RailRoadFan.com

A while back I started mapping out what I would do with no budget for a passenger rail expansion in the Midwest. I started with Michigan, since I'm from there & know it well enough, and have added on with IL, MO, IA, WI, MN. Someday I'll finish and add KS, OK, IN, OH... and maybe ON.

The simple rules I gave myself was that I were to use existing track whenever possible; with new track only being laid to expand an existing connection into a new direction, or to reactivate rail-2-trail lines. I also wanted to make city connections that made some sense (to me). There is no timeline associated with these.

Michigan Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... sp=sharing
The Collection: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

A little bit of a key: Colors indicate different types of service (Blue being Amtrak), Thin lines are connecting services (buses or existing other railroads (like VIA) or routes that I haven't finished aligning "perfectly" to the track, The track icon indicates that the connecting service continues on beyond the scope of the map, The generic pushpin icons are for stations where I couldn't really decided exactly where to put them.

Anyways, figured I'd open this up for your debates since I've already linked the MI one in another discussion.

I certainly don't see passenger service on Marquette Rail or Great Lakes Central/Ann Arbor ever becoming a thing. Fun to think about, though. Realistically, I am hoping for a second round trip on the Pere Marquette route, and maybe a second Blue Water that only goes as far as East Lansing or Flint.

Grand Rapids-Detroit. They were on the OCS along with the CP-CN and whomever else we can rumour to have been on board. But yeah, GRR DET should be a thing. Wait... throw in GRR AZO with a stop at the casino north and south. Why not? Connect to all that Wolveine Service east and west.

I often wondered if a train to Mt Plesant, MI would make any sense. Maybe not year-round or daily. But was thinking from Amtrack to Ann Arbor Railroad. Then bussed from a stop in Mt Pleasant to Soaring Eagle Casino. I know people travel from all around the region to go to that casino. Not sure logistically how that would work . Would the railroads in question and the casino make money off of it, a worthwhile adventure? They could market it as a package with dinner and drinks. Thinking people might come in from Chicago and other areas.

Conrail Quality wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:32 pm

I often wondered if a train to Mt Plesant, MI would make any sense. Maybe not year-round or daily. But was thinking from Amtrack to Ann Arbor Railroad. Then bussed from a stop in Mt Pleasant to Soaring Eagle Casino. I know people travel from all around the region to go to that casino. Not sure logistically how that would work . Would the railroads in question and the casino make money off of it, a worthwhile adventure? They could market it as a package with dinner and drinks. Thinking people might come in from Chicago and other areas.

I really liked the idea GLC had about doing a downtown TC to Turtle Creek Casino shuttle train. I believe they did one test run, and then nothing came of it...
https://www.northernexpress.com/news/fe ... ino-train/

The casino has no interest. I did a little research on casino visitors back in the Lake Central Railtour days. The sw parking lot was full of tour buses from Michigan. That was before Gun Lake, Firekeepers etc. A couple hours max and they are at the casino. Spend 5-6 hours at the casino and home that night. Can't pull it off by train.

Raildudes dad wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 02, 2021 7:51 pm

The casino has no interest. I did a little research on casino visitors back in the Lake Central Railtour days. The sw parking lot was full of tour buses from Michigan. That was before Gun Lake, Firekeepers etc. A couple hours max and they are at the casino. Spend 5-6 hours at the casino and home that night. Can't pull it off by train.

What if the train *was* the casino? Lol

Saturnalia wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:06 am

What if the train *was* the casino? Lol

That’s so crazy, it just might work.

Since navigable rivers and lakes are under federal jurisdiction, the anti-gambling types find some sort of moral comfort in allowing casino boats: “we are not allowing gambling in our state, we are allowing gambling on the federally-regulated waters of our state. It just happens there is a dock and gangplank…”

Since railroads are federally regulated, maybe we could find some similarly tortured logic for a casino train!

Only route that's going to work is from anywhere to Traverse City.
Just ask that consultant.

Raildudes dad wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 02, 2021 7:51 pm

The casino has no interest. I did a little research on casino visitors back in the Lake Central Railtour days. The sw parking lot was full of tour buses from Michigan. That was before Gun Lake, Firekeepers etc. A couple hours max and they are at the casino. Spend 5-6 hours at the casino and home that night. Can't pull it off by train.

Gotcha, makes sense.

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 02, 2021 7:40 pm

Conrail Quality wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:32 pm

I often wondered if a train to Mt Plesant, MI would make any sense. Maybe not year-round or daily. But was thinking from Amtrack to Ann Arbor Railroad. Then bussed from a stop in Mt Pleasant to Soaring Eagle Casino. I know people travel from all around the region to go to that casino. Not sure logistically how that would work . Would the railroads in question and the casino make money off of it, a worthwhile adventure? They could market it as a package with dinner and drinks. Thinking people might come in from Chicago and other areas.

I really liked the idea GLC had about doing a downtown TC to Turtle Creek Casino shuttle train. I believe they did one test run, and then nothing came of it...
https://www.northernexpress.com/news/fe ... ino-train/

Interesting article. Yes it must have not been feasible since nothing really came of it other than the one test run.