The new Michigan Central – a Great Lakes regional railroad

[dmitzel]

Sort of tying into my earlier thread’s “what-if” scenario surrounding an all-rail connection between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas via the Straits of Mackinac, I hereby propose the following alternate history – a “paper” railroad (for now, that is).

We start off with the completion of the (alternate design) Mackinaw Bridge in the late ‘50s, having incorporated a rail crossing in the lower deck of the structure. The resulting uptick in traffic being routed via “the Mackinac gateway” between the NYC, PRR and the DSS&A necessitated significant upgrading of all three routes during the years leading up to the merger era. However, the lion’s share of the Lower Peninsula traffic went via the NYC Mackinaw Branch, as the PRR’s routing to the west was a less-favorable alternative to Chicago.

The South Shore was absorbed into the new SOO in 1960, and both NYC and PRR formed the ill-fated Penn Central in ’68. Traffic continued to climb during the intervening years, although the Oil Crisis and recession of the early ‘70s (and PC’s well-documented stumbles) caused tonnage losses and deferred maintenance on the Penn Central led to regular derailments and other service issues. However, despite all the problems the Mackinac gateway remained a favorable alternative to the interchange hairball known as the Chicago terminal.

However, the PC was pulled off of life support by the USRA with the formation of Conrail in 1976 – a new Class 1 rail carrier mandated to prune and rationalize the rail map in the territory served by its predecessor roads. Nevertheless, CR continued to operate to the Straits – interchanging with the Soo Line much as the NYC did ever since the old Michigan Central first reached Mackinaw City a century before – but the winds of changing economics were starting to blow.

While not a gale force wind yet, Conrail was less than pleased that the ICC was mandating maintenance of yet another Western gateway, and a low-trafficked, secondary one at that. Each time CR would approach the government with plans to eliminate the Mackinaw connection, the SOO, local shippers and state political interests would successfully petition to keep the route open and active. However, soon the former stakeholder would be less interested in maintaining the status quo, as the rail map west of the Straits (and Chicago) would be changed forever.

In 1985 the SOO was notified by the court that it was to be awarded the slimmed-down core of the Milwaukee Road, leaving this conservative Midwestern line with miles of duplicative mainline trackage. Not long after the SOO-Milwaukee system merger was consummated the Soo Line formed Lake States Transportation Division as a semi-autonomous regional railroad within a railroad. However, projected labor savings were not realized and soon the SOO was shopping Lake States on the investment market.

In 1987 a group of railroad visionaries led by Ed Burkhardt formed the new Wisconsin Central Ltd. to take over the former Lake States track. While all this change was occurring not much changed operationally over the Straits – with CR continuing to interchange as it always did with the SOO, but now the locomotives were in BN green but stenciled ‘WC’ under the cab windows. However, with the SOO no longer interested in maintaining the Mackinac gateway and dissolution of the ICC soon Conrail would get its wish.

A New Sheriff in town

Once the Surface Transportation Board was seated – with Stagger’s in full force – CR yet again petitioned the government to abandon all former PC trackage north of Grand Rapids, Lansing and Utica, Michigan. The (yet young) WC Ltd. and its stakeholders were in panic mode, with an important eastern connection at serious risk of being severed. However, the capable leadership team at WC had no intention of rolling over and dying and approached CR with a bid for the former NYC route from Mackinaw City south to the southernmost station of Yates. This was just outside yard limits for Conrail’s Sterling Secondary and Utica Industrial Track, with the WC planning for trackage rights into CR’s Sterling Yard.

Much like the SSAM, the Wisconsin Central took a page from its own short history and formed a new subsidiary – the (new) Michigan Central Railroad – to acquire and operate this ex-Conrail route. Additional cast-off second-hand power was purchased from the BN and CNW – both in the throes of their own mega-mergers – and along with pooled WC locomotives service commenced in the mid-1990s south of the Bridge under a single regional family banner. All would be well until a newly-privatized Canadian National would enter the scene.

Having been jilted by the Milwaukee trustee in the early ‘80s, a sore CN was determined to settle the score with CP-SOO and bring its vision of a Great Lakes “Iron Lariat” to fruition. Coveting the WC’s direct route from Chicago to the Twin Ports of Duluth-Superior, CN and a newly-reshuffled WC management team announced their pending merger. It was no secret that the CN had no interest in the Lower Peninsula’s Mackinaw routing, and abandonment rumors were running rampant. With all of Lower Michigan’s economic ills, the state could ill afford another gutting of the DOT’s rail map and – along with the usual business, labor and political interests – petitioned the STB to deny the CN’s merger proposal.

However, as these things tend to go a compromise was reached between all parties, facilitated by the STB and FRA. Much like the old DT&I and P&LE were kept out of Penn Central and Conrail, respectively, the WC’s Michigan Central subsidiary was spun-off by the CN as an independent carrier. In addition, the STB mandated that the CN WC Division divest itself of much of the old DSS&A route to the Twin Ports, thus allowing a newly independent Michigan Central access to a western gateway via BNSF, UP and Canadian Pacific. With connections to the south via Conrail Shared Assets joint-owners NS and CSX a viable bridge route around Chicago was re-established.

Today, the new MCRR continues to serve the same territory as its namesake, plus much of the old (but likewise upgraded) South Shore. Amtrak runs a daily 403(b) train over the mainline between Toledo, Ohio and Duluth-Superior, subsidized by the State of Michigan as an alternative to automobile travel into Michigan’s North Country. With trains 394-395’s varnish polishing the rails, along with many freights and Class I run-through traffic the independent Michigan Central Railroad appears to have a bright future in the new millennium.

Well, that’s likely enough for now. I’ll have more specifics to follow as I develop and firm up traffic sources, routings and the like. In the meantime, I hope this whets everyone’s whistle (pun intended).

[AARR]

I like your version better than reality Looking forward ot more details.