Another small railroad with passenger service to Chicago was the Michigan Central Railroad.
The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally chartered in 1832 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States and the province of Ontario in Canada. After about 1867 the railroad was controlled by the New York Central Railroad.
The Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) operated mostly passenger trains between Chicago and Detroit. These trains ranged from locals to the Wolverine. While Michigan Central was an independent subsidiary of the New York Central System, passenger trains were staged from Illinois Centralâs Central Station (in Chicago) as a tenant. When MC operations were completely integrated into NYC in the 1950s, trains were re-deployed to NYCâs LaSalle Street Station home, where other NYC trains such as the 20th Century Limited were staged.
Fascinating insight about Chicago operations there I only recently realized the difference between LaSalle St and Central stations haha
I grew up in the MCâs neck of the woods so here are a few other tidbits: a few walls of the former MC roundhouse in Marshall, MI still exist as a welding shop and were used as the template for the roundhouse at Greenfield Village in Dearborn.
Many former MC depots still exist and are well used. The depots in Battle Creek and Ann Arbor are now restaurants and the depots in Jackson, Albion, Kalamazoo, and Niles are still in use by Amtrak. Jacksonâs station is unique in that it holds the distinction of being the longest continuously operated station in the US, since 1873. Other depots in Dexter, Chelsea, Grass Lake, and Ypsilanti have been repurposed as museums or other public use. MCâs most famous station in Detroit was recently saved and restored by Ford starting in 2018.
The doubled line through Jackson crossed the street that I grew up on half way down the block. I took the Wolverine a couple times as a kid. One isolated memory was the best tuna sandwich Iâve ever had; came out of an aluminum basket carried by on older Black steward in his white jacket, the nicest guy. Three other memories are all related to freight drags. First was the soft rain of aromatic cinders falling on the path along the north right-of-way berm between Wisner Street and the West Avenue overpass as steamers were picking up speed on their way to Chicago (I think by the very late 40s all passenger service was lead by F units). Second, were the loads of jeeps, two-and-a-halfs, half tracks, tanks and artillery that were on their way west from Detroit during the Korean War. And the last, sadly, were the retired steamers without their valve gear and tie rods that were stuck in the middle of consists. They were also enroute west, I can only surmise to cut-up yards and smelters in Gary, Indiana or elsewhere. That memory is a tad bit sadder every year.
Of course not, Backshop. I understand your point. But may I respectfully offer that it was not my point in the post. Indeed, my thoughts as they clunked by to the boneyard was that they were indeed obsolete and were being disposed of. The sadness occured later because steam came to represent more than just iron and steel towing the nationâs goods across the country. I began to recognize that what it represented an age, a heritage of the advancement of technology and craftsmanship that had now drifted into the dustbin of history. No one in their right mind would go back to steam for anything of substance or necessity on todayâs (or the futureâs) railroads. But Iâm truely grateful for those over the years that had the foresight to rescue almost enough of these grand old horses before they were cut up or rusted beyond renovation. The very basis for model railroading itself rests in the heart of those men and women and societies and associations that support all our operable heritage steam. And the unique craftsmen that can rebuild from scratch whatever is necessary to resurrect them. And those whose diligent studies enable them to continue operating these beasts with both knowledge and art. Itâs just full-size modeling, perhaps by another name. They are national monuments.
I would have a bone to pick with anyone who would consider the Washington Monument or Lincoln Memorial as disposable simply because they serve no technological function.
Here in the U.K. we have the Woodham Brothers to thank in the preservation of some steam locomotives.
When British Railways turned their back to steam locomotives, some they disposed of were less than 10 years old. Locomotives were sold (cheap) to a number of scrap merchants. A large number ended up at Woodham Brothers.
If Iâm not mistaken, one of the chief important connections for the MC was the CASO across the river â one of the fastest pieces of railroad in North America.
