It was a hot, dry, sunny Wednesday afternoon in mid-July. I was moving the hose to water one of the newly planted flowering pear trees near Grand Avenue. The rush hour traffic on Cass was stop and go, bumper to bumper. I looked up and observed a 60' long semi westbound, approaching the Grand Trunk crossing. As I began to walk away, the crossing signals activated. The gate came down with a definite crunch. The whistle was long and extremely heavy ~ not your standard warning at all. Something was not right. At just that moment, I heard the eastbound CN Freight go into emergency. I turned around just as the big two CN SDs slammed into the long white and orange tractor-trailer. It took only a few seconds, for the semi to be pushed sideways down the track and into our historic Mt Clemens depot. The first two collisions caused several cars further back to derail - right through the Depot Museum. There were bricks, cargo, and railroad artifacts everywhere. The Mt Clemens depot, and its contents; was a total loss. Only a few artifacts managed to be saved. Scavengers ran off with a number of items, before the police secured the scene.
Yet, it could have been worse. Several of. the derailed and overturned railcars were tankers containing potentially dangerous chemicals. A single puncture could have resulted in either an explosion or a deadly gas cloud. According to the Emergency Response Team and given the location, casualties could have been in the thousands.
Our 139 year old Mt Clemens depot was a total loss. The 130 year old storage shed was also totally destroyed, while the toolhouse was heavily damaged. Parts of the depot were recovered over a half-mile away. The station grounds were soon cleared of all remaining structural debris. Contributions did pour in, but there was no way the MTM could have financed the rebuilding of the old Mt Clemens Depot. The MTM would have to focus upon the museum's Sugar Beet trackage.
There was talk of preserving the site, for use as a commuter passenger station. However, most observers
agreed, that was unlikely. The property would more likely be sold, to be redeveloped as a small industrial site. History was lost; never to be recovered. All because a truck driver was where he shouldn't have been... However, none of that really happened, or did it ? The Mt Clemens Depot is still there -isn't it ? So, just what is all this ??.!7 An April Fool's Joke ? A Halloween Prank ?? A Yrag Sleahcim Nightmare ?!? No, Not Quite !!?!
Actually, most of it is true. Yes, True !
It was about 5:30 on that sunny afternoon, when I heard the strangely eirie locomotive horn sound. The Cass Avenue crossing gate arm actually had come down behind the cab of the truck and just in front of the trailer. You can only imagine my horror, as I turned and saw the eastbound freight approach; and my relief as the first locomotive passed untouched.
With the Depot apparently safe, I quickly ran into the station--directly to the bay window. As I looked down the track, it could easily be seen that there was less then 18 inches clearance, between the front of the semi's bumper and the side of the train passing.
Had the fool in the white/orange semi been stopped just a few feet further west, both the tractor and the trailer would have been sent right into the south end of our historic station. The Mt Clemens Depot really would have been history. It was far too real, far too close. Life is far, far more dangerous than fantasy.
-gjm

On or about 01 April 1998, the Canadian National Railways formally placed the Romeo Subdivision of the former Grand Trunk Western "For Sale". No price was given. If no buyers are found (and none are expected), then 37 of the 38.5 miles of the former Michigan Air Line will be abandoned and sold for scrap. The MTM does not plan to make an offer.
Trackage will stay for approximately 1.5 miles on the Pontiac and Richmond ends, to switch the several small industries the CN believes can be profitably serviced. Rail access for a Rochester Hills plastics plant and the Washington Elevator are expected to come to an end. The long expected service to the Romeo Ford plant has never come to fruition. Tight curvatures at the Pontiac end prevent the line's use as a Detroit bypass. Communities along the line are heavily residential. The last real use for most of the line was during the Canadian rail strike of a year or two - to store hundreds of empty railcars headed for Canada.
The Romeo Subdivision was part of the proposed St Clair to Jackson Michigan Air Line, constructed in the 1880s. The Grand Trunk Richmond station was expanded, at that time, to handle the expected increase in traffic. The line was eventurally controlled (in several sections) by the Grand Trunk and the Michigan Central. However, the expected traffic never developed, with major portions being abandoned in recent years. Coe Rail operates on an 8 mile section of the former Grand Trunk trackage, near Walled Lake.
No doubt, there will be more news to Come. -Rim

