Timetable: Pere Marquette - Main Line - Toledo to Saginaw

This was one of the major lines of the Pere Marquette on its route from Toledo via Plymouth, Flint, Saginaw to Ludington. It was a mostly single track line. Route shown is on the newer Flint Belt Line which replaced the former main line through downtown Flint between Atwood Junction and McGrew Junction. Station hours are from 1942. Siding lengths from 1942.

Key: BB=Bascule Bridge | C=Coal | CS=Car Shop | D=Open > Day | DN=Open Day and night | DS=Dispatcher | DT=Double Main Track | EH=Engine house | F=Diesel Fuel | HI=Half Interlocked Crossing | I=Interlocked Crossing | J=Junction | LB=Lift bridge | N=Open at night | P=Passing Track w/40' car capacity | Q=Quarry | RH=Roundhouse # stalls | RT=Railroad Resort | S=Scales | SB=Swing bridge | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard

Notes

[REF] = ETTs

In the 1970's, the C&O line from Romulus to Erie was double track with automatic block signals with the current of traffic. Dispatchers in Saginaw could not "see" trains in this territory. Train orders were required to run a train against the current of traffic (i.e. "wrong" main, no signals). Interlocking rules applied at Romulus and Carleton. [Doug Hefty, retired C&O dispatcher.

Flint River Junction was a set of crossovers but was technically labeled as "South McGrew" on the CTC panel. [DH]

Time Line

1862. This line was constructed between Saginaw and Mount Morris (26 miles) in 1862. It was extended 7.4 miles to Flint in 1863. [PM45}

1864. The line between Flint and Holly (16.8 miles) was built by the Flint & Holly Railroad Company and acquired in 1868 by the F&PM. [PM45]

1866. December. The Western Union Express company have opened offices along the entire lines of the D&M railroad, and also on the roads [F&PM] from Holly to East Saginaw. [PCR-1866-1220]

1871. Construction of the line extended south to Plymouth, Wayne and Monroe, completed in 1872. It connected with the MC. [PM45]

1897. Construction of the line between Monroe and Alexis, OH was completed, 15.2 miles. [PM45]

1898. SNAPSHOT. The F&PM line between Toledo and Plymouth operated five trains in each direction (1st, 2nd and 3rd class). Eight in each direction were operated between Plymouth and Saginaw. Some trains did not run on Sunday. Four trains operated into Detroit, via the DG&W. [FPMTT-1898-0216]

1901. February. The Pere Marquette has made several improvements in the already excellent passenger service of the road. To still further better the service, it is announced that Pullman sleepers and day cars will be put on between Detroit, Saginaw, Bay City and Alpena. The Pullmans will be in operation beginning February 10 and the old PM coaches will take a lay-0off. The cars north from Bay City will be run over the Detroit & Mackinac, and the travelling public will have little cause for complaint over a prospective trip to Alpena in the winter months. [PHDH-1901-0201]

1902. New 75 lb. rail has been laid from Novi to South Milford. A spur track to a coal mine near Bridgeport was constructed. [MCR-1903]

1903. A new bridge is built over the Flint River. [MCR-1903]

1912. June 21. A Pere Marquette passenger train due out of here for the north at 7:05 o'clock ran into an open switch a mile and a half from downtown Flint at 15 mph, sped along the track to the dead end, took the bumping post from its fastenings, crashed into a freight car loaded with fish, and before the engine could be stopped it plunged off the end of the rails into a deep mud hole. It is there yet. The fireman jumped, struck in the mud, skidded and brought up in a soft hole, unhurt. The engineer stuck to his cab and was badly shaken as were several coach loads of passengers. None were seriously hurt. [LSJ-1912-0621]

1916. This line is laid with 75, 85 and 90 lb. rail. [MCR-1916]

1926. The PM installs new automatic block signals on 40 miles of double track between Alexis, Ohio and Romulus, Michigan. This includes 66 high color light signals and 19 dwarf light signals. Approach lighting of signals will be from signal to signal and center-fed  track circuits will be employed, the maximum block being 8,000 feet long. The work will be installed by the railroad company's signal construction forces. This is US&S equipment. [RSC-1926 and 27]

