Timetable: Pere Marquette - Main Line - Grand Rapids to Porter

This is a mostly single track main line extending to Porter, Indiana and Chicago beyond. Passing sidings as of 1949.

Station MP from GRUS Notes
Grand Rapids Union Station 0.0  DN Yard 
Second Avenue xMC xPRR   
Sunnyside     
Plaster Creek     
Wyoming Yard    RH EH CS T C W Yard
Lamar Tower xNYC 3.5  DN I
Grandville  6.0   
Jenison  7.0  P16 
Hudsonville  11.8  P204 
Vriesland  16.0  P21
Zeeland  20.7   
Waverly  24.5  DN J RH C P110 Yard 
Holland  25.8  P128 
East Saugatuck 32.9  P118 
New Richmond  36.2   
Helper  37.5   
Fennville  40.4   
Wells  42.4  P210 
Pearl  44.0   
Bravo  46.0   
Pullman  48.1   
Lee     
Grand Junction xMC 53.8  I P188 
Breedsville  58.0   
Bangor  60.6   
Gross  61.7  P216 
McDonald     
Hartford  68.8  J J 
Auto Spec  71.0   
Kirk  71.4  P210 
Watervliet  73.8   
Coloma  76.2   
Riverside  80.1   
Waldo  74.0   
Benton Harbor  86.0 
Drawbridge 87.6  SB I 
St. Joseph 87.9   
Vine (Glen Lord) 92.0  
Glenford 93.0  
Stevensville 94.9  
Fromac 96.0  
Livingston 97.3 P210
Bridgman 100.1  
Oakhall 103.0  
Sawyer 104.7 P204
Harbert    
Lakeside    
Union Pier 111.1  
New Buffalo MI 115.1 J RH T C WP270
Michigan City IN xCI&L 125.3 I P143
Porter 136.6 DN I J J P100
     

Key: BB=Bascule Bridge | C=Coal | CS=Car Shop | D=Open > Day | DN=Open Day and night | DS=Dispatcher | DT=Double Main Track | EH=Engine house | F=Diesel Fuel | HI=Half Interlocked Crossing | I=Interlocked Crossing | J=Junction | LB=Lift bridge | N=Open at night | P=Passing Track w/40' car capacity | Q=Quarry | RH=Roundhouse # stalls | RT=Railroad Resort | S=Scales | SB=Swing bridge | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard


Notes

Grand Rapids Union station owned by PRR and shared by PM and MC.

Plaster Creek is the source of the water supply for the locomotives at Wyoming Yard.

Wyoming Yard coal dock has a 500 ton capacity.

Grandville begins double track all the way to Grand Rapids. Switch controlled by CTC operator at Waverly.

Waverly had a coal pile and locomotives filled by crane. The CTC operator here controlled Grandville to East Saugatuck.

East Saugatuck hill was 1.23% ascending grade southbound for two miles with numerous curves. Helper engines for the grade were based at Helper, mp. 37.5.

Riverside was beginning of double track south through Benton Harbor to Vine (except for drawbridge).

Drawbridge was single track, interlocked. Speed 10 mph on bridge.

Livingston had a two mile siding constructed in 1944.

New Buffalo had a eight stall roundhouse built in 1920 with a 90' turntable. A 300 ton coaling station was built here in 1930. Also had a wayside water treatment plant. All steam powered trains took on coal here for the trip to and from Chicago terminals.

Porter interlocking tower staffed by the NYC.

[REF] = [MRC]


Time Line

1901. September. The secretary of war has notified the city council of Benton Harbor and the Big Four and Pere Marquette railroads that unless the three swing bridges across the Paw Paw river are in and completed within six months, a penalty will be required. [YEX-1901-0927]

1902. New 75-lb. rail has been laid from Fennville south and from Stevensville to South Bridgeman making about 22 miles. Electric block signals have been installed at New Richmond and East Saugatuck. [MCR-1903]

1915. The Pere Marquette will install approximately 25 miles of single-track block automatic signals and 1.7 miles of double-track. This closes up two gaps in its present system, making complete the automatic signaling protection between Porter, IN and Riverside, MI. [TSE-1915-10]

Bibliography

The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:

  • [AAB| = All Aboard!, by Willis Dunbar, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids ©1969.
  • [AAN] = Alpena Argus newspaper.
  • [AARQJ] = American Association of Railroads Quiz Jr. pamphlet. © 1956
  • [AATHA] = Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association newsletter "The Double A"
  • [AB] = Information provided at Michigan History Conference from Andrew Bailey, Port Huron, MI

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