble getting up the hill. I suppose it doesn't matter much once you squeeze a 150 mile line down to a few inches on paper.
In addition, it looks like the elevation axis on the right side is listed as relative to CH 0 as opposed to sea level, as the summit elevation is around 1000' above sea level, not 400'.

The track profiles in the timetable were meant to be just a handy reference. We had other highly detailed profile books in a folded format that went mile by mile with elevations, road crossings, curvature, bridges, etc. I have several from the 1970's, but none of the Plymouth Sub since it wasn't part of our territory.