Conrail Schedules 11-1-1976

[chapmaja]

The talk about CR's trains through Carleton made me look up the schedule for Conrail. I found the 1976 schedule book online.

Detroit had 3 yards which originated Trains. North Yard, Junction Yard and River Rouge.

The following trains appears to have originated from Detroit's Yards

BF-7 Juncation and River Rouge to Avon and Cincy
DSL-1 Juncation Yard to Avon
DB-4 North and Juncation Yard to Bedford
DC-1 Juncation Yard (Chicago TrailVans)
MC-2 River Rouge Windsor
DE-8 to Conway and Mahwah
ML-12 North and Juncation Yard to DeWitt / Little Ferry / Pocono (Multilevels) Rochester and East TrailVans
DE-8 to Fairlane
DJ-5 to Wayne, Willow Run and Jackson
MLN-7 to L&N Cincy (mutilevels)
DC-6 Juncation and River Rouge to Monroe and Stanley
SDX-1 to North Yard - Multilevels
SDX-5 to Sterling
RC-1 to Conway (River Rouge was an intermediate stop between Conway and Elkhart

This doesn't include the vast number of yard transfers and industrial jobs listed below.
Industrial Crews worked Detroit Industries, City Yard and South Industries, North Industries and West Industries out of Junction Yard.
Transfer jobs worked: Belts, C&O, Cadillac, Detroit Terminal, DT&I, Ford Dearborn, GLS-River Rouge, GTW, Lincoln Yard, Mound Road, N&W, North Yard, River Rouge and Windsor based out of Junction Yard


Also of interest on this schedule were the Michigan Division Trains (not all trains listed)

These were all listed As Needed, but I think most trains ran either daily or every other day.

AW - Ann Arbor to Whitmore Lake and Return
AD - Ann Arbor to Diann and Saline and Return
FT2- Frankfort to Toledo
FO - Frankfort - Owosso
OF - Owosso to Frankfort
OT - Owosso to Toledo


From the Toledo Division we also had (which were all listed as needed)
TF-5 Toledo (Ottawa Yard) to Frankfort
TM - Toledo (Ottawa Yard) to Milan and return
TO - Toledo to Owosso


One other thing I am seeing is the amazing amount of traffic which was routed via Ottawa Yard to the DT&I running on Conrail at this time.

Toledo (Ottawa Yard) had two trains running from it.

FC-10 ran from Ottawa Yard (DT&I) Bedford, Conway and Rockport
FM-4 ran from Ottawa Yard (DT&I), Bison, Fairlane, Mahwah, Selkirk and Seneca.

This means the DT&I was running at least 1, but more likely two trains to Toledo on a daily basis with cars blocked for Conrail Destinations. DT&I would have to have the FC-10 cars in Ottawa Yard ready to go at 6:00 am for a 6:45 departure time. The second train would be required to be in Ottawa Yard at 7:30 PM for an 8:15 departure time.

There also appeared to be at least 2 return versions of these trains running to the DT&I at Ottawa Yard.
FC-9
FB-3

The DT&I also would receive cars from Conrail in Delta, Oh vai train AX-1 which ran via Stanley.

[Manistique]

Some of the trains you listed were for/on the Ann Arbor RR, which also was bankrupt at the time and was supposed to be part of Conrail until the State of Michigan bought the Ann Arbor line but hired Conrail to run it for that first year or so. That is why you are listing Diane, Ottawa Yard, Whitmore Lake, Frankfort, etc. These are all on the Ann Arbor RR, not Conrail.

[chapmaja]

Some of the trains you listed were for/on the Ann Arbor RR, which also was bankrupt at the time and was supposed to be part of Conrail until the State of Michigan bought the Ann Arbor line but hired Conrail to run it for that first year or so. That is why you are listing Diane, Ottawa Yard, Whitmore Lake, Frankfort, etc. These are all on the Ann Arbor RR, not Conrail.

You are correct, they are on the Ann Arbor, but at the time they were Conrail Trains. Conrail was going to include the Ann Arbor from Toledo to Ann Arbor in the Conrail system (while not including the lines north of Ann Arbor), but the State of Michigan objected to this. As a result, while the State of Michigan was devising an alternative plan from April 1st, 1976 to October 1st, 1977, the Ann Arbor was operated as a division of Conrail. This included Conrail closing the shops in Owosso and transfering that work from Owosso to Stanley Yard in Toledo. This is also one of the reasons why there are pictures during this time of the AA GPs running in Ohio on trains to Cleveland and points east. While Conrail did attempt to keep them close to home rails, they were sometimes used on trains running the sand trains to Cleveland or even on trains as far as Conway. Pa.

When Michigan Interstate began operations in October 1st 1977, the Ann Arbor trains and equipment again was under the operations of the home company. Additionally, the shops at Owosso were reopened as the locomotives were no longer being operated by, and maintained by Conrail.

These schedules come directly from the Conrail schedule.

[chapmaja]

I found the initial schedule so I decided to go through and search for all Conrail Trains which would have serviced Michigan's trackage on 4-1-76, which was the first day of operation for Conrail. Some of these trains did not actually enter Michigan, but had cars destined for Michigan locations set out for another train to pick up and bring to Michigan. Other trains on this list originated cars from Michigan to out of state destinations, even if the actual train did not operate in Michigan).

