Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railway
Encyclopedia
The Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon Railway is a defunct railroad incorporated in January, 1886. The railroad offered service between Ashley, Michigan
and Muskegon, Michigan
starting on August 1, 1888. The Grand Trunk Railway of Canada took control the same day, but the company did not merge with the Grand Trunk Western Railway until 1928.
. The investors spent about $1,560,000 to build the line. Construction started in the spring of 1887 building bridges and grading. Trackwork was started in August 1887 from Ashley westward. The track crews reached Carson City, Michigan
on September 24. In October another crew started laying rail from Egelston and Moorland Townships in Muskegon County eastward. The first freight train to Greenville over the new line was on November 12 when eleven cars of wheat from Carson City was delivered to E. Middleton & Sons flour mills. The two track crews met at a location just west of Cedar Springs
on Christmas Day 1887, finishing the main track the entire 96 miles. The next day a mixed train (carrying freight and passengers) worked the line each way out of Muskegon and Ashley. In the spring of 1888 the TS&M began running a full passenger train from Muskegon to Ashley and back.
On August 1, 1888 the Grand Trunk Railway
took control of the TS&M and the trains began using the Toledo, Ann Arbor, & Northern Michigan between Ashley and Owosso
Junction. Operations consisted of mail and express trains #1 and 2 and mixed trains #5 and 6. Trains #1 and 5 were eastbound and trains #2 and 4 were westbound. Later these trains were given Grand Trunk numbers 31 and 32 for the mail and express and 71 and 72 for the mixed trains. By 1914 the mail and express trains numbers had changed again to 41 and 42 and the mixed trains to 471 and 472. These trains would continue to operate under these numbers for the next forty years. It was common for the TS&M to run second and third sections of trains 471 and 472. Because of the light rail (60#), the TS&M used American type (4-4-0)locomotives. Doubleheaders and extra freights were common.
The Grand Trunk expermented with a steam powered motor car between Ashley and Muskegon. The motorcar, #2, started running as trains 43 and 44 from Ashley to Muskegon and back in January 1914. The motorcar broke down frequently and had to be replaced with a regular steam train. After about a year the motorcar was discontinued. In 1924 the right of way was rebuilt with 80# rail and newer locomotives were used.
In 1928 the TS&M was merged along with other Michigan Grand Trunk Railway owned rail lines into the Grand Trunk Western Railroad and the TS&M became the Muskegon Subdivision of the GTWRR.[2]
Information from TS&M timetables
The TS&M also had interlocking towers at the following locations:
Ashley, Michigan
Ashley is a village in Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 526 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the northwest corner of Elba Township. No major state trunkline goes through the village although M-57 passes to south by less than...
and Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
starting on August 1, 1888. The Grand Trunk Railway of Canada took control the same day, but the company did not merge with the Grand Trunk Western Railway until 1928.
Background
The railroad was started by a group of Toledo Ohio investors headed by David Robinson Jr. and John Ashley, who at the time was also building the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan Railroad, which connected Ashley with Owosso, MichiganOwosso, Michigan
Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...
. The investors spent about $1,560,000 to build the line. Construction started in the spring of 1887 building bridges and grading. Trackwork was started in August 1887 from Ashley westward. The track crews reached Carson City, Michigan
Carson City, Michigan
Carson City is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,191.Carson City was first platted in 1866 on land owned by R. M. Abbott, Delia Miner, and Hiram T. Sherman and recorded in 1871. The first lot was sold to Thomas Scott and two...
on September 24. In October another crew started laying rail from Egelston and Moorland Townships in Muskegon County eastward. The first freight train to Greenville over the new line was on November 12 when eleven cars of wheat from Carson City was delivered to E. Middleton & Sons flour mills. The two track crews met at a location just west of Cedar Springs
Cedar Springs, Michigan
Cedar Springs is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan, 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids. Known as "Red Flannel Town", the city is home to an annual Red Flannel Festival...
on Christmas Day 1887, finishing the main track the entire 96 miles. The next day a mixed train (carrying freight and passengers) worked the line each way out of Muskegon and Ashley. In the spring of 1888 the TS&M began running a full passenger train from Muskegon to Ashley and back.
