Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in northwestern Ohio
and southeastern Michigan
.
The Pleasant Bay Railway was incorporated in Michigan in March 1898 and purchased the Toledo and Ottawa Beach Railway, an Ohio company incorporated in January 1898, in March 1899. The resulting company was renamed the Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad one month later.
It operated a multi-track mainline connecting Detroit, Michigan
and Toledo, Ohio
, serving several large industries. The main line between the two cities opened in 1903.
The Grand Trunk Western Railway (GTW) and the Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad
(the "Clover Leaf") co-owned the railroad from 1902-1923. The TStL&W ownership was transferred to its successor the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
(the "Nickel Plate Road") in 1923 and then to the Norfolk and Western Railway
(N&W) in 1964.
The GTW purchased the N&W's interest in the DTS in 1981. At that time the DTS was dissolved and merged into the GTW.
, and Detroit, Michigan
. It was primarily a bridge route connecting the industry and railroads of the Motor City with the rail gateway of Toledo. Prior to the 1960s mergers resulting in Penn Central Transportation
and the Norfolk and Western Railway
, the link between these two cities was vitally important to the independent railroads in the area, particularly the GTW and the Nickel Plate.
The D&TSL was originally incorporated as the Toledo & Ottawa Beach Railway in Ohio and the Pleasant Bay Railway in Michigan. In March 1899 the two companies conveyed all their property to a new company incorporated under the Michigan law as the Detroit & Toledo Shore Line. The idea at that time was to construct the railroad as a high speed interurban to be the connecting link between the Lake Shore Electric at Toledo and interurban lines in Michigan. Immediately following the purchase of the right-of-way, they began the actual grading of the road and construction of the Ottawa River bridge just north of Toledo.
From April to December 1901, the road was completed from Toledo to Trenton, with trolley wires in place from Monroe to Trenton. Electric cars were tested a few times as far north as Rockwood. The line was still incomplete when its promoters got into serious financial difficulty. The Shore Line went into receivership, and in the summer of 1902 the receiver became convinced that it would never be viable as an electric road and petitioned the court to allow him to construct a connection from the end of the track at Trenton Jct. (FN tower) to the nearby Detroit, Toledo & Ironton (Detroit Southern). This was completed in November 1902, and the construction work ceased for a short period.
In December 1902 the Grand Trunk Western and the Toledo, St Louis & Western (known as the Clover Leaf) entered into an agreement to jointly purchase the Shore Line property by issuing bonds for the payment of outstanding obligations. At the same time they contracted to extend the line northward from Trenton to a connection with the Wabash at River Rouge, on the south side of Detroit. The new owners intended to bring the Shore Line up to the same general standards as the Grand Trunk main line, as task that would require considerable additional track work.
When the line was completed, the D&TSL had no equipment except a small locomotive which had been purchased from the contractor and an old dummy saddle tank engine that had formerly run on the New York City elevated. There was some work equipment consisting of Rogers ballast cars but no cabooses or any freight equipment. Only one station had been constructed-at Monroe-but there were few telephone shanties scattered along the road.
The overhead wire was removed and sold along with the electric motor cars to the Monroe Traction Company and the Toledo & Monroe Construction Company. The line was opened for freight traffic in September 1903, with each parent company furnishing three locomotives. The D&TSL used the Clover Leaf terminal in Toledo and the GTW facility in Detroit. There were no passing tracks, no classification yard
s and no locomotive servicing facilities. To reach the Clover Leaf yard in Toledo they used twelve miles (19 km) of the Toledo Terminal under a trackage rights agreement. In the spring of 1904 they bought six Baldwin compound Moguls along with six cabooses. Work began immediately to upgrade the right-of-way.
In 1906 a classification yard-named Lang Yard after the road's auditor was started just north of the Toledo city limits along with a roundhouse, turntable and machine shop. A short time later, work began on another yard at the other end of the railroad: Dearoad Yard was just south of the River Rouge at Detroit.
