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Ann Arbor Railroad

From ArborWiki

The Ann Arbor Railroad runs through the center of town. In its heyday it went all the way from Toledo up north to car ferries that ran across Lake Michigan. There is currently discussion of using the route and track for commuter transit through Ann Arbor, running at least from Milan to Whitmore Lake or Brighton, parallel to congested US-23; sources say this could happen as soon as 2007 or as late as never, but the effort got a recent boost with the vocal support of new rail owner Louis Ferris.

Walking along the railroad tracks, within the right-of-way, is considered trespassing, and the Ann Arbor Police Department has a record of citing people for it. It is, however, also fairly common practice among Ann Arborites, with the Friends of the Greenway even organizing guided walks along the tracks in the past.

There are some nice murals painted on underpasses.

A separate page covers Ann Arbor Railroad history.

We won't trace the whole route, instead starting at the southern edge of town and going north.

1 Ellsworth Road grade crossing
2 I-94 underpass
3 Eisenhower Parkway underpass
4 State Street grade crossing
5 Ferry Yard
6 Washington Street overpass
7 Miller Avenue overpass
8 Main Street trestle
9 Osmer
10 Sources

[edit] Ellsworth Road grade crossing

[edit] I-94 underpass

Two GP39-2 diesels pull a load of covered hopper cars northbound through the I-94 underpass on its way into Ann Arbor. (Photo by Steve Weiss, 25-Jan-06)

[edit] Eisenhower Parkway underpass

[edit] State Street grade crossing

[edit] Ferry Yard

The abandoned building in the yard: http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbaird/36196961/

[edit] Washington Street overpass

A truck that didn't make it under the overpass: http://www.flickr.com/photos/revgeorge/13710339/

[edit] Miller Avenue overpass

[edit] Main Street trestle

The trestle allows the railroad to cross N. Main Street, The Norfolk Southern Railroad, and the Huron River all together.

There was once an interchange track that allowed switching between the the Ann Arbor Railroad and what is now the Norfolk Southern Railroad. This track has not been used in decades. The grade crossing on Main Street just north of the trestle has been paved over, and the rest of the track is overgrown, but can still be seen.