RRHX - Railroad History Time Line

1980's Overview

1980	Conrail lines posted for sale - [IT-4/1980] Early SNAPSHOT: The Milwaukee Road provides tri-weekly rail service between Channing and Ontonagan, and between Channing and Green Bay. [R&R-3/1980] January 4: Townline (Dearborn) Interlocker closes. [IT-12/1979] January 23: Toledo, Angola & Western closes. [IT-2/80] February: Amtrak begins using the Durand Depot once again, leaving a trailer which was parked in the Depot's parking lot. [IT-12/1980] February: The former Pere Marquette freight house in Ionia is removed. [IT-4/1980] March 10: Milwaukee Road ceases to operate in Michigan, as Escanaba and Lake Superior takes over their 208-mile Green Bay, WI to Channing and Ontonogan line. [IT-4/1980] Spring: With the sale of the DT&I to the grand Trunk Western, an agreement has been made for the GTW to sell its 50% ownership of the D&TSL to the Norfolk & Western. [IT-5/80] Spring: Almost all of Conrail's Alco locomotives have been sidelined. With the sale of RS-32's to the C&NW, almost all CR's Alcos are out of service. [IT-5/80] April: The Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad assumes the operation of the former Milwaukee Road routes in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. [IT-5/80] They take over their line from Ontonagon to green Bay, Wisconsin, a total of 278 miles. [ELSW] April: The former PO&N Cass City depot is razed by local contractors. The depot was built in 1907, a replacement for a wooden depot of almost identical design. The new depot is made of cement block. [IT-5/80] April 20: Former GTW depot in Flushing is destroyed by fire. [IT-4/1980] May 14: The Lenawee County Railroad dedicates a new 2-bay engine house in Adrian. [IT-5/80] Early Summer: Conrail closes most activity at Airline Junction Yard. Most activity has been transferred to Stanley Yard. [IT-5/80] June 2: The Grand Trunk Western acquires the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad. [MT] Mid-June: Cleveland Cliffs Iron Co. announces the indefinate closing of the Republic mine (at Republic) and the Empire mine (near Palmer). The Empire is later reopened. [IT-5/80] June 24: Grand Trunk Western acquires the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton RR. [MDOT] June 21: Fire reduces the Grass Lake depot to a stone shell. It was rebuilt by the Whistlestop Park Association, which purchased the depot and and restored it. It was reopened in September 1992. [MHM/IT-5/80] July: N&W Russell St. Branch between Beaubien Tower and Lake Shore Jct. is sold to Conrail. [IT-10/1981] July: Gould Tower, southwest of Toledo is closed. The tower guarded the crossing of the N&W and the Toledo Terminal. [IT-4/1980] Summer: Conrail goes through difficult times. In Detroit, train crews with ten years seniority have been laid off and the Livernois roundhouse force has been cut to two employees who work the day shift. Nearly all locomotive work previously done there is now performed at Stanley Yard in Toledo. The car repair shop in Detroit is also undergoing decline, open only during the day and doing minor running repairs only. Bad order cars with heavy repair work is now being sent to Ashtabula, Ohio. Several satellite yards have also experienced a cutback. Lincoln Yard, River Rouge Yard, North Yard and the "belt" yards are all closed during the third shift. [IT-5/80] Summer: The former Pennsylvania Railroad bridge across the Maumee River in Toledo is permanently closed to rail traffic and left in the open position. There are no immediate plans to remove the bridge. [IT-5/80] Mid: The Detroit Marine Historian reports that the Sraits of Mackinac car ferry "Chief Wawatam" is operating six to seven days per week because of increased lumber shipments from the west coast. She is making two round trips daily. [MRF-7/1981] Summer: The Ann Arbor Railroad installs three new remote control radio base stations, at Diann, Chilson and Owosso), which are added to four other towers on west of Owosso. All towers are controlled by the dispatcher in Owosso. [IT-5/80] August 3: Amtrak begins Turboliner service between Chicago-Detroit and Toledo. [IT-5/80] October 4: The Chessie System (formerly Chesapeake & Ohio Ry) drops the car ferry route between Ludington and Milwaukee. [MDOT] October 14: President Carter signs the Staggers Rail Act. The act loosened ICC regulation on mergers, abandonments, marketing and rate making. [STOV] November 1: Chessie System (and Seaboard) become CSX Corporation. [MRRC] November 18: `Conrail and GTW operations through downtown Battle Creek are consolidated onto the GTW tracks. The Conrail (former MCRR) main line through downtown and past the NYC depot is abandoned. [MT]` December 31: Michigan Railroad Mileage Totaled 5,370 miles. [MDOT] December: Conrail's Transit RR, the freight-only line on Detroit's lower east side, operations through the Parke-Davis plant and west along Guion Street have been terminated, leaving only the line down Wight Street still in use. [IT-12/1980] December: Conrail DD&D branch is cut back to Prospect Street in Melvindale when MichCon ripped out the tracks at their Allen Road storehouse. [IT-12/1980] December: C&O Fort Street Tower is closed. [IT-12/1980] December: Former LS&MS Depot in Deerfield has been relocated on highway M-52 2 miles south of its junction with M-50 [IT-12/1980] Late: Conrail abandons the Benton Harbor branch, north from Niles. [BH] PO&N Depot at Dryden is moved to town and preserved. [IT-12/80] Soo Line announces abandonment of Nestoria to Bergland line. [IT-12/80] GTW sells its Denmark Spur to TSBY. The 14.1 mile track between Meredith Jct. and Denmark Jct. was built as the "Saginaw Connection" to the old Detroit, Bay City & Western, and until the mid-1960's was still served by one of NYC's "Beeliner" RDC runs. [IT-4/80] The Escanaba & Lake Superior purchases three non-operating Baldwin RS-12 diesel locomotives from the Michigan Northern. [IT-5/80] Congress ends authority of the Interstate Commerce Commission over Amtrak on-board service and other passenger-related matters. (the ICC never had control over Amtrak fares, routes, etc.). [IT-5/80] SNAPSHOT: The Milwaukee Road uses covered wagons extensively on its Upper Michigan lines. [R&R-3-1980] The cities of Detroit and Highland Park condemn property northeast of Milwaukee Jct. for use as a large General Motors automobile manufacturing plant (Poletown). [BOM] Dodge Main in Hamtramck is demolished in 1980 and 1981. It was built in 1910-1914. [BOM]

