Discover Coopersville Michigan
Buy Local Michigan travels to Coopersville in this segment of Discover Michigan.
The City of Coopersville website states, If you are looking for a great place to live, start a business, work or play, Coopersville, Michigan is the place for you. Conveniently located between Grand Rapids and Muskegon, Coopersville is just off I-96 via Exit 16 or Exit 19. Coopersville offers the best of all worlds. Source:
The mission of Coopersville Area Public Schools is “to inspire all students to have a life-long love of learning, to achieve their goals and to be compassionate citizens who contribute to the global community”. This mission, which was implemented in 2011, is the heart of the district's strategic plan that continuously demands excellence. Source:
The Coopersville Area Chamber of Commerce mission statement reads, “To Enhance the Community by Building Better Businesses” Source:
Their site goes on to state, The Chamber's mission is achieved through the efforts of volunteers and staff working together to provide affordable and effective Advocacy, Education, Information, and Networking programs to our members.
Coopersville is also the home of a few notable people. Butch Miller, a NASCAR driver, Tim Steele, an ARCA racer and Charles Westover. Charles Westover was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and grew up in nearby Coopersville. Charles changed his name to Del Shannon in 1960 according to Wikipedia. Source: Wikipedia goes on to state, Coopersville is a city located in north central Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,275 at the 2010 census. It is primarily a farming community. Source:
The Coopersville & Marne Railway is an historic railway operating vintage locomotives and circa-1920's cars from Coopersville, Mich. to Marne, Mich. (about 20 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, Mich.). The railway runs passenger trains from spring to winter, rain or shine, to preserve a little chunk of railroad history and educate our passengers along the way.
Buy Local Michigan, is produced by DW Video & Multimedia, LLC - Copyright 2016
TRRS 234: Coopersville & Marne Railway Freight Train with CPMY 7014 [HD]
The Coopersville & Marne Railway, based in Coopersville, MI, is most often associated with the tourist train business. From Spring through Christmas, they run passenger excursions along an old piece of the Grand Trunk between the namesake towns of Coopersville & Marne.
However, they own the line all they way to Walker, where they interchange with the Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad at the old St. Mary's Cement Spur located at Milepost 160, with the property line being MP 159.5. A few times per year, a crew travels the entire line with a mission of serving the only online customer: Standard Lumber. When notice is served that a load of lumber, in the form of a centerbeam, has been dropped off at St. Marys, a crew goes out to bring the car west and spot it at Standard, which is just west of Fruit Ridge in Walker, before heading back to Coopersville. A few days later, the reverse occurs, getting the empty back to interchange. This move is what we see in this video, taken 8-16-13.
In the first scene, CPMY 7014 is already a few miles from Coopersville, passing the station of Titusville, where Interstate 96 meets the line, and follows it for the several miles to Marne
For the second scene, we head to Marne, as the 7014 continues east past the siding. On passenger excursions, the 7014 runs around the train here for the return run to Coopersville. But now the 7014 runs down the main non-stop, and past the camera at Franklin.
Just down the line, the train crosses Hayes, where the P5 mounted above the cab screams to alert motorists and the blind, passive crossing. The 7014 belches some fumes as the engineer gets back into the throttle.
After the crew picks up the empty at Standard, they must negotiate the crossing at Fruit Ridge. The busiest at-grade crossing on the line, it is the only one with active crossing protection. But as part of the bike trail installation project, the flashers were disconnected, and have yet to be put back online, so the crew must stop and flag the busy, speedy four-lane road.
After running around their train at the old Meijer run-around, the crew shoves the last mile to St. Marys, passing over the historic bridge at Bristol. Far older than the men and machines traversing it, the bridge features but one lane and ten feet of clearance. Over the years, there have indeed been several accidents where tall vehicles attempt the impossible.
Finally the crew reaches the St. Mary's spur, and shoves the centerbeam up the steep hill. I didn't have much time to setup for the move, and my camerawork and placement suffered, but I decided to include it anyway to show a rare move on video.
Thanks to the Coopersville & Marne Railway for putting on a show!
Consist:
- CPMY 7014 [SW9]
- 1 car [Empty Centerbeam from Standard Lumber]
Location/Time:
- CPMY Ry, Wright Twp, MI, 40th Ave xing, on 8-16-13 at 13:27 EDT
- CPMY Ry, Wright Twp, MI, Franklin St xing, on 8-16-13 at 13:42 EDT
- CPMY Ry, Wright Twp, MI, Hayes Ave xing, on 8-16-13 at 13:49 EDT
- CPMY Ry, Walker, MI, Fruit Ridge Ave xing, on 8-16-13 at 14:26 EDT
- CPMY Ry, Walker, MI, Bristol Ave xing, on 8-16-13 at 15:03 EDT
- CPMY Ry, Walker, MI, Milepost 160, on 8-16-13 at 15:09 EDT
Enjoy the video? Rate, comment & subscribe!
