Michigan Northern Railway Company

Incorporated Mar. 18, 1976 to operate former GR&I (Penn Central) rails for the State of Michigan.

MIGN ran on the old GR&I mainline from Grand Rapids to Mackinaw City where they served the Chief Wawatam car ferry until it's demise.

Just north of Cadillac, at Walton Junction, they also ran the GR&I branch to Traverse City and also served the ex C&O (PM) line from Traverse

City to Grawn and Traverse City to Williamsburg. At Petoskey, they returned to C&O rails and serviced Charlevoix.

I'm not quite sure what role they played on the former Ann Arbor mainline but I think from Cadillac to Alma (east) and from Cadillac to Yuma (west)

where there is a large silica sand plant now serviced by the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay.

I loved the MIGN when it ran and was very saddened to hear Michigan broke their contract with them (to this day I still don't know why) .

Agreement was cancelled Oct. 1, 1984

(above info provided by USPatriot43)

 

Michigan Northern Railway History

This short history of the Michigan Northern Railway was put together around 1998 by Fred Paepke from an article in TRAINS magazine,

and some local news paper articles from the period.  used with permission

 

 

Baldwin RS12 212 

         

 

Baldwin RS12 213

         

        

 

RS12 215

         

         

 

Baldwin RF16 "Sharks" 1205 & 1216

               

 

Alco RS2 1501

     

          

            

 

Alco RS3 1553

              

 

Alco RS3 1554

   Cadillac, MI   11/19/77   photo ©C G Parsons

   Cadillac, MI   4/16/78   photo ©James Claflin

   Cadillac, MI   12/20/80   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   Cadillac, MI   6/26/82   photo ©James Claflin

 

Alco RS3 1601

   Cadillac, MI   10/17/77   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   

 

Alco RS3 1617

 

Alco RS3 2037

   Cadillac, MI   5/78   photo ©Harry J Bailey

   Cadillac, MI   6/23/78   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   Cadillac, MI   5/79   photo ©Andre Menard

   Cadillac, MI   5/15/79   photo ©Charley's Slides

 

EMD GP7 1601

   Mackinaw City, MI   4/16/79   photo ©J M Seidel

   Cadillac, MI   10/24/81   photo ©Bob Graham

   Mackinaw City, MI   9/83   photographer not noted

   Cadillac, MI   5/1/82   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   Paw Paw, MI

 

EMD GP7 1602

   Cadillac, MI   7/4/79   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   Cadillac, MI   5/1/82   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

 

EMD GP7 1603

   Cadillac, MI   5/1/82   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   Cadillac, MI   10/17/82   photo ©Paul Hunnell

   Riverdale, IL   2/11/89   photo ©Paul Hunnell

 

EMD GP7 1604

   5/1982   location, photographer not noted

   10/4/84   location, photographer not noted

   4/88   location, photographer not noted

   location, date, photographer not noted

 

EMD GP7 1605

   Alma, MI   2/7/82   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   10/4/84   location, photographer not noted

 

EMD GP7 1606

   Cadillac, MI   5/1/82   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   Cadillac, MI   9/26/84   photo ©George Horna

   Pellston, MI   6/29/85   photo ©Larry Zimmerman

   location, date, photographer not noted

   Brewster, OH   undated photo ©CHASE

 

EMD GP7 1607  

   Alma, MI   4/28/84   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   location, date, photographer not noted

 

EMD GP7 1608

   10/4/84   location, photographer not noted

   Pellston, MI   4/9/87   photographer not noted

   date & location not noted   photo© Vincent Porreca

 

   5/89    photo ©Fritz Milhaupt

   Owosso, MI   5/11/89   photo ©Ted Ellis

   Laramie, WY   6/17/90   photo ©Vincent J Porreca

 

EMD GP7 1505

      Rockford MI   7/22/79   photo ©David MonteVerde

 

EMD GP7 539

   Cadillac MI   8/80   photo ©John Greene

   

 

Leased Units

   GP7 4552

   GP9 5800   Cumberland, MD   4/6/85   photo ©John Greene

   GP9 6151   Riverdale, IL   8/21/78   photo ©

   Alco S41519   (Indiana Hi Rail 119)   5/4/07   French Lick, IN

 

EMD E8B 671 Steam Generator Car

   Cadillac, MI   2/26/84   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

   Union, IL   9/91   IRM

   Union, IL   5/23/03   IRM

   Wisconsin Southern RR rebuild line   Horicon, WI   5/6/07   photo ©Davie E. Hearn

 

   Boxcar 100002   Cadillac, MI   9/16/84   photo ©Dennis Schmidt

     Boxcars 757 & 760   Grand Rapids, MI   7/83   photo ©Fritz Milhaupt

 

      Timetable   June 11th, 1983

      Timetable   July 1-11, 1983

      Timetable   July 16, 1985

 

Michigan Northern Roster

 

 

Links

Michigan Northern Photos at Railfan Junction

Michigan Northern Photos at Great Lakes & Seaway Shipping Online

Michigan Northern Alcos

The Baldwin Diesel Zone - Michigan Northern

Michigan Northern Photos at Fallen Flags Railroad Photos

 

Reference

Diesel Era J/A 92 Baldwin’s Light Road Switcher - the RS12 Warren Calloway

Extra 2200 Issues:64,72,75,77,80,82,84,85,93,113

Trains August 1978 "Sharks survive -once again" James W. Thomas

Trains October 1978 "Michigan Metamorphosis" Ron Cady

 

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11/31/09