Location: Bay City, MI - MC Original West Side Yard

This yard was established early-on by the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw on the west side of the Saginaw River. The yard had dozens of short tracks, connected at each end which were 2,000 feet long or about 45 car lengths, a common length of train at the turn of the century.

Image info: A photograph of two locomotives taking on water at the yard, likely before 1900. This photograph is likely taken from the Marquette Avenue iron bridge. Note the "tell-tales" warning of the close clearance for brakemen on top of cars. In the background, from left to right is the roundhouse, coal tower, ice house and possibly Hart Street tower. In the upper right is the tower at Visitation Roman Catholic Church which was 100' tall (located at State Street and Smith Street). The MCRR's west side passenger station is just south of here behind the photographer, south of the overpass on the west side of the right of way. [Info from SBM-1912-2] Editor note: Hold <ctrl> and scroll up with your mouse to enlarge this photo on a PC.

Notes

The yard had a roundhouse (the footings of which can be seen today on Google Maps). By the early 1900's, the yard could no longer handle the increasing business of Bay City and Wenona Yard, two miles north of this location was built.

Time Line

1879. The Detroit & Bay City railroad are about to erect a machine and repair shop 83x64 and a blacksmith shop 14x16 near their round house in Bay City. The city has granted them water free for a term of ten years. The works will bring with them about fifty families. [DFP-1879-0508]

1904. With a roar that was heard for miles around, half a ton of dynamite loaded in a Michigan Central freight car exploded in the west side freight yard at 7:20 this morning, killing two men instantly and injuring eight other persons. Twenty three freight cars, an engine and seven houses near the tracks were wrecked. The dead were both switchmen for the MC. In the same car were packed household goods, and a large quantity of butter. The cause of the explosion is not known but it is alleged that an inexperienced billing clerk had supervised the loading of the car and placed the dynamite in with the other goods. The train was being made up and the shock of the coupling is thought to have jarred the boxes of explosives. An adjacent car also was filled with dynamite but did not explode. The dynamite had been shipped by the Ajax dynamite works of Bay City to points south. 

The vicinity of the wreck looked as if a cyclone had mowed a path along the east side of the yards. The body of one of the men was found on top of a freight car 100 feet from the explosion. [DFP-1903-0914]