1950's View of Pontiac

Posts that don't fit in the other train categories. Off Subject Chit Chat I tell you. :)
PatAzo
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1950's View of Pontiac

Unread post by PatAzo »

An old Navy film about why you don't want to get kicked out of the navy. Go to 4:20 for a good view of the Pontiac depot with a GTW passenger train arriving.

https://youtu.be/1OrSJiBCsNI
Last edited by PatAzo on Tue Aug 09, 2022 1:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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AARR
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Re: 1950's View of Pontiac

Unread post by AARR »

Thank you for posting Pat.

IIRC Pontiac used to have three stations (GTW, MAL and PO&N) but later consolidated to the one that through trains on the Holly Sub and branch lines to Jackson, Caseville and Richmond used.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

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GTW Dude
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Re: 1950's View of Pontiac

Unread post by GTW Dude »

THANK YOU!!! For almost a year now my grandfather and I have been debating where MAL junction tower was located and now we can finally confirm it. I’ve gone through many photos and archives trying to find out where exactly this tower was located. I believe that was the second or third tower located there after a few separate derailments crashing into the building. Goes to show how close Pontiac depot was to being demolished by derailments in the past.

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GTW Dude
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Re: 1950's View of Pontiac

Unread post by GTW Dude »

Also a side note: a very nice and ‘authentic’ GTW 6 chime recording. Replicas don’t do the sound justice.

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DaveO
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Re: 1950's View of Pontiac

Unread post by DaveO »

Going off the 1919 Sanborn Map, that appears to be the station located just north of Huron.
Assuming that correct, the tower in the film is likely a guard tower/interlocking for the area at the south end of the yard.
I'm 90% sure that is definitely not MAL Tower.

Man o' War
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Re: 1950's View of Pontiac

Unread post by Man o' War »

DaveO wrote:
Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:01 pm
Going off the 1919 Sanborn Map, that appears to be the station located just north of Huron.
Assuming that correct, the tower in the film is likely a guard tower/interlocking for the area at the south end of the yard.
I'm 90% sure that is definitely not MAL Tower.
I remember that tower well, having passed it as a boy many times on the way to MSU with my brother in the late 1960's. According to Emery Gulash and Jerry Pinkepank, that is definitely MAL Crossing tower. In fact, they make mention of it along with a photo in their Morning Sun book, "Grand Trunk Western" Volume 1 - Steam and Green. They could be wrong - but doubtful. Page 105 in the book, if you have it. I know several retired GTW men who also referred to it as MAL tower...

Man o' War

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