Ann Arbor Railroad (1895–1976)

The Ann Arbor Railroad (AA) is an American railway company of the Class 3 in Michigan. Seat of the owned by the Ann Arbor Acquisition Corporation company is Howell. The company is running on a 86 km long route between Ann Arbor and Toledo ( Ohio). In use are 5 locomotives EMD GP38 and GP 39-2 series. The most important node is Toledo, where connections to the Canadian National Railway, the CSX, the Norfolk Southern and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad. Further connections are for the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway and the Indiana & Ohio Rail System

History

The history of the railway company goes back to the beginning of the 1870s, when two railroad companies began to build a rail line between Ann Arbor and Toledo. Over the next twenty years followed each other railway companies in the further development and operation of the line, which was extended to Frankfort on Lake Michigan. From Frankfort from Eisenbahntrajekte to Manitowoc, Kewaunee, Menominee and Manistique were established.

The Ann Arbor Railroad was then established from the reorganization of a predecessor company on 21 September 1895. From 1905 to 1910, the company was owned by the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad ( DT & I). 1911 saw the acquisition of Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad (M & LS). This railway company sailed a distance of Manistique north to Shingleton.

Starting in 1925, which later controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad Wabash Railway gained control of the Ann Arbor and had in 1930 97 % of the shares. From December 4, 1931 to January 1, 1943, the company was in bankruptcy proceedings. The last passenger train ran in 1950 and in 1951 the locomotive park was completely converted to diesel locomotives.

1963, the shares of the Pennsylvania Railroad at the Ann Arbor to the "Detroit, Toledo and Ironton " are sold. In 1968, the M & LS and the associated ferry was shut down two years later the ferry route followed by Menominee. On October 16, 1973, the company had to file for bankruptcy again. On April 1, 1976, the own has stopped and taken over by Conrail. The State of Michigan acquired the railway company, and commissioned on 1 October 1977, the newly formed Michigan Interstate Railway with the operation of the line. Thus the name of Ann Arbor Railroad disappeared. The last two existing ferry services were discontinued in April 1982. 1983, the operation of the route between Toledo and Frankfort on three companies ( Toledo -Ann Arbor, Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway (TSB ): Ann Arbor Alma, Michigan Northern ( MIGN ): Michigan Interstate (MI) Alma- Frankfort ) was divided, with the TSB in 1984 the Northern part of Michigan took over.

In 1988, the Ann Arbor Acquisition Corporation, the reestablishment of the Ann Arbor Railroad through the acquisition of the Michigan Interstate to continue operating on the route Ann Arbor -Toledo.