Lake State Railway

[matt76]

I wanted to make a trip to railfan the Lake State Railway sometime in the next few weeks and wanted to ask for any advice on best spots for photos, busiest locations etc... Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[GP30M4216]

It’s well over 200 miles from their southern extent at Wixom (metro Detroit) to the northern limits at Alpena and Gaylord. The railroading also looks extremely different whether you are south of Saginaw or up in the North Woods. What geographic area are you considering? That’ll help us chime in with some helpful, relevant suggestions

[matt76]

I'd like to go north of Saginaw and to the north. I've been to Grand Blanc and to the south of that before but never north of there.

[AARR]

There is usually activity during the day in Alpena or Grayling

[GTW6401]

Be careful driving in Bay City.

The Liberty bridge is charging tolls now. No toll booths.

It's 5.50 per car - bills are mailed out later.

Independence bridge has construction and will also charge tolls soon.

Lafayette (M13/84) is closing for a three year rebuild in May.

Veterans Memorial (M25) is going to very busy. I've heard traffic is tough crossing that one.

[Saturnalia]

The Liberty bridge is charging tolls now. No toll booths.

It's 5.50 per car - bills are mailed out later.

$5.50 to cross the Saginaw River? Yikes. Mackinac Bridge is still just $4.00!

Meanwhile, the Chicago Skyway is a whopping $7.20 now for a car - to cross what is essentially just the Calumet River. No discount for Ipass/EZpass. No thanks, I'll brave the Borman.

[GTW6401]

5.50 is for non residents.

Free until 2028 for residents with a transponder, 2.00 for non residents.

[GP30M4216]

It’s been quite some time since I’ve railfanned any part of the LSRC (other than a brief stint at Holly), but I’ll share what I know about locations. You may need to do a little legwork on train operating times. The Lake State wiki page on this site lists all of the symbols and customers across all subdivisions of the railroad.

As you know, Saginaw yard is a major base of operations for the railroad. Not a train, but nice always wanted to get a photo of the restored wig wag signal at the LSRC former freight house building at the North Washington crossing at the west end of the yard. The line along the east side of the Saginaw River heading north includes a neat bridge over Cheboyganing Creek north of Zilwaukee still has lettering on the side advertising operations of “Pere Marquette” and “Chesapeake & Ohio,” along River Road. In Bay city, the route passes through quaint residential neighborhoods and industrial areas on the east side. There’s a near rural-feeling diamond at Foss, near North Water Street at Atlantic Street, that leads to the former D&M bridge over the Saginaw River.

Going north from Bay City, the LSRC uses the former NYC heading north from Wenona Yard until the Huron Subdivision splits to the east near Pinconning, heading for Alpena. There is a neat former D&M stone depot on the Huron Sub at Harrisville that would make a good photo opt. As was said previously, there is a weekday day crew on in Alpena with some interesting photo opts including street running along 10th Street and the bridge over Thunder Bay River. I think the road train runs mostly at night on the Huron Sub.

On the Mackinac Subdivision, the former MC stone depot at Standish is a photo opt I definitely want to get some day. It was built around 1890 and designed by MC’s preferred depot architects. A LSRC day job works the Grayling industrial zone south of town near 4 Mile Road weekdays and runs twice a week up to Gaylord. There is a nice former depot in Grayling right along the tracks and some opportunities for lakeside photographs north of Grayling along Otsego Lake.

Others may be able to suggest other places, but I hope this is a helpful start!

[RoyalKingoftheRails]

Good location for Lake State Railway from my experience is Flint. If you park at Court Street, you'll be near the Kearsley Diamond which offers some good CN action as well. There is a daily Lake State local that transfers on to the CN Flint sub to work Bristol yard. They tend to head west in the morning and come back east in the late morning/early afternoon. Lake State Railway also runs two Z127 trains on the Lake State Railway Saginaw sub. If you catch the northbound, then they will return south within a few hours. Definitely a good location for some good Lake state action.