Hilsdale branch, ypsi to Pittsfield junction

[YpsiAmtrakBoy]

Untitled by YpsiAmtrakBoy, on Flickr

Here is a picture of a picture... I didn't want to buy i for $10. Anyway it's the old peninsular paper co with 3 spurs

[conrailman75]

The North Adams Branch, as Penn Central called it, was listed in their ETT's all the way to the end of PC in 1976, its safe to say that it never saw any use under Conrail, but the only Conrail Northern Region ETT I have(from the Todd Miller estate) is from 1980 and that line is not listed in it, so it had to be abandoned and ripped up sometime during that four year period.

[AARR]

Crown Vantage operated that plant until it closed around late 1990's IIRC. It received rail service up until the end usually getting a car or three a week of wood pulp.

[Buster Manning]

As everything east of Quincy was not included in the Conrail start-up, you are correct that they never operated the North Adams branch.

As for the Hillsdale County operating it, I never saw anything on this line other than some cars being stored out beside the airport and a couple of cars spotted at the industries on the east side of Hillsdale on this branch. Most of what was left was abandoned in the late seventies-early eighties except for the trackage that was in the city limits. The last of the line was pulled up in the nineties after the city and the state wanted to do the crossing eliminations and none of the industries wanted rail service that were located on it.

[AARR]

There was (maybe still is) a large stamping plant in North Adams that the line was left in for. Buster answered my question, though, as it appears the did not receive rail service so perhaps the line was left in hoping the might resume.

[YpsiAmtrakBoy]

just decided to piggy back another question on this therad, when was Ypsi Yard in depot town taken up? the 3rd track is the only true yard track left in the yard.

also can anyone tell me about the tracks that were behind the ypsilanti freight house?

thanks! im working on learning more of ypsilantis Railroad history

[ns8401]

Early 1980's, the third track was one of two balloon tracks that Were there. Three others were right next to the building where they unloaded box cars. The two tracks going back where the caboose is we're taken up about the same time. The switch to the ladder company and motor wheel went in the 80's or early 90's as well. When I was coming down there in 1995 all that was left was the two tracks and the ford spur.

[TrainWatcher]

Early 1980's, the third track was one of two balloon tracks that Were there. Three others were right next to the building where they unloaded box cars. The two tracks going back where the caboose is we're taken up about the same time. The switch to the ladder company and motor wheel went in the 80's or early 90's as well. When I was coming down there in 1995 all that was left was the two tracks and the ford spur.

Wasn't the Ford spur though laid on what was originally the Ypsi-Ann Interurban trackage down Lincoln Street?

[YpsiAmtrakBoy]

No, the ypsi Ann never went down Lincoln street, no reason to... But maybe a little but might have been reused towards Michigan ave, that was right where the car barn was IIRC

[TrainWatcher]

No, the ypsi Ann never went down Lincoln street, no reason to... But maybe a little but might have been reused towards Michigan ave, that was right where the car barn was IIRC

Yea, the Car Barn and powerhouse were located across the street. I swear in "When Eastern Michigan Rode the Rails Book 3" it showed in the Ypsi-Ann Trackage map that it went up Lincoln Street and met the MC/NYC there and then continued to JXN.

[YpsiAmtrakBoy]

Ypsi Ann never went to Jackson... As far as they went was Detroit and Ann Arbor. I mean you could be correct James, but it is the Ypsi-Ann.. Never heard of ypsi- jack

[ns8401]

Ypsi Ann never went to Jackson... As far as they went was Detroit and Ann Arbor. I mean you could be correct James, but it is the Ypsi-Ann.. Never heard of ypsi- jack

You could get to the west side of the state via the interurban network so yes it went beyond Ann Arbor but to go that way it went up towards cross street (Packard Rd to get to Ann Arbor) not toward the MC. Seems like there were some car barns somewhere In the area though.

[Standard Railfan]

There is a tool in Google Earth that allows you to overlay an image like a 1916 topo map onto the "earth". Go to "Add" on the menu and click on image overlay.

You can adjust the opacity of the imported image so you can see either the old, the new, or a blend of the two. There are two tricks. One, you have to set the zoom to match the topo map's scale. Two, you have to find some landmarks that are on both the modern photo image and the old map. Pick things that don't go away, like railroad diamonds and bridges. Oh wait, now I see the problem.

Seriously, if you are patient, you can get a really good overlay. I have done this a couple of times installing century old topos onto the modern maps of Marquette, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo. Try it, you will like it.

If you don't know, the University of Texas has a collection of century old topos for some Michigan locales.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/michigan/

Happy Mapping!

[bctrainfan]

Thanks for the map link, Standard, already learned a few new things!