Gaylord was the center of my consulting career during this time, and my first month of encounters with the D&M were around Grayling-Gaylord-Alpena. I had heard this guy on the radio, but went bli... (more)

D&M RS-2m 977 was rebuilt in 1977 with a new fuel tank and relocated battery boxes make it look like a RS-3.

Almost hidden by the trees from the road on the back side of the engine.

It was a bitterly cold day when this photo was taken. Five minutes earlier was a brief blinding snowfall, which had moved off over the Straits of Mackinac.

Railroad carferry Chief Wawatam smokes up St Ignace as it heads for the dock. The Wawatam burned coal ... and was hand-fired. A Detroit and Mackinac boxcar is visible in the ship's bow area.

The "Chief" approaches the Mackinw City dock to be swirched by the D&M Railway.

Westbound train leaves Alpena for the Paxton shale quarry seven miles distant. Line was torn out in the late 1990's.

Southbound freight has just braved the snows of Vanderbilt Hill north of Gaylord.

Plowing steep snow, daily Detroit & Mackinac freight battles the north end of Vanderbilt Hill on the ex-NYC Mackinaw Division.

Steam Railroading Institute's ex-Detroit & Mackinac 44-tonner sits in the background as Cinder supervises and keeps an eye on activity in the enginehouse.

D&M RS-3u 975 works the north end of the Bay City yard.

Built in 1946 D&M S-1 646 takes a break from switching hopper cars at D&M's parent company's Big Cut quarry.

D&M RS-2 481 in a light snow.

D&M RS-2 977 had an interesting history. It was built in 1949 for the Delaware & Hudson as #4020, then it was sold in 1962 to the Lond Island RR as #1520. In 1977 it was sold again through NI&M to... (more)

Stripped of all useable parts D&M RS-2 4610 sits in the weeds at ALPENA MI in 1997. Built in 1946 it will not be until 2005 that this unit is finally scrapped.