Time Line - 1966

Last Year | Next Year

• February 4: Lucius Breebe, well known rail photographer and author dies. [MRF-3/1981]

• June 19: The former Michigan Central depot and freight house on Third Street near the Detroit River burns down in a spectactular 5 alarm fire. Once a luxurios passenger station, it was replaced by the new MC depot near the entrance to the Windsor tunnel. It continued to be used for offices and freight, but was recently abandoned and used by vagrants. Detroit Fire Department Engine 8, a 1952 Seagrave safety sedan pumper, caught fire from direct heat, whie connected to a hydrant directly in front of the station. [DFP-1966-0621]

• October: All delivered freight cars after this date were required to be built without roof walks and with low hand brakes. 1974 is set as the target date for removal of all roof walks and high brakes. [SAM]

• October 29: Chesapeake & Ohio Ry. passenger train service between Grand Rapids and Traverse City is discontinued. [MDOT]

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  Work begins on a 3-year project to build a new 36-track classification yard on the DT&I at Flat Rock.  The yard includes a hump and semiautomatic retarders. [IT-2/80]

• LCL (less than carload) freight drops to 1 million tons, down from 51 million tons in 1919. [STOV]

• The ICC approves the merger of the Pennsylvania and New York Central Railroads. [STOV]

• Vulcan Corporation at Donken, the largest lumber mill on the Copper Range tracks, terminates operations. [CRAR]

• The Federal Railway Administration is created by the U.S. Government, under the Department of Transportation. [SAM]

• All mines on the Gogebic Iron Range are now closed. [LSIOR]

• The Detroit & Mackinac Ry. removes its branch from Omer to AuGres (the AuGres Branch), 7.95 miles. [DMAR-1966]

• The GTW/NYC diamond, on the east edge of Porter Street in Kalamazoo, is removed. [GM]

 Time line Key:

• Railroad event in Michigan
• Event relating to mining
• Event related to car ferries
• Event outside of Michigan
• Improvement in Technology
• Railroad built or extended
• Railroad abandoned and/or removed
• Economic panic or depression