Location: Detroit, MI - Milwaukee Avenue (GTW/DSR)

This was the crossing of the Detroit Street Railway (DSR) Milwaukee Avenue line and the Grand Trunk Western Detroit to Grand Haven cross-state line in the City of Detroit. This location was 1,400 feet south of Milwaukee Junction, which had a separate tower.

Photo Info: Top, a GTW passenger special passes in front of Milwaukee Avenue tower in 1981. 2nd photo, the tower at this location in 1981. [Both-Charles Geletzke Jr.]. 3rd image, a blueprint of the interlocking from the Michigan archives. There were eight "diamonds" in this crossing, 4 GT tracks and 2 street railway tracks.

Notes

Location: 42^o22.540'N / 83^o03.285'W.

This is a different tower from Milwaukee Junction Tower, which was nearby.

This tower was operated by the GTW with the street railway paying 50% of the costs. [GTWHS-2023-F/JH]

The GTW tracks had derails. The street railway had gates.

The interlocking and tower here is 50/50 owned jointly by the CD&CGT and DSR. Crossing gates are the responsivity of the CD&CGT and are operated by the joint leverman. Each company maintains its own derails. The westbound diamond is owned by the CD&CGT, and eastbound diamond is owned by the DSR. DSR maintains both diamonds and bills the GT for 50%. Railroad commission order June 23, 1916. [GT 1935 memorandum]

Time Line

1916. The double-track street-car line is laid down along Milwaukee Avenue by the Detroit United Railways and the crossing with the GTW is created. [GTWHS-2023-F/JH] This street car line was called the Grand Belt Line. This crossing was originally a "half-interlocker" but was upgraded to a full interlocking system in 1917.

1917. The railroad commission approves plans for a full interlocking system at this crossing. [MCR-1917] This was a 23-lever mechanical machine which controlled derails and signals for each track, as well as the highway crossing gates. The plant also controlled leads for an industrial track, an engine facility, and a crossover. There were 12 "diamonds" in the interlocking plant. 

1922. The Detroit Street Railways take control of the DUR line. [GTWHS-2023-F/JH]

1923. The MPSC allows the GTW to replace semaphores at this interlocking with color light signals. [MPSC-1923]

1948. The Detroit Street Railways discontinues the Grand Belt street car line. The Clairmont DSR cars continue to use this section of Milwaukee Avenue (since 1922) to cross the GTW. In 1951 the street car line was converted to buses. [GTWHS-2023-F/JH]

1948. Though the crossing diamonds were removed, the tower operator stayed and continued to control the GTW crossing gates at Milwaukee Avenue until the early 1980's when the crossing protection was automated. [GTWHS-2023-F/JH]

Mid-1980's. The tower, no longer used, was removed. [GTWHS-2023-F/JH]