Ford Railroad (Rouge)

[GP30M4216]

I've been going along scanning old prints lately and came across a few showing Ford Motor Company switchers at work around the Ford Rouge Plant. Here's one of them:

Ford SW1001 switching near Schaefer Tower

Without having the photo in front of me, I'm going to take a stab in the dark and estimate about 1992-1993. Don't recognize the location? This is taken from the entrance to Schaefer Tower on the west side of the property. I don't remember which gate number this is. The Ford EMD (ironic, no?) is switching out steel cars from the mill side of the complex.

The Ford Railroad existed at the Rouge from its founding by Henry Ford through at least the late 1990s. By the early 2000s, the Ford orange switchers disappeared in favor of RLCX rentals, and now I'm not sure what the plant switching fleet is. My question is, what did the final "Ford Fleet" comprise? I know there was at least one orange GE center cab kept on the property, but most of my memories growing up were of these SW1001s as seen here. When did Ford finally pull the plug on their own railroad and outsource to a loco leaser? For the record, I know in this era the Ford locomotives served not only the Ford side of the plant, but the Rouge Steel side as well, in addition to moves like this switching finished steel, they also pulled the coke loads into the plant at Miller and Dix.

I wish this photo showed more of the crossing protection equipment at this crossing. The cantilever arm portion you can see tells the story-this stuff was ancient and non-standard. All replaced now, I believe.

[wagnew0923]

They are still there at Dix St and Miller. Here is the googlemap link https://www.google.com/maps/@42.2963457,-83.1488906,16z

[ConrailDetr​oit]

I thought Ford now leased engines from CN to switch the plant. There is sometimes a CN or GTW engine tied at Schaefer Jct.

[MQT1223]

I've been going along scanning old prints lately and came across a few showing Ford Motor Company switchers at work around the Ford Rouge Plant. Here's one of them:

Ford Switcher Schaefer.jpg

Without having the photo in front of me, I'm going to take a stab in the dark and estimate about 1992-1993. Don't recognize the location? This is taken from the entrance to Schaefer Tower on the west side of the property. I don't remember which gate number this is. The Ford EMD (ironic, no?) is switching out steel cars from the mill side of the complex.

The Ford Railroad existed at the Rouge from its founding by Henry Ford through at least the late 1990s. By the early 2000s, the Ford orange switchers disappeared in favor of RLCX rentals, and now I'm not sure what the plant switching fleet is. My question is, what did the final "Ford Fleet" comprise? I know there was at least one orange GE center cab kept on the property, but most of my memories growing up were of these SW1001s as seen here. When did Ford finally pull the plug on their own railroad and outsource to a loco leaser? For the record, I know in this era the Ford locomotives served not only the Ford side of the plant, but the Rouge Steel side as well, in addition to moves like this switching finished steel, they also pulled the coke loads into the plant at Miller and Dix.

I wish this photo showed more of the crossing protection equipment at this crossing. The cantilever arm portion you can see tells the story-this stuff was ancient and non-standard. All replaced now, I believe.

An SW1001, quite a rare model with only 230 examples being built. Neat! Hopefully it gets transferred to the Weiser railroad or at least preserved when its days are done at the Rouge. Didn't Henry Ford rebuild "The Edison" at the Rouge plant in the 30's when he initially got it to make it look more stereotypical of a mid 1800's locomotive? The locomotive was originally an 1870's Manchester Locomotive Works product.

[wagnew0923]

I have seen that engine there at Sevestal/ford. the blue oval is gone but I think there is two there now and they are orange.

[MQT1223]

I have seen that engine there at Sevestal/ford. the blue oval is gone but I think there is two there now and they are orange.

Ford ordered ten from EMD. Do they still have all ten?

[MSchwiebert]

Prior to the SW1001's Ford had a small fleet of Alco switchers like this.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-f/ford6607dsa.jpg

[MQT1223]

Prior to the SW1001's Ford had a small fleet of Alco switchers like this.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-f/ford6607dsa.jpg

Those look sharp. I actually like the Ford Logos on them. I think it would be neat to see that in big black letters in Ford scripture across the side of the locomotive if they ever decided to do it.

[GP30M4216]

Ford's original diesels for the Rouge were 8 big GE centercabs, such as this one:



Inspired by auto styling, they featured custom stainless grilles on each end and other small design elements, in addition to the eye catching paint scheme.

