A New York Central freight, probably BD-2, with the 1838 in the lead, has just received its orders from the operator at Saginaw's west side station, for the trip down the single track main to Vasser.  The NYC Bay City branch operated with automatic block signals between Mershon Tower (the PM crossing on the north side of Saginaw) and Hoyt (the PM crossing in southeast Saginaw) which are in evidence in this photograph.  In the late 1950's, NYC's Saginaw terminal had at least  5 manned stations and interlockings (Hoyt, Mershon, MX Tower, Paines and Saginaw), as well as an interlocked drawbridge on the Saginaw River.

[George Bean] 

Saginaw, MI

New York Central