Timetable: DSS&A Railroad - Main Line East -

St. Ignace to East Yard (Marquette)

This line from St. Ignace, known as the Third Subdivision, was built under Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette ownership around 1880. It was reorganized as the DSS&A in 1886. The branch to Sault Ste. Marie (from Soo Jct.) was added in 1877. The DM&M ownership was mostly in Detroit and it was there goal to bring Marquette and the upper peninsula into Detroit influence, especially since lower peninsula roads were reaching Mackinaw City. The DM&M had poor financial performance and was rolled into the DSS&A along with lines west of Marquette. [MRL]

Under Soo Line ownership, this section of the main line was operated as the 12th Subdivision. This is a single track main line.

This line between St. Ignace and Trout Lake was abandoned and removed in 1986 (along with the closing of the railroad car ferry across the straits of Mackinac. The line west of Munising Junction to Marquette was removed in the 1990's.

Key: BB=Bascule Bridge | C=Coal | CS=Car Shop | D=Open > Day | DN=Open Day and night | DS=Dispatcher | DT=Double Main Track | EH=Engine house | F=Diesel Fuel | HI=Half Interlocked Crossing | I=Interlocked Crossing | J=Junction | LB=Lift bridge | N=Open at night | P=Passing Track w/40' car capacity | Q=Quarry | RH=Roundhouse # stalls | RT=Railroad Resort | S=Scales | SB=Swing bridge | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard

[REF] = Greg Bunce and other sources plus additions.

Notes

Maximum speed is 45 mph except from MP131 to MP134 is 40 mph. 35 mph from Wetmore to MP 110. 40 mph from MP 110 to Trout Lake. 35 mph from Trout Lake to St. Ignace.

Kiln's No. 1 (between St. Ignace and Moran, and Kiln's No. 2 (between Palms and Trout Lake) are mentioned in a 1882 [NTR] article about station stops on this line. Specific locations of these kilns are unknown.

Time Line

1880. Work on the DM&M is being more vigorously pushed now. A force of over 600 men are not employed. Camps have been established at Munising and men are clearing the way both above and below that point. The iron is being laid on the first 20 miles as fast as it arrives. One 32 ton locomotive and a large number of flat cars, manufactured by the Michigan Car Company at Detroit, have already arrived. Contractor J.D. McDonald has largely increased his working force and is pushing matters at a lively rate. A large boarding house has been put up near Point St. Ignace and a large force is at work building docks, preparing the depot grounds and cutting out and grading the road. [NTR-1880-0626]

1882. Passenger train fares from St. Ignace west on the DM&M range between 40c to Moran, Trout Lake $1.10, Munising $4.30, and Marquette $6.00. The fare to St. Ignace from Detroit is $7.75. The ferry Algomah has been taken off the route from Cheboygan to St. Ignace, and is now making regular trips between St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, connecting the DM&M and the Mackinaw Division of the Michigan Central. [DFP-1882-0117]

1887. SNAPSHOT: Six months after the opening of the DSS&A line from St. Ignace to Marquette, the railroad operated three round trip trains. One, the westbound Houghton Express conntected with boats and left from 6:50 am, reaching Senay at 9:14 am, and Marquette at 12:40 pm. Two other trains were daily except Sunday. The Night express left St. Ignace at 10:45 pm and arrived at Marquette at 8:00 am. It then left for Calumet arriving at 3:14 pm, almost 16 hours later. A third westbound accomodation train left St. Ignace at 7:30 am arriving at Marquette at 6:00 pm., Eastbound trains returned to St. Ignace from Calumet and Marquette. Trout Lake, the future Soo Line crossing was not yet in existance. [DSSS-2022-June]

1945. SNAPSHOT. There is one roundtrip passenger train between St. Ignace and Marquette, daily except Sunday. There are train #1 and #2. #1 leaves St. Ignace westbound at 8:55 am and #2 leaves Marquette at 1:15 pm. They had a scheduled meeting place at Deerton, 9 miles east of Au Train. There was also a daily timed freight in both directions running west in the afternoon, and east overnight. [ETT-1945]

1955. The DSS&A has ordered a railway Budd car, a self-propelled diesel-electric unit, and delivery is expected the first or second week of August. It will replace the DSS&A train a short time after it arrives. The modern, air-conditioned railway Budd car will be exhibited in cities along the St. Ignace to Marquette route for a few days before it is placed in service.

The car is constructed of stainless steel and has a capacity of 89 passengers. It will leave St. Ignace at 9 a.m., C.S.T, and arrive in Marquette at 12:19 p.m. The DSS&A run will be extended to Ishpeming and Negaunee, where the new car will arrive at 12:55 p.m.

The Budd car will operate on this schedule for a 90-day train period the superintendent reported, during which time the railway will seek to increase passenger traffic. At present the DSS&A train leaves St. Ignace at 8:55 a.m. and is due to arrive in Marquette at 1:40 p.m., however, it usually is about two hours late, Barry pointed out.

1963. December. Attorney General Frank Kelly vowed a legal battle against four rail carriers who, he said, want to "discontinue service in a substantial part of northern Michigan. "Information has been received that with the request to abandon the Mackinaw City to St. Ignace car ferry, the Pennsylvania, New York Central and Soo Line railroads will ask the ICC to reduce substantially their services in this state," Kelly said. He also said the Detroit & Mackinac railroad is seeking to halt its service to Cheboygan. Only the NYC confirmed Kelley's statement that it plans to end service north of Gaylord to Mackinaw City.

The PRR and Soo Line denied the accusations, except to say they want to discontinue the rail car ferry across the Straits. George Wyatt, general attorney for the NYC in Detroit, said: "In event the Mackinac Company abandons service, there will be insufficient traffic north of Gaylord to support a railroad, and abandonment of that trackage is almost a foredrawn conclusion." Wyatt said the NYC runs one train north and one south each day above Gaylord, servicing Wolverine, Vanderbilt, Indian River and Mackinaw City, whose combined population is about 4,000.

The NYC, PRR and Soo Line contend that the ferry over the straits can no longer be operated profitably. Each railroad has one man on the company's board of directors. The ferry, Chief Wawatam, has been condemned by the Coast Guard, and has been licensed to operate only until May 24, 1964. The railroads argue that the $1.2 million it would cost to repair the Chief would not be worthwhile in the face of declining freight traffic lost to the Mackinac Bridge. [EDP-1963-1227]

1977. In addition to its abandonment request for lines north of Baraga, the Soo Line indicated that they will proceed with an abandonment petition for the following lines within two years:

Part of their main line between Bergland and Nestoria.

• Marquette (MP 152.5) to Munising Junction (MP 116.8)
• Shingleton (MP 104.4) to Newberry (MP 59.0)
• Trout Lake (MP 27.1) to St. Ignace (MP 0.0)
• Raco Junction (MP 46.7) to Raco (MP 1.7)
• Rapid River (MP 348.7) to Eben Junction (MP 379.2)

They note that the request will be made contingent upon coordination of certain operations with other railroads to continue service west of Marquette, including certain operations with other railroads to continue service west of Marquette and between Munising Junction and Shingleton. [EDP-1977-0531]