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69-577: The trail is constructed on a section of the former railroad the Grand River Valley Railroad , which ran from Grand Rapids to Jackson . Originally chartered on May 4, 1846, the railroad remained dormant for 20 years. Construction on the line began in 1868–1869. The first train, pulled by the locomotive 'Muskegon', arrived in Grand Rapids on January 1, 1870. Regular service commenced a few weeks later on January 17. Shortly after

138-723: A barge . One Chief Wawatam engine was salvaged and restored by the Wisconsin Maritime Museum . Other artifacts from the ferry, including the whistle, wheel, telegraphs, and furniture, are preserved by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission in Mackinaw City . Car floats also ran across the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario, for high and wide loads that could not fit through the tunnels. The major competitors of

207-418: A baggage cart. The Michigan Central, having been only a "paper" railroad for decades and not owning any track since the late 1970s, was merged into United Railroad Corp. (a subsidiary of Penn Central) on December 7, 1995. Today, Norfolk Southern owns most trackage not abandoned in the early 1980s. Lake State Railway now operates the remnants former Detroit-Mackinaw City line from Bay City to Gaylord , which

276-545: A car-float service over the Detroit River from 1883; an immersed tube tunnel under the Detroit River between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario; and the MCR cantilever bridge at Niagara Falls , which was later replaced with a steel arch bridge in 1925. The car-float operation ended when the Detroit River tunnel was completed. Control of Canada Southern passed from MCR to NYC, then Penn Central, then Conrail . In 1985,

345-460: A daily train heading from Grand Rapids to Jackson with a return trip the next day. On February 1, 1968, New York Central merged with Pennsylvania Railroad to form Penn Central Railroad . By 1970, Penn Central was in bankruptcy and track maintenance and service suffered. On April 1, 1976, Conrail took over operation of the line and discontinued service on the line east of Vermontville to Eaton Rapids. While Conrail did not wish to continue operating

414-540: A diamond crossing in front of the New York Central's 'Interstate Express'. The 'Canadian's locomotive hit the derailer, slid through the crossing on the ties, and was rerailed by the crossing's frog, the tender and first several cars of the train remained derailed as they rode the ties. The train stopped with the Michigan Central locomotive about 400 feet beyond the crossing and the first coach fouling

483-573: A long-term lease of Canada Southern Railway (CSR), which operated the most direct route between Detroit and New York. CSR's mainline cut through the heart of southwestern Ontario , between Windsor and Fort Erie . The new service, known as the Canada Division Passenger Service, saw a major surge beginning at the start of the 1920s. Between 1920 and 1922, the legendary Wolverine passenger train operated in two sections, five days per week along CSR's mainline. Then, in

552-414: A passing resemblance to New York's famed rail station. It was the world's tallest railroad terminal at that time. Last used by Amtrak in 1988, Michigan Central Station then become a victim of extensive vandalism. Over the next 30 years, several proposals and concepts for redevelopment were suggested, none coming to fruition. The estimated cost of renovations was $ 80 million, but the owners viewed finding

621-741: A shortline holding company, to sell the Kalamazoo-Detroit portion of the Michigan Central main line. The proposal was set before the Surface Transportation Board , and was officially endorsed by Amtrak in September 2007. In December 2007 the STB rejected the plan, citing concerns over the relationship between the Norfolk Southern and Watco. Labor unions had raised concerns over the transfer of operations to

690-624: A substantially non-transportation company, under which different labor regulations would apply. Thornapple River The Thornapple River ( Ottawa : Sowanquesake , "Forked River") ( GNIS ID # 1075813 ) is an 88.1-mile-long (141.8 km) tributary of Michigan's longest river, the Grand River . The Thornapple rises in Eaton County, Michigan and drains a primarily rural farming area in Central Michigan . It joins

759-466: A tenant. When MC operations were completely integrated into NYC in the 1950s, trains were re-deployed to NYC's LaSalle Street Station home, where other NYC trains such as the 20th Century Limited were staged. IC sued for breach of contract and won because the MC had a lease that ran for a few more years. The MC route from Chicago to Porter, Indiana , is mostly intact. The Kensington Interchange, shared with

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828-514: A village at the mouth of the Thornapple led by Nebawnaygezhick ("Part of the Day"). During the early colonial settlement of Michigan, Rix Robinson , the first permanent colonial settler of Kent County, married Sebequay ("River Woman"), the sister of Nebawnaygezhick, at the Thornapple. Robinson also established a fur trading post in conjunction with John Jacob Astor 's American Fur Company at

