The Ann Arbor Railroad - Cadillac to Frankfort - The 1970's

[@bobozo389]

I was at Boat landing in 1975, on a trip up north, and my brother took some photos that are on my channel. So neat that the operator in Cadillac, gave you all that stuff!

[@killerbee6310]

I was staying for two weeks with my grandparents in Cadillac. You should have seen my parents when they came up to get me and I opened up the trunk of my grandparents car and told my folks all the garbage bags filled with stuff were coming home with me....

[@bobozo389]

@@killerbee6310 They must have known how important it was to you. My parents would have said, do you really need all that junk? My cousin got a bunch of the same from BO Tower in Kalamazoo, we found a train sheet that has the freedom train on it from 1976!

[@erie910]

Thanks for this. Love #21. Alco RS engines are my favorites. Got to operate an RSD-1 once.

[@nickaprill5427]

#21 is pretty cool and you're still able to see her she is down in raisin center in storage and is owned by the Southern Michigan Railroad with the possibility to run passenger trains for them in the future in her Ann Arbor railroad bluebird paint scheme

[@RWSBaden]

Hi Brian, Thank you for this very nice video of the Annie. As someone who grew up in Western Pennsylvania, I first learned of the Ann Arbor via the November 1973 RMC Article you mentioned. Yes it was a different world back then, when many railroad employees were happy to share information with local rail fans. I know many Annie fans like the Wabash "Follow the Flag" era on the Ann Arbor, but my favorite era was the DT&I era, with the orange diesel, block lettering and the "We have the connections" herald. Cheers, Rich S.

[@killerbee6310]

Thanks for taking the time to share your comments. I am partial to the DT&I era, and always thought a complete AA engine (compass emblem and mars light) looked cool.

[@chickey333]

Fascinating... Thank You! My father once worked on the Ludington ferries loading train cars and he had a few swashbuckling tales to tell of his adventures steaming back and forth across the lake.

[@kurtkauffman4326]

Long ago,The Flag Herald was later replaced by the Compass Herald.

[@bobpaulino4714]

Thanks for sharing. We've camped and fished Bestie Bay, Platte River, Great Bear Dunes, Mancelona, Kalkaska, etc. for decades. Love it there. Most of the railroad ferry docks, though unused, are still there. Reminders of days gone by. Very similar to another of our Bayside haunts in Cape Charles, Va.

[@bryanlosen3262]

The train horns today don't have nearly the character and the ability to stir something in your soul when you hear the distant wail at night. GTW were my favorite ones...

[@Jleed989]

Yep, I remember lying in bed and hearing GT go through Butternut

[@bryanlosen3262]

@@Jleed989 you lived in Butternut? I did too, in the early 60s! I used to race up to the tracks when I heard the GT coming... Remember the grain elevator and gas station and Chandlers?

[@transphoria9602]

The reason the railroad listed the Boat Landing as Frankfort is because before Elberta got it's name, it was called South Frankfort.

[@burnsie581]

At Junction Switch (MP 290.29) one leg went to Elberta (MP 291.64) and Boat Landing (MP 291.80). The other leg went to Frankfort (MP 292).

[@jackierandall2230]

A fine trip down memory lane👍👍👍👍

[@bryanlosen3262]

Sad that the line is gone now north of Yuma. Lots of memories stirred from this wonderful video. Thanks for putting it together... those truly were the days. Grew up in Traverse City near the tracks on Holiday Rd. Have loved trains ever since. I'm 65 now and still a kid at heart. You can take a boy off a train, but you can never take a train out of a boy...

[@leannahigenbottom7614]

I lived there in 68till 72

[@bobozo389]

I have videos of some of the AA GP35's, in the TSBY paint, and 1 still in orange,390 I believe, in the early 90's

[@killerbee6310]

I like your BO Tower videos. Rode by it many times on Amtrak.

[@bobozo389]

@@killerbee6310 Thanks for watching! I sure miss that tower, they tore it down a couple years ago. I practically lived there, at least, every chance I could from 1976 to 1980 it was a busy place. Visited again in the mid 90's and not much train traffic after that.

[@markshetenhelm6132]

Thank you for posting. The scenery has changed but the tracks remain almost unchanged here in Cadillac.

[@AnnArbor393]

Wow

[@beverett6256]

Awesome video from your photos - thanks for sharing your story!

[@jamessinclair2816]

KillerBee, I really enjoyed your very comprehensive video with all the details of the Ann Arbor's operations between Cadillac and Boat Landing! I especially enjoyed hearing the differences in the Ann Arbor's horns that you spotlighted! While you were doing this, I was 200 timetable miles east "hanging out" at the Ann Arbor's Ferry Yard in Ann Arbor, MI. I remember hearing Mr. Jones many times on the dispatcher's line, but I never had the privilege of meeting him in person. I was fortunate enough to make several cab rides from Ann Arbor to Boat Landing (and return) in the early '70s. I cherish each trip I took, and I even took one ride on a Cadillac Turn using #21. One thing I recall is that overnight run on TF-5 from Owosso to Boat Landing was one dark and lonely ride! Again, great job and thanks for putting this together!

[@leannahigenbottom7614]

Wow 😳😲😊❤ awesome Wow

[@5914SD]

Thank you for sharing 😁👍

[@Jleed989]

I remember those long AA trains passing through Alma, Mi with so many Green Bay and Western cars which came across the lake. No graffiti on any of them. A different era to live in.

[@bobpaulino4714]

People respected the property of others.

[@bobjohnson6371]

A few years ago, we used to hunt/camp south east of Kalkaska on the Big Cannon Creek. There was an abandon RR grade that ran through the area. Could that have been part of the Ann Arbor RR ? Great video, love the history. Thanks for posting.

[@fogdan]

Awesome!! Thanks for posting...

[@Tom-xe9iq]

I understand that the Wabash RR controlled the AA until it was merged with N&W in the early 1960s... hence some very Wabash cabooses!

[@killerbee6310]

Yes, AA was controlled by Wabash until 1963 when the DT&I assumed control.

[@peterandben]

Excellent video. The Ann Arbor has long been my favorite railroad, and it's really cool seeing a more in-depth look at operations and the railroad itself.

[@robertweldon7909]

3/12/2022 Please don't think that what you have recorded here about The Ann Arbor Railroad is insignificant. Much of rail road history is lost for ever, but for folks like you Ok, most folks follow BNSF and the UP etc. That's OK, but preserving small rail roads are part of what railroads did to build this country. I don't care what railroad it is, if the info is good, I want to hear and see it. Great job, well worth your effort. ;-)

[@phillipgarrow2297]

I live in Cadillac I remember the AnnArbor railroad

[@peterandben]

Would you consider uploading some of these photos to a photo sharing site, such as Flickr? They're really nice, some of the best quality out there for Ann Arbor, and they'd make great reference for modelers such as myself!

[@michigandon]

I was a little disappointed when I saw that this was going to be slides and not video or movie action, but it was interesting and informative just the same.

[@CWARZ23]

Great video! I work at the old site of the grain mills in Owosso "TiAL" ,boss was telling me some of our building is part of the old mill. The Southside of building is only part left of the mill. Just think of the history on that land...🤯🤯🤯 Are some of the engines same as ones used today? But now there blue.

[@HenneyHideout]

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