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Where the Rails Cross a Railroad History of Durand, Michigan by IE Quastler
Where the Rails Cross a Railroad History of Durand, Michigan by IE Quastler
Soft Cover
192 pages
Copyright 2005
CONTENTS
Preface and Acknowledgements 7
Overview 9
Chapter I: Small Beginnings 11
Chapter II: Railroad Junction Durand 13
Chapter III: A Serious Threat and Some Progress 15
Chapter IV: A Major Railroad Junction Takes Form 19
Chapter V: Blossoming Into a Railroad Town 25
Chapter VI: A Respectable Depot at Last 37
Chapter VII: A Grand Trunk Town and a Fire 41
Chapter VIII: World War I and the Twenties 61
Chapter IX: The Great Depression and World War II 69
Chapter X: The Postwar Years, 1945 to 1961 87
Chapter XI: The End of GTW Passenger Service 129
Chapter XII: Amtrak Service and Saving the Depot 137
Chapter XIII: Depot Renovation and Durand's Changing Railroad Scene 149
Chapter XIV: 2005 and Beyond 165
Footnotes 167
Index173
Color Section 177
ON THE BACK COVER
Railroads have been an integral part of Durand, Michigan, for well over 100 years. Although the first railroad arrived in 1856, not until 1876 did Durand become a railroad crossroads. In 1895 the community began its development into one of Michigan's busiest railroad towns when the Ann Arbor Railroad moved its division point there. However, at the start of the 20th century Durand became increasingly a Grand Trunk Railway town. As the focus point of several GT routes, that
firm built extensive yards, a large roundhouse, and an impressive Union Station. At Durand's high point, six Grand Trunk (later Grand Trunk Western) lines spread out from "The Hub," and it became "Michigan's quintessential railroad town." This is the story of the development of Durand, the town where the rails still cross. Included are 192 pages with over 190 photos (17 in color) of a memorable era in Michigan history.
OVERVIEW
Railroads have been an integral part of Durand for well over 100 years. During the community's first few decades, however, there was no railroad. In those years the place (then called Vernon Centre) was little more than a rural crossroads in what was virtually a frontier. Although the first railroad arrived in 1856, for years the community continued to have few people. Vernon Centre remained small, even after it became a railroad crossroads in 1876 and was renamed Durand. Not until 1895 did its population begin to boom, as it started to develop into one of Michigan's busiest railroad towns. Ironically, in light of later experience, that boom was triggered by the Ann Arbor Railroad (AA) when it moved its division point (where engines and crews of trains were changed) to Durand.
After the turn of the twentieth century, Durand became increasingly a Grand Trunk Railway (GT, later Grand Trunk Western) town. In part, that was because the Ann Arbor moved its operational center back to nearby Owosso. More positively, as the focal point of several GT routes, that firm built extensive yards, a large roundhouse, and associated facilities, as well as an impressive depot. At Durand's high point, six Grand Trunk lines spread out from "The Hub," and it became what one author called "Michigan's quintessential railroad town."
After about 1950, the role of railroads in Durand's economy began to decline, at first gradually and then rapidly. This was largely because of what some have called the rapid mechanization of railroading. With the change from steam to diesel power, streamlined track maintenance procedures, and the centralization of administration and operations, the number of jobs decreased. For Durand this trend continued until, by about 1980, few railroad jobs remained. This led to great economic hardship, and the 1970s, in particular, are remembered as a difficult period. Eventually, the town reinvented itself, becoming largely a bedroom community for Flint and other large cities, and growth resumed. Today, few residents are railroaders, and none are based in town. But the community retains pride in its railroad heritage, as illustrated by the fact that its high school teams are still called the "Railroaders," and by sustained community efforts toward saving and upgrading its noteworthy depot, Durand Union Station.
Despite the virtual disappearance of local railroad jobs, trains remain very much a part of the Durand scene. Measured in tonnage, at the time of this writing (2005) traffic is at or near an all-time high. However, today most trains roar through without stopping. This traffic is highly concentrated on just one of the town's historic routes, the northeast-southwest Canadian National (CN, formerly Grand Trunk Western) main line that connects Toronto with Chicago. This stretch is a key part of CN's expanding network and an important link in the ongoing economic integration of the United States, Canada and Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
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