One of the great âdriversâ for elimination of steam in the East was to feed the pipeline that was making all those rifles and jeeps and tanks to go to Korea. This was right sfter the great coal scare in the late '40s that led so many roads to devise oil firing (inslucind, astoundingly, N&W).
You got me on this one. I was not familiar with the acronym CASO, so I did some research. Still not totally sure that I got it, but from what I found, CASO is the City of St. Charles in Ontario Canada, midway between Detroit and Buffalo. If I did get it right, your reference to âacross the riverâ, so help me out here.
Indeed it WAS fast! I was fortunate to have been aboard the inaugural run of Amtrakâs Niagara Rainbow from Detroit to Buffalo sometime around 1974 or thereabouts. Once we got out of the tunnel at Windsor and on to the still jointed but perfectly smooth track we were flying. Iâm sure track speed was 79 but Iâd have to say we surpassed that more than once.
Fun times. I still have my commemorative ticket around here somewhere.
Canada Southern, a subsidiary of the New York Central/Michigan Central if Iâm not mistaken. Canadian railroad rules were in effect for the railroad, of course. I believe for New York Central steam this meant that full pilots were required rather than just footboards. Among other rules.
Thanks so much, Ed. Good to learn about this lesser known railroads.
I found some interesting discussions about CASO. Here are two of them.
The city of St. Thomas, midway between the Detroit and Buffalo in southwestern Ontario, has been a railroad centre of major importance since 1873, when the Canada Southern Railway first made its headquarters there. In 1883, Canada Southern was leased to the Michigan Central Railroad and became a division of that line. Freight and passenger car construction was carried out in the St. Thomas shops beginning in 1882. Passenger cars were originally standard wooden coaches of the period. Freight cars were MCR design, but custom built at the companyâs Canadian division. Several engines were also built at the St. Thomas shops.
The car shops remained very active as a repair facility until about 1958, when they were torn down by the New York Central, which had leased the Michigan Central in 1929. The Locomotive Shops now serves as the Elgin County Railway Museum.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Canada Division main line was the busiest passenger route in Canada. At the end of 1901, the Michigan Central Railroad ran seven passenger trains between Detroit and Buffalo. The Grand Trunk provided only four on its busiest route between Montreal and Toronto. By 1920, the Canada Division was also carrying more passengers per train mile than any other Canadian railway. For each passenger and mixed train mile operated, the Canada Southern Railway (CSR) handled 85 passengers, the Canadian Pacific 77, and the Grand Trunk Railway only 64. Measured in terms of passenger density and number of trains operated, the CSR remained Canadaâs single busiest line through the 1950s. What boomed were the main line passenger runs. Indicative of the growth, the St. Thomas Journal commented in early 1922 that the Wolverine had been operating two sections up to five days every week for the previous two years. It also noted the passage of an eighteen car passenger train pulled by two Pacific locomotives. The summer of 1923 found the Canada Division handling 2,300 through passengers per day.
CASO was the Canada Southern, a Vanderbilt road that was used as an alternative to the LS&MS route south of Lake Erie from Buffalo through Toledo. You will not be pleased by what was done to it only a few years ago.
It came to be âsuperfluousâ in the years of heightened border and customs scrutiny, as there were two international border crossings. I believe the bridge at Niagara was ancient but highly expensive to improve or replace when there were effectively two high-speed freight routes fully âsouth of the borderâ (even if we donât count the West Shore west of Selkirk/Albany).
To preclude competition, the route was broken up much as the Lackawanna Cutoff was, with key parcels quickly sold off and bridges lifted. It was as close to murder as you can get with inanimate things.
As to the river: quick quiz: if you go south from Detroit, Michigan, whatâs the first foreign country you come to (hint: you wonât have to cross the Gulf of AmericaâŚ)
Oh, that âriverâ. When I was researching CASO and didnât see a river on the map, I thought, is he talking about Lake Erie? What you meant was, the land far north of the Gulf of Amexica!
