The New Michigan Central Yard at Detroit
Design and Construction of a 5,500-Car Classification
Yard to Be the Third Operated by This Company in Detroit
Although the Michigan Central already operates two yards in
Detroit and one just across the river in Windsor, Ont., for the
collection, classification and distribution of freight, the company
has pushed with unusual speed during the past year the construction of a new classification yard at West Detroit with a capacity
of about 5,500 cars. Before the construction of the Detroit river
tunnel connecting Detroit with Windsor, very little main line
classification was handled here on account of the lack of yard
facilities, although the fact that the Bay City and the Toledo
branches connect with the main line at Detroit makes this a
natural point for such classification. The plans for the improvements made in connection with the building' of the tunnel
included a classification yard with a capacity of about 3,500
cars on the Windsor side, this location being adopted on account
of the impracticability of securing property for a yard in the
industrial district along the main line between the Detroit portal
of the river tunnel and Bay City junction, where the line branches.
A description of the Windsor yard was published in the Railway
and operated by the Detroit Terminal, crosses the Michigan!
Central main line just west of the west end of the new yard
and will serve to bring directly to the yard a large amount of
the freight originating along the belt line and will also furnish
a short connection with the River Rouge yard. As an indication
of the amount of freight which originates in Detroit, the Michigan Central requires 95 switching crews every 24 hours to deliver
empty cars and pick up loaded ones from the industries along
its various lines in the city.
ARRANGEMENT
OF Y A R D
The new yard is located entirely to the south of the four-track
main line which will be straightened to eliminate a curve that
was necessary to carry it around the old yard. The arrangement
is extremely compact. The property occupied by the yard has
an extreme length of 2.1 miles and includes about 75 acres.
The classification and receiving yards for opposite directions are
placed side by side in the usual manner with the two humps near
General View of Yard Under Construction, Looking West From the New Coaling Station
Age Gazette of August 18, 1911. The River Rouge yard on the
Toledo division and the North yard on the Bay City line, both
of comparatively small capacity, help materially to relieve the
congestion in the Windsor yard by handling most of the local
business for the branches on which they are located, but the
amount of business originating in the industrial district of Detroit
has increased so rapidly that none of the roads serving the city
have been able to develop fast enough their facilities for
handling it.
While the necessity for added yard room in properly handling
this local business was the most important factor in the decision
to build a new yard in West Detroit, the capacity and arrangement of this yard was designed to handle a large amount of
main line classification so as to still further relieve the Windsor
yard. A very small yard had been operated west of Bay City
junction on the main line, and as the location was well suited
to the purpose for which the new yard was needed, the same
site with the necessary additional property has been used. The
location is very favorable for relieving the local situation on
account of the fact that the new outer belt line, owned jointly
by the Michigan Central, the Grand Trunk and the Lake Shore
together between the two groups.
The space alongside the
humps is occupied by repair tracks and a complete engine
terminal is located at the east end of the yard. Large car shops
adjoin this engine terminal, although these were not a part
of the yard development. The old engine house at this location
was replaced by a new one immediately previous to the construction work on the yard.
The westbound receiving yard has 10 tracks with a total
capacity of 792 cars and is divided near the middle by two sets
of crossovers to allow a larger number of short drags from
local industries to be pulled in and pushed over the hump
separately if necessary. The westbound classification yard has
25 tracks with a total capacity of 2,231 cars. In order to provide for the large number of classifications of westbound business
that are necessary, without further
widening the yard,
14 of the 25 tracks are cut by two parallel and adjacent
ladders, dividing these tracks into lengths of about 50 and 40
cars capacity, respectively. The eastbound receiving yard has
nine tracks with a total capacity of 865 cars. The design of this
yard provided for two sets of crossovers similar to those in the
westbound receiving yard, but these were not built. The east-
bound
classification
y a r d has
1,676 c a r s , t h e s e t r a c k s
from
the
best
hump
in
33 t r a c k s
with
being arranged
order
to
a total capacity of
on three ladders
utilize
the
available
have
been
leading
space
to
the
11 c a r s
on
each
erator
cars
which
will
side.
