Location: Detroit, MI - Junction Yard

Junction Yard was a large Michigan Central classification yard on the west side of the City of Detroit. It was along the south side of MC's main line (Detroit to Chicago), running approximately from Livernois Avenue i9n Detroit to Wyoming Avenue in east Dearborn. The Junction yardmaster tower was near Wyoming Avenue, and the  Livernois yardmaster was at Livernois Avenue.

Parts of this yard had different names (i.e. Livernois Yard) with dedicated yardmasters. This yard had a westbound hump operation at Lonyo Road, was 2.25 miles long, or even longer if you consider the advanced departure yard which extended west to Town Line at Greenfield Avenue. Another eastbound hump was located at Central Avenue, which dumped cars into Livernois Yard.

Photo info: Top, This photograph, taken around 1900, shows Michigan Central's Junction Yard, which was located along their main line between Livernois and Wyoming Avenues. Though the quality of the photograph is poor, it does show an old style coaling station. Cars full of coal were backed up on the ramp and then dumped into the building and then ultimately into the tenders or adjacent locomotives. [Library of Congress collection]. 2nd photo, a map of Junction Yard in 1914.

Notes

Location: 42^o19.141'N / 83^o08.818'W.

Time Line

1880. The MC builds a brick engine and boiler house at Car Shops in Detroit, with a new Corliss 87-horse power engine and boilers. Due to an inadequate supply of water, the railroad lays an 8-inch iron pipe from the river to the shops, a distance of 3.25 miles. Water from the river is pumped to the shops, thus insuring not only an ample supply, but greater protection against fire.  [MCAR-1880]

1883. Tramps in the vicinity of the railroad yards have become very numerous and have on several occasions grossly insulted and threatened several of the watchmen, and on Thursday night one of them shot at the watchman in the Junction railroad yard. The constables united and made a raid on them, capturing eight, who were sentenced respectively to thirty and ninety days in the House of Correction. When sentenced one of them threatened to take the life of Justice Shields when he was released. [DFP-1883-0606]

1884. Thomas Somerville, a young man 17 years old picked up a railroad torpedo on the track at the Junction yards yesterday and not knowing the nature of the object attempted to open it, using a piece of iron to assist him. The torpedo opened and the young man had a hole blown in one hand and a part of two fingers taken off the other. He had come to Detroit two weeks ago in search of work. [DFP-1884-1111]

1889. Two mammoth ice-houses have been built on grounds belonging to the Michigan Central Railroad at the entrance to the transfer yards west of the Detroit Junction. Ice will be harvested from a small lake in the interior of the state, if freezing weather should set in, and stored in the new ice houses. [DFP-1889-0108]

1898. July 26. Big Ice House Burned. 10,000 tons of ice was melted in the big fire a the Michigan Central Junction yard last night. The Star Elevator also burned. There was no insurance on the ice or building. [HPAL-1898-0726]

1913. Completion of the new junction yards which the MC is constructing in the vicinity of Central and Lonyo avenues in the western portion of the city, is expected to practically assure relief from congestion of carload traffic so far as the road is concerned. About 500 men are employed on the work, which is being done by Patton & Russell contractors of Chicago. The yard will cost about $1,040,000 and will contain 42 miles of track, providing facilities for handling and classification of 5,564 cars. The yard contains two humps and covers an area of 11,600 feet long and 1,000 feet wide. It will be connected at the west end with the Detroit Terminal railroad and the new DD&D branch of the Michigan Central. [DFP-1913-0626]

1929. MC completes a car retarder installation at West Detroit. This includes 431 classification tracks, two towers, 17 retarders, 35 power switches and 435 switch signals, 31 power skates. Manufactured by USI&S. [RSC-1930]

1950. According to a map provided in 1950 by the Motor City Traffic Club, there were the following yards within the Junction Yard complex:

• Southbound Yard - 399 car capacity
• Southbound Stock Yard - 171 car capacity
• Southbound Transfer Yard - 236 car capacity
• Old Westbound Yard - 656 car capacity
• Eastbound Classification Yard - 1,255 car capacity
• Eastbound Receiving Yard - 572 car capacity
• Westbound Classification Yard - 2,316 car capacity
• Westbound Receiving Yard - 724 car capacity
• Advance Departure Yard - 507 car capacity