GR & Saugatuck 1998 - Help with Locations

Any historical questions can be posted here. Answers would certainly help as well :)
Dan Cluley
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GR & Saugatuck 1998 - Help with Locations

Unread post by Dan Cluley »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUJrIf43ROk




I'm hoping some of the West side folks can fill in the blanks on this weeks video. Here's what I've got.

I belive the first shot is 371 southbound at Lake Michigan Dr NW. Is that church gone since '98?

Not sure exactly where the pacing shots starts, but the 2nd clip begins just before Balsam Dr in Hudsonville & the pacing ends just before 64th Ave in Zeeland.

Not sure where the final shot of 371 is, from the timing it must be before Holland, so I’m assuming somewhere in Zeeland.

I’m assuming the 1st CSX train is eastbound, but not sure what crossing. Maybe 84th Ave in Zeeland

Next are 2 CP trains. I think they are both westbound?
1st might be at the bridge over 133rd Ave? It is someplace with access to the tracks, but no horn blowing.
2 has horn blowing, maybe 131st Ave? The S curve seems distinctive.

Airboat is obviously by the New Richmond Bridge.

I think the 3rd CP train is eastbound, and probably 133rd ave again.

CSX westbound at the west end of East Saugatuck

326 at the River & East Saugatuck.

Westbound CSX maybe 126th or 128th Ave north of Fennville?

Westbound in Fennville

Westbound at the Zeeland detector. That is at 84th ave, right?

Westbound CP train & 326 meet at Lake Odessa.

GRHC
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Re: GR & Saugatuck 1998 - Help with Locations

Unread post by GRHC »

The first CSX train is definitely crossing the 84th Ave. grade crossing.
Note: The grade crossing has been removed and the road closed.

I believe the final shot of Amtrak P371 is taken right around 84th Ave. in Zeeland.

DD 19.1 is very close to 84th Ave. in Zeeland.

JT should be able to help you with the locations around Fennville and New Richmond Michigan.

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Re: GR & Saugatuck 1998 - Help with Locations

Unread post by cdressel »

First shot, the church in background is Basilica of St. Adalbert Catholic Church, 654 Davis Avenue, NW, Grand Rapids. Church is still very much still there.
Chuck

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Re: GR & Saugatuck 1998 - Help with Locations

Unread post by Dan Cluley »

Thanks to both of you.

Didn't expect the church to be north of the freeway. That's a lot of zoom.

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Re: GR & Saugatuck 1998 - Help with Locations

Unread post by J T »

Great video, Dan! I know where all the daylight locations are except for the train at 5:52. That one is throwing me off, especially with the red barn captured at the end of that scene.

Edit: ahh, no wonder…the crossing is no longer there and I’m sure the barn and horse/cow pasture are gone too.
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Re: GR & Saugatuck 1998 - Help with Locations

Unread post by J T »

P371 on September 8, 2012.

Oh, hey. Just realized it was double tracked through there in the video footage. Anyone know when that second set of tracks was removed and how far it went?

Image
Last edited by J T on Sun Aug 07, 2022 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: GR & Saugatuck 1998 - Help with Locations

Unread post by J T »

6:40 - The train is westward down the grade over 133rd Ave (which you can't really see any evidence of in the video). Once the camera is panned to the going away shot, just around the curve is MP 32 (which you can see in my photo). The videographer was standing near the ROW in the bottom corner of this photo:

Image




7:35 - The train is approaching the 130th Ave crossing, just south of New Richmond.

Coming: Image

Going away view:

Image


9:20 - EB train coming around the curve as pictured above, about to cross over 133rd.




10:00 - West end East Saugatuck signals/siding. The red pickup truck must belong to the videographer because it's about a half mile to this location down a 2 track, alongside a farm field, from 136th. Ave.



12:20 - Looking south at the west end East Saugatuck, from 136th Ave.




14:07 - Approaching the 128th Ave crossing north of Fennville.

Image



16:52 - Ok, watching this video now on my computer it makes sense to me that this is the 84th St crossing looking south with the red barn in the background (no longer there). The 19.1 detector announcement makes it obvious. :)
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Re: GR & Saugatuck 1998 - Help with Locations

Unread post by Dan Cluley »

J T wrote:
Sun Aug 07, 2022 12:35 pm

10:00 - West end East Saugatuck signals/siding. The red pickup truck must belong to the videographer because it's about a half mile to this location down a 2 track, alongside a farm field, from 136th. Ave.
Close, I was filming, but my friend Mike was driving that day. He did tend to use the access roads pretty freely. :) I think the fact that I wasn't driving is part of the reason I was having trouble remembering where we were.

Thank you for all the info, and some very nice pictures. :)

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