GTW Grand Rapids to Owosso Mainline

[berkmeister]

How many trains a day did the Grand Trunk Western run on their mainline between Owosso and Grand Rapids during the 1970's? What locos usually ran on this line and did that include any of their six-axles (SD-40)? Thanks, berkmeister.

[AARR]

How many trains a day did the Grand Trunk Western run on their mainline between Owosso and Grand Rapids during the 1970's? What locos usually ran on this line and did that include any of their six-axles (SD-40)? Thanks, berkmeister.

There was a manifest in each direction (450/451?). Usually rated 3-4 4-axle power but I did see SD40's on several occasions. Departed Durand mid afternoon arriving Muskegon 5ish hours later. Departed Muskegon about an hour after arriving from Durand arriving Durand early morning hours. Normally worked Grand Rapids enroute both directions.

Local ran Durand-Grand Rapids M, W, F and returned T, Th, Sat. Rated one 4-axle unit usually GP9 but sometimes SW or RS1.

[BerkshireKid]

An RS-1 usually ran the local to Greenville and return on the Turkey Trail. There's an article online somewhere from a reporter who took a trip with them one day.
This would be a first for me to hear they ran the locals to GR also.

[odave]

Here's the article. It's a great read

http://www.merrittscharnweber.com/TurkeyTrailPage1.html

[AARR]

An RS-1 usually ran the local to Greenville and return on the Turkey Trail. There's an article online somewhere from a reporter who took a trip with them one day.
This would be a first for me to hear they ran the locals to GR also.

From what I've read a geep or SW was the norm on the local. The few times I saw them switching Fowler it was a geep but I'm told th SW's were common too.

[berkmeister]

Wow, funny everyone's now talking about the GTW branch (The Turkey Trail) north of the GTW mainline of which i first posted about. Back in 1979, my parents and i were at a campground a ways north of Carson City. That afternoon, i was bored hanging around the campsite, so Dad let me borrow his camera and pick-up truck and i decided to railfan Mid-Michigan. I had to take a photo of the track structure near Carson City; the rails were directly spiked to the ties without tie plates!!!!!! Never seen that on ANY mainline track before or since, even on other light-density branchlines! This had me thinking about such cheap construction on "The Good Track Road"!!!!!! berkmeister

[Todd Cline]

You are right berk, that Greenville subdivision was certainly an odd-ball on the otherwise well maintained GTW system. From what I understand though, it was originally built as a lumber road, and never had much through traffic.
When GTW abandoned the Greenville-Muskegon segment, the remainder was just left as a "backwater-branchline" for the most part. I think the death knell really sounded when the 100 ton grain hoppers became the standard in the late 1960's. That fragile rail was no match for the heavier axle loadings. I'm not sure on this, but I am guessing that the few customers still on that line cannot load the hoppers to full capacity just in consideration of those first 15 miles or so of bad track. That, in itself, will surely affect the bottom line as to shipping costs. I hate to say it, but I think that the line will eventually be abandoned in its entirety.
Get your photos while you still can.....

Todd

[AARR]

I hate to say it, but I think that the line will eventually be abandoned in its entirety.

I don't know about GLC but TSBY was investing in upgrading the line. I think a more serious problem is the consistency of shipments from MAC in Middleton. During a typical year they may ship 800 or more carloads of grain. But, at least for a couple year stretch, most of their corn was being trucked to local ethanol plants which reduced significantly the amount of rail shipments and discouraged investing in upgrading the track. However, lately, corn shipments have resumed and carloads are up.

To keep this related to the topic there were numerous small elevators along the line that shipped by rail even into the CMGN days when they finally abandoned the track and opposed the abandonment. However, since the rails have been removed several of the elevators have actually expanded their capacity.

[GTWTD3]

In later years the local was a turn job out of Durand. It would come to Owosso and spend hours switching in the small yard off cedar street. They serviced several industries- GP, Woodard, Andersons, Michigan Brick, elevator in owosso, and an industry just north of M-52 on TSBY that I can't remember the name of. I'd spend my afternoon after kindergarten watching them, and received my first cab ride there.

[wyrickj]

I've always wanted to know why the Ionia to Owosso portion was never sold to GRE? Did they (Pinkerton) make more off ripping it out vs just selling it to GRE? Was there any business left between the 2 end points now?

[AARR]

I've always wanted to know why the Ionia to Owosso portion was never sold to GRE? Did they (Pinkerton) make more off ripping it out vs just selling it to GRE? Was there any business left between the 2 end points now?