A
in transit
has
be t o r n
grades
gained
in
o v e r the
operating
humps
the
Windsor
and
fixed
the
from
River
The
yards,
n e w y a r d is l a i d
entirely on
mately
1,300,000 c u . y d .
with
2.5 p e r
hauled
from
cent,
grade
1.5 p e r
cent,
at
cent,
remainder
in the
the
and
top
of
then
of the
Windsor
the
about
yard.
hump
is
5 0 0 ft. o f
eastbound
The
2 0 0 ft. o f 3
followed
1 per
by
cent,
200
the
westbound
greater
yard.
part
of
The
their
receiving yards
length,
governed
by the
the
are
necessity
for
a
through
grades
to
choice being
providing
flat
remainder
level
approach
1 p e r cent., the
of
The
y a r d i s o n a 0.3 p e r c e n t , o r
h u m p b e i n g 0.8 p e r c e n t , a n d
cipally
ft.
grade.
g r a d e a n d 0.25 p e r c e n t , a n d flat g r a d e s a r e u s e d i n t h e
the
per
the
27
miles,
the
new
fast
two
and
one
yard.
Arbor
two
shovels
and
the
W i n d s o r yard, or a
The
complete
switches.
A l l crossovers
yards,
Ajax
engine
ones
used
a
variable
rain.,
and
73 m i l e s o f t r a c k
frogs
are
No. 9
and
with
a
374
ladder
e x c e p t i n t w o c a s e s at the o u t b o u n d
9 deg.
1 m i n . is u s e d .
manganese
guard
rails are
Manganese
standard.
The
frogs
space
leads
to
in some
the
cases
engine
along thoroughfare
terminal.
The
yard
tracks
tracks
are
is l i g h t e d w i t h
in
the
flaming
arc lights.
classification
yards
on
district
and
the
with
The yard
tracks
with
level
men
The
l a y o u t o f the
leads
are
ment
two
engine
A n ample
t e r m i n a l is v e r y c o m p l e t e a n d
number
provided throughout
of
engines
between
inbound and two
engine terminal
the
the
yards
and
outfits
the
an
trestle
The
building
National
is
boiler
electric
washout
coaling
plant
new
has
frame
the
clinker
with
tracks.
old
Belt
type,
trestle
ity
pits
are
located
track
plant
is
to coal
of
50,000
gal.
being
the
two
cars
inbound
between
two
cars,
engine
engine
them.
Each
secured
transfer
26
shop
is m a d e
f o r 27.
adjacent
located
Central
avenue,
storage
yards
with
a
total
a
number
leads.
In
f o r 33 b a d
of
one
the
eastbound
order
repairs
will
30
and
westbound
The
two
the
and
de-
numerous
classification
yard
distance
would
the
new
leads.
A
about
had
been
ification
The
the
finished
disturbed
new
600
The
two
per
day,
In most
cases
depth
of
to
keeping
shops,
south
and put
repair
to
be
be
transfer
entrance
The
work
as
was
facilities
which
in service.
rap-
time
filling
accompanying photograph,
in
eastbound
classification
in
order
which
was
With
the
new
engine
yard and
the
street
con-
o f the
for
the
yard
from
track
structure
classification
vided
is
and
A s the
the
tracks
new
encased
p i e r s , as the
yd. of
same
to
yard.
from
be
finished.
Lonyo
The
road,
The
eastbound
street
piers
caps
in concrete.
