#gr&i

Traverse City Turn, Part One

Our diminutive train was in town once again today. I was running errands when I heard it, so popped over to Franklin Street, ran down the tracks a ways (with iPhone in hand), and bagged it crossing the Boardman River Bridge.

While the Great Lakes Central uses the tracks of several former railroads (such as Ann Arbor and the Pennsylvania), it is plying the rails of the Pere Marquette (later C&O) at this location.

Given where the light engines are, I assume they dropped some empties at Beacon Recycling.

Traverse City Turn, Part Two

After the train got moving again (see previous post), I trotted after it and bagged two more shots going away. It seems as if the substantial whistle post of the Pere Marquette has been tagged in the colors of the Great Lakes Central.

The light engines proceeded to go east of town on the line, nearly to Williamsburg, to service the lumber yard there—picking up empties I imagine. It will soon return to TC and head back up the former Grand Rapids & Indiana (later Pennsylvania) branch line to Walton Junction and on to Cadillac on the main.

Give a Little Chase, 4 of 4

Give a Little Chase, 3 of 4

Traverse City Turn (three of three)

I was able to follow Great Lake Central’s TC Turn yesterday; I photographed it at three locales.

This third sequence was also made along the former Grand Rapids & Indiana (Pennsy), but now we’re up the line in Kingsley, Michigan. I researched where the GR&I depot existed, and it’s site is just to the right of where I was standing for this shot, on the other side of the tracks where there’s a little clearing. I’ll come back in the winter to see if I can find any trace of the structure, such as a foundation.

On the Main (three of four)

I usually chase only the Traverse City Turn of the Great Lakes Central—which is on a branch of the former Grand Rapids & Indiana. Today I got a heads-up that a train would be traveling northbound from Cadillac to Petosky and so gave chase.

Here the train is seen at Grand Kal Road, along US131, and then in the small burg of South Boardman, Michigan.

On the Main (three of four)

I usually chase only the Traverse City Turn of the Great Lakes Central—which is on a branch of the former Grand Rapids & Indiana. Today I got a heads-up that a train would be traveling northbound from Cadillac to Petosky and so gave chase.

Here the train is seen in Kalkaska, Michigan, with a wonderful extant station there in the going-away shot.

On the Main (two of four)

I usually chase only the Traverse City Turn of the Great Lakes Central—which is on a branch of the former Grand Rapids & Indiana. Today I got a heads-up that a train would be traveling northbound from Cadillac to Petosky and so gave chase.

Here the train is crossing over Highway 131 and then nearby on the edge of Fife Lake.