Rose City, Alger/Prescott, Lincoln and Hillman/Paxton

[Sppengelly]

A few years ago, I was talking to a Detroit & Mackinac Ry "expert" and he said that him and his wife went down the old D&M line from National City (Emery Jct) to Rose City or Prescott (can not remember which) and found a bunch of old relics such as tie plates with the turtle emblem in them, track switch "thing", etc. I have been to NAional City myself and have looked at where the spur track to Alger and Prescott is but the grade is completely gone. All there are is trees. Has anyone else seen/gotten anything there (or in other locations such as the Lincoln and Hillman/Paxton branch line). Also, since the location of this old grade was abandoned so long ago, it would not be rail banked and the land would have been sold or given to adjasent land owners. I dont want to be tresspassing.

Also, I know the D&M had a branch line from Tawas to Tawas Beach (the railroads resort). I have seen this line on not so detailed maps but where was the location of the railroads resort? Was it in the current location of the state park or further north? When traving down US-23 north just getting out of the city, a road curves off to the right toward the water while the tracks and 23 go left/north (where the Big Boy is). Would this have been the location of the junction?

Thank you SO much in advance! Stuff like this aout the D&M just fascinates me!
-Sean

[Larry G]

Go through the D&M display at the Iosco County Historical Museum in East Tawas. There are several displays of D&M history in there.

[Sppengelly]

Does Tawas City/East Tawas and the museum still do anything for Railroad Days? I know it is scheduled for Oct. 8th 2011 but what will be happening? I have seen pictures of LSRC locomotives parked in town for the event but I doubt they still do that.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dtisd38/2760528177/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dtisd38/27 ... otostream/

[SW]

A few years ago, I was talking to a Detroit & Mackinac Ry "expert" and he said that him and his wife went down the old D&M line from National City (Emery Jct) to Rose City or Prescott (can not remember which) and found a bunch of old relics such as tie plates with the turtle emblem in them, track switch "thing", etc. I have been to National City myself and have looked at where the spur track to Alger and Prescott is but the grade is completely gone. All there are is trees.

Sean, your question got me curious and I was not far from the area yesterday so I decided to go exploring. I started out from Lake George and stopped at the McDonalds in Gladwin (free wi-fi) since I had my work laptop with me and wanted to check out the satellite maps. I used the Satellite view on Mapquest, and you can pretty much tell where the line ran from National City to Whittemore and Prescott. Not so obvious to Alger. Was also using the Michigan Atlas & Gazetteer (book of maps - you've seen them at Meijer and other places, around $20) - that shows the grade in some locations.

Some of the grade is used as a road now, i.e. LaGrant Rd., which goes west (actually west - southwest) from Melita Rd. right at the Ogemaw / Arenac countly line. Other parts of the grade pass thru active farm fields and are plowed under, or overgrown with trees as you have seen.

(As a side note, I've also been curious about the long-abandoned Michigan Central branch from Pinconning to Gladwin. Was able to see where it crosses M-61, at an angle, just east of State St. There is a Pizza Hut on or right next to the grade, at the same angle as the grade. What appears to be the train station is a museum along M-61 in a historic complex located between the grade and State St.)

More to come...

[SW]

In Prescott, Railroad Ave. runs east - west except for a small diagonal portion just west of Washington St. If you go there you'll see that section of the street was likely built right on the grade, based on how the buildings are arranged. There is still an abandoned grain facility next to the grade, and just to the northeast there is a two story house next to the grade (and oriented with it). If you check out the north end of the house, it looks suspiciously like the overhang of a rail station, and it looks like they converted it into a house (by adding on to the station). Just east of that is some kind of signal or maintenance shack, on the east side of Washington St. in the trees, also oriented along the grade.

In Whittemore, the line ran SSE – NNW, not quite east-west. There is a Nutrena Feeds building (not sure if it’s in use or not) just east of M-65, and it also is oriented with where the grade would have been. There are a couple of side streets north and south of the grade that run parallel with it.

Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me , or have time to get out and walk around. That means I will have to go back again .

Not sure if there is anywhere you could collect the kinds of historic items you mentioned without trespassing, but it is good to see you are conscientious about it!

[SW]

Pictures obtained!

In Prescott, Railroad St. runs east - west except for a small diagonal portion just west of Washington St. If you go there you'll see that section of the street was likely built right on the grade, based on how the buildings are arranged. There is still an abandoned grain facility next to the grade, and just to the northeast there is a two story house next to the grade (and oriented with it). If you check out the north end of the house, it looks suspiciously like the overhang of a rail station, and it looks like they converted it into a house (by adding on to the station). Just east of that is some kind of signal or maintenance shack, on the east side of Washington St. in the trees, also oriented along the grade.

Looking northeast along Railroad St.


Looking southwest from Washington St.


Former train station?


Maintenance structure?

In Whittemore, the line ran SSE – NNW, not quite east-west. There is a Nutrena Feeds building (not sure if it’s in use or not) just east of M-65, and it also is oriented with where the grade would have been. There are a couple of side streets north and south of the grade that run parallel with it.

Nutrena Feeds


Another structure oriented along the grade


This is where the grade crossed 2nd St. I somehow could imagine milk cans being loaded off the platform here.

[AARR]

Awesome pics asnd report SW. I enjoy fossil hunting asd much if not mroe so than acdtive rail lines

[baudoux]

This rail line has always intrigued me. My great grandparents sponsored a German immigrant born in 1870, William (Billy) Goebel. From their house on State Street in the city of Saginaw, Billy rode the train through northern Michigan looking for land to homestead. He hopped off the train in a beautiful valley just east of Lupton where a small creek flows. He as able to obtain the 40 acres. He built a cedar log barn along the creek and lived upstairs. This would have been about 1903. Later he built a barn across the creek and meadow, and made the original building his home. Grampa and him remained lifelong friends. He took Gramma, Mom and her two sisters to visit Billy often. When Billy passed in 1941, he left the place to Grampa. My Aunt and Uncle moved there in the late 1960's, and raised their family, I spent a few summers there as a kid. The buildings still stand. I went there this summer with our sons, and walked the grade. Even caught a trout in the stream that is the headwaters of the Rifle River. You can see where it bubbles out of the ground. In the spot where the train crossed the creek, my son found a railroad tie with a spike in it. I'll attach pictures.

[baudoux]

Additional pics