CR 1984 Detroit to Toledo Screen Shots

[westdetroit]

Wow, you certainly know your modeling area, excellent ! Looking through your pics shows you are the encyclopedia of Detroit railroads, Thank you for naming the various lines in your pics, makes it easier for us to follow along. I read you are going to scratch build some of the Toledo and Detroit structures, that is just superb ! Seems you and i are building routes in areas where yards and interlockings are situated at every corner, can be a pain sometimes.

Laying track is the fun part, placing scenery however, thats a time consuming "chore". Its easy to burn out when placing scenery over long periods of time. A friendly advise, dont wait with scenery, place scenery as you go along or you will/might meet the " im so sick of placing scenery burned out feeling "

Regarding disability, in my profession I have met many people with various disabilities and i can truly say that i have the upmost respect for people like yourself Just wanted to say that.

When you are up for a break, head over to the Conrail Chicago Lines, I would really appreciate the constructive criticism from a fellow city dweller / route builder

Thomas

Thank you. I have close to 40 years experience with the Detroit (Conrail in particular) railroading scene. My father has worked every tower in Detroit so interlockings (signals especially) is my forte. To me Detroit is like a mini Chicago. What I love about this route is that it has everything except mountains. If I had time to get to Jackson then there are hills out by Ann Arbor that are the closest things to mountains. It has the urban setting, the rural setting and even a tunnel between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. Detroit and the surrounding suburbs have three major yards and five satellite yards. Then Toledo will have two major yards and two satellite yards. Plenty of operational opportunities. The only down side are those that like long distance high speed rail service. lol The top freight speed is 50mph and the top passenger speed is 70.

As far as mixing the scenery and track laying, believe it or not I am. lol Almost all of the tracks shown is only a 14x22 mile stretch. But this is my heaviest tracked stretch. I basically can get to Toledo in one day now but I'm holding off until I get a few different areas complete with scenery first. It was a rough beginning because as we all know RW1 and 2 weren't very stable. So far in three no crashes while route building (knocking on wood lol). The fact that the GTW parallels most of the route has complicated matters as it's like modeling two routes at once. lol

I don't criticize others routes. Constructive or otherwise. It's usually hard to as most often that individual is the most familiar with that particular route. My only pet peeve is seeing interlockings improperly signaled, ie hand operated switches in between absolute signals or power operated switches with no absolute signals protecting them. Just an operators' son trait I guess. :) I'll take a look after I eat and before I upload the Toledo Branch.

[westdetroit]

Last three posts of the day. These are the Mackinaw Branch (todays North Yard branch) from Milwaukee Junction To CP Scotten and the Toldeo Branch (todays Detroit Line) from West Detroit to south of Trenton, Michigan. Tomorrow I'll have the Marsh Running track which will conclude what I have done so far. My next screen shot after that will be the Cadillac Clark Street plant. Take care all. Oh yes, and I'll post a map of the route later.

Milwaukee Junction where the GTW Shoreline Sub ends and the Mount Clemens Sub begins. Also the GTW Holly Sub crosses here and junctions with both the Shoreline and Mount Clemens Subs. This is the end of the line north so far:


Beuabien Street interlocking where the GTW and Conrail "swap sides". In real life the diamonds have moveable points due to the angle of the crossings:


CP Vinewood. There is a GTW connection called the tunnel track as trains used this connection to/from Canada but was not used in '84. It is used now as a connection for Amtraks to/from Pontiac off the GTW:


CP Vinewood is a long interlocking:


CP Spring Works. This is the "top end" of the Bay City Junction Wye. In '84, and today, "light power" used this wye from Livernois, North, Sterling and River Rouge Yards to turn their engines. Also, in '84 Amtrak used the MC Depot so they would back out of the station and turn their whole train around here, while passengers were aboard and then head west to West Detroit where they would either continue west to Chicago or south to Toledo:


Rounding the bend (track speed from CP Vinewood to and including West Detroit is only 15mph) onto the Michigan Line towards West Detroit interlocking. Note the huge Cadillac Clark Street plant that we just went around. Back in the NYC days trains would go straight to West Detroit but Cadillac bought railroad right of way to expand its plant thus the circular move around it now:


On the Michigan Line heading west to West Detroit where we'll head south on the Toledo Branch (todays Detroit Line). Note the pedestrian bridge. The bridge connects the Cadillac Clark and Merritt Street plants. Also, note that the Toledo Branch #2 track is shorter than the Toledo Branch #1 track. #2 was known as the "short ladder" and #1 was known as the "long ladder". This is how the operators at West Detroit refered them:


Heading through the double slips onto the Toledo Branch at West Detroit. Six all together:


On the Toledo Branch at West Detroit:




I'll have two more posts but I have company so I'll post the rest around nine tonight.

