Kalamazoo Spur

[A No.1]

If your looking to chase a train up the spur, It should be a bit easer.

The Spur has a 10MPH restriction on the whole thing!

Apparently the Geometry Car found over 500 exceptions in 9 miles of track.

You may see some maintaince that way soon.

[canpac08]

that sounds about right and there are afew parts that feel like they might wash out about 1 to 1.75 miles from Pavilion Juction. though everytime we went over to work on the spur we never got a G.B.O. from the CN. course if the Elk keeps getting all the customers maybe CN will bow out of K-zoo all together and just keep the long haul traffic off the spur.As far as the up grade I would love to see it upgraded but I doubt it will upgrade to anything above 10mph. thanks for the update

[AARR]

course if the Elk keeps getting all the customers maybe CN will bow out of K-zoo all together and just keep the long haul traffic off the spur.

It wouldn't surprise me if this is what CN management would like to see happen. Class 1's are designed to make money by hauling commodities from point A to B at speed. They rarely make money on local switching. Although, when NS was in Kalamazoo CN was considered by some companies the better of the two and whenever possible CN was choosen.

[GAP]

What I don't understand is why the CN comes into Kalamazoo at all anymore. I thought the lease on the line had expired. Does anyone know what new arrangements have been made?

[canpac08]

CN has slowly been giving the switching rights on the last active customer on the spur and they also served a few customers on the Upjohn branch. The Elk has been picking up some of the customers that CN served on the Upjohn branch, the long haul traffic for the CN off the spur comes mainly from a Chemical plant and the occasional tank car from Pfizer.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Is the line actually owned or leased by Grand Elk and GTW still has trackage rights?

[canpac08]

the spur branches off of the CN South Bend sub around Pavilion and runs north to a place called Pavilion Jct. About half way up the spur is a place with 3 tracks a wye and a small yard of six tracks. they used to service a GM plant and afew other customers. the yard is called Kilgore and still has a yard office though its been boarded up and abandoned. The yard is being used by the Elk to store around 164 storage cars. the elk use the north end of the main siding for pick ups from the CN and the south end to drop off cars for the CN. when we would have to go to Kilgore to drop off or spin a car on the wye, or switch CY-TEC. We had to check with I want to say BO Tower to see if the CN was alos working the spur. The CN did service afew customers on the UpJohn branch, but the Elk was starting to get cars for those customers as
well.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Does GTW ( I like calling CN lines in Michigan GTW ) still own the tracks or is it back to NS or Grand Elk?

[canpac08]

The CN/GTW still owns the track from Pavilion to Pavilion Jct. But the industries have GDLK or NS locks on them

[ConrailDetr​oit]

If your looking to chase a train up the spur, It should be a bit easer.

The Spur has a 10MPH restriction on the whole thing!

Apparently the Geometry Car found over 500 exceptions in 9 miles of track.

You may see some maintaince that way soon.

That means it takes about a hour to go from Pavillion to Kalamazoo

[canpac08]

not sure it takes an hour to get to Kalamazoo but it does take awhile. i'd say about 40 min to get to Pfizer from K-Zoo. and about 20 min to get to Kilgore from Pavilion JCT. and it took us 45 min to get to K-ZOO from Pavilion JCT. and I had to ride the shove.

[GAP]

A few years back they used to have a caboose for the shove into town. I used to see it when they switched Arvan Papers. Is that a thing of the past now?

[canpac08]

The caboose is still around not sure if they use it but its kept just south of Kilgore yard on the shorter siding. she is still in great shape

[J T]

A few years back they used to have a caboose for the shove into town. I used to see it when they switched Arvan Papers. Is that a thing of the past now?

This caboose? (all shots from the K-zoo spur, the first coming around the curve off of the CN line in Pavillion)







Return shot...caboose probably at the end now:

[AARR]

Few things:
1. First of all nice pictures JT
2. I didn't realize there was a GP9R with 4 exhaust stacks. Are they all like that and the stacks can't be seen or was 4629 specially rebuilt?
3. It appears that the pictures may have been taken when Checkers was still open and shipping by rail. That's usually where the 86' hi cube box cars went. Am I right or was there some other source for 86' hi cube box cars?

[canpac08]

I agree nice pictures
yes thats the caboose and as far as i know it had to be from the checkers days or maybe interchange that came out of the fisher plant in grand rapids

[AARR]

and as far as i know it had to be from the checkers days or maybe interchange that came out of the fisher plant in grand rapids

Wow, I forgot about Fisher...it's been closed such a long time it didn't occur to me. I recall the short-lived "lazer trains" picking up 12ish cars per trip from Pavilion of Fisher products. But that must have been 15-20 years ago. Man where does the time go

[Norm]

"But that must have been 15-20 years ago. Man where does the time go "

Well, time does indeed fly. Like a roll of toilet paper, the closer to the end you get the faster is goes. You may have a few good years left, but Mrs Simon's bakery must go on forever. Dang, we would miss the goodies she makes.

Just think. Twenty more years and you may catch up to me. You are getting closer to me and Pat. Resign yourself to that. Hey, the Devil made me say that..

All said in jest and good humor. My late wife was one of the best in the kitchen. She made great meals and lots of baked treats. You're one lucky guy to be hitched up to a fine mate and a great cook.

[J T]

3. It appears that the pictures may have been taken when Checkers was still open and shipping by rail. That's usually where the 86' hi cube box cars went. Am I right or was there some other source for 86' hi cube box cars?

For your reference, the photos were taken April 9, 2007.

[canpac08]

A side from the fisher body plant and Checkers motor company there was a GM plant located right off the Kilgore Yard lead. not sure if they would have gotten any of the 86 footers. I'ms till sticking with Fisher. But am open to learning of other options