New Layout Started

[ChuckC]

Help me "The Dinky Line was a little over 4 miles in length from the Brush Street Station and Detroit Yards to the Milwaukee Junction and the D & M transfer yards" where is that, town, state? Google tells me the US is full with "dinky lines"

The Dinky Line, Formal name was the Dequindre Line, was part of the Holly Subdivsion. Grand Trunk and Western. Brush Street Station and the Lake Yard (Detroit Yard) was located in Downtown Detroit MI at MP 0. The Brush St Station used to be sitting where the Detroit Ren Cen (GM HQ) is now sitting. The Dinky Line was from MP 0 to MP 4 which was at The Milwaukee Junction and the old Detroit & Mackinaw Yard. That Yard was a transfer point for GTW, NYC, Wabash, C&O and Peire Marquette. The mainline split into three at Milwaukee Junction to go North on to Pontiac MI, Flint MI, Durand MI, Grand Rapids MI and Chicago. The second split was westbound to Grand Rapids and Chicago. The 3rd split went N/E on to Port Huron MI to the yard which also had freight from Sarnia Ont. via the Port Huron Tunnel. Not much left of the Dinky line in Detroit anymore since the decline of the City in 1967 caused manufacturing to leave for better spots or just went out of business. I would say that the trackage is maybe a mile past what used to Milwaukee Junction. Still a couple of sites still in business, but GTW is no longer a revenue railroad and Canadian National has taken over all revenue outta Port Huron to Flint and Beyond as well as Port Huron to Detroit. GTW used to be a major passenger service as well. (Detroit to Chicago)

Sad how things go. Heres a shot from Bing showing the Swift Meat Packing plant today. There used to be a double main, 2 passing sidings, and a spur on both sides to service Swift on the east side and Armour Meats on the west side of the mains at that location.