Timetable: NYC - Lansing Branch - Jonesville to North Lansing via Albion

The Lansing Branch was originally built as the Northern Michigan railroad but was controlled by the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern from onset. The line extended from Jonesville in Hillsdale County to the state capital of Lansing via Albion. Station hours and siding capacity are as of 1926 and based on 43' cars.

The Lansing Branch served a number of industries near Albion, Eaton Rapids and Lansing, including the REO plant south of downtown.

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

Albion: This location was the original Lake Shore station east of the MC crossing. Later, Lansing Division trains pulled into the MC Albion station on a side track at Tower A. The timetable noted that all Lansing branch trains had to be flagged over Superior Street, Albion between 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm.

Eaton Rapids: The crossing of the MC Grand Rapids branch was at grade and right-of-way controlled by a pole mounted target.

Lansing: The Lake Shore used their own decorative station at mp 58.8 before leaving it to use the Union Station north of Michigan Avenue. They built a curved junction track to reach this station. The MC station is now a restaurant named "Clara's".

North Lansing: The Lake Shore had a connection here with the Pere Marquette's main line (east of Ensel Yard) and a connection to the MC's Saginaw Branch. The Lansing Transit Railway (owned by the NYC) crossed the Lansing branch here.

Sources: Timetables + [MRL] and other sources.

Time Line

1872. March 21. Work on the Northern Central railroad is rapidly progressing, although it has been suspended over a week on account of unfavorable weather. An engine house and temporary freight depot have been built at Albion. They intend to have the line in running order from Jonesville to Lansing by July, 1872.

1872. December 14. The Northern Central Michigan railwya, whose track isnow completed into the City of Lansing, will lay a track right up to the Capitol grounds so that the stone from Amherst quarries, the iron and all materials, in fact, may be delivered right on the spot. 

1926. Manual block signaling was used on the entire branch in 1926. Speed limits: Passenger trains 50 mph; Freight trains 30 mph. Restrictions to 10 mph in Albion and 6 mph in Eaton Rapids and Lansing. This line was dispatched by the Lake Shore dispatcher in Hillsdale in 1926.

1926. SNAPSHOT. The Lansing branch had two passenger trains daily except Sunday in each direction between Jonesville (Hillsdale) and Lansing. #42 and #44 southbound and #41 and #43 northbound. These were morning and afternoon runs. One 2nd class freight train was also scheduled in each direction daily except Sunday. Meets of these trains on the single track commonly occured at Albion.

1926. In 1926, Both Washington Avenue and Baker Street in Lansing were protected by watchmen from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm daily except Sunday. During times that the crossing was not protected by a watchman, trains and engines must stop within 50 feet of the street before crossing it.

1932. Michigan railroads since 1932 have quit using the following tracks. Some continue to exist but are not in use: NYC Lansing branch north of Springport to Packard (Lansing), and Albion south to Litchfield. [DFP-1949-1009]

1960's. I-94 Crossing: When the I-94 expressway was built in the 1960's, they did not build an overpass over the Lansing Branch because of very low train activity and the likelihood that the branch line would be abandoned and pulled up in a few years. This was one of about 1/5 dozen at-grade crossings on the interstate highway system which contained standard crossing warning lights. Another similar crossing on I-94 was the Ypsilanti branch, just west of US-23 near Ann Arbor.

Left, from the Official Guide to the Railways in 1909, a view of the North Lansing Branch. This indicates that the branch had two trains per day, each way.