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Narrow Gauge
Like many other states which had lumbering operations, Michigan had many narrow gauge railroads. Most of these narrow gauge routes were temporary - with the track laid for only a year or two until the forest was clear cut. Others were main branch lines of timber routes, which collected timber from these temporary lines and brought them to the mill or to a river to be floated to the mill. A few other narrow gauge roads were built that way on purpose, and not particularly for logging.
| Railroad | Gauge | Notes and other information. |
| Alger, Smith and Company | 3' 6" | |
| AuSable and Northwestern | ||
| Atlantic & Lake Superior RR | 4' 1" | |
| Flint & Pere Marquette RR | 3' | |
| Hancock & Calumet RR | 3' | Later changed to standard gauge. |
| Hecla & Torch Lake RR | 4' 1" | Used camelback locomotives. |
| Huckleberry Railroad | 3' | Former PM Otisville to Fostoria, MI branch. |
| Jackson & Northern Ry. | 2' | Operated in Blackman Township, north of Jackson. Crossed MC at MAL Crossing. |
| Lac LaBelle & Calumet RR | 3' | |
| Milwaukee, Benton Harbor & Columbus RR | 3' | Former St. Joseph Valley Railroad |
| Mineral Range Railroad | 3' | Later changed to standard gauge. |
| Paw Paw Railroad | 3' | Became Toledo & South Haven RR |
| Port Huron & Northwestern | 3' | |
| Port Huron & South Western Ry. | 3' | |
| Quincy & Torch Lake RR | 3' | Ended operation in 1945, remained intact until 1967 [MRL] |
| Saginaw and Mt. Pleasant RR | 3' | |
| Saginaw, Tuscola & Huron RR | 3' | |
| St. Joseph Valley RR | 3' | |
| Toledo & South Haven RR | 3' | Former Paw Paw Railroad |
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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