Penn Central Schedules - 1975

[chapmaja]

I found the schedule document for Penn Central in the year before they were part of the formation on Conrail.

Starting with the local trains outside of Detroit, but on the Detroit Division, we had ,

Bay City starts us off. Bay City had 3 locals based in town.

MB-1 / BM-2: daily except Sunday run between Bay City and Midland which went on duty at 14:30.

BJ-1: Daily Bay City to Jackson - This train took traffic from Bay City destined for Toledo, Windsor, Elkhart and Jackson and would stop in Saginaw to pick up Jackson bound traffic. This train left at at 00:30 and was scheduled to arrive at 07:45.

MAC-1 Daily except Sunday Bay City to Mackinaw City Local. On left at 00:35 and was scheduled to arrive at 11:00 with local traffic and traffic for Mackinaw City.

Mackinaw City had a single scheduled local:

MAC-2 Daily except Sunday running back southbound to Bay City. This was the opposite train to MAC-1. It left at 12:30 and arrived at 22:30 This train had local traffic and traffic to Bay City.

Vassar There were two as needed trains out of Vassar, VB-1 and BV-2. Interstingly these trains were listed as needed, but also were listed at operating 3 days per week. I can only assume the trains were listed this way due to the traffic needs. These trains handled traffic between Vassar and Saginaw and Vassar and Caro. Vassar trains were scheduled to leave at 09:00.

Warren Sterling Yard had three locals based in Sterling.

SDX-1 Daily except Sunday with scheduled departure of 19:00 and an arrival at Detroit's Junction Yard at 23:00. This train would run with two blocks of cars. First was Cincinnati bound cars and then Det. Jct Yard cars.


ST-3 Daily except sunday with a scheduled departure of 07:00 and an arrvial at Detroit's Junction Yard at 11:00. Despite running the same route as SDX-1, this train actually had different blocks. This was also the Sterling to Mound Rd Yard transfer, as well as running cars for Elkhart and Detroit Jct Yard.

SV-2 / SV-1 Sterling to Lapeer and Return, leaving at 11:00 running M-W-F.

Detroit had two yards originating local trains.

Junction Yard was the larger of the two yards in terms of trains.

DM-1 / MD-2 Detroit to Monroe and return local, ran as needed with a departure time of 11:00.

SDX-1 - The continuation of SDX-1 from Sterling left Jct Yard at 00:01 daily except Monday (due to no Sunday evening version from Sterling, there was no morning version from Jct. This would have the traffic to be dropped off at North Yard and would pick up traffic at North Yard.

ST-3 - The return version of Sterling's ST-3. Left Jct at 12:00 and returned to Sterling at 16:00. Daily except Sunday

WR-11 Detroit to Willow Run, daily except Sunday departure of 23:30 with a set off at Wayne.

Lincoln Yard

LC2/LC-1 Departure of 17:00 Daily except Sunday to Carleton and Return . This ran down the Lincoln Secondary servicing all customers along this line.


The Michigan Division also had a significant number of locals and local origination locations.

Cadillac had three locals operating from town, but only on three days each week.

GR-12 operated Mondays to Grand Rapids, departing at 08:15.

GR-23 operated on Thursday to Mackinaw City, departing at 08:15

GR-25 / GR-26 was Cadillac to Traverse City and return on duty at 08:00 on Wednesday.

Grand Rapids had 4 local trains running from the yard.

GR-9 / GR-10 operated daily except Sunday running from GR to Plainwell with a departure of 11:30

GR-11 was the returning version of GR-11 running to Cadillac and leaving town at 08:00 on Tuesday.

GRM-2 / GRM-1 was the Grand Rapids to Muskegon and return which ran M-W-F and left at 11:00.

RJ-4 was Tuesday and Friday to Jackson on duty at 10:00

Jackson was the busiest Michigan Division yard in terms of local train originations by symbol.

