Station: St. Ignace, Michigan
Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum
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Photo postcard of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic original depot and docks at St. Ignace, Michigan. This depot was later moved to a location on US-2 west of town, and was replaced with the DSS&A depot from Moran, up the line. Note the railroad ferry at the end of the dock, along with other passenger ferries. Below, a 1980 view of the boat slip and lead with a Soo Line engine and caboose waiting for the next boat arrival. [Timothy Tryon] |
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Below, the original South Shore depot at St. Ignace, now converted to a store and located on US-2 west of town. [T. J. Gaffney] |
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- From the Cheboygan Democrat, May 18, 1882: We learn that considerable trouble is experienced by the D.M.&M. (Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette) people in getting their ore cars back from St. Ignace owing to their tendency to fly the track when empty. The cars are new, and the springs being stiff as yet, they do not yield readily to accommodate themselves to the sinuosities of the track; hence leave the rails on very slight profocation. With time and use this fault will disappear, of course, but in the mean time it is a great annoyance to the train men. Lately, the plan has been adopted of loading them with gravel at St. Ignance, which is brought back as "ballast" on the cars, and used afterwards to ballast the road. This plan entails some labor, but as there is considerable gravel needed along the line the time required to load the cars with it at St. Ignance is not wolly lost. From the Marquette Journal, reprinted in the Cheboygan Democrat. [CD/MIHX8]
- The oldest DSS&A St. Ignace depot was moved from mear the railroad car ferry dock area to the south side of US-2 approximately 2 miles west of the I-75 expressway and is now a business. It was moved around 1960. The DSS&A depot which is now along the waterfront was their depot from Moran. When the South Shore closed the Moran station in the mid-1950's they moved the depot to St. Ignace as it was a much bigger and better depot. It is now a restaurant [2004]. [CB]
- The railroad dock at St. Ignace was just south of the Railroad Car Ferry Slip/Dock. The first St. Ignace passenger and freight depots were on this dock. A passenger bridge connected the railroad dock with the railroad car ferry slip/dock. A switch went southeast from the railroad dock to the railroad lumber dock. [CB/MIHX8]
- East Yard Switch. (0.19 miles west of the Railroad car ferry dock/slip). The East Yard was located south of the railroad car ferry dock. The turntable and engine house were located at the northeast end of the East Yard. [CB/MIHX8]
- Martel Charcoal Iron Blast Furnace Switch. (0.36 miles west of the Railroad car ferry dock/slip). See web page.
- Ore Dock Switch. (0.39 miles west of the Railroad car ferry dock/slip). The ore dock was built in 1882 and stood where the State of Michigan built it's auto car ferry dock which is north of the railroad car ferry dock at St. Ignace. The ore dock was dismantled a mere two years after having been built and components of the dock were sent to Marquette for the new ore dock under construction there in 1884. [CB/MIHX8]
- West Yard.
- West Yard Coaling Station. (1.0 miles west of the Railroad car ferry dock/slip). There was a turntable and roundhouse on the west side of the railroad yard just south and east of Marquette street. [CB/MIHX8]
- Saw Mill Spur. (1.2 miles west of the Railroad car ferry dock/slip). A spur ran west, south of Reagan Street to the mill on the bay. The spur served the Mackinaw Lumber Company mill and successors such as the Jones & Kerry Mill. [CB/MIHX8]
- Gravel Pit Switch. (1.5 miles west of the Railroad car ferry dock/slip). The gravel from this site was used to ballast the DSS&A track. The gravel pit spur went northwest beyond where I-75 expressway rauns on the west side of St. Ignace. [CB/MIHX8]
- The old St. Ignace depot was 19' x 72' and was built in 1890 and existed until 1975. The replacement depot was 30' x 70' and was moved from Moran in July, 1947. [Robert Oom].