Time Line - 1954

Last Year | Next Year

• January 4: The last regularly scheduled passenger train, the Milwaukee Road's Chippewa-Hiawatha, between Channing and Ontonagon is discontinued. The Ontonagon Herald reported that the train arrived at 11:00 p.m. and one hour later the equipment deadheaded back to Channing. The train, which the railroad had tried to eliminate since 1950, was finally ordered discontinued by the Michigan Supreme Court, who overturned the Michigan Public Service Commission to keep the train. The remainder of the route from Milwaukee to Channing lasted until 1960. [GB]

• May 8: DT&I ends all passenger service, removing a mixed train near Springfield OH. [IT-2/80]

• November: The NYC (Michigan Central) notifies the NYC (Big Four) that they will no longer service steam locomotives at Jackson as of January 1, 1955. The NYC was eliminating steam on their east-west main line and branch lines terminating at the Jackson terminal. After January, the former CN line south to Van Wert was dieselized. [NYC-Q3-2015]

• December 31: The GTW drops the coach from it's mixed train between Pontiac and Jackson. The line becomes freight only. [MRC-9/1975]

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  C&O begins use of Detroit River tunnel and discontinues car ferry at Detroit. [MDOT]

• The Copper Range Railroad installs AB Power Brakes on all non-interchange cars in compliance with orders of the Interstate Commerce Commission. [CRAR]

• First use of television in railroad communications. [STOV]

• Snapshot:  Most Copper Range railroad operations are limited to the line from Gay to Calumet (wood products) and Hancock to McKeever. [CRH]

• Composition brake shoes are introduced. [SAM]

• Passenger operations on the DSS&A is reduced. Trains #7 and #8 between Marquette and Duluth, Minnesota now run only tri-weekly. [RO]

Time line Key:

• Railroad event in Michigan
• Event relating to mining
• Event related to car ferries
• Event outside of Michigan
• Improvement in Technology
• Railroad built or extended
• Railroad abandoned and/or removed
• Economic panic or depression