Martin, MI: A one-car GR&I freight

Mark Hinsdale posted

Just Another Mundane Local...

... but it captures a point in time mostly lost to history. A Penn Central Geep, tugging one tank car and an ex PRR "cabin car," rocks south at ten miles per hour along the rickety, light rail of the GR&I Branch near Martin MI, between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, in May, 1976. Technically, this is now a Conrail crew and operation by a little over a month, but no outward appearances of the new railroad have yet been seen in this far off corner of the system.. It will be a few years before Conrail spends a modest amount of money to shore up the GR&I Branch, and allow for a more plausible 25 mph speed limit. The ex Pennsylvania Railroad line is operated by Watco's Grand Elk Railroad today. Photo by Mark Hinsdale

Satellite

Five cars on one siding indicates that, once again, good customer service can make a railroad viable. None of the Class I railroads seem to care about customer service. In fact, I've read stories of CSX actively getting rid of customers.