A post relating to the former-LS&MS/NYC/PC/CR/SMRS Jackson (later Clinton) Branch
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SMRS Fall Color Tours (1986)—addendum
In follow-up to the post SMRS Fall Color Tours (1986), I located two more photographs from the 1986 Tours: And even more interesting, a photo from the original 1985 Color Tours showed up! In this year, most dates were rained out, […]
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First run for the SMRS
The last Conrail train over the Clinton Branch operated from Clinton to Lenawee Junction in March 1982. After this, the disused line quickly became overgrown with weeds and brush. The Southern Michigan Railroad Society had been formed in 1982 to try […]
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SMRS gets some A5s
In the mid 1980s, the Norfolk and Western Railway was in the process of retiring its track motor cars (speeders) from service. The cars were being replaced by hi-rail trucks, and the retired cars were sent to the N&W yard […]
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SMRS Fall Color Tours (1986)
The Southern Michigan Railroad started scheduled services over the north part of its line between Tecumseh and Clinton in the summer of 1985. Following the end of the summer season in that year, the Society planned to use the more […]
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Photo day—at Tecumseh Junction
A photo from the archives for today. The author’s Fairmont M19-F-2 motor car, built for the Norfolk & Western Railway and delivered to Crewe, Virginia in 1950, passes the depot at Tecumseh Junction on 26 May 1986, running on […]
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Photo day—motor cars at Clinton
In 1984 and 1985, the Norfolk Southern Railway was retiring their remaining motor cars from service. Retired cars were taken to the NS yard at Bellevue, OH, from where they were sold off in batches. There was much anticipation as […]
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A new trailer car for the SMRS
In the summer of 1988, the Southern Michigan Railroad Society was experiencing its highest-ever ridership levels. The motor car train in service was often full, and there was a need for more equipment—fast. We had several former-N&W “gang” motor cars […]
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Night shift at CK office
A previous post on the Clinton Engines building included a photo taken looking in to the operator’s office we has set up. I just ran across this slide from the same photo shoot, taken from inside the office, with […]
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Setting the scene—Part 3
Graduation from the University of Michigan in 1989 meant it was time to look for a proper job. I sent resumes to over 100 railroad companies, and one of the most interesting replies came from the Indiana Hi-Rail Corporation, an […]
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Setting the scene—Part 2
At the dawn of the 80s, I was a high-school student in Tecumseh, and starting to meet other friends interested in trains. The visit of the Michigan Artrain to Tecumseh in Spring 1980 was a key occasion. The train was […]