Timetable: MCRR - Bagley Branch - Sallings Junction to Johannesburg

This was a forest branch line in Otsego County. It left the MC Mackinaw Branch at Salling Junction (Bagley) going east towards Johannesburg.

Key: C=Coal | CS=Car Shop | D=Open > Day | DN=Open Day and night | EH=Engine house | HI=Half Interlocked Crossing | I=Interlocked Crossing | J=Junction | N=Open at night | P=Passing Track w/40' car capacity | Q=Quarry | RH=Roundhouse # stalls | RT=Railroad Resort | S=Scales | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard

Notes

In 1925, the Bagley Branch had one second class mixed train (actually a round trip) which began at Gaylord, leaving Sallings Junction at 7:16 am and arriving at Johannesburg at 7:55 am. It turned around and left Johannesburg at 10:45 am arriving back at Sallings at 11:30 am before heading north to Gaylord. In 1925, the train ran only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and stopped only at Johannesburg unless it was flag-stopped at Trombley or Johannesburg Junction.

[REF] = MC employee timetable #405 9/27/1925, plus additions.

Time Line

1887. The Bagley Branch is built from Sallings Junction to McGraw Branch Junction, 5.8 miles. [MRL]

1887. The extension of the Bagley Branch, from McGraw Branch Junction southwest to Ell Lake (Section 8, T29N-R1W) is built. This extension is abandoned in 1900. [MRL]

1889. The Stephens Company have cut and skidded along the Bagley branch of the MC 18 million feet for their mills at Waters. They are now hauling this timber at the rate of three train loads daily, and they expect to cut and haul from this branch by June 1 next a total of 30 million feet. [SWC-1889-0307]

1889. Salling, Hanson & Co. of Grayling have purchased the Bagley saw mill property at Bagley (Salling Jct.?) and next spring will move the mill to a point on the Bagley branch road in Otsego county where they expect to cut 50 million feet of hardwood lumber. [SCH-1889-1024]

1890. The Bagley branch of the MC is being surveyed eastward. The road at present is 10 miles long. Four miles will be built to a lake near the line of Montmorency county where the company will start a new town. The surveyors have instructions to continue the survey from the new town southeast to Twin Lakes, where the same firm have 160 million feet of standing pine. The distance of the road to Twin Lakes is about 17 miles. The road is regular gauge and is being well built. The branch will eventually be extended through to Alpena. [SAG-1890-1001]

1891. A new town will be started in Otsego County, at the end of the Bagley branch of the MC. Salling, Hanson & Co. own all the lands which will not be sold, but leased. They will erect a large saw mill, store and dwelling houses, and have given a man the right to erect a large hotel, stipulating it to cost $5,000, for which they agree not to lease lots to others for hotel purposes. A large number of emigrants from Norway and Sweden will be located on the farming lands. [CNO-1891-0325]

1891. The Michelson, Hanson logging road running in the northern part of Crawford County, now has a locomotive on it, but they had a great time getting it here. It was run down to the end of the Bagley branch and started to go to the east side of Twin Lakes on sections of rails but this was deemed too slow. Sixteen heavy teams and an immense block and cable chains were procured and the engine dragged through the sand and clay for seven miles on its own running gear. So long as it did not cut in too deep on the clay and harder portions of the road, the direct draught of the teams pulled it along, but there were many places where it was necessary to use the block with the teams hitched on to the cables in order to get it through the sand. The engine weighed 41 tons and took seven days to make the trip, which was finished last Thursday. [CCA-1891-1015]

1892. On account of high hills, the MC has abandoned its plan to tap the Montmorency and Presque Isle timber belt by extending the Grayling branch, and is now making a survey for the extension of the Bagley branch. [SAG-1892-0323]

1892. The MC will go after business if there is enough in sight. The company is building a spur from the Bagley Branch into timber owned by H.C. Ward, which will be railed to the Kern Manufacturing company's mill on the west side of Bay City. [SWC-1892-0602]

1892. J. McConnell, deaf, working at Ward's lumber camp was run over and killed yesterday by a logging train on the Bagley branch of the MC. [GRP-1892-0414]

1900. The Bagley Branch is extended 1.3 miles from McGraw Jct. to Johannesburg Jct. [MRL]

1900. May 7. Forest fires last night burned three MC cars on the Bagley branch, loaded with wood, also 1,250,000 feet of logs The wood and logs belonged to Hartnell & King. Total loss is $10,000. [GRP-1900-0507]

1907. The MC has surveyors at work surveying a new line from the McGraw Branch of their line (at what would become Johannesburg Junction) to Johannesburg. It is expected that the line is to be extended during the coming summer, giving Gaylord a new line direct to Johannesburg instead of going by way of Grayling. [SCH-1907-0418]

1908. Five trainmen were injured when two MC trains collided head-on at Salling at 4:15 in the morning, when the "pick-up" of the Bagley branch and the southbound Hill engine with a train of butter and miscellaneous freight met on the main line. Both engines were badly smashed up and two cars of the southbound train were piled in the ditch. Most of the crew escaped serious injury by jumping through the cab windows. The injured were brought to Gaylord and attended by Dr. Richards and at noon were taken to their homes in Grayling and Bay City. It was a very foggy morning and the heavy dew was still on the rails, which is ascribed as a cause of the collision. [SCH-1908-0618]

1912. The Bagley Branch is extended from Johannesburg Jct. to Chamberlin, 5.4 miles. The MC Clear Lake Branch from Chamberlin to Johannesburg (1.3 miles) is transferred to the Bagley Branch for continued service to Johannesburg. (The Clear Lake branch south of Chamberlin is abandoned). [MRL]

1913. Residents of Gaylord were referred to the Michigan Railroad Commission after complaining to state officials about the condition of the Bagley branch. "We are writing and asking you to see if there can't be something done with the old rotten rail on the Bagley branch between Salling and Johannesburg the old rail isn't safe for a handcar say nothing about a train hawling (sic) a passenger train about 50 miles an hour over such a hay wire as that they talk about safety all the time why don't the make it safe first and then talk safety these three men section crews can't commence to keep up the sections there had aught to be a man every mile and then they couldn't keep them up in shape. We are afraid to ride over such stuff". [LSJ-1913-0702]

1931. The Michigan Public Service Commission authorizes the NYC/MC to remove and abandon the Johannesburg Branch from Sallings Junction to Johannesburg, a distance of 15 miles all in Otsego County, together with such spurs and sidings as may be connected. The petition has also been filed with the ICC. The Johannesburg Manufacturing Company has no further use for the MC tracks mentioned and has no objection. The timber has all been cut and removed and the company's sawmill has discontinued operations. [MPSC-1931-p24]

1931. January 15. The Bagley Branch is abandoned, 13.8 miles. [MRL]