C&M Running Freight

[SD80MAC]

At one time there was a business in Marne that got plastic pellet hoppers. CPMY served it at least a few times. It burned to the ground in the early 2000s and wasn't rebuilt. There was also a lumber yard in Marne served via the runaround, but I'm not sure if they ever got cars under CPMY ownership. Meijer DC in Walker got cars until around 2007-2008, but that was served under contract by Grand Rapids Eastern.

[chapmaja]

At one time there was a business in Marne that got plastic pellet hoppers. CPMY served it at least a few times. It burned to the ground in the early 2000s and wasn't rebuilt. There was also a lumber yard in Marne served via the runaround, but I'm not sure if they ever got cars under CPMY ownership. Meijer DC in Walker got cars until around 2007-2008, but that was served under contract by Grand Rapids Eastern.

Interesting that Meijer was getting cars. When I worked for the company, 2003-2005 I was told they didn't get rail service at any of the locations, but given who told me I'm not shocked as he wasn't the brightest bulb on the Chistmas Tree so to speak (which explains why he was a manager)

[SD80MAC]

At one time there was a business in Marne that got plastic pellet hoppers. CPMY served it at least a few times. It burned to the ground in the early 2000s and wasn't rebuilt. There was also a lumber yard in Marne served via the runaround, but I'm not sure if they ever got cars under CPMY ownership. Meijer DC in Walker got cars until around 2007-2008, but that was served under contract by Grand Rapids Eastern.

Interesting that Meijer was getting cars. When I worked for the company, 2003-2005 I was told they didn't get rail service at any of the locations, but given who told me I'm not shocked as he wasn't the brightest bulb on the Chistmas Tree so to speak (which explains why he was a manager)

They were leasing out the warehouse to Van's Distribution. Rail service ended when Van's built a spur to their own facility a few miles away on the MQT in Walker.

[AARR]

My notes, which I think I got from Raildude’s Dad, show that Meijer was leasing space to Van’s Logistics receiving 450 cars a year of lumber, Blendo (I may have this name wrong) received 6-8 cars a year in Marne of fertilizer and a small lumber yard in Marne received a load of lumber in the early 2000’s after no rail service for 20 years and didn’t receive rail service afterwards.

[chapmaja]

At one time there was a business in Marne that got plastic pellet hoppers. CPMY served it at least a few times. It burned to the ground in the early 2000s and wasn't rebuilt. There was also a lumber yard in Marne served via the runaround, but I'm not sure if they ever got cars under CPMY ownership. Meijer DC in Walker got cars until around 2007-2008, but that was served under contract by Grand Rapids Eastern.

Interesting that Meijer was getting cars. When I worked for the company, 2003-2005 I was told they didn't get rail service at any of the locations, but given who told me I'm not shocked as he wasn't the brightest bulb on the Chistmas Tree so to speak (which explains why he was a manager)

They were leasing out the warehouse to Van's Distribution. Rail service ended when Van's built a spur to their own facility a few miles away on the MQT in Walker.

That would make since, I think I recall that now. Not that it changes anything about my boss :>

[EWRice]

There was also a spur on the east side of Fruitridge Ave. I don't remember what it served, but it was long out of service. I believe it was completely removed when the bike trail went in. St Marys Cement (current interchange between C&M and GRE) recieved cars at one point.

The track arrangement at Meijer was odd. There still is a long run around. I believe the track from the west ran all the way through Meijer and reconnected into the east end of the run around track. There were derails that were electrically interlocked with the overhead doors on the building.

The west end of this track had a diamond with a track crossing NW to another warehouse. All the switches are still in place. The diamond is still in the weeds.

There was also a spur heading east into Bissel. You can still see part of the grade and the longer switch ties.

[EWRice]

Here is a crappy drawing of Meijer yard, back in the day.

[Raildudes dad]

Klein Fertilizer was the customer in Marne. 100 tons in a hopper was turned into 45-50 lb bags. No automation - an employee filled a bag and then ran the sewing machine across the top and placed it on a pallet. When Klein closed down Blenco was going to use the plant to bag golf course blend fertilizer. I don't remember them bagging anything before the plant burned to the ground. Klein shifted everything to their facility in Grant on the MQT.
Werner-Lehera was the plant on the NE quadrant of Fruit Ridge. They made baking equipment. They hadn't used rail in many years. Irwin Seating had a spur at one time. It had been gone for many years. Various plant additions have removed evidence of the siding.
The Meijers warehouse was their primary distribution center. As they grew the Lansing DC became the primary DC. A long time employee told me the Walker DC is devoted to heath and beauty aids. Today there's lots of intermodal trailers in and out. The same employee told me back in the day when Meijers was selling firearms, employee(s) would secure rifles under a car and retrieve them when the car was pulled from the warehouse. Fact or fiction - I don't know.

