Railroad: The Au Sable & Northwestern Railway Company

The Au Sable & Northwestern railway was built as a logging railroad between Au Sable and Oscoda, northwest into the forests as far away as northwest of Lewiston in Montmorency and Otsego counties. It was originally funded by the Potts lumber company and then by Loud lumber interests.

Potts Logging Railway → Au Sable & Northwestern Railway → Detroit & Mackinac Railway.

Built: 1884 (by Potts Logging Company)

Operated for 28 years.

Purchased: By the AS&NW in 1891.

Leased to: Detroit & Mackinac Ry. in 1912 and sold to them in 1914.

Reference: [MRRC]

Photo Info: Top, an Au Sable & Northwestern locomotive works in the woods near Messinger Brothers, Comins, MI. 2nd photo, one of the Shay geared locomotives used by the Potts railroad in the forests. The locomotive was named the "Jerry Hunt". [CFH]

Notes

Click here for Map.

Outside of mill operations at Au Sable along the Lake Huron Shore, the central operations of the railroad company were at McKinley in eastern Oscoda County. The line was originally narrow gauge during its early years and converted to standard gauge in 1912 by the Detroit & Mackinac.

The cost of extending the main line from Potts (later McKinley) to the mills at Au Sable and Oscoda in 1891 likely contributed to the bankruptcy of the Potts Logging Company.

After conclusion of the pine logging era, the company was leased to the Detroit & Mackinac railroad in 1912. The gauge of primary lines was changed to standard gauge and other routes were abandoned. The line was ultimately sold to and operated by the D&M in 1914. It was abandoned in 1927.

Time Line

1887. The Potts Logging Railway purchased the narrow gauge 3' railroad operations of John E. Potts and the Potts Salt and Lumber Company in Montmorency and Oscoda counties. [MRRC] reports these lines being on the north bank of the Au Sable River in Section 15, T26N R4E and going to the north line of Oscoda County. Also, from the same location to Damon, with branches. The original Potts line is described as 14 miles from McKinley (earlier known as Potts) southwesterly.

1887. Au Sable. September 3. The strike on the Au Sable & Northwestern Railroad has been settled and trains are running as usual today. The men go to work at same rates as formerly. Milo Davis, the superintendent, refused to return, and Monte Huriburt, the former train dispatcher, takes his place, which is satisfactory to the men. The men got all they asked for excepting Davis. [DFP-9/4/1887]

1888. The J. E. Potts Salt and Lumber Company contemplate building a logging railroad from Au Sable to connect with a line of the road owned by them up the Au Sable River. They hope to have the road completed by November 1. Logs will be delivered into the company's boom limits by rail. The company has already all the rolling stock required, having ten locomotives and a full rigged repair shop at their headquarters camp. Passengers will be accommodated from the start. [DFP-1888-0721]

1889. On the afternoon of August 25 the men on the Au Sable & Northwestern railroad went out on a strike, the J. E. Potts Salt and Lumber Company, owners of the road, attempting to make a reduction in wages and also to lengthen the hours of work. This difficulty was settled and the men went to work the next morning without loss of any time. Last night they went out again. The men state that the company again attempted to reduce their wages, this time even more than before. This, Milo Davis, superintendent of the road, refused to do and sent in his resignation, and the men went out with him. 

Twelve logging trains are laid up, the men running their trains to the lower end of the road, three miles from here (Au Sable) and leaving them. Two hundred men are out of employment. They are all quiet and orderly and no violence is intended or expected. The men claim that the pay they were receiving was lower than regular railroad wages. The passenger train ran to-day as usual. The company is very reticent about giving any cause for the trouble and deny that they ordered a reduction in wages. [DFP-1889-0901]

1889. Alex Wilson, while under the influence of liquor, fell from a log train on the AS&NW railroad near Potts, and was run over, dying shortly afterward. He was an old veteran and was buried by the G.A.R. [NREP-1889-0905]

1889. October. Monte D. Hurlbert, superintendent of the Au Sable & Northwestern railroad, is dead. [LDP-1889-1024]. No further information provided.

1890. The Loud Lumber Co. at Au Sable presented a nice fat turkey to each one of its employees Thanksgiving day. [1890-1204]

1891. The H. M. Loud & Sons Lumber Company, of Au Sable, which recently purchased the Potts logging railroad has laid ten miles of new track to reach 35,000,000 feet of pine owned by the company and other firms at Oscoda, and logs are now being cut and hauled. [DFP-1891-0904]

1891 The Potts' railroads were purchased by the Au Sable & Northwestern railway who continue to operate it as a 3' narrow gauge railroad. There were 54 miles of railroad when purchased, from Au Sable to Comins along with branch lines.

1900. December. Notice is hereby given that Henry N. Loud, who is the holder and owner of more than one-fourth of the capital stock of the AS&NW railroad company does hereby call a meeting of the stockholders of said railroad company to be held at the office of H.N. Loud's Sons Company, which office is also the place of principal office of said railroad company in the city of Au Sable on the 28th day of December, 1900, for the purpose of electing a Board of five directors of said railroad company, and for the transaction of such other business as may be properly done at the meeting. [Signed} Henry N. Loud, stockholder of the AS&NW railroad company. [DFP-1900-1225]

1900. Passenger train SHAPSHOT: The A&NW ran one round trip between Au Sable/Oscoda and Hardy via McKinley daily except Sunday. The train left Au Sable at 7:00 am, reaching Hardy at 10:35 am. It returned at noon, arriving in Au Sable at 3:35 pm. [OG-1900]

1902. The railroad ran one mixed train per day except Sunday, between Hardy and Au Sable. Three foot gauge. Crosses D&M at Au Sable, Union Switch and Signal interlocking. 18 stations along the line. [MRC-1903]

1903. SNAPSHOT: The railroad had six engineers, fireman and conductors. 10 brakemen, 18 laborers, 15 shopmen and 1 yardman. Track was divided up into 6 section crews, average length of 10 miles. 30,000 ties installed in previous year. 6 locomotives, 6 8-wheel passenger and express baggage cars. 8 box cars, 48 platform cars, 2 ore cars, 149 "Russel's". Locomotives and passenger cars equipped with air brakes. Passenger cars heated with stoves. [MCR-1904]

1912. These lines were leased to the Detroit & Mackinac Ry., which purchased the AS&NW operation in 1914. What track remaining on the line at that time was converted to standard gauge.

1927. The D&M abandoned these former lines in 1927.

Map