AL-1 / AL-2 was Jackson to Centreville and Return on Saturdays leaving at 08:00. (Sadly, this line was down to 1 train per week local service)

JA-1 / AJ-2 Jackson to Ann Arbor daily except Sunday leaving Jackson at 09:30. (Does anyone know what customers they would have serviced in 1975? What I can think of would be Jiffy Mixes and Chelsea Grain Company in Chelsea. Possibly Still Dexter Mill in Dexter, which still has a track in place on the property. The Chrysler plant off Zeeb Rd east of Dexter and then the scrap yard and Ann Arbor interchange in Ann Arbor. I suspect the biggest rail user would have been the Chrysler plant at this time. Were there any other customers on the line between Jackson and Ann Arbor in 1975?

JL-3 / LJ -4 Jackson and Lansing and return, daily except Saturday, leaving Jackson at 21:00.

JR-3 The return to Grand Rapids version of RJ-4 which ran Monday and Thursday with a departure of 10:00

JK-1 Jackson to Kalamazoo - Wednesday and Sunday 10:15 departure. This route was also covered 3 days per week from Kalamazoo by NK-2.

JB-2 - The return to Bay City version of the daily Bay City to Jackson train. This left Jackson at 05:00 with a Bay City arrival of 14:30. Cars on this train were blocked for Saginaw and Bay City.

JD-2 was an as needed Jackson to Detroit Jct Yard train with traffic for 1. Ypsilanti 2. Willow Run. 3 Wayne 4. Detroit Jct Yard 5. Winsdor and Canada Locals, Niagara and Selkirk. This traffic would also run via two other trains CD-4 or ND-4 when JD-2 didn't operate.

Kalamazoo Had 3 locals operating from town.

KCT-1 Kalamazoo to Containtine and return operating at 10:00 Daily except Sunday.

KN-1 / NK-2 This local set operated east or west out of Kalamazoo depending on the day. M-W-F was west to Dowagiac and return, while T-Thu-Sat was east to Jackson and return. This train went on duty at 08:00 on days it operated.

GR-2 / GR-1 was Mendon and Return daily except Sunday, with a departure scheduled for 12:30

Lansing had a single local scheduled.

OWO-1 was Lansing to St. Charles and return daily except Sunday with a 09:00 departure time.

Mackinaw City had a single assigned local on the Michigan Division. Remember Mackinaw City also had a local on the Detroit Division as well.

GR-24 which ran Friday, leaving Mackinaw City at 08:15 and arriving in Cadillac at 19:15.

Niles had three locals

NBH-1 / BHN-2 a daily weekday local between Niles and Benton Harbor and return departing at 14:00.

NSB-1 / SBN-2 a daily except Sunday Niles to South Bend and return train departing at 16:00. This train would consist of local traffic and traffic being dropped in South Bend for NCT-2 to take to Elkhart.

NMC-1 / NMC-2 Niles to Michigan City and return daily except Sunday departing at 03:00.

Plainwell had a single local set running from town.

PBC-1 / BPC-2 was a daily except Sunday from Plainwell to Otsego and return departing at 10:00. On Wednesday they would also make a run to Byron Center as well.

Willow Run had a single local,

WR-11, which was the return version of WR-11 from Jct Yard to Willow Run, returning to Jct Yard and ran daily except Sunday. This train would carry a sigificant volume of different destinations. Traffic on WR-11 from Willow Run would be blocks 1. Multi-levels to Little Ferry 2. Multi-levels to DeWitt 3. Detroit Jct. This train would also pick up cars at Wayne per the train makeup.

Michigan also had one local on the Chicago Division from Elkhart

Elkhart had 1 Michigan bound local

SW/Run which ran Elkhart to Sturgis and return starting at 15:30 daily except Sunday. SW/Run appeared to be the do everything based from Elkhart to surrounding areas train.

Michigan was also home to several Toledo Division Trains

Adrain had two locals which ran.

ADR-1 went on duty at 09:00 and went to Morenci and return on M-W-F and Clayton and return on T-Th-F.

