Time Line - 1988

Last Year | Next Year

• Early: CSX closes Mershon Tower. [MRC-10/1987]

• January 5: Michigan Central Depot in Detroit is closed. [MRF-3/94/DPH]

• Early 1988: Tuscola & Saginaw Bay buys the former CSX Ludington subdivision from Clare to Coleman to serve the E. R. Symons Elevator.  [MRC-2/88]  [Note: according to the MRC-8/1988 this purchase may have been limited to the Clare yard limits - only 2.6 miles]

• Early 1988: The Saginaw Valley Railroad is formed to takeover the 58.6 mile Bad Axe Subdivision of the CSX between Saginaw and Bad Axe.  It is a division of the Huron and Eatern Railroad. [MRC-2/88]

• February 28: Noth Yard tower is closed by Conrail.

• March 2: N&W barge Windsor strikes the Holiday Inn on the waterfront in Windsor, Ont.  The wreck was caused by a loss of fuel supply to the electrical generator and main propulsion engine of the tug R. G. Cassidy. [MRC-09/88]

• March 23: CSX begins Detroit-Atlanta Roadrailer service using ex-Clinchfield "F" units as motive power. [MT]

• July 9/10: N&W 1218, a 2-6-6-4 class A steam locomotive pulls an excursion trip of 15 cars to Fort Wayne, Indiana. It pulls an N&W employee excursion to the Boat Yard on 6/30 to see the fireworks. [MRC-09/88]

• Fall: Soo Line removes rail from Trout Lake to St. Ignace. [MRC-8/89]

• Fall: CSX abandones 9.8 miles of the Port Huron subdivision, between Avoca and 3 miles west of Tappan interlocking. [MRC-2/1989]

• GTW abandones the former DT&I Napoleon Sub, 7.;15 miles long which branched off the Flat Rock subdivision at Malinta, Ohio. [MRC-2/1989]

• Fall: Chief Wawatam is towed from Mackinaw City to Sault Ste. Marie to be converted to a barge. [MRC-9/89]

• October 27: CTC dispatching is transferred to Jacksonville on the CSX Saginaw, Port Huron and Detroit subdivisions. [MRC-2/1989]

• December 22: CSX sells Saginaw to Bad Axe line from Saginaw to Bad Axe to the Huron & Eastern. [MRRC]

  ---

   

• Conrail depot in Ypsilanti is sold to private interests.  It is restored with its former tower. [MRC-09/88]

• GTW razes the Richmond depot and the New Haven freight house. The Capac depot has been sold and relocated by a  local historical society in the village park. [MRC-2/1989]

• Conrail converts their double track main line between CP Marl (near Greenfield Village) and Wayne Jct. to single track. Double track is left in place between Wayne Jct. and CP Ypsi (just west of Willow Run). [SSV]

• Conrail removes the 2nd main track between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo.

• Ford Motor Company converts all of its 17 EMD switchers to remote control operations. Crew size is reduced from four members to three. [MRC-12/87]

 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