Railroad: Central Michigan Railway Company

The Central Michigan railroad was created in 1987 when the new railroad acquired parts of the Grand Trunk Western railroad between Bay City and Durand, and between Durand and Muskegon. Ownership of the CM was related to the Straits Corporation and Pinkerton family, which previously owned the Detroit & Mackinac railway.

Grand Trunk Western (parts) → Central Michigan Railway → Rail America → HE Railway→ Genesee & Wyoming

Bought: 1987. Parts of the Grand Trunk Western (Durand-Midland and Muskegon)

Operated for 17 years.

Became: Huron & Eastern Ry.

Reference: [MRRC]

Photo Info: Central Michigan 2014 at the engine service facility in Wenona Yard in north Bay City in 2001. [Paul Cameron photo]

Notes

The CM sold parts of the line and discontinued other portions. In 1989, lines west of Coopersville were discontinued with the route between Coopersville and Marne sold to the Coopersville and Marne railroad. Lines in Muskegon were sold to the Michigan Shore in 1990. In 1993, the line from Fuller (in Grand Rapids) to Ionia was sold to the Grand Rapids Eastern. The remainder of the railroad was sold to Rail America and became part of its Huron & Eastern railroad in 2004. the H&E became part of the Genesee & Wyoming corporation in 2012. [MRL][Wiki]

Time Line

1987. September. Two hundred miles of Grand Trunk Western Railway Co. lines were transferred Friday to the newly created Central Michigan Railway Co. and employees say some job shuffling is in store. Because of the transfer, 13 GT clerks in Saginaw, Bay City, Durand, Grand Rapids and Muskegon technically lost their jobs Friday. "No new clerks will be hired," said Elizabeth Nault, a clerk for GT in Flint, which is not affected by the change. "But as long as the freight tonnage on the affected line remains the same or increases, those clerks still bet paid full salaries under their Brotherhood of Railway, Airlines and Steamship Clerks union contract," she said.

Central Michigan Railway is a subsidiary of Straits Corp. of Tawas City, whose president Charles A. Pinkerton, was elated over the new ownership. He said Straits, which owns the Detroit & Mackinac Railway Co. in the northern Lower Peninsula, plans to integrate the two lines. "Its like feeder airlines taking over branches of major airlines because smaller lines can handle the smaller situations more economically," he said. "We feel we can integrate the smaller system better - all freight, no passengers - and do a better job in local situations". [PHTH-1987-0906]

1990. Lines in the Muskegon area sold to the Michigan Shore railroad.

1993. The liune from Fuller (in Grand Rapids) east to Ionia was sold to the Grand Rapids Eastrern railroad.

2004. The remainder of the line is sold to the Huron & Eastern railroad.