Time Line - 1978

Last Year | Next Year

• January 26: The "Blizzard of 1978" takes place in Michigan, covering much of the lower peninsula, closing interstate highways, and stopping rail traffic.

• February: LS&I finishes new repair shops at Eagle Mills. Shops move to this location from Presque Isle. (The Presque Isle site is used for a coal unloading facility. [MRC-10/1987]

• March 31: The interlocking plant located in the GTW depot at Charlotte, is removed. Until this time, it protected the Penn Central/Conrail crossing at that location. The plant was installed in 1923. [MSAI]

• April 17: The Michigan Northern takes delivery on two ex-Delaware & Hudson Baldwin RF-16 "Sharks" (rare diesel locomotives). These Baldwin locomotives which began service on the New York Central are the last two RF-16's in existence. [MT]

• May: N&W assumes operation of the DT&I's Adrian-Tecumseh branch. [IT-2/80]

• May: DT&I track between Lear and the Ohio state line is abandoned. [IT-2/80]

• August: The Menominee (iron) Range closes its last underground mine. [MSL]

• September: All locomotives must have footboards removed, as required by the Federal Railroad Administration. [SAM]

• October: Grand Trunk Western's Muskegon-Milwaukee car ferry service is abandoned. The state acquires the car ferry "City of Milwaukee" for remaining Ann Arbor RR routes. [MDOT]

• October: The last iron mine closes in Stambaugh, MI.  C&NW traffic west of Iron Mountain (through Stambaugh to Watersmeet is now described as "light". [R&R-3/1980]

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• Boyne Valley Railroad ends operations between Boyne Falls and Boyne City. Abandoned in 1982. [MRRC]

• The Milwaukee Road and Chicago & Northwestern agree on a joint venture to ease congested grade crossings in downtown Iron Mountain and remove the C&NW line through town.  Both roads now use the Milwaukee Road line through the City. [R&R-3/1980]

• Jumbo tank cars are now required to have shelf type couplers. [SAM]

• The AAR drops ACI labels on rail cars, deeming them as not practical. [SAM]

• The CK&S/Penn Central diamond at Kalamazoo is removed.  It was located 100' east of Walbridge Street. [GM]

•  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
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