1927. The PM installs automatic block signals between Flint and Mt. Morris, and between Bridgeport and Hoyt (Saginaw). This includes 26 color light signals, US&S, D.C. with storage batteries. [RSC-1928]

1928. The first extensive installation of centralized traffic control employing coded transmission of controls and indications, as developed by Union Switch & Signal Co., was placed in service on the Pere Marquette Ry. extending from Mt. Morris to Bridgeport, Mich., a distance of 19.8 miles of single track. Automatic indication of the passage of trains was provided at 10 points. The code line consisted of two line wires of open construction, and functions were controlled by means of selectors. [AAR]

1928. The PM installs 8 switches with 16 desk machine levers as part of their Centralized traffic control. This was a part of their CTC project near Flint. No other information provided. [RSC-1929]

1945. Passenger trains use the NYC depot in Toledo and the

1970. The C&O main line was single track from Flint River to Newark with no controlled siding in between. [DH]

1978. Quite a few changes took place in 1978. Chessie went on a building spree to increase capacity. No. 2 track was extended from Atwood Wye to Atwood Junction adding some yard tracks. The siding at Grand Blanc was extended and received power switches and new signals. A long switching lead was added south of town. Clyde siding was extended south which more than doubled its capacity. Wixom siding was extended on the north end. A second passing track was added at Lincoln (Wixom). Novi got power switches and signals. The south pass at Plymouth was extended all the way down to Hix Road in Canton. The South passing track at Wayne was extended down to Wick Road. {DH]

1978. The operators at "MU" (Romulus tower) could let our C&O south bounds sail right through onto No. 2 track. However when a northbound "hit the bell", they had check with the C&O dispatcher first. I always enjoyed working with the N&W operators who staffed this interlocking. The interlocking was remotely controlled in 1979 which I guess they called progress. When the abandoned tower burned in 1979, the fire burned through our overhead code line rendering our control of Erie dead as a doornail. What a night that was. [DH]

1979. Control of the Romulus interlocking is moved to the CTC panel at Saginaw. [DH]

2005. At midnight October 28, SBS took over CSX's Saginaw cluster, i.e. all rail north of Mt. Morris, MI. This includes that portion of the Saginaw Subdivision from Mt. Morris to Saginaw, Saginaw Yard, the Dean Subdivision from Saginaw to Midland and the Bay City Subdivision. Additional trackage around Saginaw brings the total rail acquired to 67 miles. SBS purchased the track, but is leasing the right-of-way. Service will be provided through use of a contract carrier, Lake State Railway Company. CSX has agreed to dispatch the CTC segment between Mt. Morris and Saginaw and handle the signaled interlocking plants at Mershon and Washington Avenue for a period of 60 days.

SBS has rights from Mt. Morris into CSX's McGrew Yard in Flint. They expect to run one manifest train a day between Saginaw and Flint. Coal trains to Consumers Energy Essexville power plant will be interchanged to SBS in Flint and power will stay o nthe train with SBS crews operating them. Grain trains will be interchanged at Flint, with SBS expected to provide the power north of Flint.

During the week prior to the changeover, CSX cleared out all equipment and materials from Saginaw. Several Lake State locomotives were brought down from Bay City for start up day. There will also be daily local moves between Saginaw and the Lake State yard in Bay City. A local has also been servicing Dow and Dow Corning in Midland over the former CSX Dean Sub. Switch jobs seem to be operating in Saginaw on two shifts. [MRF-22006-02]

2019. Lake State Railway (LSRC) leases 53 miles of this line from Mt. Morris to Plymouth on March 29th. [MRF-2019-06]

Additional Information

• Pere Marquette Begins Using Telephones For Dispatching - 1910
• C&O Dispatching In The 1970's
• Crossing The Mitten - The Race To Chicago and the West 
• C&O Has Good Ideas in CTC - 1958 [Railway Signaling]
• New Interlockers on the Flint Belt Line (PM) - 1923 - [Railway Signaling]
• Pere Marquette Installs Centralized Control Signal System (Mt. Morris) - 1928 - [Railway Signaling]