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Does anyone know how far GLC runs on the line going East to Traverse City that stops at a Wye Just East of the Turtle Creek Casino. It seems like it branched in two with one line going to Elk Rapids and another going to Torch lake and up to Mancelona. I will be exploring this this weekend so let me know all you can.

wagnew0923 wrote:Does anyone know how far GLC runs on the line going East to Traverse City that stops at a Wye Just East of the Turtle Creek Casino. It seems like it branched in two with one line going to Elk Rapids and another going to Torch lake and up to Mancelona. I will be exploring this this weekend so let me know all you can.

Ends in Williamsburg. The lumber customer is located at Bates. If you go the other way it ends about 1 mile west of Grawn at an Amerigas dealer.

The line did branch in Williamsburg a long time ago. North to Elk Rapids and also to the east.
USGS topo maps are the best way to see the old grade.
http://www.mytopo.com/maps/?lat=44.7728 ... 40084&z=14

Maybe i will see some cool stuff while walking it

The lines ends in Williamsburg at Elk Lake road. From there, it (the ROW) continues on to Charlevoix and Petoskey. Where it used to cross Elk Lake road (the now end of the line) the former grade to Elk Rapids can be clearly seen banking off sharply to the north. Mind you, most of the former road bed is now private property and heavily overgrown in most spots. Through Bellaire and along the lakes in the area, it must have been one of the most senic trips to take via rail.

My wife and I will be at Turtle Creek Casino this Saturday and maybe Sunday to play in a poker tournament. Stop in if you have time, I am Jim and my wife is Cheryl.

If you have the time, make sure to go to Alden and check out the depot museum and the units out back.

Sorry I did not stop to see ya but I was running late. Over grown is an understatement. If it was not for the top of some of the trees I never would have know it was an old rail grade. I did get some pictures and some pics of the old depot. Next year I plan to go a little further down the trail.

If you walk the whole line, I will see you! The right of way goes right through our cottage property here in Bellaire. This was the old PM/C&O line. I have walked some of the right of way between Intermediate Lake and Bellaire. There are still a few relics left. Our cottage is on the west side of Intermediate Lake.

Talk about a small world. My in laws cabin, where I was staying is on Intermediate Lake between Belaire and Central Lake

Here is a link to my album from my little stroll. Let me know what you all think

http://railroadfan.com/gallery/thumbnails-1708.html

Hmmmm....your pics contained an interesting idea....an excursion train to the casino!

The siding you refer to as "spur to the freight house" is actually still used and not just kept for future purposes. When a train with only one engine runs out to amerhart in Bates, they can't run around the car(s) in Bates so they go to the siding in Williamsburg to perform the flying switch method of running around the train. It involves rolling slowly towards the switch and uncoupling the locomotive from the cars and then the locomotive speeds up and heads into the north siding. The switch is thrown right after the locomotive clears and the car continues rolling on the main line. The locomotive backs out of the siding and picks the car up successfully completing the run around move.

They never cross Old M-72 though, presumably due to the poor track conditions on the other side. Also the switcher in Alden will not be running unless something changes because of a property owner doesn't want to give a piece of his land up for a small straight track which they planned to run the switcher and cars back and forth on.

I thought the tracks were in great shape up to the very end. The switch seemed well maintained to. Unless the warehouse reopens the only reason to have track there would be a casino excursion train.

Oh if you are talking about the flying switch there is no track past 72

wagnew0923 wrote:I thought the tracks were in great shape up to the very end. The switch seemed well maintained to. Unless the warehouse reopens the only reason to have track there would be a casino excursion train.

The warehouse is actually a transload shed. It was built to serve some of the canning plants east of Traverse City. I am told it was used after it was first built but eventually those loads switched to Grawn or went to truck.

wagnew0923 wrote:I thought the tracks were in great shape up to the very end. The switch seemed well maintained to. Unless the warehouse reopens the only reason to have track there would be a casino excursion train.

I don't think they are very stable though. But there's no way to tell just by looking at them. And yes they do have a reason to have the track there other than an excursion train. So they can run around the train if they only have one locomotive which has happened three times in the last eight times I've seen them up here. If they have more than one they can run around the train at the lumber yard.

wagnew0923 wrote:Oh if you are talking about the flying switch there is no track past 72

The flying switch is what they call the special run around move I described earlier. And Old M-72 is the road that the tracks cross in Williamsburg. Yes the tracks don't cross M-72 in williamsburg. I'm not trying to be a know it all or step on anyone's toes. You seem to have misunderstood my post or I'm misunderstanding your post. Either way just trying to clarify.

Well when I read your post it involved thinking and that always tends to make me confused. I do understand though.