February:  LS&I finishes new repair shops at Eagle Mills.  Shops move to this location from Presque Isle.  (The Presque Isle site is used for a coal unloading facility.  [MRC-10/1987]

March 31: The interlocking plant located in the GTW depot at Charlotte, is removed.  Until this time, it protected the Penn Central/Conrail crossing at that location.  The plant was installed in 1923.  [MSAI]

April 17:  The Michigan Northern takes delivery on two ex-Delaware & Hudson Baldwin RF-16 "Sharks" (rare diesel locomotives).  These Baldwin locomotives which began service on the New York Central are the last two RF-16's in existence.  [MT]

May:  N&W assumes operation of the DT&I's Adrian-Tecumseh branch.  [IT-2/80]

May:  DT&I track between Lear and the Ohio state line is abandoned.  [IT-2/80]

August:  The Menominee (iron) Range closes its last underground mine.  [MSL]

September:  All locomotives must have footboards removed, as required by the Federal Railroad Administration.  [SAM]

October:  Grand Trunk Western's Muskegon-Milwaukee car ferry service is abandoned.  The state acquires the car ferry "City of Milwaukee" for remaining Ann Arbor RR routes.   [MDOT]

October:  The last iron mine closes in Stambaugh, MI.  C&NW traffic west of Iron Mountain (through Stambaugh to Watersmeet is now described as "light".  [R&R-3/1980]

Boyne Valley Railroad ends operations between Boyne Falls and Boyne City.  Abandoned in 1982.  [MRRC]

The Milwaukee Road and Chicago & Northwestern agree on a joint venture to ease congested grade crossings in downtown Iron Mountain and remove the C&NW line through town.  Both roads now use the Milwaukee Road line through the City.  [R&R-3/1980]

Jumbo tank cars are now required to have shelf type couplers.  [SAM]

The AAR drops ACI labels on rail cars, deeming them as not practical.  [SAM]

The CK&S/Penn Central diamond at Kalamazoo is removed.  It was located 100' east of Walbridge Street.  [GM]