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I wanted to make a trip to railfan the Lake State Railway sometime in the next few weeks and wanted to ask for any advice on best spots for photos, busiest locations etc... Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

It’s well over 200 miles from their southern extent at Wixom (metro Detroit) to the northern limits at Alpena and Gaylord. The railroading also looks extremely different whether you are south of Saginaw or up in the North Woods. What geographic area are you considering? That’ll help us chime in with some helpful, relevant suggestions

I'd like to go north of Saginaw and to the north. I've been to Grand Blanc and to the south of that before but never north of there.

There is usually activity during the day in Alpena or Grayling

Be careful driving in Bay City.

The Liberty bridge is charging tolls now. No toll booths.

It's 5.50 per car - bills are mailed out later.

Independence bridge has construction and will also charge tolls soon.

Lafayette (M13/84) is closing for a three year rebuild in May.

Veterans Memorial (M25) is going to very busy. I've heard traffic is tough crossing that one.

GTW6401 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 19, 2024 8:46 pm

The Liberty bridge is charging tolls now. No toll booths.

It's 5.50 per car - bills are mailed out later.

$5.50 to cross the Saginaw River? Yikes. Mackinac Bridge is still just $4.00!

Meanwhile, the Chicago Skyway is a whopping $7.20 now for a car - to cross what is essentially just the Calumet River. No discount for Ipass/EZpass. No thanks, I'll brave the Borman.

5.50 is for non residents.

Free until 2028 for residents with a transponder, 2.00 for non residents.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve railfanned any part of the LSRC (other than a brief stint at Holly), but I’ll share what I know about locations. You may need to do a little legwork on train operating times. The Lake State wiki page on this site lists all of the symbols and customers across all subdivisions of the railroad.

As you know, Saginaw yard is a major base of operations for the railroad. Not a train, but nice always wanted to get a photo of the restored wig wag signal at the LSRC former freight house building at the North Washington crossing at the west end of the yard. The line along the east side of the Saginaw River heading north includes a neat bridge over Cheboyganing Creek north of Zilwaukee still has lettering on the side advertising operations of “Pere Marquette” and “Chesapeake & Ohio,” along River Road. In Bay city, the route passes through quaint residential neighborhoods and industrial areas on the east side. There’s a near rural-feeling diamond at Foss, near North Water Street at Atlantic Street, that leads to the former D&M bridge over the Saginaw River.

Going north from Bay City, the LSRC uses the former NYC heading north from Wenona Yard until the Huron Subdivision splits to the east near Pinconning, heading for Alpena. There is a neat former D&M stone depot on the Huron Sub at Harrisville that would make a good photo opt. As was said previously, there is a weekday day crew on in Alpena with some interesting photo opts including street running along 10th Street and the bridge over Thunder Bay River. I think the road train runs mostly at night on the Huron Sub.

On the Mackinac Subdivision, the former MC stone depot at Standish is a photo opt I definitely want to get some day. It was built around 1890 and designed by MC’s preferred depot architects. A LSRC day job works the Grayling industrial zone south of town near 4 Mile Road weekdays and runs twice a week up to Gaylord. There is a nice former depot in Grayling right along the tracks and some opportunities for lakeside photographs north of Grayling along Otsego Lake.

Others may be able to suggest other places, but I hope this is a helpful start!

Good location for Lake State Railway from my experience is Flint. If you park at Court Street, you'll be near the Kearsley Diamond which offers some good CN action as well. There is a daily Lake State local that transfers on to the CN Flint sub to work Bristol yard. They tend to head west in the morning and come back east in the late morning/early afternoon. Lake State Railway also runs two Z127 trains on the Lake State Railway Saginaw sub. If you catch the northbound, then they will return south within a few hours. Definitely a good location for some good Lake state action.

LSRC gets really cool north of flint, Saginaw, and Bay City. The road train alpena on the Huron sub runs south between 4 and 6 pm. During the summer months you can chase it in daylight until at least oscoda. The track speed is 10 mph so it makes an easy chase. The road train out of Bay City usually leaves between 3 and 5 pm and is a daylight run up until National City.

The Mackinac sub has seen tremendous growth as well. There's a job out of Pinconning that heads to grayling between 4 and 5. This is an interesting run as it can run with the brand new SD70Ms. Everything else north of Grayling is nocturnal. I've also heard rumors that they will be putting a new auto rack yard in place from a buddy who lives in the region.

