Location, near

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Long/Lat - Website

Brooklyn

East of M-50, just north of M-124.

The former NYC depot on the Jackson Branch.

Vision... the agent, handling mail bags for west and eastbound trains for the local post office.

42.06.047N - 84.14.865W

Website:  Brooklyn, MI

Cement City

West Main Street, west of Cement City Road

The old Cincinnati Northern, Big Four station, now used as a village office.

Vision... standing in the waiting room to get out of the cold, waiting for the westbound Wolverine and your trip to Chicago.

42.04.171N - 84.19.678W

Website:  Cement City, MI

Cement City - Peninsular Portland Cement Works

West off Cement City Road, N of US-12

The old, abandoned Cement Works, south of Cement City.

Vision... switch engines moving cars of concrete powder ready for shipment south to Fort Wayne and east to Detroit.

42.03.707N - 84.19.886W

Website:  Cement City, MI

Grass Lake

North of Michigan Avenue, W of Union St.

The old stone Michigan Central station.

Recall the railroad war of the 1850's when farmers were jailed in Detroit for allegedly burning a railroad building because the railroad wouldn't compensate them fully for killing cattle on the right of way.

42.15.086N - 84.12. 761W

Website:  Grass Lake, MI

Hanover

Main Street, downtown.

The former Lake Shore station, now a VFW hall.

Vision... the coming of the railroad in 1870 and the town which was platted around it.

42.06.115N -84.333.57W

Website:  Hanover, MI

Horton

Moscow Road in town.

The former Lake Shore station.

Vision... standing in the waiting room of the depot, and thinking that this might make a good beer and wine store someday.

42.08.740N - 84.30.945W

Website:  Horton, MI

Jackson - Jackson Jct.

Elm Street, south of Page Avenue.

A very busy junction on the MC/NYC where the main line met branch lines from Ft. Wayne, Hillsdale, Niles and Toledo.

Vision... the hundreds of train and locomotive moves made through this junction each day in the early 1900's.  The lantern of the switch tender swinging your train through.

42.14.552N - 84.23.072W

Website:  Jackson Jct. MI

Jackson - M.C. Shops

Elm Street, south ofPage Avenue and the tracks.

Now a warehouse and trucking company, these huge buildings used to house locomotive and car shops on the  Michigan Central and NYC.

Vision... this as one of the largest railroad shops in the United States during the 1920's, employing over 1,000 Jackson residents.

42.14.426N - 84.22.926W

Website:  Jackson MC Shops

Jackson Union Station

West Michigan Avenue at Cooper Street, downtown.

Union Station, purported to be the oldest active railroad station in the United States.

Vision... the history of this building, which was built for the Michigan Central and the Lake Shore in the early 1870's, just following the Civil War.

42.14.886N - 84.23.996W

Website:  Jackson Union Station

Jackson - OD Tower

Beldon Road at curve, west of Elm Street.

Remains of the roadbed of the interlocking tower.

Vision... yourself as the tower operator, controlling trains from four different directions, which you could see from your perch on the 2nd floor.  Airline Drive's overpass was not yet built.

42.14.229N - 84.23.649W

Website:  Jackson OD Tower

Parma

West Michigan Avenue near railroad.

The old interurban station, now a library.

Vision... seeing the eastbound interurban from Albion make the turn and pull into the depot.  Then off again towards Jackson.

42.15.531N - 84.36.046W

Website:  Parma, MI

Springport

North off Railroad St. N of M-99 in town.

The old Lake Shore depot, now restored.

Vision... grain from local farmers being loaded into rail cars across from the depot.

42.22.722N - 84.41.550W

Website:  Springport, MI