Location: Lincoln Yard, Lincoln Park, MI

Lincoln Yard was the Pennsylvania Railroad's major receiving and classification yard for the Detroit area. The yard was on their main line from Toledo to Detroit. It was located in Lincoln Park between Southfield Road (on the south) and Bridge Junction (on the north). The yard, which was built in 1922, was an incline yard with the highest center point approximately at Outer Drive.

This yard included a southbound receiving section and northbound classification section north of Outer Drive. The southbound classification section was south of Outer Drive. The yard had an engine house on the south edge near Southfield Road.

Notes

Location: 42^o15.986'N / 83^o10.579'W.

Plans for the yard anticipated a buildout to 12,000 cars but the initial build was 3,850 cars. [CQII]

The steel bridge required at the hump is built by the American Bridge Company and Carrie’s five tracks. [CQII]

Time Line

1922. The yard had a 10-stall engine house. Initially the PRR turned freight locomotives at this yard, sending them back to Toledo for service. Passenger locomotives used the 21st Street roundhouse which was shared with the PM and Wabash. [CQII]

1928. September 13. Scores of passengers were shaken, several were bruised and fireman John Romaker, of Toledo, was severely injured shortly before 9:00 am when the Red Arrow, crack Pennsylvania passenger train from New York to Detroit, ran through an open switch in Lincoln Park and crashed into a string of loaded freight cars. Romaker was injured when he jumped as the locomotive struck the cars. None of the coaches of the passenger train were derailed. Railroad officials said they were seeking a switchman who has disappeared, as the man is responsible for the crash.

First reports that the flyer had been wrecked caused the Detroit police to dispatch a fleet of ambulances, a fire department rescue squad and the reserve police flyer to the scene. The Melvindale, Dearborn and Fordson police also sent police cars and ambulances. [PHTH-1928-0913] In the train was a railroad officials' private car. In it were T.W. Hulme, first vice president of the Pennsylvania railroad, and Judge Charles B. Heiselman, chief counsel. Hulme was uninjured but the judge was hurled against the side of a wash room and bruised. Two of the freight cars were pushed off the siding by the force of the crash. [LSJ-1928-0913]