Station: Slocum Junction, Trenton, MI

Slocum Junction was the grade crossing of the Canada Southern railroad (Ontario, Canada to Fayette, OH via Flat Rock) and north and south Michigan Central line (from Detroit to Toledo). The Detroit & Toledo Shore Line was built parallel to the MC and crossed the CS here as well.

Slocum Junction was named after the Slocum family which owned the land here. [HMC]

Photo info: Top, a map of both the north and south wye interlockings at Slocum Junction in 1902. Drawn from the State of Michigan Archives railroad interlocker file. [Dale Berry]. 2nd image, an overhead view of Slocum Junction from a 1901 nautical map. Note that this was drawn before the D&TSL came through. The crossing here is the Fayette branch and the MC Toledo branch main line.

Notes

This crossing did not exist long because the Canada Southern was purchased by Vanderbilt interests and truncated just east of the crossing. But the location survived in a different way as north and south wye tracks were connected to the Michigan Central main line.

When the Detroit & Toledo Shore Line (GTW/Clover Leaf) built their own line parallel and east of the NYC/MC line, the former CS wye tracks crossed the D&TSL and two interlockings were constructed, one a tower and the other a ground-machine. The north leg was used to shuttle MC trains off Grosse Isle to Detroit until 1929.

On the second map, the Fayette branch was removed and followed by the north-south D&TSL which required two interlockers here.

After rail service was discontinued to Grosse Isle, the south wye/interlocker remained so that the MC could serve industrial trackage along the Detroit River.

Location - Crossing: 42^o07.673'N / 83^o11.286'W

Location - North Interlocking: 42^o07.802'N / 83^o11.216'W

Location - South Interlocking: 42^o07.592'N / 83^o11.288'W

Time Line

1874. Railroad service to Grosse Isle, Stony Island and Canada via ferry begins. [HMC]

1912. The railroad commission approves reconstruction of the interlocking lant of the MCRR and LS&MS railways at crossing on the  north wye at Slocum Junction. [MCR-1912]

1924. The last passenger train to Grosse Isle was operated on January 9. [HMC]

1929. The last freight train to Grosse Isle was operated on June 16. [HMC]

1931. The MPUC grants permission to replace the interlocking tower at Slocum Junction with a ground lever device, normal position for passage on the D&TSL. The change is due to the elimination of all passenger trains on the branch to Grosse Isle. [MPUC-1931]