Timetable: MCRR - Grand Rapids Branch - Jackson to Grand Rapids

The Grand Rapids branch was built as the Grand River Valley railroad and then leased by the MC. This route shared its line from Jackson to Rives Junction with the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw railroad which also became a MC branch line about the same time. Station times and passing tracks from 1897.

Station MP from Jackson Notes
Jackson  0.0 DN C W RH T
Pearl Street    DN I J
Prison Passing Track  0.8   
MAL Crossing xGTW 2.1 
Van Horn's  6.1  P43 
Henry's Crossing     
Rives Junction  13.6  DN J P43
Arland (pre-1890) 14.7  
Onondaga  17.6  D P54 
Green's Siding 19.0  
Smith's 22.5  
Eaton Rapids xLS 24.2  D I P54 
Charlotte xGTW 34.8  DN I P78 
Chester  40.2  P27 
"Deep Cut" Doubling Track (1890) 41.6  
Vermontville  46.2  D P43 
Nashville  49.8  D P65 
Bentley's Side Track 53.5  
Morgan  54.9  P11 
Thorn Apple  55.5  P15 
Quimby  57.7  P13 
Hastings Freight House  61.4  D  
Hastings xCKS  62.1  DN I P107
Hastings Furniture Sidetrack (1890) 62.3  
Irving  69.5  D P35 
Middleville  73.3  D P45 
Stove Wood Side Track (1890) 75.5  
Paramelee  76.1  P34 
Caledonia  79.3  D P31 
Dutton  84.0  D P13 
Bowen  87.9  P9 
Cunningham's Saw Mill Siding 92.1  
South Grand Rapids  92.2   
Crossover to GR&I railroad (1890) 92.5  
Hughart  92.6  DN Yard
GRL&D Crossing 92.8  
Grand Rapids  94.4  DN
     

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


Notes

[REF] = [MRL]


Time Line

1871. The MC operates three trains daily between Jackson and Grand Rapids, returning. Trains leave Jackson at 4:00 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 5:10 p.m., arriving at 11:30 a.m., 4:45 p.m. and 9:35 p.m. respectively. [MCGW]

1879. The Grand Rapids Division of the MCRR shows a fall of over 300 feet between Jackson and Grand Rapids. [DFP-1879-0216]

1880. Passenger agent Warren of the MCRR gives notice that the through sleeping car from Detroit to Grand Rapids on the MC, the Pacific Express, leaves Detroit at 9:50 p.m. arriving at Grand Rapids at 7:50 a.m. next morning. The through sleeper leaves Grand Rapids at 6 p.m. arriving at Detroit at 4 a.m. daily. Passengers can remain in this car at Detroit until 7 a.m. [DFP-1880-1107]

1960's. Automatic Block Signals. For a number of years the Michigan Central railroad utilized automatic block signals from Pearl Street in Jackson north to Rives Junction.  [MC ETT 1947]. The ABS system was discontinued and removed by the early 1960's.

Timetable

Bibliography

The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:

  • [AAB| = All Aboard!, by Willis Dunbar, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids ©1969.
  • [AAN] = Alpena Argus newspaper.
  • [AARQJ] = American Association of Railroads Quiz Jr. pamphlet. © 1956
  • [AATHA] = Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association newsletter "The Double A"
  • [AB] = Information provided at Michigan History Conference from Andrew Bailey, Port Huron, MI

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