A post relating to history
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Conrail twilight in the snow
In late 1981, Conrail operations on the Clinton Secondary Track (Toledo–Clinton via Lenawee Junction) were coming to an end. Trains were called on an as-needed basis, running on average about once a week. There was no schedule, and trains were […]
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“Big Ones” at Walbridge, Ohio
By Douglas N. Leffler Attached are several images shot by my late friend, Cecil Hommerding, during one of his railfan outings to the Toledo, Ohio area. The photos show Chesapeake and Ohio Railway “Allegheny” 1617 working coal hoppers at C&O’s […]
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December sun at Raisin Center
This series of photos of the northbound Conrail local at Raisin Center, Michigan was taken by Edward Hodges in the late afternoon of 09 December 1981. On a banked curve, the train slowly approaches the home signal guarding the diamond […]
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Christmas in Tecumseh 1987
In the 1980s, a Christmas tradition in Tecumseh, MI was the annual “Christmas Walk”, sponsored by the Tecumseh Chamber of Commerce. Held on a Saturday evening, local shops stayed open late, the streets were decorated, Santa was present, and people […]
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A Phone Box for Staib
Along the former-NYC “Old Road” line between Toledo and Adrian, MI, the NYC, Penn Central and later Conrail had used block limit rules for train operations. This required an ability to call the train dispatcher (in this case at Nasby […]
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Photo day—View to the past, Jackson 1989
It is late afternoon in the Jackson, Michigan Conrail yard on 08 April 1989. Conrail U23Bs #2737 and 2701 await their next turn of duty in front of the yard office. Over in the yard, a double-door boxcar still in […]
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The NYC depot at Morenci, Michigan
By David J. Mrozek This article was originally printed in the April-May 1984 edition of The Cross Tracks, newsletter of the Southern Michigan Railroad Society. As the Summer of 1979 drew to a close, the end of the line was […]
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Photo day—Transition in Lima
It was 04 April 1984 when Russell Heine photographed Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad GP38 #6200 switching the yard at Lima, Ohio. The unit wears an interim paint scheme following the DT&I’s purchase by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad in […]
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A TJ short—To Clinton by Train in 1929
This is a passage from a letter by Christine Fowler Stout of Adrian, published in the October-November 1983 edition of the Cross Tracks, newsletter of the Southern Michigan Railroad Society: I came to Michigan from Florida to see if things […]
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Photo day—obey the signs!
A Southern Michigan Railroad passenger service, led by Plymouth locomotive O&M #57 and caboose NYC #21692 arrives at Brown Street in Tecumseh, Michigan on 06 June 1987. To the right are vintage signs from the New York Central days, providing […]