Code lines along Marquette Rail.

[PM1946]

I’m curious about the remnants of poles that once supported code lines along what is now Marquette Rail from Comstock Park northward. I’m assuming that they probably date back to the days of Pere Marquette Railway. What were they used for? Communications perhaps. I don’t think the line was ever signaled. There’s a solitary pole with a single cross-arm where the right of way crosses West River Drive near Mill Creek Avenue. Another similar pole stands just north of the crossing at Six Mile Road. Traveling northward toward Sparta, I’ve noticed that the poles are more plentiful and still support wire. These still can’t be in use, can they? I’m not sure if this is relevant, but going south into Grand Rapids where the line becomes CSX, there is one remaining pole with three cross-arms (and no wire) at Seward and Third Street. A big thanks to anyone who can shed any light on this.

[Saturnalia]

The one on CSX you mentioned...I think it might have, until recently, supported something else as well. For whatever reason, it wasn't taken down with the rest.

MQT tracks north of GR to Baldwin never had signals (except maybe a couple interlockers like Mill Creek?). I presume they were telegraph/telephone wires for the RR to communicate.

There are several poles north of 7 mile still in the air...

[CAT345C]

The ludington sub (Ludington-Saginaw) was all CTC at one point until CSX tore out Baldwin to the East. A lot of code line is still standing, but its now over grown with vines and spruce trees.

Heres a shot I got last spring during the winter thaw of whats left of the code line.
Jointed Rail and Code Line by Trackmen, on Flickr

[J T]

Lots of code line poles "up north," too:

[GP30M4216]

I've attached a few photos to help illustrate my points.

The first photo is at Baldain, Summer 1990. My parents and my brother and I were checking out what would become our future lake cottage south of town. My dad took a couple shots around Baldwin and of the trestle in White Cloud. This view clearly illustrates the CTC signals (turned) and the code line paralleling the track. From photos I've seen, the CTC was carried on 1 or 2 crossarms on the Ludington Subdivision until the line was severed. My understanding was that the line was removed from Midland going west.

Baldwin Coal Tower 1990 looking east

Remaining code line is still in service on the Baldwin Subdivision and tracks going to Ludington and Manistee where active crossing protection has been in service since Chessie System days. Examples include 76th Street south of Baldwin (Big Star Lake Rd.) or Walhalla Road. State Road in Grant used to have active code line, but I think this crossing was recently upgraded and the code line has been removed. I assume the crossing protection circuitry is carried on poles which once carried telegraph lines, as the line from Grand Rapids up to Baldwin was never signalled.

See the line pole on the left?

Wingleton Road

The pole visible on the left in CAT345C's photo once held a Hemingray 45 glass insulator. The day after the bottom last photo was taken, back in 1999, the insulator was liberated and is carefully preserved. It looks like the pole line has grown up quite a bit in those 15 years, but it's nice to see the pole is still there!

[James Sofonia]

This one is located near Holiday Rd. in Traverse City on the GLC. I've driven past it for 37 years, then just a couple years ago someone pulled it over at the angle you see and took all the glass insulators. But amazing it still stands (sort of)

[CAT345C]

76th got new gates and lights this summer code line poles fell with the old flashers.

[CAT345C]

Here is a shot from the west end of Walhalla from back when this was Marquette. Some of the crossings still use the code line poles to carry the circuitry. Not sure what that relay cabinet was for. As you can see the west end of the sidings in Walhalla have a bend to go around a mast signal. A wreck the CSX had back in the late 1990s took out the west end of Baldwin and panel track was relaid which caused them to straighten it from what I can tell.
3001 at Walhalla by Trackmen, on Flickr