Towns and Nature: Clare, MI: 1898-1955 Junction Tower: AA vs. PM, Union Depot and Old Wood Grain Elevator

(Satellite, the depot's land is now occupied by the Clare Public Works Department.)

New depot location: (Satellite)

The full title for the junction tower should be: Great Lakes Central Railroad/Tuscola & Saginaw Railway/Ann Arbor vs. Trail/C&O/Pere Marquette

Some remnants of the PM serve as an industrial spur. The PM route to the east is now the Pere-Marquette Rail Trail of Mid-Michigan.

Clare Union Railroad Depot posted

The inscription by Mr. Keenan on the back reads:

“CLARE MICHIGAN

“Photograph taken by Hud Keenan September 1948 as a member of the Mt Pl High School Camera Club

Reproduced by Hud Keenan April 2018 Mt. Pleasant MI

“View west at the diamond where the Pere Marquette RR (Saginaw Ludington) crosses the Ann Arbor (Toledo and Frankfort).

“Eastbound Pere Marquette freight 1017

Mikado 2-8-2 (A ”Mike” Locomotive) Built in 1919 Scrapped 1951”

(Photo donated to the Depot Museum by Hudson Keenan)

Additional notes: The Interlocker pictured, according to the Fall 1998 Double A magazine, was a 15 lever mechanical used by both the AA and the PMRR. It was built in 1898 by the Ann Arbor for a cost of $4233 and was 100% owned by the AARR. The tower originally had clapboard siding, but in the early 1950s it had been covered in maintenance free asbestos siding.

Rosebush Station Agent George Peabody noted in his journal, “On May 10, 1955 Tower at Clare discontinued today”

Discontinued=Demolished. Though the diamond in Clare is still in use, there exists no signs of the interlocker or its 58 year life

Charles Geletzke Jr. shared
Logan Savoie: In 1954/1955 the Chesapeake and Ohio upgraded the former PM between Saginaw and Ludington with CTC, I believe at that time Clare was made into an automatic interlocking thus eliminating the need for the tower.
Marty Johnson: The depot was just off to the right of the photo.
As a side note, before the Interlocker was built, RR employees were placed in the "witch's hat," and from there could watch for trains, which had to be switched to other tracks manually.
If either comment is incorrect or needs additional info, please comment!

July 1980 photo by Charlie Whipp via MichiganRailroads
Clare was established in 1840. The PM arrived in 1871, and the Ann Arbor came through in 1888.
(The corporate ancestor of PM had built its own depot in 1870. But when the AA route arrived, a union depot was built in 1887. [OurMidland])

Clare Union Railroad Depot posted

HAPPY DAY FROM WARRICK WEDNESDAY: FEATURING MY FAVORITE PHOTO OF THE CLARE UNION DEPOT FROM 74 YEARS AGO

It’s the spring of 1950 and massive changes are happening with the railroads in Clare. The Pere Marquette had been officially merged into the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O). With that in mind, the Saginaw-Ludington mainline had become a major thoroughfare for the C&O via the car ferry fleet. Soon after this photo was taken, four regularly scheduled freight trains in each direction, powered by the newest diesel locomotives available, were making their way through Clare daily. Roaring along at 65 miles per hour between the car ferry docks in Ludington and the yards in Saginaw, the Clare Depot rattled as hundreds of cars passed.

On the Ann Arbor Railroad (AA) side of the depot, diesels would soon be ruling their mainline freights as well, with the AA steam locomotives almost all being replaced by the end of 1950. The AA also ran fast freights between Toledo and Frankfort at this time,running on schedules that coincided with the AA car ferry fleet.

The star of the show here, AA locomotive 153, is seen with passenger train No.52 running from Frankfort to Toledo. The ten-wheeler, a 1908 product of the Schenectady Locomotive Works, would shortly be pulled from service in May 1950, and was supposedly scrapped on December 30 of the same year.

AA passenger trains No.51 and No.52 were losing more money than they could ever make hauling mail and very few passengers. A few short months after this photo was taken, passenger service came to an end on July 19,1950. The stacks of mail seen in the photo pay testament to the importance of the mail contracts which kept the trains in service, but the lack of paying riders spoke volumes on the trains’ future.

The Clare Tower, owned and operated by the AA, guarded the crossings of the two railroads as it had for over 50 years. Standing proudly in its well maintained green paint and well kept roof, it was opened 24 hours a day seven days a week to keep freight trains from both lines running safely and on time. The tower would meet its fate in the mid1950s.

The Depot itself was still well maintained in its original two tone green motif with a bright red lightning rod standing tall above the structure. Still operating as a public place, one can even spot the United States Post Office mailbox mounted on the corner of the depot.

Photographer unknown, photo from the Warrick Collection

Robert Warrick shared

Clare Union Railroad Depot posted

Another day, another find, another view of the Clare Depot.

