Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Detroit and Mackinac Railway

Interstate Commerce Commission, Valuation Reports, Volume 121

Location and General Description of Property
The railroad of the Detroit & Mackinac Railway Company, hereinafter called the carrier, is a single-track standard-gauge steam railroad, located along the northeastern coast of the southern peninsula of Michigan. The main line extends northerly from Foss, via Alpena, to Cheboygan, a distance of about 195 miles. There are numerous branch lines, the most important of which extend from Emery Junction to Rose City, from Au Sable Junction to Comins, and from Hillman Junction to Hillman. The carrier operates from Bay City to Foss, 1.80 miles, by means of trackage rights over the road of the Pere Marquette Railway Company.

The carrier wholly owns and uses 359.605 miles of road. It also jointly owns and uses with the Pere Marquette Railway Company 0.260 undivided mile of road and a bridge over the Saginaw River at North Bay City, Mich. In addition, it owns but does not use 4.259 miles of road between Alabaster Junction and Alabaster, Mich., that is leased to the Erie & Michigan Railway & Navigation Company.

The carrier wholly owns and uses 486.664 miles of all tracks, wholly owns but does not use 4.924 miles of all tracks, and jointly owns and uses with another carrier 0.260 undivided mile of all tracks. These tracks, consisting of main tracks and yard tracks and sidings, are classified in the trackage table in Appendix 1.

Introductory
The carrier is a corporation of the State of Michigan, having its principal office at Alpena, Mich. The records reviewed do not indicate that it is controlled by any individual or corporation on date of valuation, nor, on the other hand that it controls any other common-carrier corporation. The property of the carrier has been operated by its own organization during its entire life, except the portion extending from Alabaster Junction to Alabaster, Mich., that has been operated by the Erie & Michigan Railway & Navigation Company from about 1904 to date of valuation.

Corporate History
The carrier was incorporated December 29, 1894, under the general laws of the State of Michigan for the purpose of acquiring the property, rights, and franchises of the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company. Pursuant to the above purpose, the carrier acquired the property, rights, and franchises of the company named. The carrier itself and that corporation, together with their predecessors, total eight different corporations, of which one underwent a change of name, and comprise the line of corporate succession culminating in the carrier as at present constituted. The following chart shows the names of the corporations, the respective dates of incorporation, and for each predecessor the date of succession, the immediately succeeding corporation, and the manner of succession. Reference to each of these corporations is made in the last column by its respective number shown in the first column.

Development of Fixed Physical Property
The owned mileage of the carrier, amounting to 363.864 miles, was acquired partly by purchase and partly by construction, as indicated below. Of the seven corporations that comprise the line of succession culminating in the carrier as at present constituted, one corporation, the Au Sable and Northwestern Railway Company, did not construct any road or other common-carrier property.

The property constructed by the remaining corporations and by the carrier itself, the years when the various portions of the line were constructed, and the manner in which the carrier acquired the property are indicated in the following table, wherein to facilitate comparison with the table showing the corporate succession, previously given, the same order of corporations is maintained: The carrier also acquired by construction, during the years 1896 and 1897, an undivided one-half interest with the Pere Marquette Railway Company in 0.26 mile of road and a bridge over the Saginaw River at Bay City, Mich. The construction work of the carrier was performed partly by company forces and partly by independent contractors.

Leased Railway Property
The carrier uses on date of valuation facilities owned by other companies and other companies use facilities owned by the carrier to the extent indicated in the statement below. The description of the property and the period and terms of use are stated below. The rentals accrued and charged or credited to income for the year ending on date of valuation have not been ascertained.

Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company (formerly names Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company)
Introductory

No accounting records of the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company were obtained for the period from the date of its organization to January 1, 1891. For that reason only partial information can be given from its accounts regarding its financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. However, certain data indicated below with respect to the issuance of stock and bonds were obtained from its minute book and from certain agreements on file. The records reviewed do not indicate whether the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company was controlled by any individual or corporation on November 8, 1894, the date of sale, nor, on the other hand, whether it then controlled any other common-carrier corporation. The property of this company was operated by its own organization from the date the original 26.04 miles of road was acquired, April 2, 1883, until the receivership November 1, 1893. From that date the property was operated by receivers and a purchasing committee until February 1, 1895, the date it was surrendered to its successor. The railroad operated by the receivers of the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company on the date of sale amounted to 168.24 miles, all of which was owned by the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company. It consisted of a single-track standard-gauge steam railroad, the main line extending from Alger to Alpena, Mich., with various branches.

Development of Fixed Physical Property

Of the 168.24 miles of road owned by the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company on the date of sale, it had acquired 59.09 miles by purchase from the Tawas and Bay County Railroad Company and 109.15 miles by construction. All of the construction work of the company was performed under contract by the Tawas and Bay County Railroad Company. Further details with respect to the construction of this property are given in the section on development of fixed physical property in the report on the carrier.

Tawas and Bay County Railroad Company
No accounting records of the Tawas and Bay County Railroad Company were obtained. Therefore no information can be given from its accounts regarding its financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. The records reviewed do not indicate whether the Tawas and Bay County Railroad Company was controlled by any individual or corporation on April 2, 1883, the date of sale of its then owned property, nor, on the other hand, whether it then controlled any other common-carrier corporation. The property of this company was operated by its own organization from February 19, 1880, to date of sale.

