Rail Cars Loaded On Ann Arbor Car Ferry Service

August 26, 2009

Larry shares memories of watching rail cars loaded on the Ann Arbor Ferry and writes:

I was about 10 or 11 when my folks took sis and I on a trip over lake Michigan by the Ann Arbor Railroad car fery service.. We watched the men load rail cars on to the ship that we were going to be riding on.

Dad had bought a round trip ticket from Elberta (across from Frankfort Michigan and return. The round trip for me was exciting in watching the rail cars being loaded and off loaded and the process was repeated when we got to Wisconsin.

The trip back to Michaigan ended very early the next morning. The fog on the return trip was very heavy. To my boy like wonder we came out of the fog right in the middle of the channel. Though this was in the early 60’s, and desiels ruled, it was not hard to imagine what it may have looked like when steam ruled. If memory serves me right there was some old wooden rail cars in the yard.

Several years ago I went back with Dad and my wife. Two boats sat in the shallow waters of the harbor. Everything was in sad state of neglect. But now after 47 years, I can still remember that rail car trip across Lake Michigan, the noise, the rail cars being loaded and off loaded and of course the fog. Memories of a small family having a time of their lives.