The Grand Trunk Western started out of Battle Creek in the mornings and returned to BC each evening. The Bryant wye was just one of several areas in town that they served. The GTW entered the wye area under a girder bridge near the end of Stockbridge Ave. Sometime after lunch Monday thru Friday they came up usually with 8 to a dozen cars. Miller Lumber and Single Service (International Paper, now Evergreen) were the biggest customers although there were several others, too. In the steam days they used a USRA light mikado, number 3717. As they transitioned to diesel they tried an Alco S-4, a GP-7 and even an RS-1 before settling on the SW1200 series engines.
The New York Central (actually CK&S) only came occasionally and only served the businesses at the west end, a waste paper warehouse at Race Street and the team track at the very end near Portage Street, serving Peter Pan Bakery, South Side Lumber and Lapeakas Stone. The power was always an SW-1 although I remember an 0-6-0 in my early days.
The Pennsy served in two places. From the south leg of the wye they served Beach Products but never came any further than Fulford Street. Then from the north leg they served a moving company warehouse, Fuller Foundry, Kalamazoo Paraffin and Kozy Coach, a house trailer manufacturer. Because of nighttime operation I rarely saw them but when I did they were using an NW-2.
Almost all the tracks are gone now but what little remains is still busy. Along the old Pennsy tracks both L.C. Howard (the Miller Lumber property) and Evergreen are still active rail users. Its just a fraction of what used to be but there are lots of good memories...
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