IGT-4 (Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson, ) (Flint via GTW) (Avon to Jackson)
GTI-5 (Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Jackson, ) (Jackson to Avon Yard)
BD-3 (North Yard)
BB-5 (Michigan local, but reached Frontier Yard in Buffalo?)
CR-4 (River Rouge, Jackson, Monroe )
BN-2 (Detroit TrailVans)
CD-4 (Detroit Jct Yard, North Yard, Detroit Terminal, Jackson, Wayne, Willow Run, Ypsilanti, Sterling)
CIC-1 (Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo)\
DE-7 (Detroit Jct, North as well as TrailVans)
PY-3 (Niles - not sure if Niles, Michigan or another Niles)
ND-4 (Jct and TrailVans, Jackson, Lansing, Wayne, Willow Run )
CGR-2 (Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids)
EGR-2 (Three Rivers, Kalamzoo, Grand Rapids)
CJ-1 (Niles)
696 Sturgis Locals (Stugris, based from Elkhart)
GRI-5 (Grand Rapids)
GRI-1 (Grand Rapids)
CV-88 (Detroit-multilevels)
TL-2 (Jackson, Lansing, Wayne, Willow Run, Monroe)
BF-7 (Jackson, Wayne, Monroe, Willow Run)
DE-8 (Jackson, Willow Run, Monroe)
DC-1 (Jackson, Wayne, Willow Run, )
DC-7 (Jackson)
JT-1 (Jackson)
LJ-2 (Lansing, Jackson)
ML-9 (Detroit Jct, Detroit GTW multilevels, Detroit Chrysler)
DSL-1 (Detroit, Monroe) (Detroit to Avon Yard)
RC-1 (Detroit, Monroe)
MC-2 (Monroe, Trenton, River Rouge)
ST-12 (Monroe, Sterling)
DC-6 (Monroe)
SLX-1 (Detroit)
FMA-9 (Detroit North Yard)
MC-6 (Detroit Jct, Lincoln)
MC-8 (Detroit Belt, North Yard)
TJ-2 (Jackson, Willow Run, Wayne)
DJ-5 (Wayne, Willow Run, Jackson)

These were all the trains having manifest cars destined to or from Michigan locations (as a direct block connection), other cars may have been routed to Michigan via yards in Ohio such as Lang Yard (D&TSL), Ottawa Yard (DT&I and AA) or placed on locals in Ohio which ran to Michigan.

In addition, the following TrailVan trains also serviced Michigan directly or indirectly

TV-26
TV-18
DC-1
BN-44
TV-15
TV-25
TV-3
TV-7
TV-29


There were also some trains which originated, or Terminated in Michigan which are not listed above

FC-10 (Flat Rock to Conway East) (Ran via Ottawa Yard, Toledo)
FC-9 (Conway West to Flat Rock) (Ran via Ottawa Yard, Toledo)
FB-4 (Buffalo Frontier Yard to Flat Rock) (Ran via Ottawa Yard, Toledo)
FB-3 (Flat Rock to Buffalo Frontier Yard) (Ran via Ottawa Yard, Toledo)
ML-12 (Detroit to DeWitt Yard)
GRE-1 (Grand Rapids to Elkhart)
MC-4 (Detroit to Selkirk)

The following trains originated or terminated in Michigan and made setouts or did switching along the way elsewhere)
TV-16 (Detroit with Switched DeWitt Yard)
TV-15 (Picked up in DeWitt desinted for Detroit)

The following unit trains also ran the Conrail rails on origination day.
MGL-2 to Great Lakes Steel, River Rouge


The following local trains were also scheduled to run on origination day.

AW - Ann Arbor to Whitmore Lake (on Ann Arbor Railroad) - as needed
AD - Ann Arbor to Diann / Milan (on Ann Arbor Railroad) - as needed
FT-2 Frankfort to Toledo -(on Ann Arbor Railroad) - as needed
TF-5 Toledo to Frankfort -(on Ann Arbor Railroad) - as needed
FO - Frankfort to Owosso - (on Ann Arbor Railroad) - as needed
TM - Toledo to Milan and Return - (on Ann Arbor Railroad) - as needed
TO - Toledo to Owosso and return- (on Ann Arbor Railroad) - as needed
OF Owosso to Frankfort (on Ann Arbor Railroad) - as needed
OT Owosso to Toledo (on Ann Arbor Railroad) - as needed

GR-10 - Grand Rapids to Plainwell, Byron Center, and Allegan and return (DE Sun)
RJ-4 Grand Rapids to Jackson (Tuesday)
AL1/AL2 Jackson to Centreville and return (Saturday)
JA2/AJ1 Jackson to Ann Arbor (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
JR-3 (Monday)
JC1 / JC2 Jackson to Charlotte and Return (Friday)
JN-1 Jackson to Niles (Wednesday)
JD-4 Jackson to Detroit Jct Yard (as needed)
JK-15 Jackson to Kalamazoo and return (DE Saturday / Sunday)
KCT-1/KCT-2 Kalamzoo to Constaintine via Wasepi, Three Rivers and Schoolcraft
NJ-2 Niles to Jackson (Thursday)
NBH-1 / NBH-2 Niles to Benton Harbor and return (DE Saturday / Sunday)
NSB-1 / NSB-2 Niles to South Bend and return (DE Sunday)
SW/Run Elkart to Sturgis and return (DE-Sunday)
SW/Run Sturgis to Quincy (DE-Sunday)
694 / 695 Toledo Air Line to Lenawee Jct (DE-Sunday)



The one thing I found amazing in all of this was the number of trains making set outs and pickups enroute. For example.

Train DC-1, a train running from Detroit to Elkhart had the following sets of cars on it leaving Junction Yard in Detroit
1. Elkhart
2. Chicago TrailVans

This train then made stops at
1) Wayne
2) Willow Run
3) Jackson

where it picks up cars destined for Elkhart

This is just a small sample of the complexity that was Conrail on the first days of operation.