Michigan State University Coal Power Plant

[Dan Cluley]

A little more on the 1225 and the old power plant spur.

Before they extended Trowbridge Rd East of Harrison in the early 2000's there was another street slightly to the North. (the red line on the map) & Red Cedar Rd was a dead end South of Wilson. The C&O spur (the yellow line) paralleled the GTW until it curved North across campus.



I don't know if it is still visible but in the '90s you could still see the ROW behind the Landscape Architecture building N of Wilson Rd.

My understanding is that if you go back farther, this spur continued N of the power plant and crossed the river near where the current Administration building is.

In the early '80s C&O planned to remove the spur, and the 1225 group moved the engine for a short time off campus to a spot across the GTW from the Amtrak depot http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2858037 and then up to Owosso.

A couple more shots of 1225 on Campus

[GreatLakesRailfan]

I love the comment on the pic and those clean CSX hoppers behind it. Looks ugly but it's better then Notre Dame's switcher. It is common anymore to have universities or colleges that have rail access to their own power plants?

The little switcher Notre Dame had was far from the ugliest thing on that wretched campus...but you're aware that they truck their coal in and have done so for years, right? The removal of the line to the power plant followed many years of the equipment sitting unused, or slightly used at best. Years ago I heard a rumor that the railroad was similar to the fire department in that it was a pet project of one of the people who ran the place. When they guy died, so did the railroad, for the most part.

[adams_aj]

Awesome thread! Loved the archived story about the 1225 on the MSU campus!

[MQT1223]

A little more on the 1225 and the old power plant spur.

Before they extended Trowbridge Rd East of Harrison in the early 2000's there was another street slightly to the North. (the red line on the map) & Red Cedar Rd was a dead end South of Wilson. The C&O spur (the yellow line) paralleled the GTW until it curved North across campus.



I don't know if it is still visible but in the '90s you could still see the ROW behind the Landscape Architecture building N of Wilson Rd.

My understanding is that if you go back farther, this spur continued N of the power plant and crossed the river near where the current Administration building is.

In the early '80s C&O planned to remove the spur, and the 1225 group moved the engine for a short time off campus to a spot across the GTW from the Amtrak depot http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2858037 and then up to Owosso.

A couple more shots of 1225 on Campus

Fantastic pictures of 1225! Those have to be some rare gems if its before the work had started to bring her back.

I love the comment on the pic and those clean CSX hoppers behind it. Looks ugly but it's better then Notre Dame's switcher. It is common anymore to have universities or colleges that have rail access to their own power plants?

The little switcher Notre Dame had was far from the ugliest thing on that wretched campus...but you're aware that they truck their coal in and have done so for years, right? The removal of the line to the power plant followed many years of the equipment sitting unused, or slightly used at best. Years ago I heard a rumor that the railroad was similar to the fire department in that it was a pet project of one of the people who ran the place. When they guy died, so did the railroad, for the most part.

Didn't the Notre Dame switcher get donated recently? I thought I saw something about some switcher being donated from a college campus but it had to be trucked out.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

Yeah, the ND unit went to Hoosier Valley Railway Museum down in North Judson, Indiana.

[SD80MAC]

Max, get the book "Pere Marquette 1225" by TJ Gaffney and Dean Pyers. Half the book is pictures of the restoration on the MSU grounds. It only came out a couple of months ago so it should be easy to find.

[MQT1223]

Max, get the book "Pere Marquette 1225" by TJ Gaffney and Dean Pyers. Half the book is pictures of the restoration on the MSU grounds. It only came out a couple of months ago so it should be easy to find.

Yeah I heard. next time i'm at SRI I should get one since I bet they would have it. One think I noticed in the 1225 pics above is how she is displayed. Look at 1223 as well. The rods are displayed in the exact position albeit on the opposite sides.