On August 1, 1888 the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
took control of the TS&M and the trains began using the Toledo, Ann Arbor, & Northern Michigan between Ashley and Owosso
Owosso, Michigan
Owosso is a city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,713 at the 2000 census. The city is located on the eastern side of Owosso Township, but is politically independent...
Junction. Operations consisted of mail and express trains #1 and 2 and mixed trains #5 and 6. Trains #1 and 5 were eastbound and trains #2 and 4 were westbound. Later these trains were given Grand Trunk numbers 31 and 32 for the mail and express and 71 and 72 for the mixed trains. By 1914 the mail and express trains numbers had changed again to 41 and 42 and the mixed trains to 471 and 472. These trains would continue to operate under these numbers for the next forty years. It was common for the TS&M to run second and third sections of trains 471 and 472. Because of the light rail (60#), the TS&M used American type (4-4-0)locomotives. Doubleheaders and extra freights were common.
The Grand Trunk expermented with a steam powered motor car between Ashley and Muskegon. The motorcar, #2, started running as trains 43 and 44 from Ashley to Muskegon and back in January 1914. The motorcar broke down frequently and had to be replaced with a regular steam train. After about a year the motorcar was discontinued. In 1924 the right of way was rebuilt with 80# rail and newer locomotives were used.
In 1928 the TS&M was merged along with other Michigan Grand Trunk Railway owned rail lines into the Grand Trunk Western Railroad and the TS&M became the Muskegon Subdivision of the GTWRR.[2]
Operations
The railroad had stops in the following communities:[3]- AshleyAshley, MichiganAshley is a village in Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 526 at the 2000 census. The village is located in the northwest corner of Elba Township. No major state trunkline goes through the village although M-57 passes to south by less than...
- Ola
- Pompeii
- PerrintonPerrinton, MichiganPerrinton is a village in Fulton Township, Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 439 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
- Middleton
- Carson CityCarson City, MichiganCarson City is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,191.Carson City was first platted in 1866 on land owned by R. M. Abbott, Delia Miner, and Hiram T. Sherman and recorded in 1871. The first lot was sold to Thomas Scott and two...
- Vickeryville
- Butternut
- SheridanSheridan, MichiganSheridan is a village in Montcalm County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 705 at the 2000 census. The village is located at the corners of four townships and incorporates land from each: Evergreen Township to the northeast, Bushnell Township to the southeast, Fairplain Township to...
- Millers
- GreenvilleGreenville, MichiganGreenville is a city in Montcalm County of the U.S. state of Michigan. Portions of the county are associated with the Western region while others are more closely associated with the Central Michigan region. The population was 8,481 at the 2010 census...
- The line west of Greenville was abandoned in 1946. - Lincoln Lake
- Harvard (originally called Griswold)
- Evans
- Sheffield
- Cedar SpringsCedar Springs, MichiganCedar Springs is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan, 20 minutes north of Grand Rapids. Known as "Red Flannel Town", the city is home to an annual Red Flannel Festival...
- Reeds
- SpartaSparta, MichiganSparta is a village in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,159 at the 2000 census. The village resides in Sparta Township.-History:...
- Gooding (originally called Lisbon)
- Harrisburg
- Slocum (originally called Slocum's Grove)
- Moorland
- MuskegonMuskegon, MichiganMuskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
Information from TS&M timetables
The TS&M also had interlocking towers at the following locations:
- Virgil (Sheridan) - Detroit, Lansing & Northern
- Greenville - DL&N
- Cedar Springs - Grand Rapids and Indiana RailroadGrand Rapids and Indiana RailroadThe Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA...
- Saxon (Sparta) - Chicago & West Michigan
- Simpson (Muskegon) - C&WM