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Searching West Michigan Railroad

Its a sunny morning in Marshall, Mi on Saturday, June 23, 2007. Best conditions for this day's railfanning tour! Today I want to dirive westwards, first target is the West Michigan Railroad. In Paw Paw, MI this railroad should have their engine shed with two Alco diesels.

The first time I see tracks (can you see them on this picture...?) is west of town.

Well, it seems I don't have to look eastwards for some active railroad...

OK, close to the grade crossing are 5 ex CN box cars waiting for better times. They are now marked with ALAB reporting marks and are looking not too bad. There might still be a chance for something alive in the west.

I get back in the car and drive on the parallel 58th Avenue as suddenly...

a prairie dog crosses my way. I just can shoot out of the drives seat.

More like wild-life than a railroad does the track look to the west.

Also a bit further westwards the track is very country side.

In Lawrence some more signs of the railroad can be found: here a now obsolete small grain elevator. The tracks are behind this buildings.

On the opposite side the feed mill is located. On the siding further ALAB box cars are standing. I am trying to follow the tracks on the local roads, but can't find any Alco engine so far. It seems the best times of the WMRR are gone. Even at Hartford where this line connects to CSX my scanner remains quiet.

So I am driving further westwards to Watervliet, MI. After a visit to the well sorted second hand hobby shop my scanner is giving noise - my first train of today is coming!

An Intermodal is running eastwards. Lead engine is CP 8841 (AC4400CW), followed by CP 9625 (AC4400CW) and CP 5759 (SD40-2). Now the wehter has changed to overcast sky.

Smoking and with loud horns the train crosses the main street.

A CSX working car. I am leaving Watervliet in direction to Lake Michigan to find a piece of public accessable beach...unfortunately I was not successful. It also started to rain a bit.

OK lets continue railfanning.

On Highway 12 I am driving towards Michigan City. The old coaling tower sits still over the tracks of today's Amtrack line. Again I had to shoot from the drives seat.

 

 

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