Depression begins.

January 2:  The New York Central System acquires a 99-year lease of both the Michigan Central Railroad and the "Big Four" (Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati & St. Louis RR's) lines.   [MDOT]

January 13: The Rapid Railway line from Detroit to Port Huron via Mt. Clemens is abandoned. the DSR operates to Mt. Clemens until January 11, 1931, after which a single car ran daily to protect the franchise.  [EMR4]

February 1: The New York Central Railroad leases the Michigan Central for 999 years.  [MT]

February 24:  The CK&S acquires 12.5 miles of the former Michigan (interurban) Railroad from Richland to Hooper.  [NYC-2/1989]

Early:  DSS&A trains from St. Ignace to Sault Ste. Marie continue using their line between St. Ignace (via Troute Lake) to Soo Jct. and then to  Sault Ste. Marie.  But westbound trains begin using the Soo Line (M.St.P.&P.) via Trout Lake, cutting 18 miles and one full hour from their journey.  [MRC-3/90]

March:  Detroit & Mackinac Railway abandons the Rose City branch (31 miles).   [MDY33]  May also be April 16, 1930 [MT]

March:  Detroit & Mackinac Railway abandons line from Smith Jct. to South Branch.    [MDY33]

March:  Hocking Valley Railway merged into the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad.  [COHS 06/01]

March:  South Adrian interlocking tower is replaced by a cabin interlocker.  Leverman relieved from duty.  Interlocker crosses the Wabash with the DT&I Tecumseh branch.  [MSAI]

May 22:  Pere Marquette puts car ferry City of Flint 32 into Lake Michigan service, its 7th all-steel car ferry.  The PM is now the largest operator of car ferries in the world.  [PMHS/COHS-8/1997]

December 31:  Onaway & North Michigan Railway. is dissolved.  [NK/MRRC]

December 31:  Michigan Railroad Mileage Totaled 8,072 miles.   [MDOT]

The Manistee & Northeastern was leased to the Pere Marquette system.

DT&I discontinues using electric power.   [MDOT]

The Hocking Valley Railroad is absorbed into the Chesapeake & Ohio.  C&O's primary yard in Toledo is Waldbridge Yard, located south of Toledo, approximately seven miles south of the Port of Presque Isle.  [COHS-10/98]

 Two Industrial Brownhoist coal dumpers and three Hulett ore unloaders are completed this year.   [COHS-10/98]

The New York Central closes the South Tecumseh depot.  It was built by the DT&M in 1893.  The closed depot will be moved to a downtown location.  [MRC-2/1995]

Pere Marquette builds a new 300 ton capacity coal station in New Buffalo. The primary purpose of this coal tower is to refuel locomotives going to and from Chicago so that they won't need to take on coal out-of-state.   [PM45]

Pere Marquette abandons line from Harrison to Leota.  [IT-2/1974] (Note: Differs from COHS-1922)

The Detroit-Windsor automobile tunnel is completed.  [BOM]

The Electromotive Corporation is formed when General Motors buys Winton Engine and the Electromotive Railcar Corporation.  [SAM]

The Baltimore & Ohio introduces the bay window caboose.  [SAM]