1981	January 8: Sister Ann Joachim, 79, died at the Dominican Mother House in Adrian. Sister Ann was also a lawyer, and opposed before the I.C.C. in 1969 the discontinuance of Norfolk and Western's St. Louis to Detroit "Wabash Cannon Ball". The famous train continued in service until making its last run on April 30, 1971 - one day before thestart up of Amtrak. [MRC-3/1981] January 15: Ludington & Northern stops operating after C&O raises rates. [IT-10/81] March 1: Conrail scheduled to close the Porter (Indiana) Tower, at the junction of the Lake Shore route with the Michigan Central route to Chicago. [MRC-2/1984] April: Chessie Mt. Pleasant subdivisioin is abandoned and the rail removed, 14.7 miles. Chessie secures trackage rights on the Ann Arbor Railroad between Clare and Mt. Pleasant to service Mt. Pleasant customers. [IT-5/81] April: The ICC approves a request from the CNW to abandon 52.9 miles of track between Monico, WI to Watersmeet, MI. Watersmeet continues to be served by CNW from two other directions. [IT-4/81] April: Chessie closes the Wyoming roundhouse near Grand Rapids. [IT-5/81] May: Chessie abandons Remus branch, 15.7 miles north out of Edmore. [IT-5/81] May: Chessie files to abandon 26.8 miles of the Ionia Branch from Grand Ledge to Ionia. Closed within the next three years. [IT-5/81] July 16: Detroit Terminal RR becomes a part of Conrail. [IT-4/81] July 16: Detroit Terminal's Davison Yard closed. [IT-4/81] October 1: Grand Trunk Western acquires the Detroit & Toledo Shore Line RR. [MDOT] November 18: Nichols Tower in Battle Creek is closed. It was a Conrail structure. [IT-12/81] November 18: Conrail and GTW lines in downtown Battle Creek are consolidated onto the GTW rails. The Conrail tracks are removed. [IT-12/81] November 19: N&W Maumee River Bridge in Toledo, OH was strengthened to handle 6-axle locomotives. [IT-12/81] November: Battle Creek opens new intermodal rail-bus-cab station. [IT-5/81] November: D&M resumes operations between Cheboygan and Big Cut for 30 days, then stops. [IT-12/81] December 21: Chessie System runs its last train to Hart. The rails are pulled up north of Montogue on May 13, 1982. [MRC-6/1986] December: Amtrak Depot opens in Battle Creek. [IT-10/81] Late: Soo Line 49 mile rail line from Hancock to Nestoria is approved for abandonment by the ICC. [IT-5/81] Late: Conrail closes Airline Yard. [IT-5/81] GTW Bancroft depot is destroyed by fire. [IT-5/81] The Escanaba & Lake Superior purchases the former MILW Republic line. [ELSW] Ludington's CSX turntable is removed and scrapped. [IT-10/81] State purchases trackage from Grawn through Traverse City to Williamsburg, as well as 16.4 miles from Charlevoix to Bayview for $1.7 million, to be operated by the Michigan Northern. Charlevoix to Lanson is being railbanked. [IT-12/81] Chessie System abandons the Hart Subdivision. (delayed?) [IT-12/81] Conrail's MCRR Belt Line on Detroit's east side is now embargoed south of Gratiot Avenue, including the Detroit Transit RR. [IT-12/81] Detroit Terminal RR trackage west of old Davison yard is abandoned. [IT-12/81] Old Detroit Terminal RR roundhouse at Davison yard is removed. [IT-12/81] Soo Line drops passenger service on mixed trains in the Upper Peninsula. [IT-1/82] Soo Line 49-mile line from Hancock to Nestoria has been authorized for abandoment by the ICC (Note: stayed open from Baraga to Nestoria). [IT-2/82] Airline Yard in Toledo is closed. [IT-2/82] Cadillac and Lake City Railway abandons branch from Penn Central to Lake City. Ceased operation in 1975. [MRRC]

