Traverse City Railroad Questions

[SecondCreek]

I've been looking at the Traverse City area recently using Google and I was curious as to the current status of freight operations in and around there. I was last there in 1990.

1. Is it operated by GLC? I saw a reference on this message board to the line from Walton Junction up to TC being part of the Traverse City Northern, which became part of Watco.

2. I only spotted what looked like two active customers, a scrapyard and a lumber yard, in TC. How can even a shortline make a go of it with just two, small customers and the long distrance to travel from Walton Juntion? There do not appear to be any customers in between those two ends.

3. What happened to the collection of old railroad equipment at the TC station?

4. I have to assume MDOT wants to save the corridor for eventual passenger train service from Ann Arbor.

[Steve B]

1. Is it operated by GLC? I saw a reference on this message board to the line from Walton Junction up to TC being part of the Traverse City Northern, which became part of Watco.

2. ...How can even a shortline make a go of it with just two, small customers and the long distrance to travel from Walton Juntion?...
...

4. I have to assume MDOT wants to save the corridor for eventual passenger train service from Ann Arbor.

It's GLC. "Traverse City Northern" is just fan fiction. It's feasible for GLC to operate on the limited traffic because the state owns the track and largely pays for the maintenance. MDOT is open to passenger service, but the preservation of freight service is what made the state buy those lines decades ago and is why they're still around.

[NS3322]

Wait till SecondCreek finds the Paper Railroads section...

[AARR]

You called http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=39327

Wait till SecondCreek finds the Paper Railroads section...

[TC Man]

Amerhart in Bates (just short of Williamsburg) receives center beam loads of lumber. Sometimes 4 cars at a time, sometimes 1 or 2. They are a distributor to retail lumber stores and contractors.

Beacon Recycling on the Grawn branch ships out gondolas of scrap. Sometimes they have one car, sometimes 6 or more. Siding holds 10 cars.

The Grand Traverse Dinner Train equipment that was based out of the TC depot is long gone, somewhere I think in Wisconsin or near there.

I don't see any passenger service ever coming to TC with exception of maybe a random excursion.

Also on the Consumers Power spur on the main just south of TC occasionally will see a transformer load on a heavy duty flat.

I wouldn't be surprised if GLC drums up a new customer or two in the near future.

[GP-35]

Its called road salt, for winter maintenance. Maybe next year, its in the planning stages!!!

[TC Man]

County Road Commission or City of TC? Seasonal I assume, summer traffic to build up following winter supplies? Either way, that's great news for TC area. Wonder what the car count might look like.

[SecondCreek]

Thanks for all of the answers. One more question...is the wye still used that crosses Cass Street in Traverse City? It looks rather overgrown. I am surprised it is still in place. It looked the same on my 1988 visit.

[AARR]

I can’t recall the last time the wye was used to turn equipment

Thanks for all of the answers. One more question...is the wye still used that crosses Cass Street in Traverse City? It looks rather overgrown. I am surprised it is still in place. It looked the same on my 1988 visit.

[TC Man]

Last time I saw it used was 2002 when they turned a BNSF box car. Strangely, it went to Amerhart (Northern Pacific Lumber back then), and a couple days later TSBY brought it back into town, wyed it, and took it right back up to Williamsburg. I have a pic somewhere. TSBY 389 and 391 were the power. 389 was the "City of Traverse City" locomotive.

Otherwise it was last regularly used by the Grand Traverse Dinner Train when they were down to one operable locomotive for awhile. Then they borrowed a TSBY locomotive on occasion. TSBY replaced several ties back then also (the removed old ties still sit in a pile in the middle of the wye).

[GP-35]

The wye is out of service, wide gage!!!

[TC Man]

The wye is out of service, wide gage!!!

There are also now trees growing between the gauge.

GP35, are you able to say whether it's the city or the road commission potentially bringing in salt? Also curious where they would transload. There's the old transload siding literally next to the city salt storage facility (the switch would need to be put back it- its partially in place yet). Maybe Elmer's would be a potential customer with all the asphalt, stone, cement they truck in. And Sara Lee....you never know!

Also, totally understand if you're not able to give more info. Appreciate what you've disclosed already.

[joeyuboats]

You TC guys--- have a question--- is there still a CORNILLIE CONCRETE plant up there? The trucks were red and yellow, but might have been bought out by someone else by now. Don't know where they were located exactly, but it was supposed to be somewhere south of the train station area .

[TC Man]

You TC guys--- have a question--- is there still a CORNILLIE CONCRETE plant up there? The trucks were red and yellow, but might have been bought out by someone else by now. Don't know where they were located exactly, but it was supposed to be somewhere south of the train station area .

It was bought out by SRM Concrete (I believe based out of Texas).

[joeyuboats]

Thanks for the quick reply! They used to be on the east side of Detroit, and were a small ,but well run company, but after the father passed,they split the company into concrete,and the other side was the brick,block/ building materials end of the business. Nothing lasts forever.