Battle Creek, MI: Nichols Tower: GTW vs. Michigan Central

(Satellite, the now abandoned MC crossing is shown below)

Charles Geletzke Jr. shared
NYC (PC)-GTW Nichols tower in Battle Creek, Michigan was photographed on March 24, 1976. (C. H. Geletzke, Jr. photo)
Matt McClure: PC green door.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Charles' post

I added the blue line to this image to show the original MC route to determine the location of the diamond. The two red rectangles highlight the bridges that the MC route used to cross the river to their depot, which still stands.

https://www.google.com/.../@42.3201209,-85.../data=!3m1!1e3

Dennis DeBruler commented on Charles' post
1947 Battle Creek Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

Tom Carter posted

Conrail U25B 2534 (ex-NYC) picks up train orders at Nichols Tower in Battle Creek, Michigan, in September of 1980, with the Post Cereal factory in the distance. The rear of the engine has barely just cleared the Grand Trunk diamond and is followed by Conrail U-25B 2629, GP40-2 #3354, GP40’s #3026 and 3267 and a long string of cars. I love these early U25B's. They're my favorite GE's by far with their smooth sides with no protrusions and longer nose than any other U-Boat (along with very early U28B’s). The first U25B’s (like both of these) were even more attractive than later ones, as they had a cool one-piece windshield with a flat short hood, whereas later ones (and the early U28B's) had a two-piece windshield and the hood tapered downward toward the front.

The railroad employee holding up the orders was a neat guy. He came over to talk to me more than once when I was there and he invited me up to the tower a couple times as well, where he showed me how the switch panel worked and we talked about… yup, trains.

See the first reply for a front view of this train I took just seconds before it crossed the diamond.

[I knew Battle Creek had Kellog's Cereal. I did not realize that it also had Post Cereal.]
Tom Carter shared

Tom Carter commented on his post
Here's the same train as it's approaching the diamond where you can see the beauty of the early U25B's with flat hood and one-piece windshield. Behind the 2534 is Conrail U-25B 2629, GP40-2 #3354, GP40’s #3026 and 3267 and a long string of cars. I'm standing in exactly the same spot for both photos but turned from west to east.

Charles Geletzke Jr. posted
Here is the Conrail 9944 pulling cars (mostly loads) from Kellogg's in Battle Creek, MI and returning to their yard. You will notice that they are crossing the GTW at Nichols tower and the date was October 22, 1980. (Jack G. Tyson photo)

William B. Wilson: Which (their) yard are they returning to? Hinman Yard is to the rear (behind) the train. If they're going to Main Yard or Rumley Yard then the caption would be correct (assuming the train is coming at the photographer). Both Main and Rumley Yard's are gone now, along with the roundhouse, (1 stall) and scale and turntable.

Charles Geletzke Jr.: William B. Wilson: Yes, they would be headed toward Rumley Yard.