897-548: Is a grass trail starting at Greggs Crossing Rd, extending southeast along the Thornapple River. It then follows alongside M-79 briefly before turning northeast through Nashville . The path through Nashville predominantly traces the old railroad's northeasterly route. With the exception of a brief 1000ft paved segment of trail west of Nashville over Quaker Brook, the trail remains grass until reaching Maple Valley High School. After leaving Nashville and crossing Reed St

966-460: Is claimed to be "nationally known as a fine smallmouth bass stream", and there are typically large numbers of small mouth bass in the free-flowing sections between Nashville and the junction with the Coldwater river. Fishing access is good, as most of the free-flowing Thornapple can be waded or floated during normal summer flows, and many county road crossings afford good access. In addition to

1035-457: Is closed in November for hunting season. The trail continues south along the river through some wetlands, eventually crossing the river on an old converted rail bridge, before reaching Irving at McCann Rd where the trail changes from asphalt to grass. It then continues for another 2 miles before ending at private property on Irving Rd. The section between Irving Rd and Hastings is currently in

1104-593: Is currently private property and is in the planning/proposal stage. Trail users in this area must navigate an on-road segment on Stimson Rd, heading south to M-37 and then east on Crane Rd across the Thornapple River . After crossing the river on Crane Rd the trail picks up again heading along the banks of the Thornapple River and crossing over Main St in Middleville . A section of the trail south of Middleville

1173-478: Is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Michigan Central Railroad Depot (Battle Creek, MI) opened on July 27, 1888. Rogers and MacFarlane of Detroit designed the depot, one of several Richardsonian Romanesque-style stations between Detroit and Chicago in the late nineteenth century. Thomas Edison as well as presidents William Howard Taft and Gerald Ford visited here. The depot

1242-603: Is partially owned by the state of Michigan. What remained of CASO was mostly abandoned by Canadian National in 2011, after seeing little to no traffic for years. Amtrak owns the Detroit line from Porter, Indiana , to Kalamazoo, Michigan , while the state of Michigan owns the line from there to Dearborn, Michigan . This line is a projected "high speed" line; a portion of the line was converted to 110 MPH operation in early 2012 with further upgrades planned. Amtrak operates three Chicago-Detroit- Pontiac trains each way per day, under

1311-438: Is significant recreational watercraft usage, both powered and sail , as well as personal water craft , although no provisions for specific clearances under bridges have been made, and the dams do not have locks, so portaging or trailered transport is required to move craft from one reach to another. Totaling over 857 square miles and covering portions of Barry , Eaton , Ionia , and Kent Counties in Central Michigan ,

1380-413: Is similar to the moving span at Spuyten Duyvil owned by parent New York Central, but has no approach spans. It is still in operation and owned by Amtrak. No historic Michigan Central-specific equipment exists today. After the steam era, almost all equipment was lettered for New York Central. Many common New York Central locomotives and rolling stock are preserved in places like Illinois Railway Museum and

1449-628: Is suitable for family outings and float trips. The river is also very fishable. A large number of species inhabit the river, among them: sunfishes ( largemouth bass , smallmouth bass , rock bass bluegill , crappie , pumpkinseed , and warmouth ), bowfin , brown bullhead , minnows ( common carp , chub , dace , and shiner ), suckers ( white sucker and redhorse ), perches ( yellow perch , walleye , darter ), brook stickleback , northern pike , longnose gar , trout ( brown trout , brook trout , and rainbow trout ), and lampreys ( American brook lamprey and chestnut lamprey ). The river

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1518-709: The Pere Marquette , Pennsylvania , Grand Trunk , and Ann Arbor Railroads . Michigan Central was part owner of the ferry service operated to the Upper Peninsula as well as cross-river ferry service to Ontario , but these routes did not exist to circumvent Chicago. The Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) and then parent New York Central Railroad (NYC) owned the Canada Southern Railroad (CSR), which had lines throughout southwestern Ontario from Windsor to Niagara Falls . The railroad operated

1587-688: The South Shore Line , was cut out. These tracks now belong to Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad , and are overgrown stub tracks ending short of the interchange. Some trackage around the Indiana Harbor Belt's Gibson Yard has also been removed. The MC's South Water Street freight trackage in downtown Chicago is also gone. Amtrak trains serving the Michigan Central Detroit line now use the former NYC to Porter, where they turn north on Michigan Central. Passenger equipment

