Station: Petersburg Junction, MI

Petersburg Junction is a former crossing of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton main line (Detroit to Ironton, OH) and the Toledo-Detroit railroad (?) which was built from Toledo (near Temperance) northwest to Petersburg and beyond to Dundee. This line was purchased by the DT&I and truncated north of Petersburg. The line from this crossing north into Petersburg became a short branch line, and the DT&I used the branch south to Toledo for a connection with the Toledo Terminal Railroad. The crossing was discontinued at this time but the location continued to be a junction point for many years.

The SE quadrant wye at Petersburg Junction had a 3-track yard including the wye itself. A telegraph operator was stationed near the Junction at a cabin near the east wye switch.

Both former Toledo-Detroit tracks are now gone. The location is now a passing siding on the Indiana & Ohio railroad which bought the former DT&I from the CN/GTW.

Location: 41^o53.127'N / 83^o42.134'W. 

Timetable - Station Listing on Toledo Branch: Click Here.

Notes

Time Line

1929: The DT&I installs a US&S 2 lever electric interlocking at Petersburg Junction. [RSC-1930]

~1930. Petersburg is a village located about one mile northwest of Petersburg Junction. Two spur tracks formerly served small industries, but there is no business there now. At the Junction there are two tracks of 45-car capacity used for setting off cars moving between Toledo and points south on the main line. The end of double track is 1/2 mile south of Petersburg Junction. [DT&I blueprint, 1930's]

1931. The DT&I and D&I propose discontinuing and removing the operators who act as levermen and switch tenders at Petersburg Junction, and in lieu thereof issue train orders direct to trainmen operating in the vicinity of Petersburg Junction from Diann Tower located 4.6 miles north. They further advise that the only change in control of the signals will be to remove the levers from the tower and signals will be controlled through cross-over No. 10, switch No. 12 and crossing gates No. 14 to operate the track circuits between the home signals at the crossing of both lines, which arrangement will indicate the position of switches and gates or indicate that the track is occupied between the home signals. A way-side telephone at the crossing will be retained for the benefit of trainmen in obtaining permission from the dispatcher to cross the D&I railroad and a similar telephone will be located near Signal 21 for trainmen on the Detroit-bound trains from Toledo, Ohio. They will call the dispatcher for authority to enter and proceed over the D&I track towards Detroit. The MPUC approves the plan and the operators are discontinued and levers removed. [MPUC-1931]