This facility is busiest in the late morn- ing hours when trains are preparing to depart. Trains from the Lake State Railway also pass through while oper- ating on the HESR from Wenona Yard to Hart Street in Bay City. Trains will depart and head south through town at a steady 10 m.p.h., which provides the opportunity to shoot trains at multiple locations within the area. Trains will increase their speed be- tween Hotchkiss Road in Bay City and Zilwaukee, where the Saginaw yard limits begin. A few moments later the line will pass under the Zilwaukee Bridge, which carries traffic on Inter- state 75 over the Saginaw River. From Zilwaukee the line heads south into Saginaw, a city with over 50,000 residents and the largest on the Huron
& Eastern system. The railroad oper- ates on both sides of the Saginaw River, which flows through the center of the city. Genesee Yard is the main base on the west side and is located near the in- tersection of West Genesee and Michi- gan Avenues.
The mainline to Durand will pass through Genesee Yard just prior to crossing the Saginaw River on a swing
bridge that has remained in a closed position since the river was closed to commercial navigation in the 1960s. Photos of the bridge are easily avail- able on the east side from a city park lo- cated along Water Street.
The section of main line south of Sag- inaw passes through mainly rural ar- eas, and it can be difficult to keep pace with the train along this stretch. The
RIGHT: With a former Central Michigan unit in the lead, Train 740 is working at Wenona Yard in Bay City as it builds 702’s train for Du- rand, along with its own cut for Saginaw on May 15, 2012. The Central Michigan Railway was folded into the HESR in 2004. BELOW: Former Union Pacific power was acquired in 2012 to help phase out the older GE power from the roster. Leading train 702, HESR 2661 crosses the Saginaw River bridge in Sag- inaw on December 13, 2012.
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