1982	January 8: Badger makes its last run from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. [IT-1/82] January 19: GTW Coach Shop #1 at Port Huron burns. [IT-2/82] January: Conrail puts in wye and signaling system between its Main Line (LSMS) and Stanley Yard permitting trains to enter Stanley yard directly from the east and to move out of Stanley to the main line going east. [IT-2/82] January: Conrail opens new line between the former LS&MS main line and Stanley Yard. This line permits trains to enter Stanley Yard from the east. [IT-1/82] January: Cass River Bridge on the GTW Saginaw Subdivision burns. It is repaired. 1/1982 - [IT-2/82] February 20: Chessie abandons all track north of MP 113.68 (just north of Manistee), including trackage from Manistee to Traverse City, the remaining two miles of the Suttons Bay Subdivision and the entire Petoskey Subdivision from Traverse City to Bayview. 134 miles. Michigan Northern will serve the Grawn-Traverse City-Williamsburg branch, as well as the Petosky to Bay View line. [IT-2/82] February: Chessie System discontinues car ferry service between Ludington and Manitowoc, WI. [MDOT] April 26: Ann Arbor RR ceases all car ferry service. [MDOT] May: The Toledo Terminal Railroad upper bridge over the Maumee River in Ohio is used for the last time. A train derailment on the single track bridge damages the structure. [GLF] July 1: DT&I merges with the Grand Trunk Western. (delayed) [IT-12/81] N&W Bridge over the Rouge River is rebuilt by Midwest Steel. [IT-12/81] GTW reaches agreement with the UTU to eliminate cabooses in the Grand Trunk between 1982 and 1985 - [MRC-8/89] The Groveland Mine, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, closes. Conrail in the black with a small profit. [STOV] The Battle Creek Intermodal Passenger facility is built along the GTW/Conrail line between Liverty, Hamblin and McCamly. [BOM] Boyne Valley Railroad is abandoned between Boyne Falls and Boyne City. Ceased operations in 1978. [MRRC] Wyandotte Terminal Railroad abandons operations in Wyandotte. [MRRC]

