RRHX
Interlocker: North Bay City
Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum
If you look at North Bay City today, you would never suspect that it was once quite a mecca for railroad traffic. Today, it is simply the yard of the Lake States Railway. But 85 years ago, it played host to four railroads.
North Bay City is located on the north side of the Saginaw River north east of the city proper, in the midst of several Dow Chemical plants. The Detroit and Mackinac main line left the Pere Marquette on the south side of the Saginaw River, branching north across the D&M Saginaw River drawbridge. The track then went northwest into the North Bay City Yard, and then on to Tawas City and Alpena. Also coming from the south was the Grand Trunk Railroad enroute to the beaches on Saginaw Bay.
The third railroad in the area was the Huron and Western, which was sold to the Pere Marquette in 1903. The H&W (PM) ran west from the mouth of the Saginaw River, across the D&M, and then another 3-4 miles to the MCRR Mackinaw Branch (just south of Wenona). It dead-ended about 15 miles west, possibly at a coal mine. Today, it appears that a small bit of this track may still exist going into one of the Dow facilities.
The final railroad at North Bay City was the Michigan Central's Hecla Belt Line. The Hecla Belt line was built around 1902 by private investors, and then sold to the Bay City and Battle Creek Railway Co. (MCRR owned) in 1912. The BCBC became a formal part of the MCRR in 1916. It appears that the Hecla Belt Line served many heavy industries along Wilder Road.
This entire locale was complex, but not flush with trains. The D&M was the most active of the lines, with a couple of passenger trains in each direction as well as freight transfers between their yard and other railroads at the junction and across the river to Bay City. The other three routes were predominantly freight locals. The GTW ran excursion trains north to the beaches on Saginaw Bay at some point.
A series of interlocker configurations existed at North Bay City. According to the 1915 map above, which was filed with the Michigan Railroad Commission, a tower was contemplated, but we have not confirmed that it was ever put in place. For many years in the early part of the century, the crossing was controlled by a very small, strong-arm interlocker on the ground at the crossing.
In 1942, signals were removed on HBL and derails with targets were installed. New signals were installed on D&M at the same time, as they continued to run passenger trains at this time. Approach signals on D&M were removed in 1942.
Information noted on Commission blue print:
Industrial switching service only on MCRR Hecla Belt.
Maximum speed on D&M was 20 mph.
All D&M NB trains stop at the Saginaw River drawbridge before proceeding. Route set normally for trains on DM to proceed.
All trains on MCRR Hecla Belt stop at derail and member of the crew goes to lever stand and if no trains are approaching on DM he operates lever number 1 to change all home signals protecting the crossing to indicate STOP; then after time element has operated 3 minutes the electric lock will release and permit him to operate lever number 3 to set route for trains on MCRR to cross.
When a movement is made to or from either of the D&M side tracks, whose switches are within the home signal limits, the D&M home signals must first be changed to their stop position.
In 1959, stop boards installed at the crossing, and signals (DM) and derails (HBL) removed. The now-NYC Hecla Belt line was, for the most part discontinued in the 1970's and the grade crossing diamond removed. The section of the HBL serving Dow to the east of the crossing is now handled through junction switched.
© Dale J. Berry, all rights reserved.