An earlier thread reported that the sand pit at Yuma, MI was shut down, and GLC lost their big customer. The sand mining operation has restarted, and the trains are running again on this northern-most segment of the ex-AA line.
Google maps shows a Wexford Sand Company with cars and a loading conveyer belt facility. And the tracks seem to end about two and a half miles North of the loadout. Looking at the google images, I can't figure what the rectangles along the ROW N of the end unless the are piles of reclaimed ties.
Acme Mapper shows some autoracks in storage near the end of the line. Aside from a dashed line (denoting a trail of some sort?) along the former ROW I'm not seeing an rectangles.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68 Acme Mapper shows some autoracks in storage near the end of the line. Aside from a dashed line (denoting a trail of some sort?) along the former ROW I'm not seeing an rectangles.
This google.com/maps view shows something to the right of the ROW that has alternating light and dark retangular areas that I can't get my mind to recognize. I went for full magnification of the satelitte image.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Yuma,+MI+49668/@44.3700078,-85.7620621,63m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x881e57904c9c7bd1:0x6d17733702dc5385!8m2!3d44.3466711!4d-85.7547897
As has been said by many, "I need help"
The only rectangles I see are farm fields. Crops just beginning to sprout.
In Google Earth images, the cars stored at the end of the track appear to be the commuter passenger cars that were formerly parked in the ex-PRR yard on the north side of Cadillac. A few winters back the cars were heavly vandalized, and I suspect they were moved there for safer(?) keeping. The (refurbished Metra) cars were for a proposed Detroit commuter line that has been planned for years. I also see a couple of racks of old rails on the east side of the end of track. I live about 20 miles from the site, so I will try to get out there some day to confirm.
In he google maps link referenced along the abandoned ROW, I notice that the light and darker rectangles seem to change as you move the image, which seems to be an photo artifact. The old ROW is now a recreation/snowmobile trail.
I'm pretty sure that what you're seeing is simply the overlay that indicates that it's a trail - a dashed line. If you follow "Old Michigan 37" for a ways, you'll see that it has an overlay of a solid line, as do most roads. It's not obvious if the road is wider than the line and the line follows the line well. I noticed it best where trees overhang the road.
MidlandMike In Google Earth images, the cars stored at the end of the track appear to be the commuter passenger cars that were formerly parked in the ex-PRR yard on the north side of Cadillac. A few winters back the cars were heavly vandalized, and I suspect they were moved there for safer(?) keeping. The (refurbished Metra) cars were for a proposed Detroit commuter line that has been planned for years. I also see a couple of racks of old rails on the east side of the end of track. I live about 20 miles from the site, so I will try to get out there some day to confirm. In he google maps link referenced along the abandoned ROW, I notice that the light and darker rectangles seem to change as you move the image, which seems to be an photo artifact. The old ROW is now a recreation/snowmobile trail.
tree68 Reply by tree68 I'm pretty sure that what you're seeing is simply the overlay that indicates that it's a trail - a dashed line. If you follow "Old Michigan 37" for a ways, you'll see that it has an overlay of a solid line, as do most roads. It's not obvious if the road is wider than the line and the line follows the line well. I noticed it best where trees overhang the road.
Reply by tree68
Thank you both. That make sense. I could see the trail when I went further away from Yuma. And I could discern that there was no track past those cars. Just didn't fathom what the alternating light and dark areas were.
MidlandMike I also see a couple of racks of old rails on the east side of the end of track.
That's what it looks like to me, as the length is around 40 feet or so, which is probably the length (39') of the stick rail that was pulled up.
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