Timetable: GTW - Pontiac Belt Line - Around Pontiac

This was a single track belt line railroad around the City of Pontiac.

Key: BB=Bascule Bridge | C=Coal | CS=Car Shop | D=Open > Day | DN=Open Day and night | DS=Dispatcher | DT=Double Main Track | EH=Engine house | F=Diesel Fuel | HI=Half Interlocked Crossing | I=Interlocked Crossing | J=Junction | LB=Lift bridge | N=Open at night | P=Passing Track w/40' car capacity | Q=Quarry | RH=Roundhouse # stalls | RT=Railroad Resort | S=Scales | SB=Swing bridge | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard

Notes

Time Line

1928. An ICC examiner recommends authority for the GTW to build a belt line at Pontiac. The examiner also recommends an application by the Pere Marquette to reach Pontiac be denied. The PM has proposed a 17 mile long line from Wixom to Pontiac, and a belt line seven miles long on the northern and eastern sides of the city. [MCH-1928-0316]

1931. March 1. Pontiac's new $4 million industrial belt line railway will be opened for traffic March 1, it is announced by the Grand Trunk railway, which sponsored construction of the line. With the completion of this trackage with its 10 grade separations, fully 75 per cent o Pontiac's local freight tonnage will be routed around the city instead of through it.

The Belt Line, which taps the Michigan Air Line railroad at the south ad the PO&N tracks on the north, has grade separations at South Blvd, Square Lake road, Kennett road, Auburn avenue, Featherstone avenue, Mt. Clemens Street, Perry road, Joslyn road and Oakland avenue, besides a separation being constructed over Reed Road. Completion of the line has been delayed by several legal suits. The city is paying 25 percent of the cost of the grade crossings, with the railway paying the remaining 75 percent.

Grand Trunk has a pact with the city of Pontiac, completed in 1929, which calls for the construction of grade separations on its main line through the city. Future separations are to be built on West Huron street by December 31, 1932; South Saginaw street, Wilson avenue, Paddock street and South Boulevard, if the latter two are requested by the city on or before December 31, 1935; Baldwin avenue Before December 31, 1933 and Johnson avenue before December 31, 1938. 

With the completion of the belt line, the railway company has agreed to abandon its present crossing of the PO&N on Oakland avenue and its Michigan Air Line route on South Saginaw street. The Air Line trains will be sent over the belt line tracks. These actions are to be taken, however, only on the approval of the Michigan Public Utilities Commission.

During 1930, 225,000 freight cars were moved within the Pontiac terminal. In the previous year 386,000 freight cars were moved within the terminal. [Unionville Crescent, Unionville, MI 1931-0227]