One survives at a museum and has been painted into the scheme of the railroad Ford sold the fleet off to

http://lakeshorerailway.com/rolling-stock-of-lsrhs/

The steam switching locomotives these GE's replaced right before WWII were black with large "Ford" script on the tenders.

[MQT1223]

Ford's original diesels for the Rouge were 8 big GE centercabs, such as this one:



Inspired by auto styling, they featured custom stainless grilles on each end and other small design elements, in addition to the eye catching paint scheme.

One survives at a museum and has been painted into the scheme of the railroad Ford sold the fleet off to

http://lakeshorerailway.com/rolling-stock-of-lsrhs/

The steam switching locomotives these GE's replaced right before WWII were black with large "Ford" script on the tenders.

Wow those are some beastly GE's. The paint scheme that it wears now is very eye catching as well. It would be neat to see the Ford steamers. Also worth noting, the Lake Shore Railway Museum has the first Dash 8 diesel ever donated, a Norfolk Southern unit.

[TrainWatcher]

All the Rouge/AK Steel switchers are now Relco and the like chopped leasers. The Ford switchers have been gone for sometime.

[AJR]

Since I was a Ford security supervisor at the Rouge during the final years of the railroad, I can tell you that the last days for the Ford railroad was in 2002. In fact the track maintenance department was eliminated on March 31, 2002 and the railroads last day of operation was November 31, 2002.

[Mackinac Mac]

Nathan, here is the Ford Motor Company Big "GE" Roster:

The Ford Motor Company GE diesels were large brutes powered by Cooper Bessemer GN-6 engines and had a total horsepower rating of 1000HP. Interestingly those big Cooper Bessemer's were early relatives to the GE FDL prime movers used into today's large locomotives which trace their roots back to Cooper Bessemer.


The Roster listing here was furnished by Allen Copeland and the information is from Ray Grabowski, Jr., President, Lake Shore Railway Historical Society, via email dated November 7, 2010. I have made a few changes but am
giving credit where due in a world of copy and paste. All of the GEs were retired by Ford in the mid to late 1950s. The GEs were all sold to the same scrapper which sold all but one to the Wellsville Addison and Galeton Railroad.

Ford Motor Company Railroad (FRDX)

1000 built September 3rd 1937 125T
1001 built September 3rd 1937 125T
1002 built June 2nd 1939 132T
1003 built June 2nd 1939 132T
1004 built June 13th 1939 132T
1005 built March 9th 1940 132T
1006 built March 16th 1940 132T
1007 built March 29th 1940 132T

The 1000 became Wellsville Addison and Galeton 1200, 1001 became WAG 1300, 1002 became WAG 1800, 1003 became WAG 1400, 1004 became WAG 1600, 1005 remained with scrap dealer for 20 years. 1006 became WAG 1700 and is preserved at the Lake Shore Railway Historical museum in North East Pennsylvania and 1007 became WAG 1500. All units except the FRDX 1006 are scrapped.

Some of the last FRDX locomotives included:
FRDX 10016 SW1001 which became KXHR 171
FRDX 12001 NW2 (ex-UP 1035) is in Hereford Texas at a grain elevator
FRDX 12004 SW7 became MJRX 12004 in Hutchinson KS
FRDX 12005 SW9 disposition unknown
FRDX 12007 SW1200 (ex-SW9) came from the Montour Railroad and was later rebuilt into an SW1200.

I do not know where all the SW1001s went but when you spotted them switching Rouge steel around 2002 they were actually being leased by CANAC who was doing switching for Rouge Steel and Ford. They also had those old GTW GP9s for a while.

We still have one old Ford SW1001 in the area and it's Delray Connecting Railroad DC 64, ex-USS 64, ex FRDX 100??

Hope this helps make a foundation for a better record. Scan some of those pics and get the numbers! My buddy Rich who was an engineer at Rouge Steel said the centercab was called big red. It was all red and later got black hoods. It was number 301 with an A and B painted on opposite ends. There are still a few black centercabs and mysterious locos on the west side of the rouge complex and they are not visible from public property and I have no idea what they do.

[Mackinac Mac]

And to fill the historical gap, Ford purchased ALCO S series switchers
And EMD SWs between 1955 and the.. what is it 1968 order of SW1001s. I'd like to see a roster of that stuff and wonder what all made it to orange paint. Ford was an early railroad to apply safety colors of orange and yellow and they were really nice like old Reefer or Boxcar tones, not sharpie brand highlighter marker psychedelic yellow.

