7/31/1909

Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad Company is incorporated to acquire the assets of the Manistique, Marquette and Northern Railroad from the Union Trust Company and the Ann Arbor Railroad Company for $1.00.

1910

Michigan Railroad Commission Inpection
MANISTIQUE & LAKE SUPERIOR RAILROAD

An inspection of this property was made August 31st. The line extends from Manistique where it connects with the Minneapolis, St Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway to Shingleton, a junction point of the Duluth, South, South Shore & Atlantic Railway.
The business of this road is principally the handling of forest products.
The track and roadbed is in poor condition, needing a great many ties, ballast and surfacing. Six thousand four hundred ties put in during the present year., but as many more should be put in. They have 37 mile miles of main line track and 39 miles of sidings and logging spurs. Their equipment consists of 5 locomotive, not in very good condition; 2 coaches which need overhauling and painting; 2 cabooses, which need overhauling and painting; 3 old box cars; 45 flat cars, in fair condition; 170 Russell Logging Cars, in fair condition.
Trains which are equipped as required by law are moved by telephone with written order system.
A mixed train is proved for the accommodation of the public which appears to be satisfactory.
The rail is in many places battered at joints and should be renewed.
No fences to speak of; 32 bridges and culverts is fair condition.
Frogs and switches blocked.
This road needs a general overhauling but there does not appear to be sufficient revenue from its earnings to make necessary improvements.

4/14/1911

The Ann Arbor Railroad buys the Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad.

Sept. 19, 1916

Railroad Commissioners approved promissory note to purchase 50 flat cars from General Equipment Company, for $21,250.00. Note for $15,937.50 to bear 6% interest for two years, $5,312.50 cash down payment.

MANISTIQUE & LAKE SUPERIOR RAILROAD CO.

This property was inspected August 16^th, 1916. The main line of this property extends from Shingleton, a connection with the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway, to Manistique with branch lines which extend to forest terminals that are used for transportation of forest products. There are no stations on this road except at Manistique and Shingleton. A mixed train is provided for the accommodation of the traveling public which seems to be ample for the traffic presented. The equipment is as required by law as is fairly well maintained. The rail in the track is 60 and 65 pound and in fair condition. 13,600 ties were renewed this season. Eighty rods of fence built this year. Bridge structures satisfactory for the traffic presented. One bridge rebuilt this season. Weeds on right of way not cut. Considerable ballast has been placed in the track during the season. This property showed a decided improvement since the last inspection.

March 10, 1919

Public Utilities Commission Authorizing the Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad Company to cross the Manistique Pulp & Paper Company's private track.

1921
[AFE = Authorization For Expense]

Shows income for Milk transportation – AFE 88 new wood spur to Berry Chemical Company plant – AFE 51 40 flat cars – AFE 80 Water tank at Manistique – AFE 82 Vertical boiler Manistique – AFE 83 Flue ratter Manistique – AFE 84 extending tracks 2 & 3 at Manistique – AFE 85 Relaying rail MP 15 – 18 AFE 86 Retirement of pulpwood spur, Manistique – AFE 87 Retirement of Manistique L. & P. siding Manistique

1922

Retire pulpwood spur, Manistique – Manistique L&P Company siding – AFE 90 retirement McNeil branch – extending tracks 2 & 3 at Manistique – purchase motor car & hand car – AFE 99 extend Manistique River Bridge - AFE 89 applying creep checks

1923

AFE 91 purchase Roadway, Motor and Push cars – AFE 92 purchase (1) Burroughs Adding Machine – AFE 93 Purchase dock property Manistique – AFE 94 retirement planner and wheel press – AFE 95 building 240 rods of wire fence – AFE 96 purchase wheel press 8’ ram with pulleys – AFE 97 purchase one gasoline engine – AFE 98 purchase one planer – AFE 100 replacing 60# steel with 70# relayer Mile Post 9 - 11

1924

AFE 101 purchased locomotive No. 7 $6218.93 – AFE 102 Purchase billing machine – AFE 103 purchase concert mixer - AFE 104 purchase steam shovel $1,600.00 – AFE 107 built machine shop – AFE 105 retire old machine shop – AFE 106 retire shop machinery – AFE 108 build car shop - AFE 109 build oil house - AFE 110 retire caboose No. 1 – AFE replacing 3 miles of 60# rail with 70# rail mile post 15 to 18

1925

Wabash Railroad acquires the Ann Arbor Railroad.
AFE 112 build one track for yard – AFE 113 purchase install shop machinery – AFE 114 retire flat cars 435 & 509 – AFE 115 purchase 40 acres land (Manistique) – AFE 116 purchase and install shop machinery

1926

Miscellaneous physical property report – rail and track material

• Manistique Pulp and Paper Company – Bridge

• Hanneman Bros. - Spur track

• City Fuel Company - Spur track

• Schimkatt Cutley Company - Spur track

• Napoleon Boudah - Spur track

• A. M. Chesbrough - Spur track

• Northwestern Cooperage Company - Spur track

• John Stankovich & August Carlson - Spur track

• Guy H. Burrell - Spur track

• C. E. Burrell - Spur track

• C. E. Clement - Spur track

• Oscar Anderson (listed twice)- Spur track

• Odell and Aldrich - Spur track

• Carl Christensen - Spur track

[The above list is believed to be list of customers that railroad owned the spur track.]

