RailRoadFan.com

So can anyone tell me whether the old Stroh's plant at 375 & 75 ever had rail service? seems like with the amount of product they handled it would be a lot of tuck traffic... the "cut" GTW north south line was a stones throw from there, but I see no geographical evidence that the rails changed elevations to provide street level access to businesses.
I've been beating my brains out trying to find info on plant layout of the brewery... any good sources for info?

Thanks!

I'd consult an old Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from the era you're looking for. These are extremely detailed and will show the plant layout in addition to any railroad tracks that may have been in there. UofM has Michigan Sanborn's online but you need to have an account to see them. You could also try the main public library on Woodward in Detroit. I can access the online version but I need the exact street corner the plant was on before the Interstates were put in.

The complex was rather large... it encompassed the 1300 block of Maple... and the area from the freeways to Gratiot Ave. So, I suppose Russell St and Gratiot Ave. would be the intersection. I was trying to find Sanborne fire maps online earlier, I need to try through my library(maybe they have access). If you're offering to look it up, I would be looking for maps from 1940's through the mid 80's (building was torn down 1985ish), as that is the era I'm researching.

Any thoughts on topographical maps? how are they for inner-urban areas? it might show the "cut".

I thought Stroh's was switched by the MC line that went downtown and parralleled GTW's line

Hmmmm... I have no idea. Did MC share the cut with GTW?

M&LS wrote:Hmmmm... I have no idea. Did MC share the cut with GTW?

GTW and MC had a connecting track at the end of their parallel lines downtown so I would guess at one time if nothing else they exchanged cars down there by Strohs.

I never saw an MC or NYC activity on "the cut". There were no rails going into the Stroh complex in the vicinity of Russell and Gratiot. I believe had some buildings father north, closer to the MIlwaukee Jct. area but I am not sure if they had a spur or siding.

Stinger

The closest the MC got to the Cut was city yard , the bridges and the ROW are mostly intact. I was able to drive some of the ROW 2 years ago.

The Sanborn sheets you want pertaining to the brewery are in Volume 4, sheets 22 and 32. The ones I'm looking at are from 1920 but show all updates through 1951. No railroad tracks are present in the plant or elsewhere in the vicinity except in the cut. If you send me a PM with your email I can email you the map images.

The closest the MC got to the Cut was city yard , the bridges and the ROW are mostly intact. I was able to drive some of the ROW 2 years ago.

Where was this yard at, M.D.?

City yard branched off the mainline (#1 rail today) around John R st. and curved around connecting with the GTW and the Cut. It was quite a large yard used for both interchange and industry work. I have talked with a couple of oldtimers that wandered a little too far and ended up face to face with a GTW train. Ah, the old days !