[GP30M4216]

Mackinac, thanks for filling in many missing details! The Ford Rouge "railroad" really went through several generations: the steam fleet, the burly GE centercabs, the throaty Alco S-fleet, and the EMD oranges, and now a rental fleet continues this plant switching tradition. I'm glad the Lake Shore group has done a good job preserving the 132-tonner even if it's not in Ford colors.

I have photos of two centercabs in the plant - both ca. 2000, near the area where the gas storage tank was just west of Miller and Dix. One is in Ford's orange and yellow, the other in Rouge Steel's red and black, but they're not the same unit. I don't think either had a road number, and one of the photos might be blurry. I'll have to poke around the great photo bin and see what I find.

Thanks all for your help on this. I have a few more SW1001 photos which I will scan and post soon.

[MQT1223]

Mackinac, thanks for filling in many missing details! The Ford Rouge "railroad" really went through several generations: the steam fleet, the burly GE centercabs, the throaty Alco S-fleet, and the EMD oranges, and now a rental fleet continues this plant switching tradition. I'm glad the Lake Shore group has done a good job preserving the 132-tonner even if it's not in Ford colors.

I have photos of two centercabs in the plant - both ca. 2000, near the area where the gas storage tank was just west of Miller and Dix. One is in Ford's orange and yellow, the other in Rouge Steel's red and black, but they're not the same unit. I don't think either had a road number, and one of the photos might be blurry. I'll have to poke around the great photo bin and see what I find.

Thanks all for your help on this. I have a few more SW1001 photos which I will scan and post soon.

That center cab GE is a 132-tonner? Wowser. Did GE make any center cab units any bigger then that?

[GP30M4216]

The big 125 and 132 tonner GE's weren't the only center cabs on the Rouge property. I have two photos of smaller GE centercabs from a much more recent era. Both photos show center cab units lettered for Rouge Steel parked on a spur track just south of the old coke battery site, near Miller and Dix. Much of the industrial landscape immediately behind these locomotives has since been demolished.

February 6, 1999

Shown in Ford orange and yellow, but with Rouge Steel logos on the side. I can't see a road number. The developing of this print may not have aged well, but unfortunately the negatives are back in Michigan - only 800 miles away!

Same as above, with editing

I did some photo editing work to try to make the centercab details stand out a bit more.

September 24, 2002

A few years later, in 2002, I found this centercab parked in the same location. Clearly, it's not the same unit, and also certainly appears to be out of service. The overall look of it matches Mackinac Mac's description of "Big Red," but clearly does not have the same road number.

Any insights or info on these old switchers would be appreciated!
In the meantime, I found the rest of my photos of Ford and later Rouge Steel switchers as well and will work to scan them and upload some of them here in the next few days.

[GP30M4216]

Here we go with some photos:

Switching Coke Cars

One of Ford's SW1001's switches out CSX coke hoppers in front of the furnace line at Rouge Steel in August 1991. You can't get this photo today. There are several new structures between Miller Road and the blast furnaces, and furnace A has been cold for several years.

10022 at Rougemere

SW1001 10022 is at Rougemere with a Ford crew in a classic Bronco in July 1992.

At Miller and Dix Ave.

A year later, one of the SW1001's shoves loaded coke hoppers into the plant across Miller Road at Dix Avenue. A classic Econoline waits at the crossbuck.

[GP30M4216]

As was previously mentioned, 2002 seems to be the transition year at the end of the Ford Railroad era. Canac was in service as an operator and leaser for switching power. As early as 1998, separate Rouge Steel switchers were also doing work, rebuilt low-roof SW's.

Rouge Steel CANAC SW 1519

Here's one of the first generation CANAC SW units. Ailing Rouge Steel's logo was on these locomotives.

Ford SW1001 12-05-2002

This is one of the last times I remember seeing a Ford lettered SW1001. This is 10016, switching coke hoppers at Rougemere. It's another shot you can't get anymore, the new powerhouse is along this side and these old parking lots are now storage for new F-150s.

Herzog lettered SW1001's before departure

Herzog rail contracting acquired at least some of the Ford SW1001 fleet. I just happened to catch 2 or 3 of them at Rougemere near the old engine house site at Eagle of HZGX 172 and 173. You'd never recognize them today, they've been completely rebuilt from the frame up as power vehicles for Herzog track trains. According to rrpicturearchives, HZGX 172 is the former Ford 10017.