must be past noon.
I looked around the caboose carrying the Grand Trunk's traditional bright orange on the outside, and pin neat inside.
Trainmen are good housekeepers. Like most cabooses this was home on wheels, equipped with three cots folded
against the wall, for use in case of layovers, a long desk on one side where the conductor does his paperwork, flanked
by two fuel lamps on wall brackets, three comfortable chairs [the kind barbershops kept for waiting customers years
ago] two water coolers, a cupboard for tools for use in case of derailments, an oil heating stove and pinup girl calenders.
Comfortable black pads covered the benches on each side of the upstairs cupola.
While we're on this topic, the engine cab of a diesel presents a far cry from the oldtime steam locomotive. Rinker keeps
his spotless. There was a mop pail at the front wall with a mop hanging above it. Also hanging on the wall was a carton
half-filled with paper towels, a bottle of liquid cleaner for his windows.
Three pedestal seats are bolted to the floor. The engineer sits in one on the right side. In front of him is a small shelflike
desk where he can write his running reports, and to his left the operating instruments are lined up in a bank---
train and engine brake valves, reverse lever and a smaller valve which operates the bell.
Two whistle cords hang in front, one operating the air horns facing ahead and the second used only in emergencies,
sounding a harsh klaxon facing backwards. Above and slightly ahead of these are the throttle, the air gauge,
speedometer and a panel of switches for electrical equipment. The other two seats, also leather covered and
comfortable, are on the left-hand side of the cab. One of these was for the fireman [no longer employed on Turkey Trail
freights] and the second for the head end brakeman.
Duchaine and I walked down the track to a restaurant while the crew continued its switching chores. We had about a
two-hour layover here in Greenville, so there was no hurry.
RETURN TRIP
After a leisurely lunch we returned to the train, which now becomes Train 542 eastbound. Rinker turned his engine
around on the Y, using a section of Chesapeake and Ohio railroad which crosses the Grand Trunk here, for one leg,
then picked up our train of 10 cars [six loads and four empties] and whistled out of town. It was 2:10p.m.
We added two loads of canned milk at Sheridan, two loads [one of beans for Saginaw and a car of naphtha for
Pontiac] at Carson City, another load at Middleton and an empty at Perrinton. Coming off the Ann Arbor at Owosso
we got three more loads, one car of scrap metal off the New York Central and two loads of flour from the Harris
Milling Co., making 19 cars, [14 loads and 5 empties] as we headed home for Durand.
It was a heavy haul and our little Alco gal faced tough work ahead. The evening was spreading its shadow around us
and it soon would be suppertime. Rinker lit a fresh Corona and shoved the throttle towards its last notch and we
laboured noisily out of town, belching black exhaust fumes across the landscape.
Our rocketing exhaust, as we came grinding through Corunna, sounded like an effort was being made to set a new
speed record across the "Leaky Roof."
Actually, our speedometer showed about 10 miles per hour and there was little or no gain at Vernon. Next came the
high viaduct carrying M-78 over the Grand Trunk tracks, beyond which could be seen the signal lights in the Durand
yard. We dropped our train at the top end and plodded down to the "tieup track" at the engine house where we began
our journey.
It was dark when Rinker shut off his power. His watch showed 6:50p.m.
_______________________
Crystal Refinery in Carson City. Grand Trunk
Western got the last domestic RS1's,
purchasing Nos.1950 and 1951 in 1957 for a
proposed switch your own plan at Chicago's
Dearborn Station. The plan never jelled as C.
& WI. kept switching for GTW and the RS1's
were sent to Pontiac,MI., where they held
down way freights and filled in for passenger
GP9's occasionally on commuter trains and the
Durand locals.
William Duchaine photograph.
diamond is on the right. The tower has been
restored and now stands at Coopersville,MI.
Photo, Gordon Lydeksen collection.
& Ohio railroads reach an agreement to trade
customers at Greenville and Ionia, allowing the
Grand Trunk to abandon their track between
Ashley and Greenville and for the C. & O. to
abandon their track from Grand Ledge to
Ionia. In this view taken from the Carson City
Gazette June 30,1983, the rails are being
pulled up at Vickeryville,MI.
purchase of nine miles of track by Dennis Kellogg from
G.T.W. This includes 6.8 miles of connecting track to
Middleton. A group including Ray Fricke of Middleton, and
the Klein Fertilizer Co. of Perrinton, underwrote the purchase
of the line between Middleton and Ashley.
Kellogg named the railroad on the Carson City end "Sweet
Line Railroad Co." after Ida Sweet a long time employee of
Rockafellow Elevator, Central Bean & Grain Co. and lately
with the Kellogg Elevator.
The paper went on to say: "Last Thursday five carloads of
soy beans left the Kellogg Elevator siding for Toledo,Ohio.
A total of 1,000,000 lbs. of soy beans were transported with
five more cars being loaded with soy beans and corn at this
time. The cars were brought in a week ago Tuesday, when
our photographer witnessed the arrival."
GP7 No.1606 backing down to hook to some
grain cars at Carson City in 1986.
From my interview with Mr.Kellogg: "The
locomotive was barely running when it arrived
on the property and they spent a lot of time on
the traction motors. Later the Michigan
Northern went into bankruptcy and when the
lease payments came due the Sweet Line was
required to make payments to the State of
Michigan. This did not set well with the owner
of the GP7 so he terminated the lease."
John Deere 4520 and converted it to pull grain
cars. They mounted a coupler on the rear and
added rail wheels to the front and back.
Photo April,1993.
across Division St. with a grain car. The 4520
was also used for the run between Carson City
and Middleton