1929

The car ferry Milwaukee, ex Manistique, Marquette and Northern Railroad No. 1 founders off Milwaukee, Wisconsin 10/22/1929.
Miscellaneous physical property report – rail and track material

• Byers - Spur track

• C.E. Clement & Son - Spur track

• Brown Lumber Company - Spur track

[The above list is believed to be list of customers that railroad owned the spur track.  This in addition to the ones listed in 1926.]

1932 - 1935

Change in reporting to ICC by ICC

1939

Ann Arbor Railroad Bankruptcy Dockett 358/359 7-17-1939
Authorized to sell loco #2140 to M&LS RR for $59,888.

1941

Passenger operations on the Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad ended.

5/18/1949

Retire 5 M&LS flat cars [AA RR AFE item]

1950

Retired snow spreader, flat car – 7 shop machine – replaced shop steam engine with electric motor 30 HP
Own 3 locos – 2 box – 8 flat cars – caboose 1 – M of W 0

1/25/1950

Retire M&LS derrick 3178 [AA RR AFE item]

12/20/1950

Retire M&LS snow spreader 4502 [AA RR AFE item]

7/18/1951

Retire M&LS flat car 25009 [AA RR AFE item]

1952

A fire of undetermined origin on September 12, 1952, completely destroyed the roundhouse, sand house, material room, two steam locomotives, shop machinery, and other minor facilities with a ledger value of $21,722.00 and depreciated value of $6,320.00.  The insurance recovered from this destroyed property amounted to $9,700.00

On February 21, 1952, the board of directors authorized the purchase of one 660 h.p. diesel switching locomotive for use in road service, at a cost of $83,194.15, and on November 14, 1952, authorized expenditures of $4,413.00 covering the cost of constructing diesel fueling M52, and resulted in complete dieselization of all operations.

Retirement of 3 steam locos and one flat car

7/21/1952

Purchase 660 HP diesel for M&LS RR [AA RR AFE item]

9/16/1952

Purchase diesel machinist tool set for M&LS [AA RR AFE item]

9/30/1952

Retire M&LS flat car 25017 [AA RR AFE item]

11/7/1952

Retire machine and tool account fire M&LS (steam) [AA RR AFE item]

11/7/1952

Retire M&LS locomotives 2370 and 2390 [AA RR AFE item]

1953

Purchased one snow plow $630.00 – retire one flat car

11/6/1953

Retire M&LS flat car 25024 [AA RR AFE item]

12/28/1953

Purchase one steel snowplow for M&LS [AA RR AFE item]

1954

Retire two story freight house and office building and construct new one story office building and freight house, Manistique, Michigan

1956

Constructed steel building for use as diesel shop, store room, and locker room, Manistique, Michigan

1959

Retire and sell AA caboose 2830 to M&LS RR Co. renumber M&LS completed 9-22-50 [AA RR AFE item]

1959

• Retire and sell AA caboose 2830 to M&LS RR Co. renumber M&LS completed 9-22-1959

• M&LS purchase one second hand steel caboose from AA RR retire & dismantle caboose M&LS No. 7 [AA RR AFE item]

1959

Replacement of pile trestle with 48 inch corrugated metal pipe and fill at Steuben, Michigan – retirement and dismantlement of wooden caboose No. 7 and the purchase of a second-hand all steel Caboose from the Ann Arbor Railroad Company

1960

Duluth South Shore and Atlantic and the old Soo Line merge, ending the Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad's bridge function.

1961

Retire M&LS freight car; 51, 52, 25001, 25006, 25012, 25014, 25018, 25023 completed 12-27-1961 [AA RR AFE item]

1963

Wabash sells the Ann Arbor to the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad.

7/18/1968

Poor's Manual of Railroads, 1910, p. 841 states: "Manistique and Lake Superior RR . . . Chartered in July 1909 as successor to Manistique and Northern RR Co. . . . whose property was purchased as of August 1, 1909, by the Manistique and Lake Superior R.R. Co."

The Manistique Pioneer-Tribune on p. 1 of their June 20th, 1968 issue reported that the AA had petitioned the ICC in early 1967 to discontinue the car ferry operation from Manistique (and Menominee). Hearing were heard for two days in November of 1967 in Manistique. The M&LS joined the effort to abandon the car ferry. "(t) Manistique (M&LS) petition was granted and on July 17, 1968, the DT&I informed the Manistique city manager that the railroad and the ferry would cease operations at 12:01 A.M. on July 18. Note. this applied to both the car ferry operation and the railroad.

Some confusion exists due to the fact that the scrapping train was operated in pulling up rails after July 18, and Craig Wilson has car ferry manifests which show movements from Manistique after July 18 but only to bring down to Frankfort cars and the locomotive.

Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad and Ann Arbor car ferry operations from Manistique cease.