Former CR Clinton Branch Industries.

[railroads2000]

Hello,

Can anyone tell me what industries were located along the Clinton Branch, that was serviced by the Penn Central & Conrail, during the time period between, 1970 to 1982. I know of at least one customer, the former Budd Company Plant in Clinton. I'm looking for as much info as I can get, to use towards designing a freelanced version of the branch in HO scale. I have seen some CR track charts of the branch, but they don't show any spurs or passing sidings. Any info would be of great help. Thanks.

James Barnes, Jr.
Taylor, Michigan

[Clay320]

In Clinton proper there was a freight house for team track type cargo, as well as Hardwoods Lumber which got some traffic occasionally. There was a gain elevator as well at one point. Clinton had a house track for the freight house, as passing siding, and a spur for Hardwoods and the elevator. Most of that is still in place.

South of town was the Budd Company. Next was a fertilizer plant at Staib Road. The switch is still in place, but the siding is about 7 feet long!

After that the next Industry was the Tecumseh Team Track and freight house. This was located Just north of Logan Street on the west side of Evans. There was a passing siding and house track as well as at least two stub sidings for team track use. Additionally the empty lot north of Logan and east of evens had a lumber yard with a siding at one point.

South of down town had Tecumseh Products which made use of two yard tracks and to stub tracks going into the facility. At one point a factory on the west side of Evens had a siding as well.

Next is the chemical plant at Sutton Road, the switch is still in place south of Sutton but the track is removed at the property line.

Just north of Chase Road there was a passing siding. While its hard to tell this location is at the top of one of the hardest grades on the line. Immediately south of Chase is steep downgrade through an S-curve, and north is down into the valley towards the river, pain in the ass spot on a wet fall day! I'm told there used to be a spur for a quarry at Chase too, but I've never been able to find where it was.

Next was the dimaond with the Wabash, no interchange. And finally was Lenawee Junction which is mostly intact minus the depot and the Monroe Branch.

[Macowiec]

Let's see, starting from the north end, considering the 70s and later....

In Clinton, there was:

Atlas elevator and feed mill
Clinton Grain, which was located in the old freight house and received fertilizer
The Clinton Engines factory had loading docks on the passing siding, but I'm not sure when they quit using rail
Tri-County Logging received logs in gondolas
Pallox received flatcars of lumber for for pallet building
Budd Disc & Brake had outbound autoparts

Between Clinton and Tecumseh:

Smith-Douglas Fertilizer at Staib Road (received fertilizer in boxcars and tank cars)

Tecumseh:

Team track--received farm equipment on flatcars for the Whelan Company (John Deere dealer)
R.S. Moore & Sons Lumber Co.--lumber inbound
Hayden Mill--feed and coal received
Atlas II (built after Hayden Mill burned down)--*once* received a boxcar (40' blue ROCK!)
The track by the depot was also used as a team track, and a bee supply company in the Irish Hills received an occasional boxcar
Tecumseh Corrugated Box Company--had a siding, but was out of use by mid-70s
Tecumseh Products Company--received inbound lubricating oil occasionally into the Conrail era. Outbound shipments were sometimes handled until the mid 70s.

South of Tecumseh:

Stauffer Chemical Company--had a siding and one could occasionally see a tank car inside the plant until the mid 70s.
From Stauffer south to Lenawee Jct. there was no online industry.