TRRS 463: Marquette Rail in a Snowstorm

Nov 21, 2015 White Cloud, Michigan - Marquette Rail's "Turn Job" is battling the first snow squalls of the season, as they work northward to Baldwin before returning south to Sparta in the afternoon.

We first catch up with the train on the south side of White Cloud, where they cross over the White River - the largest wooden bridge remaining on the railroad.

We capture them again north of White Cloud, downbound on the Kopje Hill, and then several spots north of Bitely before they crawl into Baldwin to exchange trains with the north end of the railroad.

Then, we transition to the southbound leg with the return trip to Sparta. We start with them departing Baldwin, heading around the west leg of the old wye, passing the former station, now used as a crew office. They've collected the MQT 2041 in the process, which is isolated for the trip.

We once again catch them in several spots near Bitely and Lilley, before heading back to Kopje, the first of two major grades that heavy southbound trains must overcome. The SD40-2 trio roars against the gravitational force at the midway point on the hill.

After taking the curve in White Cloud (part of an old junction), we capture them rolling into Newaygo, flying over the largest bridge on the railroad, over the Muskegon River.

The pickup of the 2041 in Baldwin becomes apparent now, as they set the unit out in the siding. The northbound train will have a grain train with them, and the geep will be used to work the elevator in town, shuffling the cars to and from the loading zone.

They're soon on the move again, battling the second major hill out of the Muskegon River Valley. The Colonial Rd overpass provides and excellent vantage point for the movement, near the top of the hill.

One final rollby is had in Kent City, before we capture them tying down in Sparta, where the train will await the nighttime Z151 crew, who will take the train to interchange with the CSX in Grand Rapids, MI.

MQT Turn Job Chase
Northbound Consist:
- MQT 3407 [SD40-2]
- MQT 3408 [SD40-2]
- MQT 3390 [SD40-2]
- 70 cars [Mixed]
Southbound Consist:
- MQT 3390 [SD40-2]
- MQT 3408 [SD40-2]
- MQT 3407 [SD40-2]
- MQT 2041 [GP38-2] setoff in Newaygo
- 52 cars [Mixed]
Location/Time:
- MQT GR Sub, White Cloud, MI, White River Bridge from M37, on 11-21-15 at 10:00 EST
- White Cloud, Walnut Ave xing, at 10:09
- Brohman, Grant St xing, at 10:47
- Lilley, 15 mile Road xing, at 11:09
- Lilley, Along M-37, curve between 17 Mile and Coolidge Dr, at 11:22
- Baldwin, 68th St xing, at 11:36
- Baldwin, Carr Rd xing, at 12:26
- Baldwin, 68th St xing, at 12:47
- Lilley, 18 Mile Rd xing, at 12:57
- Brohman, Grant St xing, at 13:36
- White Cloud, Along M-37, south of 5 Mile Rd, at 14:02
- White Cloud, Wilcox Ave xing, at 14:22
- Newaygo, Muskegon River Bridge, at 14:54
- Newaygo, River St xing, at 15:00 (setting off 2041)
- Newaygo, Colonial Rd Bridge, at 15:23
- Kent City, Main St xing, at 15:54
- Sparta, along Aspen Rd, at 16:08

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Recorded with a Sony PJ790 Camcorder
Edited with Cyberlink PowerDirector 13

Copyright 2015 Thornapple River Rail Series