Michigan Narrow Gauge Operations - The holdouts

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MQT1223
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Michigan Narrow Gauge Operations - The holdouts

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Anyone know what Michigan narrow gauge lines held out the longest and why? Excluding tourist railroads of today (Huckleberry, Toonerville, etc), where were some of the last survivors of Michigan narrow gauge? The only one that really comes to mind was the Quincy and Torch Lake, but surely there were others yes?
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Re: Michigan Narrow Gauge Operations - The holdouts

Unread post by Manistique »

Pere Marquette had one from Port Huron to Almont at one time but the Torch Lake line probably lasted later.

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Re: Michigan Narrow Gauge Operations - The holdouts

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MQT1223 wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 12:43 pm
Anyone know what Michigan narrow gauge lines held out the longest and why? Excluding tourist railroads of today (Huckleberry, Toonerville, etc), where were some of the last survivors of Michigan narrow gauge? The only one that really comes to mind was the Quincy and Torch Lake, but surely there were others yes?
AFAIK Michigan's narrow gauge lines were largely abandoned or regauged by the turn of the 20th century. Aside from the obvious holdout of the Q&TL, I can think of the AuSable & Northwestern, which was regauged upon the D&M's lease of the remaining trackage in 1912. As to why it wasn't standard gauged at an earlier date: It was a primarily log-hauling operation with several different temporary arteries feeding to its mainline from McKinley to AuSable. Narrow gauge was likely better suited for quickly constructing or ripping out these short-lived branches. Of course, once D&M gained control of the remnants, it was quickly converted to standard gauge for ease of operations.
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Re: Michigan Narrow Gauge Operations - The holdouts

Unread post by MQT1223 »

MiRailProductions wrote:
Fri Jun 02, 2023 11:59 pm
MQT1223 wrote:
Mon May 29, 2023 12:43 pm
Anyone know what Michigan narrow gauge lines held out the longest and why? Excluding tourist railroads of today (Huckleberry, Toonerville, etc), where were some of the last survivors of Michigan narrow gauge? The only one that really comes to mind was the Quincy and Torch Lake, but surely there were others yes?
AFAIK Michigan's narrow gauge lines were largely abandoned or regauged by the turn of the 20th century. Aside from the obvious holdout of the Q&TL, I can think of the AuSable & Northwestern, which was regauged upon the D&M's lease of the remaining trackage in 1912. As to why it wasn't standard gauged at an earlier date: It was a primarily log-hauling operation with several different temporary arteries feeding to its mainline from McKinley to AuSable. Narrow gauge was likely better suited for quickly constructing or ripping out these short-lived branches. Of course, once D&M gained control of the remnants, it was quickly converted to standard gauge for ease of operations.
I am actually quite familiar with the AS&NW. Probably the last of the 3 footers in the Lower Peninsula before the Huck came around. Definitely a larger network serving a lot of rural towns. I've done some exploration of their grades in and around Lewiston.

I wonder if the D&M regretted the acquisition of and re-gauging of the line later on, since they abandoned most of it roughly a decade after the investment.
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996. :)

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