Two
Central
was
required
This
both
on
are
approach
on a
hump
a
work
avenue
for
i n the
to
the
seven-track
abutments
the
pro-
are
deck
of
being
are
having both
curb
T h e type of
construc-
bridges.
these
yard
About
bridges.
was
the
3,800 y d . o f
and
4,000
The
only
extension
arch culvert carrying Baby
required about
to
single
double-track bridges
s t r e e t i s 6 6 ft. w i d e .
the
and
and
road, these bridges
concrete
grades
T w o structures
street.
the
pier
a 16-ft. r e i n f o r c e d c o n c r e t e
the
each
and
and
class-
is o n l y 60 ft. w i d e , c o l u m n s w e r e
the
as
concrete
important
at
lines only.
over L o n y o
the
leads
fill
t e r m i n a l in service,
receiving yard
carried over that
street
curb
concrete,
I beams
other
this
is c a r r i e d o v e r C e n t r a l a v e n u e
y a r d are
o n the
reinforced
cu.
as
r e m a i n d e r of the
Central avenue
tracks
old
taken
l e a d s c a n be c a r r i e d t h r o u g h
westbound
crossings,
the w e s t b o u n d h u m p
of
far
to
build
were
y a r d west
y a r d as
turn
r e q u i r e d to
operations
o f the classification
short
Considerable
required
d u r i n g the
the
in operation
shops.
removed,
put
the
open
side of
so as to p r o v i d e a n
leads
and
terminal
fill
construction
c l i n k e r pits was p u s h e d
ones
roundhouse
development
the
about
was unusually
Some
a l o n g the
yard were
leads
completed.
required
under
accommodating
of
season
trains
over
c o n s t r u c t i o n o f the y a r d i n v o l v e d the s e p a r a t i o n o f
tion
humps
force
terminal, car
leads
s o u t h o f t h e t e r m i n a l so a s t o a l l o w t h e
center
the
day,
already
very m u c h complicated by
engine
The
p r a c t i c a l l y a l l o f the necessary
tracks
alongside
per
was
eld yard in service and
the
cars
from
humps.
station and
o n that part
i n the
shops,
capacity
dump
operated
ft.
stock yards and
new
engine
laid
car
a
that
maximum
28
cars
material
10,000 y d . o f f i l l
the
cars
flat
the top o f the n e w c o a l i n g station l o o k i n g west, s h o w s the
i n the
latter
of
the
The
made
platform, the
to
house,
the
this
centrated
of
a transfer
as
fill,
east e n d w a s
leads
north
of
handle
with
and
the
the
the
f o r k e e p i n g the
allow
T h e three caboose
y a r d have
the
17 t r a i n s
sometimes
cars
ballast
i d l y as p o s s i b l e t o a l l o w t h e o l d e n g i n e f a c i l i t i e s l o c a t e d a
h a v e a c o m b i n e d c a p a c i t y o f 218 cars, each y a r d b e i n g p r o v i d e d
shop
under
new coaling
required
yards
built
transfer
westbound
classification
repair
complete
the
as
two
of
Rodger
line
Detroit.
being
s t o c k y a r d s , etc.
i n the
be
a
w h i c h cross u n d e r the h u m p approaches.
ash
material
I n c l u d i n g these m a t e r i a l
were
and
on
method
necessary
and
cars
east e n d o f the y a r d .
a l o n g the
yards
many
at
capacity
The
W e s t e r n air
of
yards, the
minor
shifts.
of
for wrecker, snow plows,
m a i n classification
who
usea
o f 100,000 g a l .
T h e t r a c k l a y o u t of the engine t e r m i n a l
A l l heavy
to the
cabooses.
a
was
structure.
the
includes
and
provision
yard
the
capac-
etc.
a d d i t i o n to
velopment
loco-
P e n s t o c k s are p r o v i d e d at c o n v e n i e n t p o i n t s
engines i n a d d i t i o n to t r a c k s
In
near
end o f the y a r d a n d one
a l o n g all engine leads.
includes
located
of
tracks.
under
for ash
a
carried
T h e w a t e r s u p p l y f o r t h e t e r m i n a l is
at t h e e n g i n e h o u s e .
