Station: Walloon Lake Junction, MI

Walloon Lake Junction, also known as Lake Junction, was on the Grand Rapids & Indiana main line between Grand Rapids and Mackinaw City, in northeast Charlevoix County. The location was about seven miles south of Petoskey.

Image info: A photo of the GR&I depot at Walloon Junction early in the 1900's. [CMUL]

Notes

This was a junction for a short branch line west to Walloon Lake. This branch or spur was originally built to haul logs, lumber and tourists. It was the southern terminus of the extensive GR&I resort train commuter service that ran south from Petoskey to Walloon Lake, and north from Petoskey to Harbor Springs and to Alanson. Milepost 416 is in the main line leg of the wye. The Walloon Lake branch right-of-way crosses US-31 south of Dickson's Lodge which is on the southeast corner of the US-31/Springvale Road intersections.

Coordinates: North leg of wye - 45.264453, -84.914980 - South leg of wye - 45.260904, -84.916246

Time Line

1960's. Retired Pennsylvania locomotive engineer Jack Smith told Carl Bajema that he used to turn the PRR passenger train that went as far north as Petoskey at the Walloon Lake wye and then backed it into the passenger station in Petoskey in the 1960's. [CB/MIRX8]