Michigan Northern Railway
Encyclopedia
The Michigan Northern Railway was a railroad operating in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan
. The main line stretched from a southern hub at Grand Rapids
to a northern terminus at Mackinaw City
. It operated from 1976 until 1986.
. During the 1900s, the spread of paved roads and altrernate means of transportation reduced the profitability of this line. Although the GR & I main line was consolidated into the Pennsylvania Railroad
and then the Penn Central, usage continued to decline. The bankrupt Penn Central won permission from the federal government to abandon lengthy sections of trackage in northern Michigan
.
An intervention by the Michigan Department of Transportation
prolonged the working life of the old GR & I main line. The state acquired most of the trackage and contracted with the Michigan Northern (MN) to operate it. The MN also offered service on branch lines to Charlevoix
and Traverse City
during their period of service. At the railroad's northern terminus, the MN turned freight cars over to the Detroit & Mackinac Ry., which switched them onto the SS Chief Wawatam
, a railroad ferry that crossed the Straits of Mackinac
. This allowed the MN to offer through freight service to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A controversial rate "flag-out" starting in 1978 resulted in a rush of overhead traffic from the ferry onto the Michigan Northern. This soon went away after nationwide railroad deregulation in 1980.
to Petoskey
continued in service under another contractual operator, the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway
, (now the Great Lakes Central Railroad); while most of the MN's former trackage from Grand Rapids north to Cadillac was redeveloped as the White Pine Trail State Park
. The Line from Petoskey to Charlevoix (former Chessie line operated by MN) closed due to severe erosion of the land and thus making the track unusable. MN cut back to the 33-mile stretch from Bay View to Pellston, which had not been purchased by the State of Michigan. MN set up a purchase agreement with Penn Central (which still owned the track), and established a truck-to-rail transfer facility at Pellston. Canadian steel trucked to Pellston was put on the MN there, and MN hauled it south to the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay interchange near Petoskey. This ended circa Jan. 1986. In summer 1986, MN ran some excursion trains. However, MN ran short on track payments to Penn Central, and MN's last train (cleaning out remaining equipment, although a few things were left behind in Alanson and Conway) left Pellston in April 1987. The line once again survived another 5 years (from Alanson to Petoskey) with the Little Traverse Scenic Railway, which even used a MN GP-7 Locomotive in their first year of operation.
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 main line stretched from a southern hub at Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
to a northern terminus at Mackinaw City
Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village...
. It operated from 1976 until 1986.
Description of railroad
The Michigan Northern's trackage consisted of the northern half of the main line built between 1867 and 1882 by a predecessor railroad, the Grand Rapids and Indiana RailroadGrand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA...
. During the 1900s, the spread of paved roads and altrernate means of transportation reduced the profitability of this line. Although the GR & I main line was consolidated into the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and then the Penn Central, usage continued to decline. The bankrupt Penn Central won permission from the federal government to abandon lengthy sections of trackage in northern Michigan
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
.
An intervention by the Michigan Department of Transportation
Michigan Department of Transportation
The Michigan Department of Transportation is a constitutional government agency in the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstate, US and state highways in Michigan with the exception of the Mackinac...
prolonged the working life of the old GR & I main line. The state acquired most of the trackage and contracted with the Michigan Northern (MN) to operate it. The MN also offered service on branch lines to Charlevoix
Charlevoix, Michigan
Charlevoix is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,994. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County....
and Traverse City
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse...
during their period of service. At the railroad's northern terminus, the MN turned freight cars over to the Detroit & Mackinac Ry., which switched them onto the SS Chief Wawatam
SS Chief Wawatam
SS Chief Wawatam was a coal-fired train ferry and icebreaker that operated in the Straits of Mackinac between 1911–1984. Her home port was St. Ignace, Michigan, and she shuttled back and forth during her entire working life between that port and Mackinaw City, Michigan.-Railroad ferry:The Chief...
, a railroad ferry that crossed the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
. This allowed the MN to offer through freight service to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A controversial rate "flag-out" starting in 1978 resulted in a rush of overhead traffic from the ferry onto the Michigan Northern. This soon went away after nationwide railroad deregulation in 1980.
Ceased operations
The severe economic recession of the early 1980s forced the state of Michigan to reduce its subsidies to northern Michigan railroads and their customers. Michigan Northern service ended in fall 1984 from Reed City to Grand Rapids (Comstock Park). A section of the former MN trackage stretching from CadillacCadillac, Michigan
Cadillac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Wexford County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,000. The city is situated at the junction of US 131, M-55 and M-115...
to Petoskey
Petoskey, Michigan
Petoskey is a city and coastal resort community in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 6,080. It is the county seat of Emmet County....
continued in service under another contractual operator, the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway
Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway
The Great Lakes Central Railroad is a Class II regional railroad, originally called the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway was formed on August 26, 1977 to operate over former Penn Central lines from Millington to Munger, Michigan, and Vassar to Colling, Michigan...
, (now the Great Lakes Central Railroad); while most of the MN's former trackage from Grand Rapids north to Cadillac was redeveloped as the White Pine Trail State Park
White Pine Trail State Park
Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park is a long linear state park in the U.S. state of Michigan.The trail extends from northern Grand Rapids to Cadillac, and it lies on the path graded for the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad. The White Pine Trail is a rail trail park...
. The Line from Petoskey to Charlevoix (former Chessie line operated by MN) closed due to severe erosion of the land and thus making the track unusable. MN cut back to the 33-mile stretch from Bay View to Pellston, which had not been purchased by the State of Michigan. MN set up a purchase agreement with Penn Central (which still owned the track), and established a truck-to-rail transfer facility at Pellston. Canadian steel trucked to Pellston was put on the MN there, and MN hauled it south to the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay interchange near Petoskey. This ended circa Jan. 1986. In summer 1986, MN ran some excursion trains. However, MN ran short on track payments to Penn Central, and MN's last train (cleaning out remaining equipment, although a few things were left behind in Alanson and Conway) left Pellston in April 1987. The line once again survived another 5 years (from Alanson to Petoskey) with the Little Traverse Scenic Railway, which even used a MN GP-7 Locomotive in their first year of operation.