RailAmerica was not interested in this segment. There was not enough business to warrant the purchase price. Couple small elevators and a liquid fertilizer plant was it.

Ironically, the liquid fertilizer plant switched to a team track on TSBY after the line was abandoned. I don't think they ever shipped more than a few cars a week, though. But, then a year or two ago they built a new plant in Ashley and now ship more cars than ever before. It is sorta fun to wonder what would have happened had they stayed in St. Johns and CMGN had continued serving them rather than terminating the line in Owosso.

[Raildudes dad]

RA aquired GR to Ionia and Muskegon in the settlement of a lawsuit by RA over Pinkertons aquisition of the GTW trackage. The court settlement details were sealed so it's not public info why RA got what they did.

[SD80MAC]

Remember at the time it wasn't Rail America, but Railtex.

[wyrickj]

I've always wanted to know why the Ionia to Owosso portion was never sold to GRE? Did they (Pinkerton) make more off ripping it out vs just selling it to GRE? Was there any business left between the 2 end points now?

RailAmerica was not interested in this segment. There was not enough business to warrant the purchase price. Couple small elevators and a liquid fertilizer plant was it.

Ironically, the liquid fertilizer plant switched to a team track on TSBY after the line was abandoned. I don't think they ever shipped more than a few cars a week, though. But, then a year or two ago they built a new plant in Ashley and now ship more cars than ever before. It is sorta fun to wonder what would have happened had they stayed in St. Johns and CMGN had continued serving them rather than terminating the line in Owosso.

Probably was a bad move on CMGN's part if they are truly shipping a lot these days. Sometimes I think railroads are very short sighted in terms of future business.

[jrgerber]

Who were the major customers west of Owosso? Lets not forget the former American Bumper plant in Ionia should have generated major carloadings. Shortly before service as discontinued in 2004 someone once told me that American Bumper was shipping between 3,000-4,000 carloads annually out of that plant and that's in 86 foot boxcars. Do not know whether that number was acturate or whether that business existed when the Central Michigan ran the railroad.

[AARR]

Who were the major customers west of Owosso? Lets not forget the former American Bumper plant in Ionia should have generated major carloadings. Shortly before service as discontinued in 2004 someone once told me that American Bumper was shipping between 3,000-4,000 carloads annually out of that plant and that's in 86 foot boxcars. Do not know whether that number was acturate or whether that business existed when the Central Michigan ran the railroad.

Between Owosso and Ionia there were a few small shippers at time of abandonment, no one major. The major customer was Central Michigan Lumber's distribution center in St. Johns that received 500+ cars per year. They moved to Lansing around 92 or 93 and CMGN abandoned Owosso-Ionia shortly after.

Carloads out of American Bumper were probably around 1000-1500 annually (4-6 per day). They went directly to NS in Grand Rapids who took them to a couple of on-line Ford plants. If the American Bumper cars were taken across Ionia-Owosso then back west by CN who would have had to give them back to NS at some point so the Ionia-Grand Rapids routing was the best direct route.

[SD80MAC]

I can remember seeing GRE trains nearly 40 cars long (37 cars is my highest count that I can remember) with both 3839 and 3836 (and sometimes 24) for power roughly 10 years ago. That was when American Bumper and Electrolux in Greenville were still going strong. IIRC both companies shipped/received in 86' boxcars.

[AARR]

I can remember seeing GRE trains nearly 40 cars long (37 cars is my highest count that I can remember) with both 3839 and 3836 (and sometimes 24) for power roughly 10 years ago. That was when American Bumper and Electrolux in Greenville were still going strong. IIRC both companies shipped/received in 86' boxcars.

Electrolux used both 60' and 86' hi-cubes.

I recall reading the abandonment papers of MMRR and it said that Electrolux shipped about 1000 cars annually with all being outbound except for around 3 cars a week of inbound somethingorother in tank cars. They also received inbound plastic pellets (2 per week) until that contract was awarded to Dow in midland then it was shipped by truck (early 2000's IIRC).

[~Z~]

I can remember seeing GRE trains nearly 40 cars long (37 cars is my highest count that I can remember) with both 3839 and 3836 (and sometimes 24) for power roughly 10 years ago.

Didn't they pull more than 37 cars the day they took the coal gons to storage?
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=292281

[SD80MAC]

I wasn't taking the storage extras into account. Around 50 that night IIRC.