[westdetroit]

Continuing....

CP Waterman and GTW Dix Ave. This is where the Livernois South Receiving Yard Lead crosses the GTW Shoreline Sub and connects with the Toledo Branch:


Looking up the Lead at the South Receiving Yard and Trail Van site:


Continuing south down the Toledo Branch to Delray where all trains connect to/from Canada. The C&O/NS cross the Toledo Branch and all GTW trains use the NS to the NS Bridge. Both Conrail and NS bridges over the Rouge River is known simply as either the Conrail or NS Bridge. Technically the GTW Shoreline Sub from Delray to West Detroit is owned by the NS. I-75 crosses overhead:


Delta Yard:


South end of Delta Yard and Conrail Bridge:


South end of Conrail Bridge and CP YD. Note. This is the southern end of the Junction Yard Branch:


Conrail's River Rouge Yard:




South end of River Rouge Yard. Note the "gap" between the two mains of the Toledo Branch. This is because each main use to be two different railroads:


CP Mill. Conrail had an industrial track that went off the #1 main across the GTW Shoreline Sub and to Michigan Steel Works. Also there were connections both north and south to the GTW River Sub but only the south one was used for GTW trains going to/from Canada. Note that the Toledo Branch is "sandwiched" between the GTW Shoreline and River Subs. It'll remain this way to Trenton where the two subs criss cross in between the two Conrail mains then the River Sub will veer west to Flat Rock and the Shoreline will continue paralleling the Conrail mains to just north of Toledo:

[westdetroit]

Last but not least....

The Alkali Spur to BASF Wyandotte:


Looking towards BASF Wyandotte:


Wyandotte Yard whose tracks have since been removed:


FN. This is where the GTW Shoreline and River Subs criss cross each other in between the two Conrail mains:


Conrail's Hi Line track from FN to MCLouth Steel:


Trenton Yard. Note how the gap in between the two mains are getting wider:


Trenton Yard and the Chrysler Trenton Engine plant:




Detroit Edison's Trenton Channel plant. This is where your UTM's terminated:


Finally, the end of the current line. Note that the gap is now about a quarter of a mile wide:


I might have the Marsh Running track up tonight. If not then first thing tomorrow morning.

[westdetroit]

Two more posts. These will be of the Marsh Running track which runs from River Rouge Yard to Tecumseh Yard and serves the River Rouge Detroit Edison plant, Great Lakes Steel, several oil refineries, Marblehead Lime, a dock & storage company and U.S. Gypsum. This is where your UDRs and MGLs terminate and GLMs originate. It also seen coal trains to Zug Island for Great Lakes Steel. This will test even the most experienced manuvering skills as one will see why. Sit back and try not to get lost or confused or even dizzy. lol

Across from CP YD where the Marsh Track begins. It got its name due to the track being laid in, what else, a marsh:


U.S. Gypsum:


Marblehead Lime:


Several oil refineries:


The Delray Connecting Rwy Connection to Zug Island:


Zug Island. I still have to lay the Great Lakes Steel tracks:


Marion Ave interlocking controlled by the DCRR operator at Short Cut. The Marsh Running Track cross over the GTW River Sub to reach the River Rouge Detroit Edison and Great Lakes Steel:


River Rouge Detroit Edison:


River Rouge Detroit Edison and Great Lakes Steel:




One more post......

[westdetroit]

Finally. Last post for a few days. Take care all. :)

The Nicholson Terminal & Dock Storage:


The Marsh Running track is again "sandwiched" between the Great Lakes Steel railroad and the GTW River Sub:


The Marsh Running Track is "sandwiched" between the Great Lakes Steel railroad and the GTW South Yard:


Tecumseh Yard and the end of the line:

[westdetroit]

Oh yes, the map: