RRHX

  Great railroads merge before the big fall...

Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum

   

1961

Key:

  • Railroad event or related event in Michigan

  • Important non-railroad event in Michigan or outside.

  • Improvement in Technology         Mining.

  • Railroad built or extended

  • Railroad abandoned and/or removed

  • Economic panic or depression        Car ferries.

 

Info Sources

RRHX Home

MichiganRailroads.com

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1950 - 1979 Menu

 

 
  • February 27:  Ann Arbor RR comes under the control of the DT&I.  [IT-2/80]

  • May 20:  Grand Trunk Western's steam locomotive #5632 donated to the City of Durand.  [MDOT]

  • July 1:  The Hoboes of America opened their international convention in Kalamazoo, many of them making the trip by rail. [MT]

  • August 12:  East Jordan & Southern Railroad abandons line from East Jordan to Bellaire.  [MRRC][MT]

  • September 4:  "The Northern Arrow" of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Michigan's last summer-only passenger train service, makes final trip from Mackinaw City.  [MDOT/R&LHS-Summer2000]]


  • Soo Line abandons former DSS&A line from Sault Ste. Marie to Raco Jct. where the Department of Defence had a Bomarc base. [IT-5/81]

  • Oxford Interlocking Tower closed, at the intersection of the NYC Bay City Branch and the GTW Cass City sub.  The tower's call sign was "XN".  [CW]

  • The Vasser Interlocking Tower closed, at the intersection of the NYC Bay City Branch and the Chesapeake & Ohio.   [CW]

  • SNAPSHOT:  Mernominee Range ore is mined in the Stambaugh (near Iron River), Crystal Falls and Iron Mountain areas.  Through an ore pooling agreement, the C&NW and the Milwaukee Road service the mines together, with ore trains being made up at all three locations.  From these three yards, approximately four trains pere day are dispatched to Escanaba.  Typical trains are about 115 cars long and handled by two or three diesel units (usually 1,600 h.p. FM Baby Trainmaster diesel road switchers.  Both roads use the same type of motive power.  Before dieselization, C&NW J-4 class 2-8-4's and MILW "Mikes" were used over the road, with C&NW Z class 2-8-0 steam power used for switching and road operations.  Ore trains usually traveled over the Ore Line subdivision to Escanaba, arriving in No. 6 Ore yard where they were stored until movement to the dock.  [LSIOR]

  • Chesapeake & Ohio Railway car ferries transported 132,000 railroad cars, 54,000 automobiles and 153,000 passengers cross-lake between Ludington and Milwaukee, Manitowoc and Kewaunee, WI this year.   [MDOT]

  • LS&I constructs tracks to serve the Empire Mine, which is situated on the old Volunteer Mine property at Palmer, Michigan.  [MRC-10/1987]