These are both easy trains to chase. I prefer doing LSRC when I go north because I being the rural parts. Don't really feel comfortable in Flint or Saginaw tbh. That's just my personal reference tho

LSRC gets really cool north of flint, Saginaw, and Bay City. The road train alpena on the Huron sub runs south between 4 and 6 pm. During the summer months you can chase it in daylight until at least oscoda. The track speed is 10 mph so it makes an easy chase. The road train out of Bay City usually leaves between 3 and 5 pm and is a daylight run up until National City.

The Mackinac sub has seen tremendous growth as well. There's a job out of Pinconning that heads to grayling between 4 and 5. This is an interesting run as it can run with the brand new SD70Ms. Everything else north of Grayling is nocturnal. I've also heard rumors that they will be putting a new auto rack yard in place from a buddy who lives in the region.

These are both easy trains to chase. I prefer doing LSRC when I go north because I being the rural parts. Don't really feel comfortable in Flint or Saginaw tbh. That's just my personal reference tho

Track speed on the Huron Sub is up on some segments

CSXBOY wrote: ↑

Sat May 04, 2024 3:27 pm

The track speed is 10 mph so it makes an easy chase.

RoyalKingoftheRails wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 25, 2024 6:54 pm

Good location for Lake State Railway from my experience is Flint. If you park at Court Street, you'll be near the Kearsley Diamond which offers some good CN action as well. There is a daily Lake State local that transfers on to the CN Flint sub to work Bristol yard. They tend to head west in the morning and come back east in the late morning/early afternoon. Lake State Railway also runs two Z127 trains on the Lake State Railway Saginaw sub. If you catch the northbound, then they will return south within a few hours. Definitely a good location for some good Lake state action.

Be careful around Kearsley. Be aware of your surroundings and who is watching you. It's not as bad as some other places in Detroit or Chicago, but the border of Flint and Burton near Dort Hwy is not the best place to be.

MQT1223 wrote: ↑

Sun May 05, 2024 3:42 pm

RoyalKingoftheRails wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 25, 2024 6:54 pm

Good location for Lake State Railway from my experience is Flint. If you park at Court Street, you'll be near the Kearsley Diamond which offers some good CN action as well. There is a daily Lake State local that transfers on to the CN Flint sub to work Bristol yard. They tend to head west in the morning and come back east in the late morning/early afternoon. Lake State Railway also runs two Z127 trains on the Lake State Railway Saginaw sub. If you catch the northbound, then they will return south within a few hours. Definitely a good location for some good Lake state action.

Be careful around Kearsley. Be aware of your surroundings and who is watching you. It's not as bad as some other places in Detroit or Chicago, but the border of Flint and Burton near Dort Hwy is not the best place to be.

Lots of reported and witnessed gun shots north of Atherton Rd, east of the tracks in 2022-2023. In Michigan, residents age 21 and up may carry a concealed pistol after obtaining a permit, with restrictions.

Dort Highway in Flint is closed near I-69 to replace the culvert, so that's not as accessible now.

The Eastside of Flint has been getting worse, especially over the last ten years. That said not all of Genesee County is bad. Davison, Swartz Creek and Grand Blanc are safer areas not far from Flint.

GTW6401 wrote: ↑

Sun May 05, 2024 7:51 pm

Dort Highway in Flint is closed near I-69 to replace the culvert, so that's not as accessible now.

The Eastside of Flint has been getting worse, especially over the last ten years. That said not all of Genesee County is bad. Davison, Swartz Creek and Grand Blanc are safer areas not far from Flint.

Davison mostly sees drug issues, and the north side of Grand Blanc is turning more and more into Flint/Burton like conditions.

Swartz Creek is a wonderful place.

MQT1223 wrote: ↑

Sun May 05, 2024 9:38 pm

Swartz Creek is a wonderful place.

I don’t think I have ever heard anyone state that before.

I thought that sounded a little off base.

Question for the Lake State fans: on the Wiki train 327 originates at “Pinconning Terminal.” What and where is this? I thought Pinconning was just the connection point where the Huron Sub ties in with the Mackinac Sub. Is there more to it?

Pinconning Jct. and Pinconning Terminal are the same location.

The day job makes up both night road trains in Bay City yard and takes them, connected, to Pinconning where they are separated. The night crews start and end from Pinconning.

There are occasional changes but the above is the normal routine.

GP30M4216 wrote: ↑

Wed May 08, 2024 10:38 am

Question for the Lake State fans: on the Wiki train 327 originates at “Pinconning Terminal.” What and where is this? I thought Pinconning was just the connection point where the Huron Sub ties in with the Mackinac Sub. Is there more to it?