ADR-2 went to Clinton and Michigan Elevator (Ottawa Lake? ) daily except Sunday, going on duty at 15:00

Hillsdale had a pair of trains, one of which ironically used the same term as the train serving Strugis from Elkhart.

SW/Run ran from Hillsdale to Litchfield, N. Adams, Osseo , Horton and Reading and return. This train went on duty at 06:00 and ran daily except Sunday.

693/696 was Hillsdale to Sturgis and return and ran daily except Sunday departing at 10:00.

Air Line Yard in Toledo also had one local train into Michigan.

694/695 was the local running from Airline to Lenawee Jct and return with cars for the locals around Adrian. It was departing at 10:00 and ran daily except Sunday.

These appear to the the final locals of the Penn Central Transportation Company era in Michigan.

Michigan was also home to numerous through freights that either ran from or two Michigan or did work at a yard in Michigan.

Thr following through trains also ran in Michigan. Some originating and made multiple pickups and setouts in Michigan.

BD-3 Bedford to Detroit
DB-4 Detroit to Bedford
DC-1 Detroit to Elkhart
DC-6 Detroit to Stanley
DC-7 Jackson to Elkhart
BF-7 Jackson to Cincinnati (ran via Jct Yard and Toledo)
BM-7 Rotterdam Jct to Ealkhart (via Canada and Michigan Air Line)
CD-4 Chicago Blue Island to Detroit
CGR-2 Chicago Blue Island to Grand Rapids
CR-4 Elkhart to River Rouge
DE-7 Conway to Detroit
DE-8 Jackson to Enola
DJ-1 Detroit to Jackson
DSL-1 Detroit to Indianapolis
GRE-1 Grand Rapids to Elkhart
GRI-5 Grand Rapids to Elkhart
EGR-2 Elkhart to Grand Rapids
JE-1 Jackson to Elkhart
EJ-2 Elkhart to Jackson
JT-1 Jackson to Toledo
TJ-2 Toledo to Jackson
LJ-2 Lansing to Jackson
TL-2 Toledo to Lansing
FMA- Framington to Detroit (via Canada)
MC-2 Stanley to Detroit
MC-4 Detroit to Selkirk
MC-6 Cincinnati to Detroit
MC-8 Toledo to Detroit
ML-9 Little Ferry to Detroit (via Canada)
ML-12 Detroit to DeWitt
MLN-9 Detroit to Cincinnati (L&N)
ND-4 Elkhart to Detroit
RC-1 Detroit to Elkahrt
ST-12 Toledo to Sterling
TV-15 North Bergen to Detroit (via Canada)
TV-16 Kalamazoo to North Bergen (Via Canada)
TV-25 Baltimore to Detroit
TV-26 Detroit to Baltimore
TV-51 Detroit to Chicago
TV-52 Chicago to Detroit

To/ From DT&I

DC-8 Sharonville to Springfield Oh DT&I to Flat Rock
DC-9 Flat Rock to Springfield to PC to Sharonville
FB-3 Buffalo to DT&I at Galena St, Toledo, to Flat Rock
FB-4 Flat Rock DT&I to Galena St, Toledo to Buffalo-Frontier
FC-9 Conway to DT&I at Galena St, Toledo to Flat Rock
FC-10 Flat Rock, DT&I to Galena St Toledo to Conway

To / From GTW

GTI-5 Battle Creek (GTW) to Indianapolis
IGT-4 Indianapolis to Battle Creek (GTW)



PC was also operating the following unit trains in Michigan in 1975

Coal

UDM-1 (loaded) / UDM-2 (empty) to Detroit Edison - Monroe (suffix A-J applied)
UDO-1 (loaded) / UDO-2 (empty) to Dow Chemical - Midland Ran via AA from Toledo to Owosso (Ran PC/AA/PC/CO)
UDR-1 (loaded) / UDR-2 (empty) to Detroit Edison - River Rouge (suffix A-J applied) (PC/DT&I)
UDS-1 (loaded) / UDS-2 (empty to Detroit Edison - St Clair (PC/DTSL/GTW/PHD)
UPE-1 (loaded) / UPE-2 (empty) to Consumers Energy -Essexville (PC/AA/PC) (suffix A-B applied)
UT-1A (loaded) / UT1B (empty) to Detroit Edison - Trenton (suffix A-J or X applied)

The following trains may have also been Michigan Trains, but due to writing in schedule it is more diffiult to determine, so I am guessing.

