Where Is It?

[AARR]

One of the hints was "SEM". Southeast Michigan.

The two guys nearest to the camera look to be in uniforms, and not US uniforms. So I'm guessing in Canada, maybe Windsor Ont.

[James Sofonia]

One of the hints was "SEM". Southeast Michigan.

Duh, ok, you got me back from my other insult today. I accept it.

[M.D.Bentley]

SEM / Downriver . Uniform is proper for the time period.

[ConrailMan5]

Just some notes becaus I don't know the area well. There appears to be an interlocking tower in the background, and at least one budd streamlined coach in the pileup. If my knowledge is correct, we are looking at a NYC train in the 1950's. The milepost on the code line seems to read 54/10. So with that in hand I am going to say FN tower in Trenton MI
Based on some other research, I will say the date is March 15 1951 and it is a wreck of a NYC passenger train due to broken rail. 3 dead and 17 injured

[M.D.Bentley]

Indeed the NYC "Royal Palms" wreck in Trenton Mi. Note on photo states 3 dead and 10 injured. Not sure if this was north or south of the tower thought.

[AARR]

I don't recall you insulting me. Maybe you must have me confused with someone else.

You're good at finding locations and I was trying to help . I miss hints too .

One of the hints was "SEM". Southeast Michigan.

Duh, ok, you got me back from my other insult today. I accept it.

[MQT1223]

Since I haven't posted in this thread in a while I'll add another photo since it seems like this thread is slowing down. I never noticed the rails in the pavement until fairly recently. I doubt this one will stump anyone but you never know.

[ConrailMan5]

Since I haven't posted in this thread in a while I'll add another photo since it seems like this thread is slowing down. I never noticed the rails in the pavement until fairly recently. I doubt this one will stump anyone but you never know.

Could be literally anywhere, and by anywhere I mean it is probably somewhere in grand rapids. But I'm going to go against conventional wisdom and say Battle Creek. Feel like there is a building that looks like that near the Amtrak station there.

[BDG]

Since I haven't posted in this thread in a while I'll add another photo since it seems like this thread is slowing down. I never noticed the rails in the pavement until fairly recently. I doubt this one will stump anyone but you never know.

Caledonia St. and Taylor Ave. in Grand Rapids. At first I thought this was the old spur to the GR Press building, but that ran next to the river in this area.

[PatAzo]

[M.D.Bentley]

Without a hint. I would guess that this is the North yard branch, looking towards "Vinewood" and the switch leading to what was once the "City yard". Not sure wild guess.

[PatAzo]

Here are a few hints. But being a somewhat historic photo the clues are in history as well.

1) The Mercury used to pass here.
2) There is a road just out of view to the left that parallels the the track that used to be called Lincoln Ave (but isn't anymore).
3) The plant in the background was switched by both the host of the Mercury and the Grand Trunk Western.
4) The siding (still there today) used to hold coal for a nearby power plant.

[M.D.Bentley]

To add confusion to the mix. Which Mercury would it have been ? The Cleveland Mercury, the Chicago Mercury or the Cincinnati Mercury ? All of them made their way to Detroit. Battle Creek comes to mind.

[PatAzo]

The Chicago Detroit Mercury. Not Detroit and not Battle Creek. The view is eastward. There are two mills in the background. The nearer one ran into the 90's. The more distant one (closed by the mid-70's) had a cross over named for it.

[ConrailMan5]

The Chicago Detroit Mercury. Not Detroit and not Battle Creek. The view is eastward. There are two mills in the background. The nearer one ran into the 90's. The more distant one (closed by the mid-70's) had a cross over named for it.

Ill guess it is in jackson then, but i have no idea where it would in jackson, I am just speculating based on your description.

[PatAzo]

The opposite view in 1990.

[MQT1223]

Since I haven't posted in this thread in a while I'll add another photo since it seems like this thread is slowing down. I never noticed the rails in the pavement until fairly recently. I doubt this one will stump anyone but you never know.

Caledonia St. and Taylor Ave. in Grand Rapids. At first I thought this was the old spur to the GR Press building, but that ran next to the river in this area.

You got it. Any clue as to the history of these rails?

[ConrailMan5]

The opposite view in 1990.

that isnt miller on the now AML is it? (would have been east jackson at the time of the photo iirc)

[PatAzo]

that isnt miller on the now AML is it? (would have been east jackson at the time of the photo iirc)

Not Miller. But keeping with the historic clues here is a view from the mill looking westward.

[GP30M4216]

That there be in the vicinity of the Pumphouse Crossover at the east end of Botsford (Gearhart) Yard in Kalamazoo! The later operating mill was once the Kalamazoo Paper Company, later Georgia-Pacific. The eastern mill which closed in the 70s was Hawthorne. The switch seen is the east end of the North Pass.

Great photo of the eastbound Conrail clearing up the 141.4 signal, too. That signal remained in operating until recently when the entire MC mainline C&S was upgraded through Kalamazoo and eastward.