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First on CSX, the West Detroit Branch job was finishing up at Coca-Cola and ready to head back to Oak Yard with 4 gondolas and 2 tankers.

CSX 2686 - Coca Cola by tcamp7837, on Flickr


Photograhed them at Linsdale St, Livernois, Oakman and various "rural" crossings in the hood.

CSX 2686 - Linsdale St by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX 2686 - Livernois Ave by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX 2686 - West Detroit Branch by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX 2686 - Westfield St by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX 2686 - Oakman Blvd by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX West Detroit Branch Local by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX 2686 - Manor St by tcamp7837, on Flickr

At Fullerton Jct there is a old NYC Boxcar rusting away on the Conrail side that's worth a picture.

NYC Boxcar - Detroit, MI by tcamp7837, on Flickr

The local stopped at the Stop Sign for the Jct then proceeded with nothing running on Conrail's Terminal West at the time.

CSX 2686 - Fullerton Jct by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX 2686 - I-96 by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX 2686 - Greenfield Rd by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX 2686 - West Detroit Branch by tcamp7837, on Flickr

CSX 2686 - Southfield Frwy by tcamp7837, on Flickr

Next In Dearborn, Conrail LV-4 comes around the Michigan Ave Connection returning to Livernois with 25 cars of steel coil cars and gondolas. They had to wait for Amtrak 350 to get by CP Lou first.

Conrail LV-4 - Michigan Ave by tcamp7837, on Flickr

At Severstal, GMTX 151 switches coil cars around.

GMTX 151 - Severstal Steel by tcamp7837, on Flickr

On the Junction Yard Secondary, NS 39E comes south with CP & NS Engines.

NS 39E - Rouge River by tcamp7837, on Flickr

Lastly, K385 with CP Leaders waits to enter Rougemere with Coke loads.

CSX K385 - Dearborn, MI by tcamp7837, on Flickr

Nicely done, miline. Thanks for posting.

From what I hear CSX's West Detroit Branch runs 2x per week. During the 1990's I followed this branch almost daily. They handled more commodities back then. Brick, chemicals, lumber, paper, coil steel, an occasional box car load of sand and transformer on depressed flat car.

I remember the stop sign junction, very neat spot. (Other then being "in the hood" )

I've been highly enjoying these reports, milineamtrak!

Where is the West Detroit Branch?

59caddy wrote:Where is the West Detroit Branch?

Begins at Oak Yard where I96 and Southfield Expressway intersect. Ends about 3-5 miles to the east into Detroit. Last time I checked it ended at the TyssenKrupp plant which is just past the Coke plant. I'm not sure of the total distance.

They still run twice a week, Tuesday and Friday.

The Junction Yard Running track. Changed a few years back. Hard habit to break . Nice report.

The Junction Yard Running track. Changed a few years back.

Also known as the Dearborn Branch in a previous life.

My god, are trains still running on the West Detroit branch? I lived on So Clarendon, one block north of Linsdale, for a few years, back in the late 40s. We used to play along the railroad tracks back in the day. Me and another kid chased a steam switcher on our bikes, from the Linsdale crossing, across Livernois and out to Fullerton one summer day. That used to be a heavy industry area, with Holly Carborator at Linsdale and Epworth, and the H.J.Heinz plant at Joy rd and Livernois. Ditzler paint was down around Warren, and the Detroit Edison yard was at Warren and Livernois. Also, the Kelvinator plant and American motors were down along Plymouth rd, I think. I think that used to be the old Detroit Union Belt, and it connected to Rougemere on the south end. There was a lot of heavy industry in that area back in the 40s and 50s.

I don't remember the former NYC Jct Yard Branch ever referred to as the Dearborn Branch. What time period was that? When I worked Schaefer Tower in 1966 it was a double track line later reduced to a single track & then later called the Jct Yard Secondary. My memory isn't what it use to be I just can't remember it ever called the Dearborn Branch. I do know that the former DT&I line from Flat Rock to the Ford Rouge Plant was called the Dearborn Branch

My reference was for the NS 39 E photo. The others above that are the CSX Dearborn Branch.

Great documentation of the CSX job on the west Detroit branch. Yes, I believe the end of the line is on top of I94 next to ThyssenKrupp NA although I think that's just a run around at that location. You don't see much from this industrial area of the city so thanks for sharing.

I'm glad to see the jade green and logo on the NYC boxcar at Fullerton JCt is still clearly visible. I think upon further research I determined the boxcar beside the NYC car is actually a B&O boxcar.

Anyone know if that double door NYC box is still there? Does it have trucks?

It looks to be sitting too low to have trucks. It, and the car behind it are lined up with the door on the building, and they were probably used as extra storage space. The NYC car and the one behind it are too close together to be on tracks.