In this undated, uncredited photograph, taken, we guess, sometime in 1970s, the aging depot displays a side not often seen in most of the older pictures. Looking west alongside the C&O tracks, one can make out the rear loading dock (now our front entrance) as well as AARR freight house to the far right. In between stands a portion of a structure we believe was used by Seiter Lumber. To the left (south) side of the depot is the C&O shed looking much better than it does in 2024. Also, check out the number of glass insulators setting on the crossbars of the utility poles.

Robert Warrick: The white building to the left, past the phone boxes was the PM/C&O track inspectors motor car and tool shed. It still had a PM switch lock on the door when it was moved off site.

The junction was at the southwest corner of the town.

1959 Clare Quad @ 24,000

Note the water tower as well as the junction tower in the background.

patronicity

Cindy Eufemi Gray posted
Roughly sixty years before the Wx4 visit, a pair of Ann Arbor McKeen Cars lined up nose to nose in front of the depot for some unknown reason. Note that Clare sported an interlocking tower and water plug (suitable for use by either railroad, it appears) back then. - postcard photo
Tim Shanahan shared
Clare Michigan

Robert Warrick posted

The original Flint & Pere Marquette Depot in Clare, Michigan now a freight house. Note the Ann Arbor Railroad train passing the Union Depot, water tower and tower in the background.

The freight house is now just a memory. It was purchased by the elevator and used as offices and warehousing until it was torn down.

I spent many happy summer mornings in the early 1970’s on the dock, waiting for the C&O local to arrive.

Clare Union Railroad Depot posted two photos with the comment:

101 TREASURES OF THE CLARE UNION DEPOT: PART 17
10 GALLON MILK CANS
The Clare Union Depot was at one time a central hub for milk collection and distribution in mid-Michigan. The Ann Arbor Railroad recognized this, and in fact opened up their own creamery in Clare to supply their entire system’s dining cars with milk, cream, and butter. The Ann Arbor Creamery was in business until the early 1930s when they sold the trackside plant near the depot to Kraft who continued to operate the facility for several more decades.
The railroads served an important part in providing fresh milk to larger urban areas where dairy farms were scarce, and where unscrupulous city producers often watered down the milk, fed their cows with used grain and mash from distilleries, and/or added chalk to whiten their product , all of which earned its moniker “swill milk”. Since fresh raw milk spoils quickly and is quite perishable, and since the days of safe, rapid road transport were in the distant future, cities like Clare served an important role.
(Note the milk cans in the depot photo from the early 1900s. These 10 gallon cans weighed nearly 110 pounds full, and even though the heavy gauge metal cans were handed roughly every step of the way, they were durable, stackable, and easy to clean. Railroad fee agreements for shipping full cans guaranteed free return of empties to the origin point.)
We have copies of way-bills of cream and milk carried on Ann Arbor passenger trains (faster than and more stops than freights) to dozens of cities around 1911, and even a detailed list of the 241 shipments from Clare in August, 1923, when the railroad collected $91.00 in fees. Cans were delivered that month to Swift Creamery in Alma, Beatrice Creamery in Durand, and Cadillac’s Sheery & Goodenough.
For more information on the glory days of and the origin of milk runs in railroading history, stop by and see our exhibit at the Clare Union Depot, or go to thehenryford.com and read their article “Moving Milk on the Railroad “
Stay safe

[I did not realize that they weighed over 100 pounds. The can itself was rather heavy. My uncle would have to left the loaded cans in and out of the cooler. The cooler held refrigerated water and the walls were higher than the height of the cans.]

Robert Warrick shared

The day after I came across the above post, I saw this post. Milk cans were used until the 1960s when glass pipelines and bulk tanks became available.

Jeff Farley posted
How the milk was collected from farms before the advent of tankers.
[There are 1,619 comments on this post.]

Clare Union Railroad Depot posted

A TSBY MOMENT AT THE CLARE DEPOT, JUST ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO (WW photo and article by Robert Warrick)

In all their freshly painted glory, Tuscola & Saginaw Bay (TSBY) locomotives 389 and 385 are seen here accelerating past the Clare Union Depot in the fall of 1984. The train is on its way from Cadillac to Owosso, exhibiting just a hint of diesel exhaust as the engineer opens the throttle. These engines had just marked 20 years in service, and the smooth operation stood as a real testament of the skills of the Owosso shops’ forces.

Both locomotives were built for the Ann Arbor Railroad (AA) in 1964, with 385 arriving on April 4th followed quickly by the 389’s debut on May 1st. When they were delivered to the AA, they were the pride of the long running railroad and stood as solid evidence that under the management of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad, newfound prosperity was just around the corner for the AA.

Fast forward 20 years to 1984, the newly painted locomotives under TSBY ownership were the pride of yet another railroad with hope for a prosperous future. Even then, image meant everything in business. Employees, ownership, and most importantly customers were all impressed with their new appearance as a symbol of the up-and-coming Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railroad.