1656-501: The 1950s, the service had been downgraded from a train to a motorized passenger car called a Budd Rail Diesel Car or RDC. New York Central referred to the service as 'The Beeliner'. The tracks were well maintained, with relatively high speed limits of 60 mph for passenger service and 40 mph for freight. Passenger service concluded with the last Beeliner running in December 1959. Freight service continued and usually consisted of

1725-560: The 1998 Conrail breakup, Norfolk Southern Railway now owns much of the former Michigan Central trackage. At the end of 1925, MC operated 1,871 miles (3,011 km) of road and 4,139 miles (6,661 km) of track; that year it reported 4,304,000 net ton-miles of revenue freight and 600 million passenger-miles. The line between Detroit and St. Joseph, Michigan , was originally planned in 1830 to provide freight service between Detroit and Chicago by train to St. Joseph and via boat service on to Chicago. The Detroit and St. Joseph Railroad

1794-715: The Canada Southern was sold to two companies, the Canadian National Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway . The Michigan Central Railway Bridge opened in February 1925 and remained in use until the early 21st century. It replaced the earlier Niagara Cantilever Bridge which had been commissioned in 1883 by Cornelius Vanderbilt ; the older bridge was scrapped as the new MCR bridge went into service. The MCR cantilever bridge

1863-616: The Grand River watershed were formed during the Pleistocene epoch and the subsequent advance/retreat glaciation cycle, terminating about 6–8000 years ago. Prior to European settlement, the Thornapple drainage basin had mixed hardwood / conifer forest and barrens . At the turn of the 19th century, the Thornapple was home to bands of both Ottawa and Potawatomi . Into the 1830s, the Grand River Band of Ottawa had

1932-602: The Grand in Ada , Michigan , 10 miles (16 km) east of Grand Rapids . The Thornapple, a major Grand River tributary, is about 88 miles (142 km) long. Its headwaters are located about 7 miles (11 km) east of Charlotte, Michigan in Eaton County's Eaton township (only 7 miles (11 km) west of the Grand River at Eaton Rapids ). It flows generally west and north through Eaton and Barry counties, before entering

2001-557: The Grand in Kent County . The Grand ultimately flows into Lake Michigan at Grand Haven , approximately 70 miles (110 km) down stream. The Thornapple is described as "An easygoing stream that meanders through low southwest Michigan woodlands." The Thornapple itself has a major tributary in the Coldwater River . The Thornapple is the only major left tributary of the Grand River. The major rivers and streams within

2070-403: The Michigan Central were: On June 22, 1918, the engineer of a Michigan Central troop train fell asleep, causing the train to run into the rear of a Hagenbeck–Wallace Circus train that was stopped near Hammond, Indiana. The accident resulted in 86 deaths, with another 127 people injured. On February 27, 1921, the Michigan Central's 'Canadian' ran a red signal at Porter, Indiana, and entered

2139-670: The National New York Central Museum, in Elkhart, Indiana. The latter includes a sample passenger train in NYC livery, although the two coaches are actually of Illinois Central heritage. The E8 and observation car are original NYC equipment and very likely served on the Michigan Central after dieselization. The station in Dexter, Michigan, has some railroad memorabilia around it, such as an old level crossing signal and

Paul Henry–Thornapple Rail Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue

2208-1213: The Thornapple River Watershed has approximately 324 miles of streams and rivers that flow into the Lower Grand River Watershed. The land within the watershed is: The Thornapple's tributaries are:Butternut Creek, Milbourn Allen and Crane Drain-Thornapple River, Thornapple Drain, Fish Creek-Little Thornapple River, Hayes Drain-Thornapple River, Darken and Boyer Drain-Thornapple River, Lacey Creek, Thompson Creek-Thornapple River, Shanty Creek, Quaker Brook, Scipio Creek-Thornapple River, Headwaters Mud Creek, Mud Creek, High Bank Creek, Cedar Creek, Thornapple Lake-Thornapple River, Jordan Lake-Little Thornapple River, Woodland Creek-Little Thornapple River, Messer Brook-Coldwater River, Duck Creek Creek, Pratt Lake Creek, Bear Creek, Coldwater River, Fall Creek, Butler Creek-Thornapple River, Glass Creek, Algonquin Lake-Thornapple River, Duncan Creek, Turner Creek-Thornapple River, and McCords Creek-Thornapple River. The Thornapple flows through: The river