of
The
the city m a i n s a n d stored i n three tanks, one w i t h a
100,000 g a l . at t h e w e s t
coal
driven.
having
Steel pockets for d r y sand are
a depressed
i s 2 0 0 ft. l o n g .
from
electrically
sides of the bins o v e r a l l f o u r
The
leads
pit
Link
an
a n d steel c o n s t r u c t i o n , p r o v i s i o n b e i n g m a d e
motives on four
on
is
the
replace
c a p a c i t y o f 600 t o n s a n d a h o i s t i n g c a p a c i t y o f 100 t o n s
hoist
of
to
The
The
is
built
storage
hour.
station
been
plant.
per
this
shifting
new
as
over
as
Ann
contractor
hauling
t o p l a c e as h i g h
raised
w o r k at
on
a
able
were
by
150
turntable.
Jackson
old yard was
and
system.
A
were
made
t e r m i n a l is d e s i g n e d to h a n d l e a b o u t
includes
i n the
30 y d . a n d
used
for
loaded
150 t r a i n s a d a y
tracks
to the
equipment
as
before the
house
85-ft.
its
pits
classification
is
and
from
Y p s i l a n t i pit also
The
of about
movements
eastbound
T h e h o u s e c o n t a i n s 4 3 s t a l l s 9 0 ft. d e e p a n d
provided with
two
move-
engine
a n d the
day
cars.
contractor
facilitate the
l o c o m o t i v e s per day.
lighted
The
train
flat
capacity
house,
the
are
shovels
the m a x i m u m o u t p u t p e r m o n t h b e i n g 25,000 y d .
the
leads
The
30-yd.
engine
tracks
and
miles
it w a s p o s s i b l e to m a k e a v e r y f a v o r a b l e r e c o r d .
provided through
outbound
This
y a r d to
con-
of
and
of thoroughfare
night
average
and
34
necessity
TERMINAL
an
between
The
venient.
shifts
37
about
w o r k be p u s h e d
two
w a s e m p l o y e d at t h e y a r d a n d as t h e
dry
grades.
ENGINE
day
h a n d l i n g a very heavy business.
and
T r a c k scales w i l l be p r o v i d e d
independent
requiring
;is m a n y
with
laid
s e c o n d h a n d 80-lb. r a i l o n o a k ties w i t h g r a v e l ballast.
operated
was
Ypsilanti,
about
essential that the
company
number
12 y d .
16
end
between
t r a c k s i n t h e y a r d s i s g e n e r a l l y 13 ft. a n d 15 f t . a l t e r n a t e l y ,
spaces
12,
Ypsilanti.
about
where
wider
in
Mallet.
yard contains
angle of 9 deg. 42
s i m i l a r to the
Arbor,
of
and
about
of hump
Ann
required approxi-
over
clearance
of
type
of
worked
with
The
houses
f r o m the A n n A r b o r pit w a s h a n d l e d i n 200 R o d g e r b a l l a s t
it w i l l p r o b a b l y be e i t h e r a d e c a p o d
road.
refrig-
old
prin-
be u s e d o n these g r a d e s has not been definitely decided, a l t h o u g h
Lonyo
west
pit on both night a n d
loaded with
and
icing
two
was clay which
west
e x c a v a t e d a n d l o a d e d the m a t e r i a l i n the
were
avenue
which
located just
A s it w a s
as p o s s i b l e , t h e
fill,
T h e material used
pits, one
to
Central
for
replace
CONSTRUCTION
experience
Rouge
built- to
down.
t h e a c c e l e r a t i n g g r a d e h a v i n g b e e n m a d e 3 p e r c e n t , as c o m p a r e d
of
been
advantage.
The
of
40,000-ton ice house
creek
concrete.
NOTE.-—Same scale is used for plan and profile
allowing points to be projected vertically from
one to the other.
Plan and Profile of the New Yard Showing~AIso Location of Old Tracks in the East Half