DT&I and Conrail's formation.

[chapmaja]

During the formation of Conrail in the mid 1970's there were some interesting connections between Conrail and the DT&I.

The first is the Conrail Clinton Branch. This line, which ran from Lenawee Jct to Clinton (and crossed the DT&I line to Tecumseh in Tecumseh) and is now the Southern Michigan Railroad Society, was not actually a first choice to be included in Conrail. It was first offered up the the DT&I was a profitable railroad serving the area. Obviously the DT&I declined to purchase this segment, so the line was including in Conrail. Interstingly, the N&W was also interested in purchasing this line from Raisin Center north to Clinton, but this was not listed as a possible disposition of the line.

The DT&I was also apparently interested in purchasing the line from Riga (crossing of DT&I) north to Lenawee Jct and he N&W crossing, as well as the line from the N&W crossing west through Adrian (where their line to Tecumseh intersected this line), and the Clinton Branch.

Somehow, this deal feel through and Conrail was forced to include a line it did not initially want to include. Since the Clinton Branch was to be included in Conrail, but the section between Ottawa Lake and Riga was not desired to be included, Conrail was forced to accept the Ottaw Lake-Riga segment in order to maintain service to the Clinton Branch (which only lasted about a decade, before that service was discontinued).

It would be interesting to see what would have happened in the late 1970's into the early 1980's had the DT&I actually purchased the lines they were offered and supposedly wanted. It would also have been interesting to see if N&W had gotten their wish and been able to purchase the Clinton Branch.

Had the DT&I actually purchased Riga to Clinton and Riga to Adrian, what would have happened with those branches upon the DT&I's takeover by the GT in the early 1980's. I suspect we would have seen pretty much the same thing we see now, with a shortline running the lines from Riga north.

I do think there was always a desire to limit the access of the Lenawee County lines to Toledo, as evidenced by the apparent desire to not include Ottawa Lake to Riga until it was necessary to do so.

Also of interest in all of this would have been if N&W had purchased the trackage to Clinton as they supposedly desired. Had N&W actually gotten from N&W crossing to Lenawee Jct and then north to Clinton, would the DT&I have sold off the line from Adrian to Tecumseh sooner to N&W and would that line have been pulled up right away with N&W running east to Lenawee Jct then north to Tecumseh and Clinton.

[Macowiec]

You have to remember that the DT&I didn't run north of the Fisher Body plant into Tecumseh much past '68 or '69. By the time Conrail came to be this part of the line was overgrown and unused.

There were also supposedly issues with the many trestles on the DT&I line north of Adrian. This wasn't really addressed until the N&W bought the line and rebuilt the bridges.

It would have been interesting to see how a connection to the N&W at Raisin Center might have been built. We discussed this during the SMRS days due to the "diamond issue".

The Lenawee County Railroad didn't come into being until 1977 (one year after Conrail was formed). It would have been interesting if they could have serviced the Clinton line.

[chapmaja]

What customers did the DT&I have in Adrian at this time. I know they ran to the Fisher Body plant in Tecumseh, but did they have any other customers? What about south of Tecumseh between Napoleon and Adrian? Had DT&I actually purchased the Riga to Clinton and Riga to Adrian lines I suspect they would have removed everything from Adrian south to Napoleon unless there were customers on that line. Service on the line would then have been run via the connection at Riga to access the line to Clinton and the line to Adrian. This may also have allowed them to remove the Adrian - Tecumseh line that was used to access Fisher Body as they would have been able to access this from Tecumseh and the line to Clinton.

This purchase also would have made the LCRC unneeded, as another larger carrier would have controlled the line and the state wouldn't have had to step in to save these lines.

[Macowiec]

At the late 70s/early 80s, the only customers on the DT&I/N&W north of the PC/LCRC crossing in Adrian were:

*Fisher Body (Tecumseh)
*Cutler-Dickison Company (Adrian)

There may have been a customer between the PC/LCRC crossing and the N&W main line, but I don't know for sure.