2277-471: The Thornapple River. The river was subject to periodic flooding. The 1904-1905 flood was "the worst flooding in Ada history." A number of dams were constructed in the early 20th century for flood control and power generation. In 1957, as part of a M-21 Grand River bridge replacement project, the mouth of the Thornapple and lower channel were relocated about 500 feet upstream on the Grand, and land that had been

2346-463: The Thornapple had significant logging , milling , and manufacturing activity along it. As an example: by 1862 Ada had a number of businesses which included: general stores, a flour mill, a saw mill, hotels, a blacksmith, a carriage maker , a boot and shoe store, two churches, a doctor, three Justices of the Peace , and an attorney. Later, a basket factory was built next to the flour and saw mills on

2415-562: The best access to Chicago of any Michigan railroad. The Michigan Central did own part of the Mackinac Transportation Company , which operated the SS Chief Wawatam until 1984. The Chief Wawatam was a front-loading, hand-fired, coal-fed steamer . It was the last hand-fired steamer in the free world at its long-overdue retirement in 1984. The Chief Wawatam continued to operate until 2009, cut down to

2484-615: The border of Kentwood and Grand Rapids. The trail begins by heading southeast, and after a mile, has a connection with the East-West Trail in Kentwood. Continuing southeast, the trail progresses toward 60th St and Wing Ave, where it links to the Frederik Meijer Trail . From there, the trail heads east along 60th St, connecting to Paris Park Nature Reserve and passing through East Paris Nature Park. After traversing

2553-419: The crossing. The 'Interstate Express' locomotive (NYC 4828) hit the wooden coach broadside, demolishing it, killing 35 passengers, and injuring 11. Locomotive 4828 derailed upon hitting the coach and went off the track to the right; its pilot dug into the dirt, and the locomotive whipped around and slammed over on its side, facing in the direction from which it came. Both the engineer and the fireman were killed in

2622-480: The embankment and continuing southeast. The trail extends for 4 miles through rural farmland before reaching Kraft Ave and 92nd St and running through Caledonia Community Schools property. Continuing on the old railbed the trail has a connection to a township trail through Caledonia Lakeside Park before reaching Main St in the Village of Caledonia . At this point, the trail transitions to sidewalks and sharrows through

2691-579: The first Wednesday of each month. It also has some railroad memorabilia such as an old crossing signal and baggage cart. Michigan Central was the owner of Michigan Central Station in Detroit. Opened in 1913, the building is of the Beaux-Arts Classical style of architecture, designed by the Warren and Wetmore and Reed and Stem firms who also designed New York City 's Grand Central Terminal . As such, Michigan Central Station bears more than

2760-492: The first part of the Godfrey Reggio movie Naqoyqatsi and is frequently used by Michael Bay in such films as The Island and Transformers . In May 2018, Ford Motor Company purchased the building for redevelopment into a mixed use facility and cornerstone of the company's new Corktown campus. The Michigan Central station at Niles, Michigan , is also famous, having appeared in several Hollywood movies. It

2829-680: The line's creation on August 15, 1870, it was perpetually leased by the Michigan Central Railroad as a branch for their system. On September 15, 1916, the Grand River Valley Railroad was formally merged into the Michigan Central Railroad. Subsequently, on February 1, 1930, The New York Central Railroad absorbed the Michigan Central. In the 1920s, passenger service featured a daily train each way between Grand Rapids and Detroit. By

Paul Henry–Thornapple Rail Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue

2898-567: The line, an agreement was reached to ensure the line's operation under a contract with the State of Michigan. In 1979, Conrail did not renew its agreement with the state. On July 15, 1979, the Kent-Barry-Eaton Connecting Railway (KBEC) commenced operations under a contract with the state, securing a subsidy for operating the line between Grand Rapids and Vermontville, servicing 11 customers, 6 of them "regulars". It

2967-466: The many fish species that live in the Thornapple, the river is also home to other wildlife including osprey , bald eagles , herons , and various species of ducks , some who winter in Michigan. People use the recreational facilities on the river to observe these species for pleasure and knowledge seeking. On the lower reaches of the river, especially in the several impoundments behind the dams, there

3036-594: The mouth of the Thornapple in 1821 to trade with the Ottawa and Potawatomi and conduct other business. By 1836, with the fur trade in decline, Robinson facilitated a treaty between local tribes and the Federal government that opened much of the area, including the Thornapple basin, to white settlement. Robinson later purchased hundreds of acres around the mouth of the Thornapple for the Ottawa to continue living on. As with many rivers in 19th and early 20th century America,

