Station: Foss, MI

This photo shows the railroad grade crossing signal at Foss, in the diagonal position. Three lines connected here. The photo looks east, and the line going straight east to the left, is the New York Central. Parallel to it is the C&O line to Essexville. The D&M used the PM line up to this point, where it branched off to the north, crossing the NYC and then on to their Saginaw River drawbridge which is just to the left of the photo. The D&M crossing of the NYC is a "slip switch" diamond, which was capable of connecting D&M trains with the NYC. [Robert W. Smith photo]

Foss was a junction point on the northeast side of Bay City. It was located near the Foss Lumber Company, which has some unknown connection to the name of the junction.

The Detroit & Mackinac Railway straightened its line south from Emery Jct. to Bay City in 1896, crossing the Saginaw River near here. After going south over the drawbridge, the line curved to the west (see photo), crossed the Michigan Central's north Water Street line, then merging into the Pere Marquette rail line and into their station in downtown Bay City.

The D&M had trackage rights on the Pere Marquette from Foss to the PM depot, and the PM had trackage rights on the D&M from Foss north to North Bay City Yard and their own Huron & Western line on the north side of the river.

Foss was never an interlocking, but was instead controlled by a manual target (see photo), which was controlled by trainmen from the base of the post. In earlier years, the target was lit by red lanterns on either side of the mast. According to a 1947 Michigan Central timetable, a horizontal target indicated proceed for the NYC. Vertical was against the NYC, and indicated proceed to the PM/D&M.

The only railroad to run passenger trains through Foss was the D&M, the last train running around 1950. Foss continues to serve the Lake State Railway, the Central Michigan and the CSX.