Marquette Rail is a Genesee & Wyoming shortline railroad that operates over 130 miles of leased trackage in west Michigan. The railroad was acquired in 2012 through the takeover of Rail America, another shortline holding company. Genesee & Wyoming owns 122 railroads world-wide. Most railfans loathe the company’s corporate orange, yellow, and black paint scheme. After taking over independent railroads like Marquette Rail, G&W removes the unique identity of each short line by repainting newly acquired locomotives in the corporate scheme.
Marquette Rail was founded in 2005 by Kevin Ruble, who along with other investors, leased the line from Grand Rapids to Ludington and Manistee from CSX. The shortline was operated as an independent, employee-owned company between 2005 and 2012 before being acquired by Rail America and subsequently, Genesee & Wyoming. Today, G&W continues to operate Marquette Rail by fulfilling the lease agreement with CSX. The lease expires in 2025, so it’s unknown if G&W will renew the lease in the future. Only time will tell, but for now, the orange is here to stay.
On February 19th, 2021, we visited Marquette Rail’s northernmost trackage to document the Manistee Yard Job. Although a mild winter until the time of our visit, a Lake Effect snowfall was beginning to coat the ground with about six inches of accumulation. Being located along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, the small town of Manistee is no stranger to snow. The name "Manistee" is from an Ojibwe word first applied to the principal river of the county. It is interpreted by some scholars as meaning “Spirit of the Woods.” Throughout the morning, the spirit of the woods was evident, as many swans, ducks, and Canadian geese were enjoying the Manistee River as the snow continued to fall from above. Talk about a winter wonderland!
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27 мар 2021
