A few pics from Wednesday, 12/20/78:
Its around 3pm and YMMU1 is nearing the end of the workday, having been on duty since 0500. Here the 9073 is switching the south end of Muskegon Yard at 6th St, switching out the cars off of WMMU1 and the Detroit & Milwaukee interchange and putting together the evening's MUJA to Jackson. MUJA is built in two blocks, the first of which is set out at the former NYC Franklin St Yd in Grand Rapids. This block will include the empty pulpwood gondola shown here, which will be interchanged to the Michigan Northern to be sent back up north.
Poor quality picture (the lighting doesn't help), but this one shows three of the four way cars normally based in Muskegon. Left to right are the PC 19153 which is used by YMMU1 throughout the day, 24039 which is used by WMMU1, and transfer caboose 18136, used by YMMU1 for backup moves on the Muskegon Heights Extension. The fourth caboose is used by the road train. The 24039 and 18136 are on the former Fisher Coal Company siding. I'm not sure if I still have a waybill in my stack for a coal or gravel load for this customer. At any rate I haven't delivered a car there since moving to this house in 2011.
Aerial view of the 12th St dock on Muskegon Lake. Left to right are the road train power, 7698 which has been on WMMU1, a cut of empty sand cars, a cut of boxcars being loaded or waiting to be loaded with wood pulp, a pair of tank cars for the C&O (bound for Hooker in Montague), resident Jordan spreader and stored caboose, and a string of stored 40' boxcars. The single track that is crossing all the dock tracks is the C&O South Horn. Where it ends in the upper right of the picture is where I'm planning on making a small addition to accommodate the depot (terminal for an Amtrak route to Chicago). (9073 can be seen at 6th St at the top of the picture)
9073 has returned to the dock, worked the warehouse track and is tied down next to the office, reporting clear of the main track at Clay St at 420pm. It'll be quiet at the dock for a bit until the crew for MUJA0 comes on duty at 5. Meanwhile DMIL train 652 has departed Henry St Yd, come up the Muskegon Heights Extension to 6th St and entered the Muskegon Secondary, turned east and operating over trackage rights to home rails at Walker.
MUJA0 received permission from Clay to Shaw from the operator at Shaw at 521pm. The 29 cars are in two tracks at Muskegon Yard. Here the power is coupled onto the first cut at 6th St. The operator at Shaw notes the train is pulling at 619 on the train movement sheet, and clears Shaw at 624pm. JAMU0 will make its setout at Franklin St Yd (the empty gon and five loads of wood pulp destined for Kalamazoo), and will pick up GM auto parts for Lansing, which will be set out at Rives Jct before arriving at Jackson Yd and returning as JAMU0.