Trip to Southwestern Michigan

[eolafan]

I am planning a weekend trip to Southwestern Michigan with my wife in the coming weeks and would appreciate any advice of (1) railfan sites to visit in that area of Michigan where I can see some volume of trains and my wife can perhaps be amused as well and (2) any other suggestions as to sites of interest of any kind for the casual tourist like us.  Many thanks.

[MP173]

Where in SW Michigan?

[eolafan]

SW stands for SouthWest (see subject line above) and is the area near St. Joseph, Benton Harbir, etc.

[tree68]

That's Carl's neck of the woods. 

[MP173]

The CSX line to Grand Rapids sees a couple of Amtrakers, plus a pair of Chicago - GR - Toledo trains Q334/Q335.  I have no idea when those two run.  I havent heard them on the scanner in quite some time.  There is also a regular coal train running up to a power plant on Lake Michigan.  It runs regularly, but I am not sure how frequently.  If I were to guess, perhaps 2-3 x per week.

The Amtrak/NS line sees quite a few more passenger trains.  Consult the Amtrak schedules.  There is usually one local on that line during the week, running from Burns Harbor into Michigan and return.

Perhaps you might explore the New Buffalo area.  There is a museum just off the I94 exit, along with a coal tower on the CSX. 

There is a nice view of drawbridge./CSX in Benton Harbor. 

Enjoy the trip, if it is this weekend....Wow, what great weather.

Ed

[CShaveRR]

Yes, that's Carl's neck of the woods...Carl goes through there often, but trains are not the reason.

What Ed says about the trains through there is fairly accurate.  Westbound Amtrak train will be through in mid-morning Eastern time; eastbound after dark in the evening.  The coal trains (to Consumers Energy in West Olive) may be as frequent as daily.

Follow U.S. 12 from west Michigan City up to New Buffalo.  Amtrak's line is on your left (sometimes very closely) east (north) of Michigan City; CSX is on your right (not visible; just for reference).  Use Whittaker Street to go to the museum and coal dock, which are old Pere Marquette facilities.  The Amtrak Detroit trains go on their own lines, as does the Blue Water.

North of New Buffalo, the Red Arrow Highway takes you over Amtrak's line (which heads off toward Niles), and parallels CSX a little more closely to downtown St. Joseph. 

The drawbridge in St. Joseph is open until a train comes.  It's not far from the Amtrak station, which is also home to a nice pizza place (Silver Beach Pizza).  We haven't been able to dine with a view of the tracks, but they do a good job on pizza.  Not sure how much longer they'll be open for lunch (we were there on October 1), but they're open during the evening year-round.

Now, if you have a DeLorme atlas, and want to go a little further north, look for New Richmond and East Saugatuck.  CSX's line goes through both places, but the elevation difference between the two gives you quite a thrill if you should catch the coal train trying to climb that hill.

(By the way, Jim, those coal trains are regulars through Eola...they're the ones whose cars have the yellow-green rotary-coupler ends, and any number of reporting marks.)

Colors are very nice this time of year!  Enjoy them, and the weather...neither will last too long!

[Andrew Falconer]

If you want to go very far South in SouthWestern Michigan then you can drive your automobile down US-131 to Schoolcraft, Michigan. 

See the crossing of the Grand Elk Railway ex-NYC line and the CN/Grand Trunk Western Line.

The combined number of trains on both lines is worth watching. There are huge gaps of waiting time, then there is a is a flurry of activity of trains going both directions. So do not wander too far off when waiting.

Andrew Falconer