The paint scheme is a classic second generation Electro-Motive Corporation design. TSBY borrowed from the Burlington Northern Railroads (BN) diagrams to paint the locomotives, substituting TSBY’s bright yellow in place of BN’s cascade green. The line used DuPont Imron paint, endorsed by locomotive manufacturers for its shine, for its durability, and, as witnessed here, for its classy appearance.

Ed. note: The lead engine pictured here was scrapped by its last owner, Great Lakes Central, in 2018. Engine 385 is still in operation today and can often be seen in use by the GLC as it rumbles by the Depot sixty years after its first launch.

Jim Worrell: Look at that signal post.

Clare Union Railroad Depot: Jim Worrell we still have the devices at the top of the post in storage.

Moved, but not restored. Of course, I included an old wood grain elevator in the left background.

Street View, Jul 2014

Restored.

Street View, Aug 2019

That Great Northern caboose is a long ways from home. I guess you buy what comes on the market. I'm glad that they invite you to see what is on the inside.

Street View

Photo provided by Clare Union Railroad Depot via SecondWaveMedia
"The Clare Railroad Depot will house the offices of the Clare County Visitors Bureau, Clare Area Chamber of Commerce, Clare County Arts Council & Art Gallery, and Great Lakes Central Railway maintenance crew. It will also serve as a community center, with picnic areas, meeting rooms, outdoor bathrooms, and numerous events planned. The depot is home to many historical artifacts currently on display, including two caboose train cars. It will also serve as a trailhead for the planned Pere Marquette Rail-Trail extension. Clare City Clerk Diane Lyon hopes to see passenger rail service return to downtown Clare one day."
The first union depot was built in 1887, but it was destroyed by fire in 1894. This Queen Anne architectural style depot was built in 1895. Passenger service ended in the 1950s. The city bought it in 2004 and moved it to the current site in 2012. Its grand opening was celebrated on Oct 12, 2018.
The city bought the depot from the railroad for $10,000 with the stipulation that it be moved away from the tracks.
(The move happened on Apr 25, 2014. [marp])

Back in its hay day. Look at all of the milk cans.

Postcard

OurMidland

Even though it cost just $10,000 to buy it, it cost $138,251 to move it and over $500,000 to restore it. [marp]

A gallery of move day photos

A 3:03 video about the move and restoration

Did they end up with a Great Northern caboose because a caboose with an original interior is had to obtain?

Bill Smith, Jul 2020

Clare Union Railroad Depot posted

HEN THE CLARE UNION DEPOT WAS A FUEL STOP:

PHOTO AND ARTICLE BY ROBERT WARRICK

It’s early fall,1982, and at the eighty-six year old Clare Union Depot, Sperry Rail Service “rail detection car” SRS 131 pauses to take on fuel for its run between Saginaw and Ludington.

It had been a busy summer on the Chessie System Ludington Subdivision. A few months previously, a mechanized tie gang replaced over 1,000 cross ties per mile along the 90 plus mile route between Dow Chemical’s Dean Yard in Midland and the Baldwin Subdivision line running to Grand Rapids. Shortly afterwards, another crew of maintenance forces dumped trainloads of limestone ballast stone as witnessed by the partially buried track. Before a deep freeze settles in, a third crew, the surfacing gang, will make its way through Clare to tamp and align the track. This will be done in order to both support the new cross ties and surface, as well as to meet the standards of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Class III track for 40mph operations.

On the day I took the photo, Sperry Rail Service was making its annual round on the Chessie line using one of their fleet of 19 rail bond rail detection cars. (They also ran the length of the Ann Arbor RR mainline from Toledo to Frankfort each year.) SRS 131 pictured here was built in November 1925 for the Lehigh Valley Railroad by the St Louis Car Company. Originally used by Lehigh as a “Doodlebug”, the self propelled 60-foot long railcar once carried passengers, baggage, mail, and even freight before it was purchased by Sperry. Sperry then converted it to use as a self propelled rail detection car.

Sperry’s cars look for defects in the rail using ultrasonic detection. The system used was invented by Dr. Elmer Sperry (1880-1930) in 1928, and the cars were developed as a method of non-destructive rail testing. The detection car is able to look inside the steel rail for defects that may cause the rail to break under the weight of a passing train. Once a rail is found to be defective, the crew marks the rail with yellow paint for the railroad company to replace as soon as possible. In many cases, a rail crane and flat car followed the Sperry Car to change out defective rail with newer rail immediately.

Today Sperry continues as a world leader in what is now known as “Rail Health Solutions” as they test untold miles of rail around the planet.

Editor’s note: SRS 131 was still in service as of last October . Visit rrpicturearchives.net to see other photos from the past 50 years of the car in service around the USA and Canada.

Robert Warrick shared