RailRoadFan.com

Crews working to reconstruct Huron Street in downtown Ann Arbor have unearthed a set of railway tracks buried just beneath the asphalt.

The long metal rails harken back to a day when light rail spread across Ann Arbor and connected the city to other urban centers in the region.

Story and photos: Uncovered rail tracks offer glimpse into Ann Arbor's past

You know I saw some poking thru the asphalt down on Jackson Rd. By the split & was curious about where they were from, but by the time I had gotten home I had forgotten about them. I presume that these are part of the same line.

peter

PerRock wrote:You know I saw some poking thru the asphalt down on Jackson Rd. By the split & was curious about where they were from, but by the time I had gotten home I had forgotten about them. I presume that these are part of the same line.

peter

Yes righteous. Also Greyhound Bus Depot former an Jackson, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti & Detroit interurban depot demolished. Watch demolition of downtown Ann Arbor building to make way for hotel http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor ... town-.html

pretty cool to see them sticking up like that, but not so fun to drive over

I've seen those tracks a great many times at the places where they stick up through the road.

The Ann Arbor District Library has a wonderful picture book about the history of trolleys and interurbans in Washtenaw County. Some other libraries in the county may have it as well.

s

59caddy wrote:I've seen those tracks a great many times at the places where they stick up through the road.

The Ann Arbor District Library has a wonderful picture book about the history of trolleys and interurbans in Washtenaw County. Some other libraries in the county may have it as well.

Uncovered rail tracks offer glimpse into Ann Arbor's past (photos); http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/ind ... cart_river

In Lima Center (Lima Township) has a Lima Substation on Jackson Rd (by Eddie Grass) http://www.railroadmichigan.com/limacenter.jpg

I think that they should preserve that spot, and build a "visitor's center" over that spot so that people may come and view those ancient rails. I'd even be willing to pay an admission charge of, say, 25 cents, to be able to view them if they also post a docent there to talk about the rails and the trolleys and how they once served the area. Maybe they could even post a couple of picture of the old trolleys, if any exist, inside the visitor's center. People would likely line up for miles around to see it. It might even become the most popular attraction in Ann Arbor!

While the Ann Arbor Railroad trackage were being raised the interurban had a half-interlocker at the crossing point. Originally there was going to be a large trestle over the Ann Arbor RR but the city ordered the Ann Arbor to rise its trackage and determined the clearance at each to the street, this allowed the interurban to pass under the Ann Arbor RR and corrected street blockage problems with the Ann Arbor trains.

NYCMan wrote:I think that they should preserve that spot, and build a "visitor's center" over that spot so that people may come and view those ancient rails. I'd even be willing to pay an admission charge of, say, 25 cents, to be able to view them if they also post a docent there to talk about the rails and the trolleys and how they once served the area. Maybe they could even post a couple of picture of the old trolleys, if any exist, inside the visitor's center. People would likely line up for miles around to see it. It might even become the most popular attraction in Ann Arbor!

You are aware that these rails are in the middle of a major thoroughfare in the city. Building a visitors center over them would mean having a building in the middle of the road.

peter

Does anyone know the origin of this map image they used for that article? Is there a larger size that shows the full LP? Is this part of an interurban publication?

We ran across another spot with some rails after catching 350 in Ann Arbor today. This is on Jackson ave, part of the I-94 business loop. It was neat to see in the road just peaking up through the worn pavement. not long before they get to it and rip it all up.