Found a lonely mile marker near TC

[James Sofonia]

I was tracing the long ago abandoned PM grade East of Williamsburg this past weekend. A bit South of M-72 on Dockery Rd. I found marker 185 has somehow survived the removal of the line, on the edge of a quiet county rd. as well as time itself.

[J T]

Excellent find! I found one a couple of years ago deep in the woods along a newly created bike path on an old RR grade, which had been grown over and forgotten for decades. I took a pic of it back then, but I think the last time I rode on the path I noticed it had disappeared. I'm guessing someone has it in their garage now.

[James Sofonia]

last time I rode on the path I noticed it had disappeared. I'm guessing someone has it in their garage now.

Yea, too bad. I think these artifacts are way more interesting in their original habitat. Looses something when it end up in a garage or back yard. I hope this one stays there many more years for other railfans to discover.

[CAT345C]

You get more points if you can find an old Pere Marquette Concrete Land line, there are few along our route, when they repainted the concrete milepost they gave them a fresh coat also, really looks classy again.

[James Sofonia]

You get more points if you can find an old Pere Marquette Concrete Land line

What is a PM Land Line? Any pictures? I'll go out and find one.

[hoborich]

There's a couple along the PM rail trail from Clare to Midland. I rode the trail on my bike last year, and took some photos. Can't remember if I took any of the mile markers. I'll see what I have.

[Jetlink]

Just rode the same trail to the west of Reed City. There is a sag 92 milepost about 1 mile to the west of where the trail goes under US 131

[dmitzel]

There are old NYC RR Land Line concrete posts in Oxford - two that I know of along the old MCRR Bay City branch. One at the former Drahner Rd crossing, and a second to the north near the Oxford P.O. on Lakeville Rd (also known as Burdick St in town).

An old NYC concrete whistle post is located just off the grade north of Metamora along Sutton Rd a bit east of the former grade crossing. It appears the adjacent farmer removed the W post, and placed it along Sutton Rd nearby his mailbox. Maybe he figured the rural route mail carrier will sound their horn when delivering the mail?!

Anyway, happy hunting - but please, leave the artifacts in their place so others can enjoy too.

[James Sofonia]

Anyway, happy hunting - but please, leave the artifacts in their place so others can enjoy too.

I hear ya, note my post indicates these are more interesting in their original environment rather than someones garage.

I still need to ask what is the difference of a mile marker vs a land line monument?

[Norm]

I still need to ask what is the difference of a mile marker vs a land line monument?

Do you mean a "land survey monument"?

[James Sofonia]

Do you mean a "land survey monument"?

I don't know what it is, I was just referencing what CAT345c posted earlier in this thread. Anyone..anyone?

[CAT345C]

Let me see if I can dig up a picture of the one I found...

[CSX_CO]

They were concrete posts used to mark the edges of the railroad right of ways. There was one still at Stubenville, IN on the INE. I think it said "New York Central" or Maybe "CCC&StL"? I know a place on the NYC "Chicago East" between Indy and Shelbyville, IN where a stack of them were used as 'rip rap' to shore up a culvert at some point. You'll also see them marking highway boundaries, etc. Use has obviously fallen by the wayside.

Practice Safe CSX

[Todd Cline]

Many fond childhood memories from "Healy Lake Campground" just north of Kaleva, in Manistee county. The old P.M./C&O went right past the campground. We would run up to the tracks twice a day, when we heard the horn... There was a concrete milepost there as well.. It was "GR 136".

Todd

[Todd Cline]

As an edit to that above.....

This was in the mid-1970's.. I have been trying to figure out if the C&O changed the mileposts after 1955, when they abandoned the Baldwin-Kaleva route in favor of Baldwin- Walhalla-Manistee-Kaleva, In order to decommission High Bridge over the Manistee river. That would have added some considerable mileage to the route.. I never knew if they re posted the mileposts up there... Anyone here know the story???

Todd

[MP73point4]

OK, I'll cough up a photo of one of these "Land Line" posts. This one is in North Lansing's "Old Town" area at Grand River Ave. There hasn't been a train down this spur in years. It can be seen in the main photo to the left of the engine right next to the brick building and the sidewalk.

[CAT345C]

As an edit to that above.....

This was in the mid-1970's.. I have been trying to figure out if the C&O changed the mileposts after 1955, when they abandoned the Baldwin-Kaleva route in favor of Baldwin- Walhalla-Manistee-Kaleva, In order to decommission High Bridge over the Manistee river. That would have added some considerable mileage to the route.. I never knew if they re posted the mileposts up there... Anyone here know the story???

Todd

The current day Ludington sub from Baldwin 107.0 to Wahalla 120.0 that makes 13 miles bewteen the two. The wye for the Manistee sub would prolly be considered about 120.7ish
Baldwin is at mile post 73.4 measured from the wye in Grand Rapids
The Manistee sub or then called the Traverse City Sub? Starts off at milepost 87 in Wahalla. C&O Jct is mileposts 113.0 in Manistee.
Looks like the milepost do restart where they would have left off from Baldwin north.
Hope that helps Todd.

Heres a picture of the Pere Marquette Marker

[J T]

OK, I'll cough up a photo of one of these "Land Line" posts. This one is in North Lansing's "Old Town" area at Turner St. There hasn't been a train down this spur in years. It can be seen in the main photo to the left of the engine right next to the brick building and the sidewalk.

I'm still a little bitter that I've never seen a train go down those tracks (and probably never will at this point), including when they still went all the way to the BWL plant. Growing up in Lansing, it was always my mission to catch a train there. About 10 years ago, a friend of mine lived in that building next to the tracks, and he called me a couple of times to tell me the train was going by. Of course, living in GR by that time, there was no way I could get there in time to see it.

[James Sofonia]

Thanks for the pictures guys. Now I've got to go out and find one.

[James Sofonia]

What kind of locations did they put in the land line markers? Where they everywhere, or maybe just locations where a land dispute was possible. I need an idea where to look for these.