Some years around 1900 may be off by a year or two. Upper Peninsula is not included.
Lines involved are generally identified by historic division (Div.), subdivision (SD), district (Dist.), or branch (Br.). Where a branch is identified with a railroad and not a name, it typically might be an industrial spur or another line with an uncertain identity. Some cities had belt railroad lines, whose routes are also uncertain.
Electric street or interurban railways are identified by "elec.", those railways generally are not covered here except where "steam" railroads are also involved. Also noted are certain interlockings involving logging railroads and other railroads which did not survive long.
Some of the more obscure railroads and lines, are described at the bottom of this page.
Several larger cities had multiple interlocking towers. Because of historic inconsistencies in naming of interlockings and other factors, the locations are not always certain.
1884 Wasepi PRR GR&I Line/NYC Air Line Br. 1886 Mershon (Saginaw) C&O Ludington SD/NYC Saginaw Br. Saxon (Sparta) GTW Greenville SD/C&O Baldwin SD 1887 Cedar Springs GTW Greenville SD/PRR GR&I Line Clare C&O Ludington SD/AAR Pleasant Street (Grand Rapids) C&O Plymouth SD/C&O Grand Rapids SD/PRR GR&I Line/NYC Grand Rapids Br. Greenville GTW Greenville SD/C&O Elmdale SD Hartford C&O Grand Rapids SD/C&O Paw Paw SD Muskegon GTW Greenville SD/C&O Muskegon SD Nichols NYC Michigan Line/GTW South Bend SD Richland Jct. NYC CK&S Br./NYC Dundee Br. 1888 Tower A (Albion) NYC Michigan Line/NYC Lansing Br. Battle Creek (Rose Street) NYC Dundee Br./NYC G&M Br. Howell Jct. C&O Plymouth SD/AAR replaced 1896 by Annpere South Lansing (Cedar Street) GTW Flint SD/NYC Saginaw Br./NYC Lansing Br. Virgil (Sheridan) GTW Greenville SD/C&O Stanton SD Wayne Jct. NYC Michigan Line/C&O Saginaw SD 1889 Baldwin C&O Ludington SD/C&O Baldwin SD watch tower until 1929 Bay City (26th Street) C&O Bay City SD/NYC Belt Line Cadillac AAR/PRR GR&I Line Fairfax Jct. (St. Joseph Co.) NYC Air Line Br./NYC G&M Br. Belt Line Jct. (Detroit) NYC Bay City Line/GTW Mount Clemens SD/NYC Belt Line Elmdale C&O Plymouth SD/C&O Elmdale SD Fruitport Jct. PRR Muskegon Br./C&O Fruitport Br. Hastings NYC Grand Rapids Br./NYC CK&S Br. MAL Crossing (Jackson) GTW Jackson SD/NYC Saginaw Br. Kalkaska PRR GR&I Line/C&O Kalkaska Br. Manistee C&O Manistee SD/M&NE Saginaw (Washington Ave.) C&O Ludington SD/C&O Bay City SD Fordney (Saginaw) NYC Saginaw Br./C&O Belt 1890 Bay City (Water Street Jct.) NYC Bay City Line/C&O Bay City SD Woodside (Bay City) NYC Mackinaw Line/C&O Bay City SD Bear Creek (Congers) M&NE/C&O closed around 1900 not located Lafayette Street (West Bay City/Salzburg) GTW Saginaw SD/NYC Saginaw Br. Hart Street (West Bay City) GTW Saginaw SD/NYC Mackinaw Line Cadillac PRR GR&I Line/Cadillac & Northeastern Railroad (narrow gauge logging railroad) Cassopolis GTW South Bend SD/NYC Air Line Br. West Detroit NYC Michigan Line/NYC Detroit Line/WAB Br. Godfreys M&NE/PRR/C&O not located Homer NYC Air Line Br./NYC Lansing Br./NYC Dundee Br. Interlochen C&O Traverse City SD/M&NE Jonesville NYC Old Road/NYC Fort Wayne Br./NYC Lansing Br. Kaleva C&O Traverse City SD/M&NE Malta (Lowell) GTW Grand Rapids SD/C&O Elmdale SD Raisin Center WAB/NYC Jackson Br. MX Tower (East Saginaw) GTW Saginaw SD/NYC Saginaw Line South Saginaw (Sheridan Ave.) GTW Saginaw SD/C&O Belt West Saginaw (River Bridge) GTW Saginaw SD/NYC Br./C&O Br. Saginaw (Wright's Spur) GTW Saginaw SD/NYC Spur Schoolcraft GTW South Bend SD/NYC Kalamazoo Br. Thompsonville AAR/C&O Traverse City SD Trowbridge GTW Flint SD/C&O Plymouth SD 1891 WB Tower (Adrian) NYC Old Road/WAB South Adrian WAB/DT&I Tecumseh Dist. Au Sable Au Sable & North Western Railroad/D&M Delray C&O Plymouth SD/WAB/NYC Detroit Line Kalamazoo NYC CK&S Br./NYC Kalamazoo Br. Kerry (Traverse City) C&O Petoskey SD/PRR GR&I Traverse City Br. 1892 Woodward Avenue (Detroit) NYC Bay City Line/GTW Mount Clemens SD closed 1897 Fort Wayne Jct. (Jonesville) NYC Old Road/NYC Fort Wayne Br. Tappan (Port Huron) GTW Flint SD/C&O Port Huron SD 1893 Cadillac PRR GR&I Line/Smith Lumber (logging) Milwaukee Jct. (Detroit) NYC Bay City Line/GTW Holly SD/GTW Mount Clemens SD Grand Junction C&O Grand Rapids SD/NYC South Haven Br. BO Tower (Kalamazoo) NYC Michigan Line/NYC Kalamazoo Br./NYC CK&S Br. Tower 1 (Kalamazoo) NYC Michigan Line/PRR GR&I Line Lapeer Jct. GTW Flint SD/NYC Bay City Line Midland C&O Ludington SD/Midland & Hubbard Railroad (operated 1894-1899) Milan WAB/AAR Oxford NYC Bay City Line/GTW Cass City SD Rochester Jct. NYC Bay City Line/GTW Romeo SD Romulus WAB/C&O Saginaw SD 1895 Alba PRR GR&I Line/David Ward Lumber (logging) East Lake C&O Manistee SD/Manistee & Luther Railroad (operated 1885-1913) Florence (Peters) C&O Traverse City SD/Manistee & Luther Railroad (operated 1885-1913) Grayling NYC Mackinaw Line/Peters Salt & Lumber (logging) Lamar C&O Grand Rapids SD/NYC Kalamazoo Br. Midland NYC Midland Br./Midland & Hubbard Railroad (operated 1894-1899) 1896 Ann Pere C&O Plymouth SD/AAR replace Howell Jct. replaced 1907 Grand River (Detroit) GTW Mount Clemens SD/NYC Bay City Line/Detroit Citizens Street Railway (elec.) Lakeland AAR/GTW Jackson SD Owosso (Corunna Road) AAR/Owosso & Corunna Traction Co. (elec.) Hoyt (Saginaw) C&O Saginaw SD/NYC Saginaw Line 1897 Adrian NYC Old Road/DT&I Tecumseh Dist. D&M Crossing (West Bay City) D&M/GTW Saginaw SD Britton WAB/NYC Dundee Br. Canfield C&O Traverse City SD/Manistee & Grand Rapids Railroad Brush Street (Detroit) GTW Mount Clemens SD/NYC Bay City Line replace Woodward closed 1903 Durand GTW Flint SD/GTW Holly SD/GTW Grand Rapids SD/AAR closed 1903 Henry C&O Traverse City SD/M&NE/Arcadia & Betsey River Railway Monroe NYC Monroe Br./C&O Saginaw SD Owosso AAR/NYC Saginaw Br. closed shortly after Pinconning NYC Mackinaw Line/D&M 1898 Federman AAR/NYC Monroe Br. Pittsfield AAR/NYC Ypsilanti Br. 1900 Battle Creek (Malta Vita) NYC Dundee Br./NYC Malta Vita Track Bay City Jct. (Detroit) NYC Michigan Line/NYC Bay City Line Oak (Detroit) C&O Plymouth SD/C&O West Detroit Br. Diann (Dundee) DT&I Flat Rock SD/AAR Kalamazoo NYC CK&S Br./NYC Michigan Line Simpson (Muskegon) GTW Muskegon SD/C&O Fruitport Br. Trenton DT&I Flat Rock SD/NYC Br. Short Cut Canal (Wayne Co.) DT&I Flat Rock SD/NYC Marsh Br. Three Rivers NYC Kalamazoo Br./NYC Air Line Br. Vassar NYC Bay City Line/C&O Port Huron SD Wixom C&O Saginaw SD/GTW Jackson SD 1901 Alba PRR GR&I Line/NYC East Jordan Br. 1902 West Bay City (Tower 12) NYC Mackinaw Line/GTW Saginaw SD/D&M/C&O Huron & Western Line/NYC Hecla Belt Line Boyne Falls PRR GR&I Line/Boyne City Railroad OD Tower (Jackson) NYC Air Line Br./NYC Fort Wayne Br./NYC Jackson Br./NYC Northern Br. Otter Lake NYC Bay City Line/C&O Otisville SD Slocum Jct. NYC Detroit Line/NYC Grosse Isle Br./D&TSL Sturgis PRR GR&I Line/NYC Old Road/NYC G&M Br. FN Tower (Trenton) NYC Detroit Line/D&TSL/DT&I Flat Rock SD 1903 Cadillac AAR/Cummer Lumber Flint C&O Old Main Line/GTW Flint SD North Flint C&O Old Main Line/GTW Flint Old Main Line MA Tower (Lansing) NYC Saginaw Br./C&O Plymouth SD North Lansing NYC Saginaw Br./C&O Plymouth SD MAL Jct. (Pontiac) GTW Holly SD/GTW Jackson SD/GTW Romeo SD South Haven NYC South Haven Br./C&O Paw Paw SD
Some of the more obscure railroads and lines, not covered in the basic pages covering the main lines in the area.
Arcadia & Betsey River Railway
Arcadia-Copemish
Au Sable & North Western Railroad
Au Sable-Hardy
Boyne City Railroad
Boyne City-Boyne Falls
D&M Detroit & Mackinac Railway
Bay City-Alpena-Cheboygan
Manistee & Grand Rapids Railroad
Manistee-Marion
M&NE Manistee & Northeastern Railway
Manistee-Traverse City