Railroad: Delray Connecting Railroad Company

The Delray Connecting Railroad company was organized in 1904 to provide service to Zug Island and the Solvay Process Company [MRC-1909]. The railroad continues in operation today and is owned by a subsidiary of United States Steel which purchased it from the National Steel Corp. The line has 15.5 miles of track, mostly on the island.

Built → Delray Connecting Railroad → Active operation

Built: 1904 from Delray to Zug Island, in southwest Detroit and River Rouge

Operated for 122+ years

Became: Active corporation.

Reference: [MRRC]

Photo Info: Delray Connecting caboose #100 in a builders photo from the American Car & Foundry Co. The freight door on this caboose was unique, given that the DC didn't offer passenger or express service. [Charles Geletzke Jr. collection]

Notes

The railroad was known as "The Zug Island Road"  [TSD]

There are three (3) bridges on the DCRR. They are:

• Bridge 141 - a 141 foot combination highway-rail bridge (main access to Zug Island). Built in 1914.
• Jefferson Ave. Swing Bridge (emergency hot metal escape route). Built on an existing center pier in 1976.
• Short-Cut Canal Bridge (hot metal). Built in 1922 and modified in 1950's.

Time Line

1904.  Railroad operations begin. Owned by Allied Chemical's Semtex-Solvay division. It's primary job was to move coke from to Great Lakes Steel on Zug Island. [TSD]

1915. The railroad gains trackage rights on the DT&I to the Sibley quarry in Trenton to bring limestone for the Solvay process. This operation ended in the 1950's.  [TSD]

1920. The Delray Connecting and Delray Terminal have six industries with six sidings and a car capacity of 1,064 cars. [DWT-1920]

After 1968. With the closing of coking operations, most DC operations east of the Rouge River were discontinued  [TSD]

1975. The DC purchases the tracks of the DT&I on Zug Island and in the vicinity, 1.75 miles. 

2009. The DC had three locomotives, two EMD SW1200's and one EMD SW600 (#'s 1, 2 & 3). All were built between 1951 and 1952.