3105-564: The old banner Wolverine . The Port Huron train (the Blue Water ) also uses this line as far east as Battle Creek, Michigan . Both Kalamazoo and Niles have retained their old Michigan Central Stations; the Niles station is occasionally portrayed in film. Also the Dowagiac station is used by Amtrak which was built by M.C.R.R. In July 2007, Norfolk Southern was in talks with Watco ,

3174-436: The park, the trail turns south to follow East Paris Ave before crossing over M-6 . After crossing 68th St, the trail departs from East Paris Ave and resumes its southward course through farmland, eventually rejoining the old railroad embankment. At the embankment, a spur follows the old rail line northwest, connecting to Dutton Shadyside Park and 68th St. Continuing south, the trail reaches 76th St before turning east, rejoining

3243-483: The planning/proposal stage. The trail within Hastings city limits has been completed and connects to both Tyden Park and Bliss Riverfront Park. To the east of Hastings, there are multiple trail sections divided by private property, comprising approximately 10 miles of mostly grass and some paved trail separated by 4 miles of private property. These sections are currently in the planning/proposal stage. Currently, there

3312-523: The primary locomotive and car repair shops during the steam era were located in Jackson, Michigan , established in 1871. They closed in 1949 during a coal strike and never reopened due to the conversion of motive power to diesel engines. The Michigan Central Railroad (MCR) operated mostly passenger trains between Chicago and Detroit. These trains ranged from locals to the Wolverine . In 1904, MCR began

3381-481: The private market, and abandonment of the project was discussed. The City of Detroit invested $ 50,000 in the project. The State of Michigan bailed out the railroad in 1837 by purchasing it and investing $ 5,000,000. The now state-owned company was renamed the Central Railroad of Michigan . By 1840 the railroad was again out of money and had completed track only between Detroit and Dexter, Michigan . In 1846,

3450-714: The right use as a greater problem than financing. Though listed on the National Register of Historic Places , the Detroit City Council passed a resolution to demolish the station in April 2009. The council was met with strong opposition from Detroit resident Stanley Christmas, who in turn, sued the city of Detroit to stop the demolition effort, citing the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 . The station shows up in

3519-411: The river for a significant portion of its length. From the headwaters in Eaton County to Thornapple Lake, the river is creeklike, with narrow banks and tangled undergrowth restricting easy passage. The lower stretch of the river is a series of dam-created reservoirs that are heavily developed. However, from the lake to the first dam impoundment below Irving, is a 14-mile (23 km) stretch of river that

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3588-535: The scene. The former Michigan Central Station in Ann Arbor , Michigan, a granite stone block building built in 1886 and designed by Frederick Spier of Spier and Rohns , is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and now houses the Gandy Dancer Restaurant. The Michigan Central also built and operated a swing bridge over Trail Creek at Michigan City, Indiana . This swing bridge

3657-496: The site of Robinson's first home in Ada and trading post was inundated. Today the Thornapple is not a navigable waterway , and there is no commercial water transport on it. The major use of the river is recreational. The Thornapple River sees significant use for rafting , kayaking , tubing , and canoeing on a small but significant portion of its 88-mile (142 km) extent. The Thornapple supports several canoe livery businesses. The Paul Henry–Thornapple Rail Trail parallels

3726-433: The state sold the railroad to the newly incorporated Michigan Central corporation for $ 2,000,000. By this time the railroad had reached Kalamazoo, Michigan , a distance of 143.16 miles (230.39 km). The new private corporation had committed to complete the railroad with T-rail of not less than sixty pounds to the yard and also to replace the poorly built rails between Kalamazoo and Detroit with similar quality rail, as

3795-409: The state-built rail was of low quality. The new owners met this obligation by building the rest of the line some 74.84 miles (120.44 km) to the shores of Lake Michigan by 1849. However, rather than go to St. Joseph, instead they went to New Buffalo . This was because they had decided to extend the road all the way to Chicago. With this, the first crossing of the state of Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

3864-540: The summer of 1923, the eastbound Wolverine began running from Detroit to Buffalo without any scheduled stops in Canada, making the trip in 4 hours and 50 minutes, an unprecedented achievement. During the same summer, the Canada Division was moving 2,300 through passengers per day. By the end of the decade, a fleet of 205 J-1 class Hudsons – one of the most powerful locomotives for passenger service yet designed –