1983	February 19: `Pere Marquette steam engine 1225, a 2-8-4 on static display at Michigan State University, is moved to Owosso. [MW]` February: The Michigan Airline branch, between Jackson and Three Rivers is pulled up. [MRC-4/1983] June 30: Kent-Barry-Eaton Connecting Ry abandons operations. [MDOT] July 1: Michigan-Wisconsin Transportation Co. begins operating rail car ferry service between Ludington and Kewaunee, WI. [MDOT] October 17: Final run of commuter trains on the SEMTA Detroit-Pontiac rail line. [MDOT] The quarry in Calcite, on the D&M branch near Rogers City, stops shipping aggregate. [MRC-12/1991] Detroit & Mackinac Ry. idles line between Rogers City and Calcite (line continues to exist until 1991 - 1983 - [NK] The swing bridge at Charlevoix is removed. It has not been used since 1982. [MRC-4/1983]

1984	January: Amtrak announces plans to discontinue Ann Arbor-Detroit commuter service. [MDOT] Winter: The Chessie roundhouse at Wyoming Yard is scheduled for demolition. [MRC-4/1983] February 9: The last train cleans up cars on the GTW PO&N branch line between Piegon and Cass City, and the route is officially abandoned. [NB-Sum-1993] February 15: Michigan Dept. of Transportation acquires 342 miles of railroad track from Penn Central. [MDOT] Early: The C&O acqauires the Toledo Terminal Railroad, the 26-mile road that encircles the city. [MRC-6/1984] August 21: Straits carferry the "Chief Wawatam" finishes service. [MDOT] August: Coe Rail, Inc. buys Wixom to Walled Lake portion of GTW Jackson Branch. [MRRC] September 15: Chessie runs their last train over their Hartford-Paw Paw branch. The line will be reopened on September 8, 1987 as the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago. [MRC-3/1988] September: Conrail donates its old Detroit River tunnel crane to the Edison institute. [MRC-9/1985] October: Coe Rail begins rail operations on the former Grand Trunk Western rail line from Wixom to Walled Lake. [MDOT] Detroit & Mackinac Railway closes Big Cut quarry. Idles line between Big Cut and Hawks. The CSX abandons its line between Kinde and Port Austin (6.6 miles). [AB] Former PRR dock tracks in Muskegon abandoned. [COHS-7/1994] C&O closes the Sebewaing depot - [MRC-06/89] The C&O acquires the Port Huron and Detroit Railroad. [MRC-6/1984]

1985	February 28: Tappan Interlocking tower near Port Huron closes. It was the crossing of the GTW (2 lines) and the CSX. The PM Almont branch also started there. The tower had 24 armstrong levers. [CW] May 21: A Plymouth 35-ton gas mecahnical locomotive arrives on the Southern Michigan Railroad in Tecumseh. It is donated by the Albion Maleable diivision of Hayes-Albion Corporation in Albion. - [SMRS-Winter/86] July 20: 24 crossing watchmen on the Union Belt in southwest Detroit were laid off. [MRC-9/1985] July 20-21. N&W operates a steam excursion between Detroit and Fort Wayne Indiana using locomotive #611. [MRC-9/1985] August: Conrail completes a $11.8 million upgrade of its Detroit-Toledo line between Detroit and Trenton, as well as two branch lines connecting Detroit with Warren and Utica. [MRC-9/1985] August 9: The crossing watch towers on the Union Belt Railway of Detroit at West End Avenue, Livernois Avenue, Campbell Street and West Grand Blvd., all in Detroit, are closed. Only the tower at Clark St. is kept open. Livernois and Campbell were reopened but again closed on February 1, 1986. The tower at West Grand Blvd was removed in 1986 and the tower at West End, Livernois and Campbell were demolished in January, 1990. Only the tower at Clark St. remains open. [MRC-3/90] `November 30: Pere Marquette 1225, a 2-8-4, moves under steam for the first time in 34 years. [MT]` Pennford Tower closes. [JH] Shay locomotive, built in 1898, is restored in Cadillac. Last used by the Cadillac-Soo Lumber Company. [MHM] GTW (MR&N) line to the GTW ferry slip in Muskegon is abandoned. [COHS-7/1994]

