pointment. Despite the replacement of a scored crankshaft by MIGN, it was most- ly seen out of service beside the engine- house at North Cadillac. The Baldwin locomotive influence continued when MIGN purchased three RS12s from the Seaboard Coast Line at Jacksonville, Fla., a few months after the sharks arrived. By late 1978, Mich- igan Northern rostered ten locomotives including five Alcos and five Baldwins. The enginehouse at North Cadillac was becoming a genuine railfan destination.
Motive Power Shuffle Other railroads were officially opposed
to MIGN’s “flag out” policy that attracted business at the expense of other carriers, but neighboring Chesapeake & Ohio also benefited from the MIGN’s increased traffic and began to quietly help with the locomotive shortages. Two Geeps were rented from Chessie System follow- ing the early 1978 locomotive failures
RIGHT: Michigan Northern’s locomotive maintenance facility was located at the old Pennsylvania Railroad one-stall enginehouse at North Cadillac. In February 1977 the enginehouse is seen surrounded by Alco roadswitchers, a Jordan Spreader modified with a high front blade for snow plowing, and the inevitable winter snow. BELOW: Winter railroading is tough in Michigan for shortlines and Class I carriers alike. A Chesapeake & Ohio crew works into the night to re-rail C&O snowplow SP-21 and GP9 No. 6021 which derailed on an ice-filled crossing at Bellaire, Mich., 60 miles north of Cadillac.
previously discussed. Four C&O Geeps were made available during the July 4 weekend when MIGN was choked with overhead lumber traffic. That weekend saw one of the longest trains in company history, consisting of 70 carloads of lum- ber from Cadillac to the Conrail connec- tion at Comstock Park. While documentation is no longer available, the longest train on the south end of the railroad was probably 88 loads south from Cadillac, which is also remembered for breaking a coupler knuckle at Ashton (20 miles south of Ca- dillac), much to the displeasure of con- ductor Paul Bensen. Former MIGN sales
manager Glen Ashley recalled that in one week the company moved 280 loads south from Cadillac; he has speculated that the old Pennsylvania Railroad had not moved that many loads on the line in the same period of time for decades, if ever. On the north end of the railroad, en-
gineer Paul Baumgartner remembered a southbound train of 81 lumber loads, 15 empty pipe gondolas picked up on- line at Kalkaska, and two miscellaneous empties, for a total of 98 cars. On the head end were the five MIGN Alcos and three leased C&O Geeps. Unfortunately the crew didn’t have enough m.u. cables
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