Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway

KLS&C engine No. 37, circa 1910
Overview
Headquarters	Kalamazoo, Michigan
Locale	West Michigan
Dates of operation	1906 (1906)–1916 (1916)
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map 0.0 Kalamazoo 5.1 Oshtemo 6.8 Brighton 1.1 Rix 8.8 Walker 10.0 Eassom 11.6 Mattawan 13.8 Newbre Michigan Central to Jackson 16.0 Lawton Michigan Central to Niles Calico grade 20.0 Paw Paw 23.8 Wildeys 24.7 Lake Cora 25.4 Kirby 28.2 Lawrence Pere Marquette to Grand Rapids 34.6 Hartford Pere Marquette to Chicago 38.7 Toquin 41.9 Covert 44.6 Packard 47.1 Fruitland 48.3 Cableton 49.9 South Haven

The Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway (aka The Fruit Belt Line) operated on track laid between Kalamazoo and South Haven, Michigan. Much of the track has been removed and is now known as the "Van Buren Trail".

The railway went through the following towns, starting from the east:

• Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Oshtemo, Michigan
• Brighton, Michigan
• Rix, Michigan
• Walker, Michigan
• Eassom, Michigan
• Mattawan, Michigan
• Newbre, Michigan
• Lawton, Michigan
• Paw Paw, Michigan
• Barrison, Michigan
• Lake Cora, Michigan
• Lawrence, Michigan
• Hartford, Michigan
• Toquin, Michigan
• Covert, Michigan
• Packard, Michigan
• Fruitland, Michigan
• Cableton, Michigan
• South Haven, Michigan^[1]

References

• Brock, Thomas D. (June 1955). "Paw Paw Versus the Railroads". Michigan History. 39: 129–183.
• Geo.A. Ogle & Co. (1910). Standard atlas of Kalamazoo County Michigan. Chicago: G.A. Ogle.
• Hager, David C. (1976). Next Stop Kalamazoo: A History of Railroading in Kalamazoo County. Kalamazoo: Kalamazoo Public Museum.
• Meints, Graydon (September 2005). "The fruit belt line: Southwest Michigan's failed railroad". Michigan Historical Review. 31 (2): 117–149.
• Meints, Graydon M. (1992). Michigan Railroads and Railroad Companies. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press. ISBN 978-0-87013-318-3.

External links

• Van Buren County Road Commission - Van Buren Trail page
• Southwest Michigan Fruit Belt Project
• Record of KLS&C #950 Pullman passenger car in private collection
• Pioneer Railcorp (current owner since 1995) - info on dinner train excursions
• 1909 Report on KLS&C by the Michigan Railroad Commission
• Michigan Passenger Stations - currently missing KLS&C depot photos...