UAG-1 Ashtebula to Great Lakes Steel
UAS-1 Ashtebula to Canda Coal (did this run vai Detroit?)
UD-201 Toledo Dock to Detroit Edison
UD-401 Toledo Dock to Inland Steel
UD-501 Toledo Dock to Great Lakes Steel
UD-601 Toledo Dock to Ford
UML-1 to Lansing BWL
USP-1 to Detroit Semet Solv


Unit Ore Trains
ZFD-1 to Dearborn - Ford
ZGE-1 to Ecorse - Great Lakes Steel
ZGE-2 to Ecorse - Great Lakes Steel


Empty Grain Trains -

JSA-1 - to Saginaw


This would appear to be the entire Penn Central Schedule in Michigan during the year leading up to the formation of Conrail.

[SD80MAC]

Fascinating stuff, thanks for the write up. I never knew there was a Blue Island-Grand Rapids train in addition to the Elkhart-Grand Rapids trains. I guess by 1975 the GR&I south of Kalamazoo wasn't really used as a through route anymore, ending the long standing pair of road freights between GR and Cincinnati.

[chapmaja]

Here is the earliest Penn Central Schedule I can find, 3-15-1969.

The following trains appear to have originated or terminated in Michigan.

BD-3 Bedford to Detroit
DB-4 Detroit to Bedford
BF-7 Detroit to Cincinnati
MC-6 Cincinnati to Detroit
MC-8 Toledo to Detroit
DC-1 Detroit to Elkhart
CD-4 Elkhart to Detroit
CR-4 Elkhart to Detroit
ND-4 Elkhart to Detroit
RC-1 Detroit to Elkhart
DC-6 Detroit to Toledo
MC-2 Toledo to Detroit
MC-4 Detroit to Selkirk
DE-8 Detroit to Pitcairn
DJ-1 Detroit to Jackson
FMA-9 Boston to Detroit
DSL-1 Detroit to Indianapolis
LS-5 Buffalo to Detroit
ML-9 Little Ferry to Detroit
ML-12 Detroit to Little Ferry


EK-2 Elkhart to Kalamazoo
KE-2 Kalamazoo to Elkhart

GR-6 Grand Rapids to Cincinnati
GR-7 Cincinnati to Grand Rapids
GR-19 Richmond to Grand Rapids
GR-20 Grand Rapids to Richmond
GRE-32 Grand Rapids to Elkhart
EGR-31 Elkhart to Grand Rapids

FC-9 Conway to "Detroit" (DT&I)
FC-10 Detroit (DT&I) to Conway

JB-1 Jackson to Bay City
BJ-4 Bay City to Jackson
JR-3 Jackson to Grand Rapids
RJ-4 Grand Rapids to Jackson
JT-1 Jackson to Toledo
TJ-2 Toledo to Jackson
JT-3 Jackson to Toledo
TL-2 Toledo to Lansing
LJ-2 Lansing to Jackson

M-209 Bay City to Mackinaw City
M-210 Mackinaw Caity to Bay City


This schedule does not listed the local trains in service .
MBM-1 Bay City to Midland
MMB-2 Midland to Bay City

ST-12 Toledo to Warren (Sterling)

[chapmaja]

One thing I find interesting is that Conrail's schedules, for major yards listed local service and yard / industrial jobs. The Penn Central schedules don't list the yard switching trains or yard based industrial trains. I'm sure in places like Detroit, Grand Rapids, ect there were trains servicing customers based out of the yard much like the railroads currently do, and I know there had to be yard transfers and yard switching crews working.

If I have time I will go through and try comparing the early to late PC trains and then the Conrail trains from early and late in Conrail's era of work in that state.

