Well, I was headed up to the lake for the weekendabout 2 months ago, and noticed an abandoned railroad bed headed west from Holland RD. into Six Lakes, MI.
It was horribley overgrown with weeds and bushes, but there was no way that was going to stop me from exploring. I rode my bike about 1/2mile from my campsite to the bed and hacked my way through the bushes with my machete. The brush only went back about 10 feet, opening to a weedinfested bed. The trail curved, straightened out and eventually went from a built up bed to a deg out bed. I managed to ride my bike about 3 miles before coming to a gate near a road. on the otherside of the road I continued to ride, almost running over a racoon (boy was she mad at me). After, I came to a mowed path and then very old trestle about 50ft long. I rode over the trestle, and stopped on the other side to look at it. I walked accross and very few if the ties where in bad shape. A few where busted and shaved, but for mostpart, the bridge was all there. Then, I looked off the side of the trestle and saw the wrecked shell of an old steam train laying in the river. six cars where aalso laying in the river, plied up around and ontop of it. I got back on my bike and continued the 1/4 mile in to town. I am going back tommarrow, and will try to get a few pictures of the trail, train and bridge.
I asked about the train at the antique shop and an old man walked up next to me. He said is name was Jim Matton and he had somthing to show me, so I followed him to the back room. He was tall man, about 80's. He pulled an old photo album off the shelf and sat next to me at his desk. He dusted it off and the cover read "Chesapeake & Ohio Railway" and then underneath that, "Six Lakes, Michigan 1876-1992". He opend it and it was full of numorus photos of the railroad company and the logging company that used it. There was also a picture of the train, laying on the river. the cause was a bridge collaps which would also explain the posts and ties laying along the banks and in the river. According to him, the train was over weight when it crossed the trestle, and the trestle gave out. The train was left for some unknown reason, and the trestle was rebuilt. Only oe man was killed in the accident. After talking with him for the rest of the day, He gave me a ride back to the campground. as I was getting out of his truck, He handed me the album and told me to hold on to it because it "would be of more use to me than him" Every weekend, I head out to his house and we have a few beers and continue looking through it. It's been about 2 months now and we are about half way through it. While we look through it, he names different people and tells stories of working the tracks. He worked for them for almost 50 years. He also tells me stories that his dad had told him when he was young. I am very very happy I met him. If you want any infoabout the old line let me know and I will be happy to ask him.
Oh, and By the Way, You now have your very own Michigan Abandoned Rail Spotter
It was horribley overgrown with weeds and bushes, but there was no way that was going to stop me from exploring. I rode my bike about 1/2mile from my campsite to the bed and hacked my way through the bushes with my machete. The brush only went back about 10 feet, opening to a weedinfested bed. The trail curved, straightened out and eventually went from a built up bed to a deg out bed. I managed to ride my bike about 3 miles before coming to a gate near a road. on the otherside of the road I continued to ride, almost running over a racoon (boy was she mad at me). After, I came to a mowed path and then very old trestle about 50ft long. I rode over the trestle, and stopped on the other side to look at it. I walked accross and very few if the ties where in bad shape. A few where busted and shaved, but for mostpart, the bridge was all there. Then, I looked off the side of the trestle and saw the wrecked shell of an old steam train laying in the river. six cars where aalso laying in the river, plied up around and ontop of it. I got back on my bike and continued the 1/4 mile in to town. I am going back tommarrow, and will try to get a few pictures of the trail, train and bridge.
I asked about the train at the antique shop and an old man walked up next to me. He said is name was Jim Matton and he had somthing to show me, so I followed him to the back room. He was tall man, about 80's. He pulled an old photo album off the shelf and sat next to me at his desk. He dusted it off and the cover read "Chesapeake & Ohio Railway" and then underneath that, "Six Lakes, Michigan 1876-1992". He opend it and it was full of numorus photos of the railroad company and the logging company that used it. There was also a picture of the train, laying on the river. the cause was a bridge collaps which would also explain the posts and ties laying along the banks and in the river. According to him, the train was over weight when it crossed the trestle, and the trestle gave out. The train was left for some unknown reason, and the trestle was rebuilt. Only oe man was killed in the accident. After talking with him for the rest of the day, He gave me a ride back to the campground. as I was getting out of his truck, He handed me the album and told me to hold on to it because it "would be of more use to me than him" Every weekend, I head out to his house and we have a few beers and continue looking through it. It's been about 2 months now and we are about half way through it. While we look through it, he names different people and tells stories of working the tracks. He worked for them for almost 50 years. He also tells me stories that his dad had told him when he was young. I am very very happy I met him. If you want any infoabout the old line let me know and I will be happy to ask him.
Oh, and By the Way, You now have your very own Michigan Abandoned Rail Spotter
Creosote---what a beautiful smell!
