Location: Cadillac, MI - GR&I/AA Crossing

The Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad was crossed in downtown Cadillac by the Ann Arbor railroad at a crossing located south of Chapin, just east of the lake.  In later years, this crossing was an automatic interlocker with PRR-style signals on the former GR&I.

Image Info: Top, Cadillac's interlocking tower in 1962. [Greg Bunce collection]. 2nd image, an earlier view of the tower. Nearby appears to be a section house.

Notes

This crossing was controlled by a 2-story interlocking tower (see photo). The tower had a mechanical interlocking machine with eight levers. Five levers were for five signals, and one lever was the master lever. There were two spare levers (#4 and #6). 
This was also a GR&I/PRR block station and was open around the clock.

The tower was in the southeast quadrant of the crossing.

Time Line

1915. This is a wood frame, two story, 12'6" x 12' 6" x 20' tower with 14 windows upstairs, 2 windows downstairs and one door with window. Improved Saxby & Farmer interlocking machine with a horizontal, 16-way bed. Leadout is vertical-crank. 7 working levers, 1 spare. 7 spare spaces (bed capable of 16 levers). Maintenance division is 4/9 AA, 5/9 GR&I. [ICC Valuation Form 9/28/1915]

1926. Fire.

1927. The PRR rebuilds their crossing in Cadillac, which is a US&S plant. One mechanical lever is added. [RSC-1928]

1962. Changed from mechanical to electrical operation in May, 1962.

1963. Tower closed on October 3rd.

1969. Diamond removed. State of Michigan removes PRR trackage from interlocking plant through downtown area leaving yard and trackage north. Connection with AARR via the "belt line".