A rock…this town’s name suggests a rock. But its main feature is another kind of “rock”–a diamond.
Since 1900 (1/1/1900, in fact), this locale has been a major crossing of one railroad. This one railroad (which has had three names since 1900) is the only game in town, save for an interurban at one time. The intersection of the two railroad lines has connecting tracks in all four quadrants–not sure how many are used by regularly-scheduled freight trains any more (they all were, at one time). With the decline of the region’s major industry, railroad action has declined as well. The city itself has become fairly “trendy”, and at least two restaurants afford good views of one of the tracks through town. A freight house still stands, though it now has alternative uses.
Bonus hint: this city was the origin of a company once known for the manufacture of freight car interior appliances (shackles of sorts, if you must!), and later known for railcar manufacturing and railcar leasing.
Mutt looked under the rock (Plymouth Rock, of course), and found it!
PM/C&O/CSX main line from Grand Rapids to Detroit crosses the main line from Toledo to Flint, Saginaw and (formerly) Ludington.
The industry was Evans Products Company, which got its start in railroading by making DF loading devices for box cars. It then eventually branched out into the manufacture and leasing of cars of all types, most notably insulated RBL cars (its USLX reporting marks were quite prominent during the 1970s and 80s).
Carl, what does “DF” mean? And since you’re such an excellent resource on these kinds of questions, is there a nice little handy-dandy guide to railroad English? (I’m an English teacher here in SK, and these questions fascinate me endlessly!![:I]
DF is basically a trademark used by Evans for Damage-Free loading devices. These were strips with perforations placed horizontally along the walls of freight cars (usually box and refrigerator cars) at certain intervals (four belts and nine belts were common), and the bars that were locked into these strips to secure the lading within the car.
It would be so hard to begin telling anyone about railroad slang–sometimes people working for one railroad can’t understand those on the line next door–and it isn’t all just the accent. And it changes over time, too–in fact, I’m probably guilty of coining a few phrases around the hump here.
On the theory that if other RRers are using the same words as you are (have), and since there doesn’t seem to be a website/thread set up for this purpose, a couple of other vocabulary requests:
(1. What is “deadheading”?
(2. What is “dogcatching”?
Thanks for any answers you may be able to provide!![:D]