A Lansing Mystery: Abandoned Trestle

[Larry G]

Discovered these very interesting photos and story on Flickr tonight concerning an 'unknown' abandonded trestle in Lansing. Can anyone shed some information on this one??
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marioq/2603813711/ Link to story..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marioq/tags/sycamorecreek/ Link to pictures..

3 Neat pictures of this trestle in the photo stream along with a short story about it. Trestle appears to cross Sycamore Creek and is covered with ivy but rails on in place.

A quote:
"This old abandoned trestle is located just east of the new trail and crosses over the creek near Soccer Zone. Looks like this must have been part of an old spur off the tracks that cross Cavanaugh east of Pennsylvania. There’s some deteriorated fencing blocking access to the old tracks, but it I don’t think it would stop anyone determined to climb on that old rickety bridge."

[CERY]

This trestle is on a spur that went from the Lansing secondary to where the landscaping supply and lumber place are on Aurelius road next to Dean transportation. I don't know who the customer was, most likely the lumber place. You can see the spur on bing maps really well.

[J T]

Wow, very cool find. I'm going to have to take my bike on the trail this spring and check that bridge out. Looks like the spur goes right next to what is currently Dean Transportation.

[AC60CW]

I am only gonna take a stab at the customers. But, it looks like the lumber yard as well as the company that sell stone and rock for landscaping both got service. On Bing maps if you rotate and look closely, the rails run into their property as well. Whether or not it has always been a stone company, I do not know. But it is very posible. I know alot of companies that started by selling coal to consumer in the area made the shift to other products, such as stone. Due to them already having the sorting bins and trucks. MAybe someone in the actual "to know" can fill in the final story.

[Larry G]

Thanks for the information...The Bing Map site really shows this spur and trestle well.

I too hope someone will fill in the gaps in operations and abandonment.

Looks like the grade is in relative good condition when it comes off the main and before it goes into the woods from the photos. Hard to tell the condition when it emerges east of the creek and goes on to the end.

One would think that the mainline switch has been spiked. Must have been years since it was thrown to diverge.

[AARR]

Is the lumber company 84 Lumber?

[PAT.C]

NO. THE 84 SITE IS A MILE+ SOUTH AND OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD[WHERE MILLER MEETS AURELIUS].


ANSWER TO POST BELOW---YES.

ZOOM IN AND ROTATE FOR A GOOD VIEW OF THE TRESTLE.

[Crow T Robot]

Is this the area you are talking about?

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r3dxg2 ... ng%2C%20mi

just wondering....

[A No.1]

So Im looking your map over and I found some neet power on Bird's Eye View. Is the trailing a lease unit?

[TrainWatcher]

Almost looks like a CEFX SD9043MAC trailing at that angle.

[sd70accsxt700]

Yes it is.

[Crow T Robot]

Is this spur active? Looking at the bing map if you look at the very end of where the spur ends it looks like two loaded centerbeam cars??

[CERY]

It's not, I have never seen cars there. I think what your are seeing is stacked lumber still with the wrap on it.

[J T]

Is this spur active? Looking at the bing map if you look at the very end of where the spur ends it looks like two loaded centerbeam cars??

The spur "ends" at the bridge. If you zoom in at the link you provided above, you'll see that there are no rails in place east of the trestle.

[OaklandCountyCustoms]

Is this spur active? Looking at the bing map if you look at the very end of where the spur ends it looks like two loaded centerbeam cars??

The spur "ends" at the bridge. If you zoom in at the link you provided above, you'll see that there are no rails in place east of the trestle.

I zoomed, there are spots where rail can be seen east of the bridge, no ties, must be fairly well burried.

[J T]

I zoomed, there are spots where rail can be seen east of the bridge, no ties, must be fairly well burried.

All I see is 2-track.

[AC60CW]

I can see the rail still on the ground leading in the landscaping business as well. Very hard to spot, but it is still there. Now, if it has been removed partially between trestle and the lumber is another question. BUt the rail looks to still be in place for most of the east portion.

[J T]

I can see the rail still on the ground leading in the landscaping business as well. Very hard to spot, but it is still there. Now, if it has been removed partially between trestle and the lumber is another question. BUt the rail looks to still be in place for most of the east portion.

Well if it is, it seems a hike is in order. I'd love to find the rail still intact and grown over, as it might make for some really interesting photos.

[CERY]

When I drove buy today it looks like Dean has buses parked behind the old lumber company. They have either buried the tracks or taken them out. I didn't walk back there, that is only an observation at 35mph.

[AC60CW]

Yes, no telling how old the image on Bing is. So, they could be torn up now.