Eastern Railroad Discussion > "A Little Northern Michigan Short Line Luck..."

Returning last week from Traverse City MI to Chicago following a family high school graduation ceremony, I was fortunate to run across a couple trains operating on Northwestern Michigan's active short lines. The first 3 views are of a Great Lakes Central Railroad southbound train, as it rapidly lifts off from McBain MI, southeast of Cadillac, after working the local industries. This is former Ann Arbor Railroad trackage. 50 miles or so west, at Manistee on Lake Michigan, Marquette Rail utilizes the former Pere Marquette (C&O) engine house there, where I found ex GTW Geep 4433 and assorted others. A helpful conversation with the fellows there revealed that a Marquette northbound train from Grand Rapids to Manistee was at Baldwin, working the small yard there. I drove to Baldwin and found the train still there, with a sizable consist as it prepared to depart Baldwin for Walhalla and Manistee. All photos were taken on June 7, 2011.

Cheers,

aussiehinz


1, 2, and 3. GLCR Southbound at McBain MI



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/11 15:52 by aussiehinz.

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4. GLLX #4433 on MQT at Manistee MI

5. MQT Northbound, west of Baldwin MI

6. MQT #3001, in consist of the northbound leaving Baldwin MI.

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Awesome. Love that Michigan stuff back in my old stomping grounds.

Love that Great Lakes Central paint job. Are the GP-35s still running?

I like the MQT and the GLC paint schemes.

SantaFeRuss

SantaFeRuss Wrote:
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> I like the MQT and the GLC paint schemes.
>
> SantaFeRuss


And maybe, before too long, there will be more than one locomotive in the MQT paint.

Thank you...I vacation up in the Traverse City/Leelanu area every year and
seeing a train a rare event. Of course, I'm usually busy doing everything from
hiking to snowmobiling, depending on the season I go.

I'm lovin' that Monon-like emblem on the cab of the Marquette engine...

Aussie,
really nice work on two seldom seen shortlines!! Any chance you get digtals of those MRS boxcars behind the power on the Marquette Rail mainfest??
Mark Mautner

Appreciate that, Mark. Unfortunately, no; I didn't specifically photograph the two former MFRS cars. I did notice them, though, and thought their presence was a little unusual for a railroad hauling mostly sand, salt, propane and grain. Here is a slightly wider view, but nothing much of an improvement. They were carrying non-MRS reporting marks.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/11 12:43 by aussiehinz.

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Heath_Tower Wrote:
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> I'm lovin' that Monon-like emblem on the cab of
> the Marquette engine...


Good catch on the emblem! I've given the Monon site short shrift since I joined TO a year ago. - Jerry

aussiehinz Wrote:
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> Appreciate that, Mark. Unfortunately, no; I
> didn't specifically photograph the two former MFRS
> cars. I did notice them, though, and thought
> their presence was a little unusual for a railroad
> hauling mostly sand, salt, propane and grain.
> Here is a slightly wider view, but nothing much of
> an improvement. They were carrying non-MRS
> reporting marks.

I used to shoot this line back in CSXT days when I lived in Mich. There were quite often insulated boxcars on he trains on these lines. I'm pretty sure they served a couple canneries along the line that still loaded outbound canned goods by rail, and I also think food grade salt was loaded at Manistee in boxcars.