[GRHC]

Klein Fertilizer was the customer in Marne. 100 tons in a hopper was turned into 45-50 lb bags. No automation - an employee filled a bag and then ran the sewing machine across the top and placed it on a pallet. When Klein closed down Blenco was going to use the plant to bag golf course blend fertilizer. I don't remember them bagging anything before the plant burned to the ground. Klein shifted everything to their facility in Grant on the MQT.

I have corresponded with the CMPY And was told that Klein last received rail cars approximately 33 years ago and that the Central Michigan handled the car movements.

Edit: Raildudes dad has informed me in a P.M. that this information is partially incorrect and that the Central Michigan was not the last railroad to handle car movements for Klein.

[SecondCreek]

I plan on being in Grand Rapids next month. When is the best time to catch the C&M working the Standard Building Systems spur in Walker? Thanks.

[pudgy]

I plan on being in Grand Rapids next month. When is the best time to catch the C&M working the Standard Building Systems spur in Walker? Thanks.

First, there really is no best time, as it's very sporadic and inconsistent.

Second, and most importantly, they aren't running freight currently due to the Bristol Street bridge project that has them severed from the national network. Ask cars have been getting unloaded by the former St Mary's Cement complex and getting trucked into Standard.

[DLM]

I joined the C&M in it's second year and became an engineer. I ran my last train in December 1993. During my time, GRE served all customers in Marne. I think I only saw cars there twice. I did pickup an 89' flatcar once in Marne to be loaded in Coopersville. I don't remember what was loaded and I did not take it back to Marne. Neither GM or Continental Dairy ever used rail service. I was at the plant in April and the tracks are still in place and still go inside the building. I did arrange during my time for CSX and NS to donate flatcars and cabooses to the C&M. I arranged for the City of Holland to donate all the rail that was laid on the west end of Coopersville. I and two others stripped and painted 7014 in to the paint she still wears. I picked up 3 semi loads of railroad ties in Ravenna from the track that was pulled up to be reused on the C&M. I remember 7014 being stored a fence on east end of the run around track before the engine house was built. Originally the run around track was on the north side of the main track in the dirt with vehicles sometimes blocking it. Oh the stories I could tell from the early days.........

[SecondCreek]

I plan on being in Grand Rapids next month. When is the best time to catch the C&M working the Standard Building Systems spur in Walker? Thanks.

First, there really is no best time, as it's very sporadic and inconsistent.

Second, and most importantly, they aren't running freight currently due to the Bristol Street bridge project that has them severed from the national network. Ask cars have been getting unloaded by the former St Mary's Cement complex and getting trucked into Standard.

Thanks. I take it that the Grand Rapids Eastern is on a temporary basis spotting those cars at the former St. Mary's Cement complex. Will the bridge at Bristol Avenue be replaced so that the C&M is reconnected? I have never seen a bridge that low at 10' per Google Streetview.

[SD80MAC]

Yes, the new Bristol bridge will be taller and wider to allow for 2 lanes of traffic and most trucks to clear it. It's expected to be done later this year.

[Raildudes dad]

I too remember the early days of the C&M. I was a track worker in those days. Replaced a lot of ties, all by hand - I couldn't do again, I'm almost twice as old as I was then . The 89' flat was spotted to load a historic reefer car owned by Tom Chubinski for shipment out east IIRC. I helped someone add / change the load securement in Marne before the CM would pick it up. Ah - the good old days.
The Bristol bridge should be completed by late September. The only thing different now is the construction company located next to the St Mary's site unloads the cars there while the C&M can't deliver the cars from the former St Mary's terminal.

[MQT1223]

I plan on being in Grand Rapids next month. When is the best time to catch the C&M working the Standard Building Systems spur in Walker? Thanks.

First, there really is no best time, as it's very sporadic and inconsistent.

Second, and most importantly, they aren't running freight currently due to the Bristol Street bridge project that has them severed from the national network. Ask cars have been getting unloaded by the former St Mary's Cement complex and getting trucked into Standard.

Thanks. I take it that the Grand Rapids Eastern is on a temporary basis spotting those cars at the former St. Mary's Cement complex. Will the bridge at Bristol Avenue be replaced so that the C&M is reconnected? I have never seen a bridge that low at 10' per Google Streetview.

I will add that the St. Mary's Spur is the usual place where GRE and the CPMY interchange anyway, so this isn't out of the ordinary for GRE.

[pudgy]

The unloading is taking place on the main line near the crossing that is the access road for St Mary's and Marsman Construction. The track is out from the switch west while they do the construction project.

[1TrackMind]

Here is a crappy drawing of Meijer yard, back in the day.

Found these on google earth.