Timetable: Bay City Belt Line - MCRR - S. Water Street Jct. to Denmark Jct. Branch

This was a short belt line in the south side of Bay City. At one time, the belt was in place from Essexville on the northeast to the south city limits.

Notes:

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

[REF] = Greg Bunce plus other sources.

Time Line

1891. July 21. The belt line ordinance has been laid over for two months by the Common Council, with the hope that before that time the MC and F&PM will come together and arrive at an arrangement by which the one track on Water Street will be operated jointly. The F&PM has forced its way along and now owns a line around the city with the exception of the Water street route. On this street, the MC holds the key to the situation. Property holders object to a second track. [DFP-1891-0722]

1892. Bay City. April 7. The MC has just outwitted the Flint & Pere Marquette in the matter of a railroad to Jonathan Boyce's big lumber plant in Essexville. The F&PM held the key to the situation, owning a piece of property fronting on the river which it was necessary to cross for the extension of the MC's Water street transfer track. The F&PM expected that it would get a large revenue from the MC in case the former used its belt line, which now runs to Boyce's premises, inasmuch as the MC has 300,000,000 feet of logs to haul to Boyce's mill from the Mackinaw division, it becomes necessary for it to have connection with the Boyce property. It must either accept the terms of the F&PM, fight its way across their property with its own track, or build a new line entirely. The latter course was decided upon and unknown to the public or the F&PM people, the MC proceeded quietly and succeeded in purchasing the right of way from a point on its main line near 22nd street, straight through to Essexville, a distance of over two miles. The matter was made public for the first time this evening. The MC will at once begin the construction of a track to Boyce's. [DFP-1892-04008]

1893. Some type of arrangement has been made for the F&PM to use the MC Water street line between 8th and 13th streets. [DFP-1893-0825]

1895. July 6. Notwithstanding that the board of police commissioners appointed two special men on Tuesday evening, an incendiary got in his work at 2:30 am this morning, when he set fire to a quantity of lumber on the Michigan Central belt line between Broadway and Marsac streets, 100,000 feet being destroyed. There was very heavy fog prevailing and it was with that difficulty that the fire department found the fire, as the nearest alarm box was not pulled. The lumber was valued at $15 a thousand feet. It belonged to A.M. Miller & Company and was insured. [DFP-1895-0706]

1900. Another blizzard set in and prevailed all day. The snow is fine and light and is drifting badly. Local street cars are running but the interurban cars between Bay City and Saginaw have been forced to stop. On the MC belt line trains of cars loaded with logs are completely snowed out of sight. The thermometer is up to 20. [DMP-1900-0305]