One thing I know impacted how the railroads operated was consilidation of the railroads. When Chessie and Seaboard System, and N&W and Southern merged it changed the fundemental performance of the railroads. Now instead of having an intermediate carrier, of a halfway trip (for example L&N to Penn Central in Cincinnato to Detroit) could not be run from the origin on the L&N all the way to Detroit on CSX to be handed off to Conrail for final delivery.

I know the DT&I was hurt by this, as they had multiple trains that used to connect via Cincinnati that were no longer needed as through trains after the mergers. This is why the ex-DT&I only sees one train each direction now south of Flat Rock, and that isn't even daily.

[SD80MAC]

The Norfolk Southern and CSX consolidations and mergers of the early 1980s really hurt the DT&I, as they lost nearly all of their friendly connections to the south. This was all right as the GTW had put in a lot of effort to acquire the DT&I, and it really wound up being a huge bust for the Trunk.

[Manistique]

Great stuff. One thing I heard and noticed was when CR was formed, they treated most of Michigan as a branch line with most trains just going up and down from Detroit to Toledo to the mainline there. Closing the Canada Southern (the government railroad wasn't about to put US dollars into a Canadian property) pretty much ended Michigan as a mainline from Chicago to New York as they ran a lot of trains on that route. It supposedly was a shorter and quicker route and avoided Toledo and Cleveland congestion.

[chapmaja]

Great stuff. One thing I heard and noticed was when CR was formed, they treated most of Michigan as a branch line with most trains just going up and down from Detroit to Toledo to the mainline there. Closing the Canada Southern (the government railroad wasn't about to put US dollars into a Canadian property) pretty much ended Michigan as a mainline from Chicago to New York as they ran a lot of trains on that route. It supposedly was a shorter and quicker route and avoided Toledo and Cleveland congestion.

I have to look through and see when the line across Canada was removed. I know it lasted into the Conrail years, but I don't recall when it was sold off.

Looking at the train symbols, I don't think there was a ton of through traffic on the line from Buffalo to Chicago by the late 1970's to early 1980's. I don't know how much of that was a downturn in traffic and how much was a desire to get traffic off the north side of the border.

I might try to look up a little more into those lines and trains when I get a chance, since my work today is cancelled due to the weather.

[chapmaja]

From what I can find, the Canada Division was removed from the Conrail Divisions Maps at some point between the Map published March 1985 and March 1987. This is interesting because the Michigan Air Line from Jackson to shows on the 1981 map, but has been removed except for a small section from Centreville to Three Rivers by the 1983 map. This means the routing through Canada to Jackson and Elkhart to Chicago was already changed by the time the Canadian trackage was old of in the mid-1980's.

One other thing I find interesting in all of this is the traffic to Michigan Elevator, which is the mapped location of the Elevator in Ottawa Lake.

This elevator was serviced by Penn Central out of Adrian rather than out of Toledo. Train ADR-2 which ran east of Adrian to work Clinton and Michigan Elevator daily except Sunday likely would have dropped interchange cars off for train 694/695 which was the Airline Yard based local that ran to Lenawee Jct.

In the earlier days of Penn Central ADR-2 also would have worked as far east as Ida on the Ida Branch. I do find it interesting that ADR-2 apparently went as far as Ottawa Lake, regularly and crossed paths with the trains working to Lenawee Jct. To me it would have made more sense to have the interchange handled between ADR-2 and 694/695 in Ottawa Lake rather than Lenawee Jct.

The line to Clinton would be removed from Conrail betwee then 1983 and 1985 maps as well.

[Steve B]

Through freights on the Canada Southern and on the Air Line were discontinued in 1979. Conrail informed the Canadian Transport Commission by early 1981 that it wanted to unload the CASO, and after much legal wrangling sold it in April 1985 to CN and CP.

Re the PC schedules, by 1975 I don't think Penn Central was going from Cheboygan to Mackinaw City usually more than once a week, to coincide with the ferry run.