Kalamazoo Report 10-24-09

[GP30M4216]

I was in Kalamazoo for WMU's homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 24. I "just happened" to detour past a number of railroading spots to visit a few haunts and see what's new. Here's my report:

Kilgore Yard is empty, although the wye seems to be in good shape. This is the only place in Kalamazoo where equipment can be turned. South of the Kilgore Wye on the sidings south of Kilgore Road I was pleased to find GTW Wide Vision caboose #79054, still looking pretty good, and apparently in use. They also had a small cut of cars on another siding: 2 covered hoppers, a black tanks car, and a 50' boxcar. The Green Bay Packaging door was closed but the siding looked in good shape (last I knew this was a jointly switched facility). The CML lumber yard is still empty .

Farther up the GTW, there were tankcars spotted on the south siding into Cytec. I never got a chance to view the north siding, nor any of the other sidings in that area: International Paper, or LC Howard.

It was good to see one boxcar at a loading door at Arvco Containers, a CN customer. The Junkyard spur had piles of metal beside the loading device, but no gons were seen.

It was nice to check in on Botsford Yard. A good supply of Grand Elk power was stationed on the old roundhouse leads - interestingly enough, all five of the locomotives were facing east/north. Power spotted included WAMX 4020, 4124, 3531, 4017, and one other geep. Several of the units were idling, but none turned a wheel while I was there. They have lots of new ties stacked up along Mills Street, great to see investment in their track.

I also spied their caboose in operation - GDLK 13, formerly Conrail 18516, an N-11 class caboose. It is still painted in its faded Conrail colors with white spray painted "18516" crossed out and GDLK 13 stenciled in white on a black background under the side window. Good to see this caboose back in service. It would be great to see this caboose one day repainted to match their black with yellow trim locomotive fleet. The cab was hooked to what was no doubt a train from the Grand Rapids branch. This train was alongside another long cut of cars with an EOT on the west end - probably inbound cars from Elkhart. At the east end of the yard, the LC Howard siding door was closed, but their siding's rails were shiny.

I drove up by Mosel Avenue to see the results of the road construction from a year back. The only tracks which still cross the road are the LS&MS Parchment alignment (are there any customers left up here?) and the PRR/GR&I Grand Rapids mainline. The old GTW and Checker alignments have been removed - the checker siding ends just south of the street. Sad to see that Checker is all closed up. It was nice to see a healthy number of tankcars in and around the Graphics Packaging plant at North Yard. I couldn't see if Plant 6 had any boxcars out front, or inside.

Otherwise, it was great to see BO Tower still in service with it's new roof. When did those GRS-2 small signal backgrounds show up on the upper two lights on the mast signals immediately beside BO Tower on the westbound No. 1 track? Did the old larger backgrounds finally rust off? I also think someone needs to walk along the Amtrak platform with a jug of roundup - unless they're trying to grow that garden alongst the ballast at Michigan's second busiest Amtrak station.

Regardless, it was nice to tool around Kalamazoo and see a few of my favorite places from when I lived there.

[RailCanon]

probably inbound cars from Elkhart.

Yup. I was on 365 that morning and we met the inbound right at BO as we arrived in town, so those cars had to be them.

At the east end of the yard, the LC Howard siding door was closed, but their siding's rails were shiny.

I noticed that as well. The tracks by the door didn't look as though they had seen any recent use, though...

[thomas]

grand elk left elkhart sat. morning with 4124, 4090 and 29 cars