Time Line - 1985

Last Year | Next Year

• February 28: Tappan Interlocking tower near Port Huron closes. It was  the crossing of the GTW (2 lines) and the CSX. The PM Almont branch also started there. The tower had 24 armstrong levers. [CW]

• May 21: A Plymouth 35-ton gas mecahnical locomotive arrives on the Southern Michigan Railroad in Tecumseh. It is donated by the Albion Maleable diivision of Hayes-Albion Corporation in Albion. [SMRS-Winter/86]

• July 20: 24 crossing watchmen on the Union Belt in southwest Detroit were laid off. [MRC-9/1985]

• July 20-21. N&W operates a steam excursion between Detroit and Fort Wayne Indiana using locomotive #611. [MRC-9/1985]

• August: Conrail completes a $11.8 million upgrade of its Detroit-Toledo line between Detroit and Trenton, as well as two branch lines connecting Detroit with Warren and Utica. [MRC-9/1985]

• August 9: The crossing watch towers on the Union Belt Railway of Detroit at West End Avenue, Livernois Avenue, Campbell Street and West Grand Blvd., all in Detroit, are closed. Only the tower at Clark St. is kept open. Livernois and Campbell were reopened but again closed on February 1, 1986. The tower at West Grand Blvd was removed in 1986 and the tower at West End, Livernois and Campbell were demolished in January, 1990. Only the tower at Clark St. remains open. [MRC-3/90]

• November 30: Pere Marquette 1225, a 2-8-4,  moves under steam for the first time in 34 years.[MT]

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• Pennford Tower closes. [JH]

• Shay locomotive, built in 1898, is restored in Cadillac. Last used by the Cadillac-Soo Lumber Company. [MHM]

• GTW (MR&N) line to the GTW ferry slip in Muskegon is abandoned. [COHS-7/1994]

• Washouts west of Petosky close the state-owned former C&O line between Petosky and Charlevoix. [NK]

 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