3933-532: The time, and the Michigan Central owned lines from east to west of the state and north to south, tapping all resources available. After the advent of the automobile as one of the most dominant forces of commerce, with Detroit at the epicenter, the Michigan Central became a carrier of autos and auto-related parts. The Michigan Central was one of the few Michigan railroads with a direct line into Chicago, meaning it did not have to operate cross-lake ferries , as did virtually all other railroads operating in Michigan, such as

4002-498: The trail continues northeast, entering Eaton County. The trail continues to Maple Valley High School where the trail changes from grass to asphalt. Continuing its course the trail crosses the Thornapple River, again on another converted rail bridge, before turning slightly south, ultimately arriving at the trail terminus in Vermontville . Grand River Valley Railroad The Michigan Central Railroad ( reporting mark MC )

4071-424: The village until South Maple St and Kinsey St, where the trail resumes its southeastward course. The trail then turns east to cross M-37 before quickly returning south to rejoin the embankment, continuing southeast to the county line at 108th St. Headed south across 108th St, the trail surface transitions from paved asphalt to graded dirt before ending at Stimson Rd. The trail section between Stimson Rd and Crane Rd

4140-615: The wreck, making the death toll 37. The MCR Jackson station in Jackson, Michigan, opened in 1873 and is the oldest continuously operated passenger station in North America. The Dexter, Michigan, train depot was built to replace a former station that had burned down. It served passenger trains until the early 1950s. Today, the station is home to the Ann Arbor Model Railroad Club, which hosts open houses

4209-575: Was 270 miles (430 km) in length. In the same year the first train ran from Detroit to Chicago. The first repair shops were built in 1851 and located on 20 acres of waterfront property in Detroit, Michigan . In 1873 they were moved to a larger plot of land on the west side of the city along Livernois Avenue, then consisting of two roundhouses and car repair shops. In 1919 new freight and locomotive terminals were constructed in Niles, Michigan . However,

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4278-623: Was acquired by the New York Central Railroad in 1918, Penn Central in 1968 and Amtrak in 1970. The depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is now Clara's on the River Restaurant. Located between Augusta and Galesburg Michigan, the massive re-enforced concrete building stands over the Detroit to Chicago mainline. Built in 1923, it was used to refuel and water steam engines. It fell out of use post-World War II, as diesel engines came onto

4347-438: Was chartered in 1831 with a capital of $ 1,500,000. The railroad actually began construction on May 18, 1836, starting at "King's Corner" in Detroit, which was the name by which the southeast corner of Jefferson and Woodward Avenue was then known. However, this is not the location of Michigan Central Station , which apparently replaced this building. The small private organization quickly ran into problems securing cheap land in

4416-495: Was completed. This involved passing through two other states and getting leave from two state legislatures to do so. To facilitate this process, they bought the Joliet and Northern Indiana Railroad in 1851. Thus they reached Michigan City, Indiana , by 1850 and finished the line to Kensington, Illinois , (now a south Chicago neighborhood) in 1852, using Illinois Central trackage rights to downtown Chicago. The completed railroad

4485-815: Was hauling passengers along the CSR mainline. However, by the 1930s the Wolverine was making stops in the Canadian section of the route. Also, by the late 1940s, the Empire State Express passed from Buffalo into Southwestern Ontario; however, it terminated at Detroit. While Michigan Central was an independent subsidiary of the New York Central System, passenger trains were staged from Illinois Central's Central Station (in Chicago) as

4554-470: Was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame in 2006, long after it had been scrapped. The Hall of Fame report discussed its significance to the railway industry in the category of "North America: Facilities & Structures." All major Michigan railroads except the Michigan Central operated a rail ferry service across Lake Michigan . The MC had the most direct route across Southern Michigan from Detroit to Chicago. The Michigan Central also had

4623-455: Was mostly similar to that of parent New York Central System. Typically this meant an EMD E-series locomotive and Pullman-Standard lightweight rolling stock. Because General Motors ( Electro-Motive Division ) was a large customer of Michigan Central, use of Alco or General Electric locomotives was less common. Prior to the automobile, Michigan Central was mostly a carrier of natural resources. Michigan had extensive reserves of timber at

4692-414: 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 , which later became part of Penn Central and then Conrail . After

4761-413: Was the first minority owned railroad in the country. Freight primarily consisted of grain, lumber, manufactured goods and scrap metal. A failure to build freight traffic on the line combined with "inexperienced railroad management" led to the state ending its contract with KBEC and service on the line ceasing completely on October 15, 1983. The northwest terminus is at Kalamazoo Ave just south of 44th St on

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