Station: Plymouth, MI

Plymouth was settled in northwest Wayne County in 1825. The town became a village in 1867 and a city in 1932. [MPN]

Plymouth was the crossing of the west-east Detroit, Lansing & Northern railroad (from Detroit to Ionia/Grand Rapids) and the north-south Flint & Pere Marquette (Toledo northwest to Ludington via Saginaw and Midland). These railroads were merged about 1900 and this became a major junction point for the Pere Marquette, which had a large roundhouse here.

Photo info: Top, an early postcard view of a passenger train stopped at the Plymouth depot. Note the two armstrong levers near the sidewalk to the left. These may have been used to set the signals for the interurban crossing on the nearby street. 2nd photo, a westbound passenger train arrives at Plymouth. [David McNeill collection]. 3rd image, the Pere Marquette depot at Plymouth. [Alan Loftis collection]  4th photo, a 1910 photo of the Plymouth depot with a locomotive nearby. [Dale Berry collection]. 5th photo, the C&O depot at Plymouth in 1972. [Charles Geletzke Jr.]  6th photo, Plymouth interlocking and its 1-story building and yardmaster's office. A Chessie freight is approaching from the south.1980's. [Dale Berry]

Notes

Time Line

1892. The F&PM railroad company have put up an alarm bell near their track on Main street at Plymouth, which rings by electricity as the trains near the street, and stops ringing after they pass the bell. The train passes over a rail a certain distance from the bell and the weight of the train presses the rail against an electric wire that rings the bell. [DFP-1892-0519]

1893. Railroad men have nicknamed this place "Hobo Nest" because of its being so infested with tramps. Last night they broke open a box car loaded with merchandise standing on the F&PM tracks and began unloading the more valuable articles onto the ground when they were discovered and chased off. [DFP-1893-0828]

1927. The PM had an agent-operator, and an operator-clerk here, paying 87¢ and 60¢ per hour respectively. [PMTA]

1978. Quite a few changes took place in 1978. Chessie went on a building spree to increase capacity. The south pass at Plymouth was extended all the way down to Hix Road in Canton. [DH]