For more from the Thornapple River Rail Series, visit my channel:
youtube.com/user/MQT3001
Inside the Grand Haven Area - Coopersville & Marne Railway
On this episode of Inside the Grand Haven Area, we take you to the Coopersville & Marne Railway and talk to Jerry Ricard, General Manager of this great local attraction. From theme trains to excursions and even group outings, the Coopersville & Marne Railway is a not-to-miss in the Grand Haven Area!
Coopersville and Marne: Last of the decade
Coopersville and Marne Railfanning Part 1
The 11:30 train on my last weekend of Summer Vacation. For my first true railfanning experience this was a fun little adventure. Hope to do it again real soon. The C&M uses an ex. Grand Trunk SW9 #7014 as their main power, which suits their ex. Grand Trunk mainline that orginally rain from Grand Rapids to Grand Haven just fine. The line now stops just outside of Coopersville town limits but still goes into Grand Rapids.
Coopersville & Marne Railroad Part 4
i was tagging along at Coopersville &Marne Railroad while they where draining the oil on their SW9. they were preping the motor for some cylinder work. took around 6 hours to drain the oil on it!
no 10 minute instant oil change here!
back down at ground level, i was checking out the generator.
Marne Elementary - State OM Performance
Marne Elementary - State OM Performance
Behind the scenes interviews at Coopersville & Marne Railroad
Behind the scenes interview with CMPY historical Railroad
for more information -
Coopersville & Marne Railroad Part 5
i was tagging along at Coopersville &Marne Railroad while they where draining the oil on their SW9. they were preping the motor for some cylinder work. took around 6 hours to drain the oil on it!
no 10 minute instant oil change here!
quick clip of the EMD tag on the SW9.
Coopersville settles hazing suits
Two years after a hazing incident involving the Coopersville junior varsity baseball team, a settlement has been reached between all the parties involved.
Riding the Rails
Riding with the CSX and Marquette Rail between GR, Baldwin, Ludington, and Manistee
D70017 EB GRANDVILLE MI 07-17-2018
CSXT local D700 returns from its work on the Grand Rapids subdivision. Today they picked up a car from the AEP nuclear plant in Bridgeman MI.
Coopersville Marne Easter Bunny Train
Coopersville Marne Easter Bunny Train
Coopersville Middle School, Coopersville, Haley Hildebrandt
WGVU Cool Teacher 2017-2018!
Coopersville & Marne (Rolling Stock), 06-30-2015
Here we got various pieces of railroad rolling stock on display at CPMY in Coopersville, Michigan. In the following order: C&M 3049 (DuPont Chemical) General Electric 44-Tonner Diesel Switcher, Chessie System (WM) 2673 MOW Flatcar, & American 25-Ton Cable Crane. Local railfan and historian Sara K. gave Mackinac Mac and I a tour of CPMY railroad equipment.
Coopersville Marne Easter Bunny Train
BarryJunction Bike Trail paved
Video taken by my Iphone. Please read all of description before commenting.
Take an unofficial bicycle ride on the semi paved Barry Jct trail from Whitehall Road(Muskegon Mich) to the current set on point on McMillian Road in North Muskegon. Barry Junction is an active junction on the ex C&O/CSX now Mid Michigan where the track heads for Fremont Mich and used to go to Hart Michigan but now stops about 1.5 miles north of Barry Jct. See photos from 1978 of Barry Jct in action plus my drawing of the track work at Barry Jct. Some parts of the Barry Jct trail is not on the actually roadbed, but circles around Bayer Agriculture (ex Story Chemical) and other sites.. It goes through the forest. Now when they complete the paving you can bike from Pere Marquette Park(Muskegon) to Hart Mich. The grades(railroad for Hills) are steeper than on the roadbed, but are easy IF you Downshift on a multi speed bike!!!
Coopersville Lockdown
When a caller threatened to harm students and staff, the Coopersville School District went into emergency lock down mode. No threat was found and the all clear was issued after about 45 minutes. Administrators say the lock down protocol worked very well.
John Engler Locomotive UPDATE
Not much in terms of the John Engler has happened since it has arrived. The rest of the John Engler's display has arrived, and we have found an unfortunate scrapping has occured at the C&M.
Coopersville party rock
This video was uploaded from an Android phone.