Best Railfanning Spot in Michigan

[nssd70m-2]

I would say that Romulus and Wyandotte are the best places. Romulus has NS trains running any time of the day with a good amount of foreign power (CP run through and UP and BNSF from St. Louis area). CSX is pretty good there too. Wyandotte has it's dead times. A majority of the trains are "run as needed trains" (Coal ,coke ,steel etc). You also get CN in wyandotte. I usually see more trains in romulus ,but for the aspect of seeing cool stuff ,oak st in wyandotte is usually good for that reason.

[pica]

Nobody has mentioned Plymouth!!!

[SW]

Plymouth, if I don't feel like driving, and then only at certain parts of the day. Otherwise, OHIO.

Scroll back a few posts...

[Shorthaul]

Nobody has mentioned Plymouth!!!

For good reason. You can see a lot of the same trains in Romulus, which is in addition to all of the "Wabash" trains.

[railohio]

Monroe... If you're good with the scanner.

[redside20]

Diann Jct if you like to seeing 2 to 4 trains a day and if you like being out in the middle of nowhere. Milan is another spot, and Battle Creek

[Shorthaul]

Diann Jct if you like to seeing 2 to 4 trains a day and if you like being out in the middle of nowhere.

He asked for places that were busier than Durand. Diann is about 1/2 to 1/3 as busy as Durand. Unless you know approximately when a train will be running there, don't waste your time.

[canpac08]

Well, I'd say Elkhart, IN
It's only a few miles south of the MI/IN border

Elkhart is a great place most nights I can sit at the Depot and watch atleast 12 trains in under 1 1/2 hours and you have the CN in South Bend. but as far as michigan Detroit is pretty much the last hot spot left to see alot of trains and a variety of power in a shot time span. Grand Rapids and Lansing used to be nice, but last I few times I was to either place I saw maybe a train every 2 hours Battle creek would not be from a volume stand point and all the areas with short lines would be nice but again, if you want alittle more variety then the CN/NS in BC with run some run through power or the short lines that can be hard to time. I spend all my time in the Detroit area.

[Bentrail]

Grand Haven

[Jochs]

Grand Haven

How about a little farther south in Holland.
In addition to the CSX trains, you also get the BNSF coal trains to and from West Olive.

[sd70accsxt700]

Ok is Elkhart, Grand Haven, or Holland with in a hour or hour and a half from Detroit. Might help when we can stay on topic.

[AARR]

Ok is Elkhart, Grand Haven, or Holland with in a hour or hour and a half from Detroit. Might help when we can stay on topic.

So do you take issue with my suggestion of Thompsonville? It may be a little further to drive but well worth the extra effort.

[sd70accsxt700]

If it is reasonably close to the hour and a half, then no (say 15 min) but the origonal question was a hour/hour and a half. I am pretty sure everyone knows you cant make Detroit to GR in a hour and a half.

[AARR]

If it is reasonably close to the hour and a half, then no (say 15 min) but the origonal question was a hour/hour and a half. I am pretty sure everyone knows you cant make Detroit to GR in a hour and a half.

According to MapQuest it's 4 hours and one minute. So I guess that answers our question. Thompsonville, despite being one of the best railfanning spots in MI is too far from Detroit

[redside20]

Diann Jct if you like to seeing 2 to 4 trains a day and if you like being out in the middle of nowhere.

He asked for places that were busier than Durand. Diann is about 1/2 to 1/3 as busy as Durand. Unless you know approximately when a train will be running there, don't waste your time.

Um Seth, apparently you don't get my dry humor I was joking about Diann Jct, but i like Diann because of the tower itself

[Shorthaul]

Um Seth, apparently you don't get my dry humor I was joking about Diann Jct, but i like Diann because of the tower itself

HAHAHAHAHA I'm sorry. It's kind of hard to connote sarcasm in text. I was shocked by this post, thank you for proving your sanity.

[GP30M4216]

Romulus is a good place to see trains from multiple roads. The Comerica parking lot, as has been mentioned, is a good place to sit.

Plymouth sees a large number of trains, but aside from X500, they're all CSX. Since you can't sit right at the diamond, you have to either have a scanner or constantly cruise around looking at signals, which works almost as well. Definitely more trains than at Durand, especially during the pre-dawn to lunchtime segment.

Milan is a good place in the late afternoon and evening. NS runs several trains, plus a local and the Annie often makes an appearence.

Ohio may have more trains, but the scenery is lacking

[chapmaja]

I was in Wyandotte the other day for work. While in the area I heard three trains go through between 7:30 or so and 9:00. I spent 15 or so minutes at the American Legion Hall as a SB CN went through. Waited on a SB which appeared to be on the Conrial (per sign on the crossing signal) but he stopped a bit north and I needed to get going for work. The entire time I was there a Wyandotte PD officer was sitting on a little side street watching me, but he never approached me as the only time I approached the tracks was on the sidewalk.

This seemed like a very safe area with a decent number of trains on the line.

[Trainman2223]

Wyandotte PD watches the "new guys" once they see you around a few times they buzz off

[astrofunk76]

My vote is still for Trowbridge in East Lansing...as viewed from the playground in back of Spartan Village Apartments (which is real nice if you have little ones). Just don't forget your step ladder and pruning shears so you can see over the fence. Either that or climb up one of the old weeping willow trees. If that's too intense for your tastes, one of my new favorite places for watching CN action is Riverside Park in Lansing (just west of the MLK Blvd. bridge). There's a nice little spot to set up a chair, a BBQ, read a book, whatever...and watch trains roll along the Moore's River pond (see an example at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5KcHo2SV98).

Thompsonville is pretty nice too...if you're lucky enough to own a time machine.