Great Lakes Central Clare to North Star May 4, 2022

With GLC GP35 385 recently restored to active duty, I decide to get trackside to catch the engine in action. My first stop is at the diamond in Clare as 385 leads northbound ONTN into town. After catching the Owosso and Cadillac Jobs in Clare, I chase ONTN south until daylight gives out. Unfortunately, 385 is the trailing locomotive. South of Clare I catch the modest 31 car train as it rolls through Rosebush with the big elevator creating a beautiful and decidedly Michigan-looking backdrop. At Shepherd, the day crew ends their shift after picking up a 28-car cut of covered hoppers and pulling them out of the south end of the siding that parallels Federal Road. Just south of Shepherd and Salt Creek, the night crew bring the 59-car train up Taylor's Hill - the ruling grade between Owosso and Clare. See story in link below where Taylor's Hill is mentioned in a newspaper article 130 years ago. A long telephoto shot really captures the engines sanders working hard to provide ample traction to the wheels as the train pulls the heavy train up Taylor's Hill. South of Alma the train is seen at Harrison Road as the train exits Alma limits to pick up speed. My final shot is between ZFS Ithaca and North Star as the sun sets and casts a gold-orange glow in the sky as well as on the engines. The 59-car train races south toward Owosso and the engineer offers a farewell wave and a shave and a haircut. "Shepherd's Bizarre Log Train Calamity" May 9, 1891 By Hudson Keenan http://www.clarkehistoricallibrary.or...