1986	February 25: North Yard tower in Detroit is closed. This tower protected the interlocking of the old MCRR Bay City Branch and the Detroit Terminal Railroad. It was also the north entrance to the Detroit terminal for the MCRR for many years. [CW] March 27: The Huron and Eastern Ry begins operations on 83 miles of former Chessie System track in the Thumb area. [MDOT][MRRC] Mid: Chessie closes the yard office and engine house at Waverly Yard in Holland. Operations are transferred to Wyoming Yard in Grand Rapids. [MRC-6/1986] November 2: Ceremony at Blissfield commemorates 150 years of railroad service in Michigan. [MDOT] November 17: The CSX freight agency in Howell, housed in the depot, was closed. [MRC-2/1987] November: The gatehouse at the CSX Michigan Avenue crossing in Lansing was retired in November and moved to the Lansing-North Lansing Electric Railroad Museum. The gatekeeper controlled the crossing gates from this building. Originally the gates were operated by compressed air and were later converted to electricity. [MRC-2/1987]\ December 20: The CSX abandons the South haven branch. It was a 15.3 mile branch westward from the Chicago subdivision at Hartford and served a foundry in South Haven and the Cosumers Power Palisades plant nearby. [MRC-2/1987] December: The train order operator job at St. Joseph on the CSX Chicago subdivision was abolished with the close of shipping season. Located on the swing bridge, the operator also operated the bridge. In the Spring, a bridge tender will operate the bridge. [MRC-2/1987] The doubling track at East Saugatuck has been removed from service. Trains that doubled New Richmond hill used this track until now. any trains that double the hill in the future will have to run all the way to Waverly yard at Holland, an additional eight miles. The No. 1 main track between the St. Joseph depot and Vine, four miles westward has also been removed. This was the double track section along Lake Michigan. [MRC-2/1987] The State of Michigan has 4,370 miles of track. [MRC-10/1987] The CSX freight house in Port Huron is demolished. [MRC-6/1986]

1987	January 21: The Grand Trunk Western begins use of an innovative locomotive scheduling system that provides a constant 96-hour projection for power requirements on the system's 1,310 mile network. Thier power fleet consists of 214 road and 40 yard locomotives. [MRC-4/1987] `April 12: The last train runs on the Michigan Northern. [MT]` Spring: CSX takes out of service the Ludington subdivision from Midland to Baldwin. Formally abandoned in 1988. [MRC-2/88] Spring: CSX takes its line out of service btween St. Clair and Marine City on the southern portion of the former Port Huron & Detroit. Their primary shipper, Detroit gasket, has closed its doors. [MRC-4/1987] Spring: CSX completes Phase II of their auto-rack loading facility at New Boston on the Toledo subdivision has been completed. This includes new track construction and the extension of existing tracks. [MRC-4/1987] July 31: Detroit Transportation Corporation (City of Detroit) opens the Detroit People Mover. [MRRC] Summer: The Soo Line's Lake States Division (in the Upper Peninsula) is sold to the Wisconsin Central Railroad. [MRC-7/87] August 1: The Detroit People Mover opens. [MRC-2/1987] August 22: Peaker Services, east of Brighton on the Chessie System, hosts an open house for the Michigan Railroad Club. Peaker refurbishes diesel locomotives. [MRC-7/887] September 4: Central Michigan Railway purchases GTW line from Durand to Midland, Durand to Muskegon. [MRRC] September 8: The Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago opens former Chessie trackage from Hartford to Paw Paw. [MRC-3/1988] October 11: The Wisconsin Central Ltd. begins operations on 2,000 miles of railroad including Michigan's Upper Peninsula. [Wisconsin Central] October 17: GTW vacates 2-story brick office building at Milwaukee Jct. Office functions were transferred to the new Hamtramck Yard. Building was built in 1929. [MRC-12/87] October: CSX sells 51 cabooses for scrap from their Wyoming yard. [MRC-2/88] November: The South Bend Subdivision of the Grand Trunk Western, between Penn (MP128.8) and Schoolcraft (MP146.8) are converted to single track with CTC installed. The CTC is controlled by the Pontiac TD4 dispatcher. [MRC-4/1987] Late: GTW institutes Direct Traffic Control (DTC) on their Mount Clemens, Romeo and Cass City subdivisions, as well as the Pontiac Belt Line. The Flat Rock subdivision is under a similar plan, called Radio Controlled Block System (RCBS). [MRC-8/1988] December 18: CSX sells portion of track, the Edmore and Greenville Subdivisions, to the Mid-Michigan Railroad (a Railtex Company). The Edmore sub runs west from Paines (near Saginaw) to Edmore, passing through St. Louis and Alma. The Greenville sub runs from elmdale to just north of Greenville, a distance of 32 miles. [MRRC/MRC-2/88] Late December: GTW removes the diamonds at Durand following a collision between a light road engine and it's own train. TSBY must now wye its way thru Durand on the GTW main line. TSBY and the city are considering legal action to have the diamonds reinstalled. [MRC-4/1988] December: CSX sells depot at Starkweather and Division in Plymouth. Now a private business. - [MRC-12/87] Conrail closes Wayne Jct. tower. [MRF-6/90] CSX conveys their Hartford to Paw Paw line to the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago. The KLSC ceased operations in May, 1995. [MRC-8/1996]