Over the years additional equipment was purchased and many improvements were made as the Shore Line developed into a vital and prosperous property. Ironically, for a road conceived as an interurban, the D&TSL never handled any passenger traffic, being operated for freight service only. In 1922 the Clover Leaf became part of the Van Sweringen's Nickel Plate, bringing its 50% interest in the D&TSL under the NKP banner.
Through service with the GTW was inaugurated in 1921, and until the early 1940s Shore Line power and crews operated through to Durand and Flint. They also operated through to Tunnel Yard in Port Huron until 1971.
In the later days of steam the Shore Line operated with a modest fleet of Mikado
s, Consolidation
s, and switcher
s. It brought its first diesels, EMD SW7 switchers 116-118, in April 1950 and followed them with two EMD GP7
s each in January, (41,42) and November (43,44) of 1951. A single SW9 (119) was also added in March 1951. Five more GP7s (45-49) were delivered in April 1952, and the last D&TSL steam locomotive operated in the fall of that year. Two more SW9s (120,121) were added in November 1952, and the Shore Line bought its last new locomotive, GP7 50, on February 12, 1953.
With a total fleet of 16 units made up of only three models of the same vintage from the same builder, the D&TSL shop forces had become quite expert in keeping them running, and the units were extremely well maintained. The three non-m.u.-equipped SW7s were used on locals, transfers and "Bum Jobs" (extra yard assignments) while the SW9s generally would stay on the hump. The ten Geeps handled transfer and all road assignments. Since power for the road jobs was pooled with the GTW, colorful Geeps, GP38s and SD40s of that road were common sights on Shore Line road jobs and in the Lang Yard engine facility. For the Bicentennial
, Shore Line 46 was renumbered 76 and adored in a very handsome red, white and blue paint scheme.
The above information was taken from the articles "The Detroit & Toledo Shore Line" and "Steam on the Shore Line" from the July 1981 issue of Railfan and Railroad both by Charles H. Geletzke, Jr.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and southeastern Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
The Pleasant Bay Railway was incorporated in Michigan in March 1898 and purchased the Toledo and Ottawa Beach Railway, an Ohio company incorporated in January 1898, in March 1899. The resulting company was renamed the Detroit and Toledo Shore Line Railroad one month later.
It operated a multi-track mainline connecting Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, serving several large industries. The main line between the two cities opened in 1903.
The Grand Trunk Western Railway (GTW) and the Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad
Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad
The Toledo, St. Louis and Western Railroad, often abbreviated TStL&W and commonly known as the Clover Leaf, was a railroad company that operated in northwestern Ohio, north central Indiana, and south central Illinois during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-History:The TStL&W originated with...
(the "Clover Leaf") co-owned the railroad from 1902-1923. The TStL&W ownership was transferred to its successor the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
(the "Nickel Plate Road") in 1923 and then to the Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
(N&W) in 1964.
The GTW purchased the N&W's interest in the DTS in 1981. At that time the DTS was dissolved and merged into the GTW.
History
The D&TSL operated 46.98 miles (75.6 km) of track between Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, and Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. It was primarily a bridge route connecting the industry and railroads of the Motor City with the rail gateway of Toledo. Prior to the 1960s mergers resulting in Penn Central Transportation
Penn Central Transportation
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American railroad company that operated from 1968 until 1976. It was created by the merger on February 1, 1968, of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad...
and the Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
, the link between these two cities was vitally important to the independent railroads in the area, particularly the GTW and the Nickel Plate.
The D&TSL was originally incorporated as the Toledo & Ottawa Beach Railway in Ohio and the Pleasant Bay Railway in Michigan. In March 1899 the two companies conveyed all their property to a new company incorporated under the Michigan law as the Detroit & Toledo Shore Line. The idea at that time was to construct the railroad as a high speed interurban to be the connecting link between the Lake Shore Electric at Toledo and interurban lines in Michigan. Immediately following the purchase of the right-of-way, they began the actual grading of the road and construction of the Ottawa River bridge just north of Toledo.
