Kalamazoo, MI: Grand Elk (GDLK) Gearhart/NS/MC Botsford Yard

(Satellite)

Street View, Aug 2023

Street View, Aug 2023

Charles Geletzke Jr. posted
The roundhouse service tracks at Conrail's (former NYC--PC) Botsford Yard in Kalamazoo, Michigan on June 14, 1977. (C. H. Geletzke, Jr. photo)
Charles Geletzke Jr. also posted with the same comment

Dennis DeBruler commented on Charles' post
We can still see remnants of the MC roundhouse: https://maps.app.goo.gl/mjnjmk4XdGT5cow2A.

Mark on Railroad History posted

In June 1912, the Michigan Central broke ground at Botsford Yard in Kalamazoo for a twelve-stall addition to the existing roundhouse.  Kalamazoo was a booming location for the Michigan Central in 1912.  In May of that year, Kalamazoo was made a division point necessitating the addition to the roundhouse, new machine shop buildings, an office building and a new turntable.  The cost of these improvements was estimated at $250,000.  The contractor for the project was the George B. Swift Company who would employee around 150 laborers on the project.  The George B. Swift company was also working for the Michigan Central at Bay City on the new roundhouse and yard improvements at the Wenona Yard on the north side of Bay City.

The roundhouse that the addition was being added to was just over a year old when the work started in June 1912, having been constructed between August 1910 and March 1911.  This roundhouse in Botsford Yard had replaced the roundhouse that had been located near the junction of the main line and the Kalamazoo & South Haven Branch in Michigan Central’s ever-growing footprint in the Kalamazoo area in the nineteen teens. 

This real photo postcard captures the work in late summer 1912 as the walls of the roundhouse addition are being constructed by the George B. Swift Company.  The existing portion of the roundhouse can be seen behind the new construction.  The postcard is not postmarked but the original owner put a notation on the back that they are one of the laborers working on the roundhouse and in two weeks they will be sent to Bay City to work on the new roundhouse there.  Photographer unknown.

Charles Geletzke Jr. posted two photos with the comment: "Two views of the Conrail (former MC-NYC-PC) roundhouse and service tracks at Botsford yard in Kalamazoo, Michigan as photographed on November 11, 1977. (C. H. Geletzke, Jr. photos)"

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The yard hasn't lost any tracks.

1967/69 Kalamazoo Quad @ 24,000

Grand Elk is a WATCO shortline.

WATCO

The "Grand Elk" name makes more sense for the route in the Upper Peninsula.

WATCO

"The railroad leases a 123 miles line from the Norfolk Southern running south from Grand Rapids, Michigan through Kalamazoo, Michigan to Elkhart, Indiana. The main line it leases was a former Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad mainline from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo. From Kalamazoo to Elkhart, IN they use a former Lake Shore & Michigan Southern branch. Under Watco carloads have increased on the line. Operations began on March 8, 2009." [RailroadFan]

So they must lease this railyard from Amtrak. Amtrak would have no use for a freight yard.