Station: Powers, MI

Powers was an important junction point on the Chicago & North Western railroad in northern Menominee County. The town was settled about 1872. It was incorporated ad a village in 1915. [MPN]

Powers was the junction point of the C&NW main line between Menominee and the Escanaba, and their branch line between Powers and Iron Mountain.

Photo Info: Top, an old photo of an arriving C&NW passenger train at Powers. Note the difference in size of the locomotive of the day and the size of the water tower. [Alan Loftis collection]. 2nd photo, the Powers depot in 1969. [Mark Andersen collection]. 3rd photo, a 2003 photo of a new station/office building. [Dale Berry]. 4th photo, C&NW 6721 leads southbound train "ESGBA" at Powers in 1986. [Greg Moss]. 5th image, a map of Powers around 1920. Note the two-stall roundhouse in the northern leg of the wye.

Notes

Powers had yard tracks on the main line (5 tracks and scale), and on the southeast side (3 tracks). There northwest side of the wye had a passing track. [CNWV-1917]

The depot was of the bay window type (in 1917) and had a near by steam heating plant, two water tanks nearby. There was an "eating house" west of the depot, inside the wye.

The railroad had a two-bay engine house, coal shed and cinder pit in the west section of the wye, but no turntable. The railroad used the wye for turning locomotives. They had a car body office next to the engine house which was later removed to Antoine in November, 1926.[CNWV-1917]

Early on, Powers was known by some railroad officials as "42" because it was forty-two miles from Menominee.

Time Line

1918. The C&NW had an operator at this station on all three shifts. They also had an agent during the day. [TRT]

1925. A new 16' x 24' water tank was built to replace the old tank. [CNWV]

1931. The tracks to the engine house were removed. [CNWV]