Time Line - 1987

Last Year | Next Year

• January 15. The Grand Trunk Western closes its rouindhouse at Milwaukee Junction in Detroit. [CGJ]

• January 21: The Grand Trunk Western begins use of an innovative locomotive scheduling system that provides a constant 96-hour projection for power requirements on the system's 1,310 mile network. Thier power fleet consists of 214 road and 40 yard locomotives. [MRC-4/1987]

• April 12: The last train runs on the Michigan Northern between Bay View and Pellston. The track is pulled up in June north of Alanson. [MT][NK]

• Spring: CSX takes out of service the Ludington subdivision from Midland to Baldwin. Formally abandoned in 1988. [MRC-2/88]

• Spring: CSX takes its line out of service btween St. Clair and Marine City on the southern portion of the former Port Huron & Detroit.  Their primary shipper, Detroit gasket, has closed its doors. [MRC-4/1987]

• Spring: CSX completes Phase II of their auto-rack loading facility at New Boston on the Toledo subdivision has been completed. This includes new track construction and the extension of existing tracks. [MRC-4/1987]

• July 31: Detroit Transportation Corporation (City of Detroit) opens the Detroit People Mover. [MRRC]

• Summer: The Soo Line's Lake States Division (in the Upper Peninsula) is sold to the Wisconsin Central Railroad. [MRC-7/87]

• August 1: The Detroit People Mover opens. [MRC-2/1987]

• August 22: Peaker Services, east of Brighton on the Chessie System, hosts an open house for the Michigan Railroad Club.  Peaker refurbishes diesel locomotives. [MRC-7/887]

• September 4: Central Michigan Railway purchases GTW line from Durand to Midland, Durand to Muskegon. [MRRC]

• September 8: The Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago opens former Chessie trackage from Hartford to Paw Paw. [MRC-3/1988]

• September: The Little Traverse Scenic Railway starts operating the state-owned tracks between Bay View and Alanson as a tourist line. [NK]

• October 11: The Wisconsin Central Ltd. begins operations on 2,000 miles of railroad including Michigan's Upper Peninsula. [Wisconsin Central]

• October 17: GTW vacates 2-story brick office building at Milwaukee Jct. Office functions were transferred to the new Hamtramck Yard.  Building was built in 1929. [MRC-12/87]

• October: CSX sells 51 cabooses for scrap from their Wyoming yard. [MRC-2/88]

• November: The South Bend Subdivision of the Grand Trunk Western, between Penn (MP128.8) and Schoolcraft (MP146.8) are converted to single track with CTC installed. The CTC is controlled by the Pontiac TD4 dispatcher. [MRC-4/1987]

• Late: GTW institutes Direct Traffic Control (DTC) on their Mount Clemens, Romeo and Cass City subdivisions, as well as the Pontiac Belt Line. The Flat Rock subdivision is under a similar plan, called Radio Controlled Block System (RCBS)[MRC-8/1988]

• December 18: CSX sells portion of track, the Edmore and Greenville Subdivisions, to the Mid-Michigan Railroad (a Railtex Company). The Edmore sub runs west from Paines (near Saginaw) to Edmore, passing through St. Louis and Alma. The Greenville sub runs from elmdale to just north of Greenville, a distance of 32 miles. [MRRC/MRC-2/88]

• Late December: GTW removes the diamonds at Durand following a collision  between a light road engine and it's own train. TSBY must now wye its way thru Durand on the GTW main line. TSBY and the city are considering legal action to have the diamonds reinstalled. [MRC-4/1988]

• December: CSX sells depot at Starkweather and Division in Plymouth.  Now a private business. [MRC-12/87]

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• Conrail closes Wayne Jct. tower. [MRF-6/90]

• Conrail converts their double track main line between Jackson and CP Comstock, near Kalamazoo to single track.  Passing sidings are maintained between downtown Albion and CP 99 west of town, and in Battle Creek. [SSV]

• CSX conveys their Hartford to Paw Paw line to the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago. The KLSC ceased operations in May, 1995. [MRC-8/1996]

 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