The location of this cache is on the grade of the former Grand Trunk Western (originally Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon) railroad, where it leaves the Village of Sheridan. Bring your own pen.
Photo by Kevin Springsteen © 1983.
So long old friend. The last leaving Sheridan, January 13th, 1983.
So Long, Old Friend:
It was here that Silent Whistles was born. This is the second cache in this rather overgrown series, and the second of three such SWS caches in town. It was here, in my youth, that I sat and watched the train crew switch the Carnation Co., Sheridan Elevator and occasionally the Big L. Lumber Co. Once in a while, I would get lucky and get a ride in the cab while the crew did its switching. I pestered the depot agent more than I probably should have, but railroaders have a soft spot for kids that were mesmerized by their daily chores. It was here that I lost my old friend as an over thirty adult, and this is why Silent Whistles was created.
On the morning of January 13th, 1983, I drove from my job in Grand Rapids, waiting for the end. I stood west of here at the intersection of M-66 and Condensery Road, listened to the whistle (actually a horn) blow for the last time and watched the last train depart Sheridan and disappear to the East. The prior Saturday, I was lucky enough to be part of a guest crew on the second to last eastbound local, but that is another story. I returned to work that day, but did not have my heart in an honest half day at the office.
Photo by Kevin Springsteen © 1983.
The end is nigh.
Toledo, Saginaw & Muskegon Railroad:
In 1887-89, a railroad line originally known as the Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon, was constructed between Ashley and Muskegon. Rails reached Carson City in September of 1887, Greenville in November of 1887, Cedar Springs and Muskegon by the end of the year. Construction continued in 1888 for ballasting, sidings and depots. On August 1st, 1888, a lease of the TS&M to the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada was completed. GTC later purchased the line outright. A mail and express train and a mixed train (with passenger service) was operated daily between Owosso (over the Toledo, Ann Arbor & Northern Michigan to Ashley) and Muskegon. The line was locally known as the GT version of the Turkey Trail because it meandered like a turkey and also because it allegedly never made money.
In 1928, GTC was merged with other Michigan Grand Trunk subsidiaries into the Grand Trunk Western, itself a subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway. In 1930, GTW secured trackage rights between Grand Rapids and Muskegon over the Pennsylvania Railroad (former Grand Rapids and Indiana) Muskegon Branch. Service on the Turkey Trail was reduced to way freights and mixed trains. In 1946, with heavy service operating over the PRR, the portion of the line between Greenville and Muskegon was abandoned.
Mixed train service continued leaving Durand, to Greenville and back each day until the end of 1955. On January 1st, 1956, this was reduced to a way freight turn daily. On January 11th, 1983, the last train left Greenville and the line was abandoned between Greenville and Carson City. The rails are still in place from Ashley to Carson City and were being occasionally operated from 1982 by the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay and since 2006, between Ashley and Middleton by the Great Lakes Central.
April, 2020:
A lot has happened in nearly forty years. I, once again, live in the house by the railroad right of way that I grew up in. A lot has happened since I published this, my second, geocache, seven years ago. While being sequestered at home during the Covid 19 episode, I finally took the time to look for the photo missing on this page since the cache was published. After a long search through a bunch of old slides, I finally found the pictures I took on this last day on the Turkey Trail. As sad as it still makes me, I gladly share it with all of you. I still hear the echo of the long silenced whistle that once passed this way.
Sources:
[agh]