From April to December 1901, the road was completed from Toledo to Trenton, with trolley wires in place from Monroe to Trenton. Electric cars were tested a few times as far north as Rockwood. The line was still incomplete when its promoters got into serious financial difficulty. The Shore Line went into receivership, and in the summer of 1902 the receiver became convinced that it would never be viable as an electric road and petitioned the court to allow him to construct a connection from the end of the track at Trenton Jct. (FN tower) to the nearby Detroit, Toledo & Ironton (Detroit Southern). This was completed in November 1902, and the construction work ceased for a short period.
In December 1902 the Grand Trunk Western and the Toledo, St Louis & Western (known as the Clover Leaf) entered into an agreement to jointly purchase the Shore Line property by issuing bonds for the payment of outstanding obligations. At the same time they contracted to extend the line northward from Trenton to a connection with the Wabash at River Rouge, on the south side of Detroit. The new owners intended to bring the Shore Line up to the same general standards as the Grand Trunk main line, as task that would require considerable additional track work.
When the line was completed, the D&TSL had no equipment except a small locomotive which had been purchased from the contractor and an old dummy saddle tank engine that had formerly run on the New York City elevated. There was some work equipment consisting of Rogers ballast cars but no cabooses or any freight equipment. Only one station had been constructed-at Monroe-but there were few telephone shanties scattered along the road.
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
s and no locomotive servicing facilities. To reach the Clover Leaf yard in Toledo they used twelve miles (19 km) of the Toledo Terminal under a trackage rights agreement. In the spring of 1904 they bought six Baldwin compound Moguls along with six cabooses. Work began immediately to upgrade the right-of-way.
In 1906 a classification yard-named Lang Yard after the road's auditor was started just north of the Toledo city limits along with a roundhouse, turntable and machine shop. A short time later, work began on another yard at the other end of the railroad: Dearoad Yard was just south of the River Rouge at Detroit.
Over the years additional equipment was purchased and many improvements were made as the Shore Line developed into a vital and prosperous property. Ironically, for a road conceived as an interurban, the D&TSL never handled any passenger traffic, being operated for freight service only. In 1922 the Clover Leaf became part of the Van Sweringen's Nickel Plate, bringing its 50% interest in the D&TSL under the NKP banner.
Through service with the GTW was inaugurated in 1921, and until the early 1940s Shore Line power and crews operated through to Durand and Flint. They also operated through to Tunnel Yard in Port Huron until 1971.
Motive power
2-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
s, Consolidation
2-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
s, and switcher
Switcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
s. It brought its first diesels, EMD SW7 switchers 116-118, in April 1950 and followed them with two EMD GP7
EMD GP7
The EMD GP7 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between October, 1949 and May, 1954. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated . The GP7 was offered both with and without control cabs, and...
s each in January, (41,42) and November (43,44) of 1951. A single SW9 (119) was also added in March 1951. Five more GP7s (45-49) were delivered in April 1952, and the last D&TSL steam locomotive operated in the fall of that year. Two more SW9s (120,121) were added in November 1952, and the Shore Line bought its last new locomotive, GP7 50, on February 12, 1953.
With a total fleet of 16 units made up of only three models of the same vintage from the same builder, the D&TSL shop forces had become quite expert in keeping them running, and the units were extremely well maintained. The three non-m.u.-equipped SW7s were used on locals, transfers and "Bum Jobs" (extra yard assignments) while the SW9s generally would stay on the hump. The ten Geeps handled transfer and all road assignments. Since power for the road jobs was pooled with the GTW, colorful Geeps, GP38s and SD40s of that road were common sights on Shore Line road jobs and in the Lang Yard engine facility. For the Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
, Shore Line 46 was renumbered 76 and adored in a very handsome red, white and blue paint scheme.
The above information was taken from the articles "The Detroit & Toledo Shore Line" and "Steam on the Shore Line" from the July 1981 issue of Railfan and Railroad both by Charles H. Geletzke, Jr.