Past Tracks and Customers along KLSC/WMI in Hartford MI

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redlodger
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Past Tracks and Customers along KLSC/WMI in Hartford MI

Unread post by redlodger »

Hello everyone,
I’m curious about some track and buildings that used to be along the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago / West Michigan in Hartford. The area in question is between the CSX mainline in the east, North Edwin Street in the west, and north of Hilliard and Hart Streets. A snippet from a 1981 USGS topographic map showing this area is below:

WMI Trackage Hartford MI - 1981 USGS Topo Map.jpg

I’d like to know if these tracks were in place, and if any of the buildings housed railroad customers, from roughly 1987 to 2005. Working from left to right:

1) The large building with diagonal hatching, next to the CSX mainline. I believe this was the Fruit Exchange, and since 2000 it has been Mann Metal Finishing. Did either business receive rail service? There is no siding today. When was it removed?

2) Two buildings, on either side of the track, connected by a black line. They are roughly in the middle of the map, to the left of North Center Street (the red and white street). Sanborn insurance maps from the 1920s-1930 show this as a cannery. When were those buildings removed? Was it still a cannery in the 1980s, and was it rail served?

3) To the right of North Center Street, and above Hart Street, are two sidings. One siding appears to run into a building. The track is gone today. Much of the area is an empty lot, and several homes (119-133 Hart Street) are built on part of it. Was this a yard or team track area? What was the building at the end of the spur? The homes were built between 1994 and 1997, so I assume the tracks were gone by then. When were they taken up?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark
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kd_1014
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Re: Past Tracks and Customers along KLSC/WMI in Hartford MI

Unread post by kd_1014 »

Was there originally a diamond that went across the CSX main to that other track that veers off to the west? It seems like the perfect track arrangement for the east to west line to just go straight across.

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SD80MAC
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Re: Past Tracks and Customers along KLSC/WMI in Hartford MI

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kd_1014 wrote:
Mon Dec 14, 2020 12:33 pm
Was there originally a diamond that went across the CSX main to that other track that veers off to the west? It seems like the perfect track arrangement for the east to west line to just go straight across.
Yes, originally there was a diamond there. The line originally ran from South Haven through Hartford to Paw Paw and went as far south as Lawton, where it met the Michigan Central. The line was originally laid as narrow gauge and I'm not sure when it was standard gauged, but I would assume that was done sometime before the creation of the Pere Marquette in 1900. The PM, I believe, abandoned the line south of Paw Paw. I'm not sure when the diamond was removed, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was well over 100 years ago at this point.
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Re: Past Tracks and Customers along KLSC/WMI in Hartford MI

Unread post by J T »

kd_1014 wrote:
Mon Dec 14, 2020 12:33 pm
Was there originally a diamond that went across the CSX main to that other track that veers off to the west? It seems like the perfect track arrangement for the east to west line to just go straight across.
The 196 overpass on the south side of South Haven is where part of this old ROW is.
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