1988	Early: CSX closes Mershon Tower. [MRC-10/1987] January 5: Michigan Central Depot in Detroit is closed. [MRF-3/94/DPH] Early 1988: Tuscola & Saginaw Bay buys the former CSX Ludington subdivision from Clare to Coleman to serve the E. R. Symons Elevator. [MRC-2/88] [Note: according to the MRC-8/1988 this purchase may have been limited to the Clare yard limits - only 2.6 miles] Early 1988: The Saginaw Valley Railroad is formed to takeover the 58.6 mile Bad Axe Subdivision of the CSX between Saginaw and Bad Axe. It is a division of the Huron and Eatern Railroad. - [MRC-2/88] March 2: N&W barge Windsor strikes the Holiday Inn on the waterfront in Windsor, Ont. The wreck was caused by a loss of fuel supply to the electrical generator and main propulsion engine of the tug R. G. Cassidy. - [MRC-09/88] March 23: `CSX begins Detroit-Atlanta Roadrailer service using ex-Clinchfield "F" units as motive power. [MT]` July 9/10:: N&W 1218, a 2-6-6-4 class A steam locomotive pulls an excursion trip of 15 cars to Fort Wayne, Indiana. It pulls an N&W employee excursion to the Boat Yard on 6/30 to see the fireworks. - [MRC-09/88] Fall: Soo Line removes rail from Trout Lake to St. Ignace. - [MRC-8/89] Fall: CSX abandones 9.8 miles of the Port Huron subdivision, between Avoca and 3 miles west of Tappan interlocking. [MRC-2/1989] GTW abandones the former DT&I Napoleon Sub, 7.;15 miles long which branched off the Flat Rock subdivision at Malinta, Ohio. [MRC-2/1989] Fall: Chief Wawatam is towed from Mackinaw City to Sault Ste. Marie to be converted to a barge. - [MRC-9/89] October 27: CTC dispatching is transferred to Jacksonville on the CSX Saginaw, Port Huron and Detroit subdivisions. [MRC-2/1989] December 22: CSX sells Saginaw to Bad Axe line from Saginaw to Bad Axe to the Huron & Eastern. [MRRC] Conrail depot in Ypsilanti is sold to private interests. It is restored with its former tower - [MRC-09/88] GTW razes the Richmond depot and the New Haven freight house. The Capac depot has been sold and relocated by a local historical society in the village park. [MRC-2/1989] Conrail removes the 2nd main track between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. Ford Motor Company converts all of its 17 EMD switchers to remote control operations. Crew size is reduced from four members to three. [MRC-12/87]

1989	March 15: Conrail closes West Detroit tower. Remoted from their Dearborn dispatching center - [MRC-0689] Spring: Bob Sposito converts the old DSS&A depot in St. Ignace to a waterfront restaurant. - [MRC-8/89] June 7: Part of the CSX Port Huron subdivision between Avoca and milepost 83.28 (7 miles west of Port Huron) is abandoned. CSX now operates by trackage rights on the GTW between Flint and Port Huron. - [MRC-9/89] August 18: CTC dispatching goes on line for CSX in the Grand Rapids area, to be controlled by Jacksonville dispathers. - [MRC-9/89] Fall: Work begins on a $275,000 state-sponsored engine house at Vassar on the TSBY, northeast of the depot/headquarters. [AATHA-F/1989] December: Inland Lime & Stone Company ceases rail operations at their quarry in the Upper Peninsula. IL&S utilized seven electric locomotives powered by overhead catanary. [MRC-2/1991] Coopersville & Marne purchases line between namesake towns from Central Michigan Railroad. [MRRC] CSX begans leasing its Detroit-Grand Rapids-Chicago line trackage rights to the Canadian Pacific Railway, dramatically increasing the number of trains on this east-west route. [COHS-2/1998]