  One_shot Member Username: One_shot Post Number: 316 Registered: 11-2003 |
Out in suburbia I often see old railroad paths that have been converted to walking paths. I have used Google Earth and followed a few that ran in and out of Rochester and they went all over the place. I'm wondering if there are old maps showing where all these train routes went and where they once were? | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 950 Registered: 08-2006 |
Sure! I saw an old system map at the Michigan Transportation Museum in MT Clemens last weekend. Also some atlases will show old routes. My 1987 Michigan Road atlas shows a lot of rail roads that are now gone. The one on Rochester is the Paint Creek Trial. I believe that is GTW's old Michigan Air line that went all the way out to Jackson. If Memory serves the air line was built around 1879 and abandoned around 1974. It linked up with the Polly Ann trail that runs up to Richmond. My buddy and I hiked the trail all the way from Old Plank Road in Wixom to a restricted area on Jackson State Penitentiary about 12 years ago. Our trek took us through what was in 1995 a nominal amount of private property. I can only imagine since then the amount of rail road right of way converted to private ownership is worse now. Once during the hike we even wound up on the grounds of Maxi Juevy prison. The guards weren't too happy to see us. Fun Stuff! | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 280 Registered: 12-2006 |
The eastern part of the Air Line went through Richmond, and up to that point it is now the Macomb Orchard Trail. The railroad was in active use until 1995. Beyond that it used to go to St. Clair, roughly following St. Clair Highway, but there is very little evidence of that easternmost segment anymore. It was abandoned in the 1930s, one of the earliest railroad abandonments in Michigan. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 812 Registered: 10-2003 |
Where did that line start, Pontiac? Memory says I rode it once behind the late Dick Jensen's ex GTW Pacific #5629 in the late '60's or early '70's. Most topo maps should show abandon right of ways that are still visable. Dora and I have found DeLorme Map's Atlas and Gazetteer to be invaluable for that sort of thing. They do have one for Michigan. | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 951 Registered: 08-2006 |
The Orchard lake trail terminates in Keego Harbor. You can see remnants of the right away East of telegraph north of Orchard Lake. Why was it called the "Air" Line? I'd heard the length of the railroad had compressed air lines. Does not sound feasible for the 1880s. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 779 Registered: 12-2005 |
USGS Topographic Quadrangle Maps by Michigan County These maps are great for identifying the location of active and abandoned railroad ROWs. | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 953 Registered: 08-2006 |
Nice job Mikeg! I recall the Michigan Air Line was hard to trace through pontiac, as there were several GTW lines around Pontiac serving various industries and routes for commuting that have been abandoned. Your maps show a lot of GTW railroads there, some still being in service for GM Truck, as well as the main line coming from Flint to Detroit. I also hiked the portion of abandoned ROW east of Opdyke road, north of South Blvd. That did not meet up with the orchard lake trail, (Air Line) Rather it went north. | ||
Aarne_frobom Member Username: Aarne_frobom Post Number: 52 Registered: 10-2005 |
Model-train stores may sell a series of books called, Steam-powered Video's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America. Oddly, this is a British publication. The volume for Detroit is "Great Lakes East," ISBN 1 874 745 06 4. These books show all current railroad lines, and abandoned lines back to various dates around the 1920's or maybe a bit later. They aren't detailed in the manner of a USGS quadrangle or DeLorme atlas, but they're useful. The blow-up of Detroit puts the territory between Davison Yard and Trenton and Greenfield Village and Belle Isle on a 7x11 sheet. It includes Windsor, something the USGS-based publications do not. These aren't real cheap, around $20 each, I recall. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 937 Registered: 11-2003 |
Cambrian-- The "Polly Ann" trail actually goes through Oxford (intersecting a former MC grade) and on to Leonard, Dryden, etc. That RR (once the Pontiac, Oxford & Northern) went all the way up to Caseville near the tip of the Thumb. It was later GTW and was mostly abandoned in the 1980's. The segment out to Orion Twp. is active and serves the GM assembly plant. The abandoned R/W east of Opdyke Rd. and north of South Blvd. was abandoned circa 1998 and was part of a GTW belt line around Pontiac. "Air line" means "built in a straight line, the shortest distance." It has nothing to do with air hoses or airplanes. Professorscott-- Many lines of RR were abandoned throughout the state many decades before the St. Clair line was torn up. An example is the Ann Arbor's line from just north of Ann Arbor to South Lyon, gone well before 1900. For more examples, check out the book "Michigan Railroad Lines," published a couple years back by the MSU Press. As for DeLorme atlases, I won't buy one until that company starts including section lines and numbers-- the very basis of how our land has been divided up. I recommend Universal's county atlas instead. | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 957 Registered: 08-2006 |
Supposedly there are vast networks throughout the state of these RR trails. How well they are maintained is up to the municipality in that area. I know ROWs are prone to costly wash outs. The trail along 275 was well intentioned but let go big time. | ||
Professorscott Member Username: Professorscott Post Number: 281 Registered: 12-2006 |
There are vast networks. Go to www.greenwaycollab.com/MItrail s.htm and you will find a file called "2003 Michigan Trailways Map". Burnsie, thanks for the info. | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 958 Registered: 08-2006 |
Yes, good thread! Learned something. | ||
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm Post Number: 813 Registered: 10-2003 |
Most definately, Cambrian. The one I'd like to see is the Pere Marquette Trail starting in Midland. When I went to Northwood, this was a very active rail line (there was a passing siding just off campus) running to the ferry docks in Ludington. | ||
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian Post Number: 960 Registered: 08-2006 |
When hiking the un developed trails I found the trestles a real treat. There's one really high one going over the Clinton river south of the Silverdome. Care must be used on these as there are no side rails, no train rails either, just cross ties. Best to not go it alone. | ||
Harsensis Member Username: Harsensis Post Number: 248 Registered: 07-2005 |
Over near Fairhaven if you drive along Shortcut, which was the shortcut to Marine City for the interurban, you can see some things from the old interurbans running through there. One thing is an old bridge, and then there is a cement bridge over the ditch at Palms right at the end of Short Cut. I would love to walk along it someday, but parts are pretty over grown. | ||
Toolbox Member Username: Toolbox Post Number: 1049 Registered: 10-2003 |
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Michigan listing. |
