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Was on my morning commute when I happened to see it. Pulled into the neighboring gas station and asked what was going on hoping they were reactivated and was told they are being permanently removed RIP the last mile of the Sterling secondary will post pictures when I get home.

Yea their isn’t really anything up there anymore since Ford shut down Utica years ago. Last customer on that line appears to be that business just south of the service drive. Though that crossing is getting worse and worse pothole wise.

Oops, guess I never sent the photos. But here they are as promised.

GTW Dude wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 02, 2022 9:15 am

Oops, guess I never sent the photos. But here they are as promised.

Are they still working on it? I'm planning to drive by tomorrow.

RoyalKingoftheRails wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 02, 2022 8:55 pm

GTW Dude wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 02, 2022 9:15 am

Oops, guess I never sent the photos. But here they are as promised.

Are they still working on it? I'm planning to drive by tomorrow.

The thread was started back in august of 2021 so... no.

The gates have been removed.

Just drove across the Auburn Road crossing today.

Both signals and gates are in place. Apparently the pictures shared in a previous post was actually repair/replacement of the signals/gates, not disassembly or elimination.

David Lang

Actually the signal s on the south side of M59 had the cantilevers removed as well as the gates. Flashers still present at the crossing. The crossing protection on the north side of M59 is still complete with all warning devices still in place. 22 mile road is void of any crossing protection (well the round sign is still there).

Thanks for the clarification coasterrider. If the South side no longer has cantilevers/gates, I supposed its only a matter of time for the North side. Its too bad, I remember seeing trains on that line when we lived in Utica between 2003 and 2007. Sad.

David Lang wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 13, 2022 3:37 pm

Just drove across the Auburn Road crossing today.

Both signals and gates are in place. Apparently the pictures shared in a previous post was actually repair/replacement of the signals/gates, not disassembly or elimination.

The photos posted earlier in the thread were of Dobry Dr on the south side of M59, not Auburn Rd. Google Street view drove by in 2019 and caught the crossing with cantilevers but no gates. It looks like it was converted to side signals no cantilevers in the photos above.

Just drove Eastbound on Dobry in Utica today (7/23/23). They have removed the rails through the street, and have paved over that area with black top. The rail has also been cut short of the crossing.

Also drove back Westbound on Auburn Road, where as of today, no such work has been done yet.

Its a sad day. I remember 86' boxcars traversing over M-59 when I first moved to Utica back in late 2003, and shiny rails at 22 Mile Road and under Shelby Road on the way to Visteon (Ford). It wasn't long after that (only a few years) that trains no longer ran North of Stuert Technologies, just South of M-59. Anybody know when the last train ran?

The parcel of land that used to be Ford is now Amazon. Too bad they didn't need rail service.

Remember back one Sunday, my son and I were returning to the house I was renting, and the gate to the property (FORD) was open, so we stopped,thinking that a train might be on the property. There was no train, but we managed to go in and take some pics of the curving track, and then going over the small bridge,and then quickly curving and descending,as to be able to pass under the road. Very interesting, but amazing that the track curved and descended so quick. From that house, used to hear the train blowing its horn for 22 Mile from my backyard,which faced west. Went by there a month ago, all track is gone,on the leg that went into Ford, and the tunnel looked like it was filled in. Was wondering when they would take up the track north of 59, actually Dobry, as the plastics plant is the last customer.

Forgot to mention--- this had to be around the late 90's to early 2000's. I guess nothing good lasts forever.

Did not want to start a new thread on something thats trivial. Thought this might be the best choice for this post considering it is on the OOS portion on the Utica Industrial branch. On my way home from work I decided to take a different route and took 22 mile from Ryan to Van Dyke. The crossing at 22 which for months had no signals or anything marking the crossing now sports new crossbucks, yield signs and new approach warning signs. It also sports new Exempt signs. Does not mean anything but interesting to see them installed maybe for FRA standards, Anyways thats it.

Wonder why the powers that be just don't take out or cancel the signs, and just pretend it is not there. The chances of having a train now running north of M59 are zero, so let's give it up already.

joeyuboats wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 08, 2023 8:13 pm

Wonder why the powers that be just don't take out or cancel the signs, and just pretend it is not there. The chances of having a train now running north of M59 are zero, so let's give it up already.

What the laws says http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-257-669
Drive with a cdl and pretend and lose your job like that school bus driver in west Michigan.

I used to have a CDL,and am aware of the significance of a RR track. My point is--- there is no physical way,that a train could be on those tracks, and seems to me that with all the communication,and tech stuff nowadays, that a city,or county would be aware of an abandoned,or dead track, and treat it accordingly. Once they removed the rail on the south side of M59, and paved over the crossing, to me, that would preclude any rail equipment from going north of that point.

I have re- read my first post--and to explain, the pretend wording does not apply to the individual driver--- but rather the city,or township, or county where ever the track in question is. If the track is out of service,or is physically severed to NOT allow a train to pass , the governing powers would take steps to treat it as just another piece of road, remove all signs, and allow traffic to pass over it as per normal.
I can see where my wording would cause the confusion--- my error. In other words, the governing authority would stop pretending that it is a RR track that sees regular use, and act accordingly.

I wonder why this track has simply been removed. The only possibility is the owner, or the communities are holding on to the rail in a last ditch effort to try attracting rail use in the future, which in my opinion won't happen. Either that or someone wants to create a tourist operation on the short segment of rail line

The "exempt" signs remove the requirement for buses and hazmat to stop at the crossing. One might as well read the signs as "bump" unless a train appears. (in this case, miraculously appears since it is disconnected rail.)

my question is why was it necessary to reinstall the signage to begin with ? The warning signals were absent for quite a few months now and with the track removed by Hall Rd should ne no reason to have them.