Sandusky Branch

Found on a separate page.

River Branch/Manufacturers Rwy.

Diverges from the Toledo-Detroit main line at GALENA and proceeds northeast, along the Maumee R., serving various industries, and dead ends. The line survived into Penn Central but was removed by Conrail. [Jim Sinclair]

W&LE CROSSING, Toledo, O.

Ref 5, Sheet 24, 1957; 2267x1098, 26K, 200 dpi

Crossing of the River Branch and the Nickel Plate main. Remaining information courtesy of Jim Sinclair.

N&W Pittsburgh Division timetable No. 2 (December 1, 1968) offers these instructions about the crossing:

"Note 2 -- TOLEDO, SUMMIT STREET (P.C. Crossing Target) Trains or engines must approach target under full control prepared to STOP. If target is properly lined and Home signal at Manhattan Junction indicates proceed, movement may be made at a speed not to exceed 15 miles per hour."

PRR joint Central/Western Region timetable No. 8 (April 28, 1963) offers the following note about this crossing:

"NOTE 3. Normal position of target is for Nickel Plate R.R. Crews of trains and engines must assure themselves that no Nickel Plate R.R. train or engine is approaching crossing before changing target, and after movement over crossing is completed, must restore target to vertical position."

? Branch

Starts on the [north]west side of the main line at ECORSE JCT.

Forman St. Wye, Detroit, Mich.

Ref. 5, Sheet 25, 1957; 2149x1024, 27K, 200 dpi

In an incredible arrangement, the PRR (PO&D, Pennsylvania, Ohio & Detroit) branch diverges north, crosses Foreman St., passes into Gates St., then crosses the Michigan Central running down the middle of Barron St., toward the Pere Marquette line north (west) out of Detroit.

That Pere Marquette line, and another, parallel, leg of the Forman St. wye, are seen on the DELRAY map. All of this is occurring in a corner of southwest Detroit between W. Fort St. (US-25) and Interstate 75.

FORT ST., Detroit, Mich.

Ref 5, Sheet 29, 1957; 2115x995, 22K, 200 dpi

The two legs of the Forman St. wye come together here, and the PRR proceeds west over Fort St., then northwest along with the Pere Marquette, parallel to Miller and Ford's River Rouge Plant. The line proceeds northwest to PM's Rougemere Yard and Union Belt RR trackage. Union Belt was jointly owned by WAB, PM, and PRR.

Curiously, the PRR is using color-light signals.

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The line ultimately goes over the Michigan Central Detroit--Chicago main and Michigan Ave. (US-12). A short branch, diverging due north and then turning due east to adjoin the Detroit Terminal, is given off. Shortly thereafter, northwest of Ford Rd. and Schaefer Hwy., the PM continues northwest and PRR trackage continues due north. One of these locations is known on the C&O "P Company Jct.", according to one source.

The track continues north, gives off one spur to the west, and crosses a PM branch north of Plymouth Rd. It then crosses Grand River, turns due east, crosses Schaefer Hwy., and gives off 2 short spurs. The Conrail breakup map lists this as the Highland Park Industrial Track.

[Sources for this description include local experts, 1972 map of Detroit (no, I never throw maps away!), the Conrail breakup map (look under Rail/ on this site), and period articles linked elsewhere on this site, the interlocking diagrams themselves, and the Detroit-area map in the spring 1984 issue of The Keystone.

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LIVERNOIS AVE., Detroit, Mich.

Ref. 5, Sheet 26, 1957; 2267x1098, 20K, 200 dpi

The trackage continues due east to just west of Livernois Ave., where it crosses the Detroit Terminal RR. (The latter road cut off the PM before the PRR trackage did, on Ford Rd. just east of Schaefer Hwy.) PRR then turns slightly to the northeast and continues in this direction.

12TH STREET, Detroit, Mich.

Ref. 5, Sheet 27, 1957; 2120x1000, 33K, 200 dpi

The PRR now parallels on the south side of the Detroit Terminal RR. Both proceed northeastward, north of Davison St./Fwy., across Lodge Fwy. and into Highland Park. The last interlocking shown is at 12th St.; the street on my 1972 street map is cut off by the freeway, but which presumably in 1957 extended across to Fenkell St. The sudden bend of 12th St. at the top of the interlocking diagram is just about the right angle. The map does not provide any clues as to where the spurs may have been headed.

Both the maps below and in the Keystone show PRR trackage as ending; the latter source does not show any trackage rights. The Conrail breakup map shows trackage continuing northeast as the Terminal West Industrial Track, through Davison Yard (between Conant and Mound), to the MC North Yard; this is probably ex-DTRR trackage.

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Trackage rights

The maps already cited show extensive trackage rights in the Detroit area, as follows:

• On the DURRD to Fort St. Union Depot, described on the main line page.
• On the PM from Delray, described above.
• On the Wabash and/or GTW, from Delray through West Detroit, to Russel St. (nearly to Milwaukee Jct.)
• On the PM, from West Detroit (connection with WAB), crossing the PRR freight line described above, to Oak.

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Now that we're at the end of the line, the reader may wish to avail himself of these additional items. All were graciously supplied by Jim Sinclair.

Engineering News-Record, 88(26):1082 (1922 Jun 29) and 1083

Map from this article

Railway Age, 72(25):1717 (1922 Jun 24) and 1718

Map from this article