"These are the times that try men's souls", starts the Kingston Trio's record about Charlie on the subway. The tune was popular back in the early '60s, but the ideas haven't changed much since then. We still sometimes feel like we are beating our collective heads against the wall. You read Gary's article about the crossing - and it is very sobering!
The other day, I woke up a bit hungry and probably a bit grumpy. The daily mail was already in the kitchen, so I picked up the AAA "Michigan Living" magazine, and there found a story about the Bluewater Michigan Chapter, NRHS. Now, I have been sending AAA our Gazette for years, and have yet to find anything about MTM. Later, in the same magazine, was a short story about the Grand Canyon Railroad, and a discount package tour. No mention of the fact that 3 of their steam engines came from Michigan (included was a picture of #29 ex-L.S.& I.).
Still later that same day, I opened my latest copy of "TRAINLINE" (Tourist Railway Association), and lo' and behold, I read about Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village going to build a $2.6 million reproduction of the Marshall, Michigan 6-stall roundhouse, complete with visitor provisions so you can "get to the heart and soul of the railroad"! That blew my mind... Also included was a reference about the railroad coming before the automobile became dominant. What about that Peter Witt streetcar? It played a roll in this scene too, but I guess it wasn't important enough. It sat outside for 20 years, but they had a problem with giving it to MTM because we might not be able to give it all the attention it needs to be restored right now! By the way, where did that streetcar go?
Also, in the same TRAINLINE, I read about a movie company that wants to spend the money to restore a Union Pacific "Big Boy" to possible operation. And, the Tennessee Valley group in Chattanooga is expanding their steam shop to include wheel-turning machinery. WOW!
Several days later, I happened to hear a bit on TV about the downtown trolley. It seems that the 50c fare you pay to ride the trolley, actually costs the taxpayers of Detroit approximately $100 per person. They claim they carried 3,200 people last year (an average of about 9 passengers a day). I have thoughts about that situation, but they probably don't fit here.
After I recovered from my shock and jealousy of what THEY have, I calmed down and started to think about what WE have. My friends, we have been GIVEN a loading site that we couldn't possibly buy. It has plenty of parking, washrooms, picnic area, playground, etc. We are indeed grateful to Clinton Township for allowing the MTM to use Joy Park, and the cooperation and help that we have received from Township and Park personnel. True, the new location did not catch on right away, but, the passenger count has increased slowly but surely through the operating season. I know that we are running "Autumn Specials" on all four Sundays in October. This will help raise the count, some.
Next, I refer you to the two photos below. My friends, this is what it is all about. Our Museum presents to the passengers a historical aspect of rail transportation. The upper photo shows Asst. Conductor Brian A. Geib with a group of happy passengers aboard one of our EL cars (restored by our Museum personnel). The lower photo shows a scene inside our North Shore car #761 (restored by our Museum personnel). Yes, there is more work to do on both cars, but, I don't think that is really bothering these people too much! Let's go with what we have - we still have about 5 miles of track to run on. And , yes, we are reaching at least some of our goals!! A big "thank you" is in order for everyone who has had anything to do with our progress this year, and in preceding years! Both photos were taken this summer by chief photographer, Vernon Gomez.

In the pictures below are SOME of the people that have been helping the MTM during this summer. The upper left photo shows Dan Cameron shooting fire from a rail-cutting circular saw. The upper right photo shows the boys drilling holes in the "new" rail sections used to connect together the Range Road crossing. Left to right are: Bill Henning, Dan Cameron, Karl Joost, Jayson Gustaw (back to camera), Dieter Wenzel, Fred Wiles, Jr. (head down), and John Ericksen. Lower left photo shows Sandra Hamlet working ticket sales at the caboose, a job she took, no questions asked. Sandra was the one that "gave" us young Thomas Edison, along with homemade donations to raise money for MTM. Unfortunately, we are going to lose her the end of this year, as she is moving to Wisconsin (near the Mid-Continent Museum at North Freedom - another organization she is active in). Lower right photo shows Rob Hall and his "hooters" (sorry, I couldn't resist!). Rob, who comes all the way from Bay City just to help us, is allowing us to use his ex-diesel 3-chime horn, temporarily. One blast from this thing will practically lift the North Shore car off the track! Rob promises a slightly smaller set to be roof-mounted like it should be. Thanks, Rob. We appreciate the help of every one of these people - and others not shown for helping to make the M.T.M. what it is today!! Photos by chief photographer, Vernon C. Gomez.