The Tawas and Bay County Railroad Company owned on April 2, 1883, 26.04 miles of single-track narrow-gauge railroad, extending from East Tawas to a point near Prescott, Mich. Of this, it acquired 21 miles from the Lake Huron and Southeastern[sic] Railway Company and 5.04 miles by construction. Further details with respect to the construction of this property are given in the section on development of fixed physical property in the report on the carrier. In addition to the 26.04 miles of road that was owned by the Tawas and Bay County Railroad Company, referred to above, it subsequently acquired by deed dated May 17, 1886, from Alger Smith and Company 33.05 miles of railroad, comprising a main line extending from a point near Lincoln, Mich., to Black River, and a branch extending from Mud Lake Junction to Mud Lake, Mich. All of this road was conveyed to the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad Company, by deed dated May 17, 1886.

Lake Huron and Southeastern[sic] Railway Company
No accounting records of the Lake Huron and Southeastern[sic] Railway Company were obtained. Therefore no information can be given from its accounts regarding its financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. The records reviewed do not indicate whether the Lake Huron and Southeastern[sic] Railway Company was controlled by any individual or corporation on October 1, 1879, the date of sale, nor, on the other hand, whether it then controlled any other common-carrier corporation. The property of this company was operated by its own organization from an unknown date until the receivership, May 23, 1879. From that date it was operated by a receiver until it was conveyed to its successor, September 7, 1880.

The Lake Huron and Southeastern[sic] Railway Company owned on the date of sale 21 miles of narrow-gauge railroad, extending from Tawas City, Mich., to a point near Mills, Mich. This property was all acquired by construction. It is not known whether the construction work was performed by company forces or by contract. Further details with respect to the construction of this property are given in the section on development of fixed physical property in the report on the carrier.

Au Sable and Northwestern Railway Company
No accounting records of the Au Sable and Northwestern Railway Company were obtained. Therefore no information can be given from its accounts regarding its financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. The Au Sable and Northwestern Railway Company was controlled on June 6, 1914, the date of sale, by H. M. Loud's Sons Company through ownership of a majority of its capital stock. On the other hand, the records reviewed do not indicate that it then controlled any other common-carrier corporation. The property of the company, during the short period of its existence, was operated under lease by the carrier.

The Au Sable and Northwestern Railway Company owned on the date of sale approximately 61.36 miles of narrow-gauge railroad, the main line extending from Au Sable to Comins, Mich., with a branch projecting from Hardy to Beevers, Mich. This property was all acquired from H. M. Loud's Sons Company, who had acquired it in part, if not all, by purchase on June 2, 1906, from the Au Sable and Northwestern Railroad Company.

Au Sable and Northwestern Railroad Company
No accounting records of the Au Sable and Northwestern Railroad Company were obtained. Therefore no information can be given from its accounts regarding its financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. The records reviewed do not indicate whether the Au Sable and Northwestern Railroad Company was controlled by any individual or corporation on January 2, 1906, the date its property was sold to H. M. Loud's Sons Company, nor, on the other hand, whether it then controlled any other common-carrier corporation. No data with respect to the operation of the property of this company were ascertainable from the records reviewed.

A complete description of the railroad owned by the Au Sable and Northwestern Railroad Company on the date its property was sold to H. M. Loud's Sons Company could not be ascertained. It had acquired by purchase from the Potts Logging Railway Company approximately 37 miles of narrow-gauge railroad, extending from Au Sable to McKinley, Mich., and possibly some branches, and it had also done some construction work, but the extent thereof is not known. When H. M. Loud's Sons Company sold the property to the Au Sable and Northwestern Railway Company on June 5, 1914, it consisted of approximately 61.36 miles of narrow-gauge railroad, comprising a main line extending from Au Sable to Comins, Mich., and a branch projecting from Hardy to Beevers, Mich. However, it is not known whether this represented the mileage that was owned by the Au Sable and Northwestern Railroad Company on June 2, 1906.

Potts Logging Railway Company
No accounting records of the Potts Logging Railway Company were obtained. Therefore no information can be given from its accounts regarding its financial dealings, corporation operations, or investments. The records reviewed indicate that the Potts Logging Railway Company was controlled on July 17, 1891, the date of sale, by the J. E. Potts Salt & Lumber Company through ownership of its capital stock. On the other hand, the records reviewed do not indicate whether it then controlled any common-carrier corporation. The Potts Logging Railway Company owned on the date of sale approximately 37 miles of narrow-gauge railroad, extending from Au Sable to McKinley, Mich., and several logging branches, the mileage of which is not known. No data with respect to the manner in which the Potts Logging Railway Company acquired its road, nor how it was operated, were ascertainable from the records obtained.

Alpena and Northern Railroad Company
No accounting records of the Alpena and Northern Railroad Company were obtained. Therefore no information can be given from its accounts regarding its financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. The records reviewed do not indicate whether the Alpena and Northern Railroad Company was controlled by any individual or corporation on April 15, 1895, the date of sale, nor, on the other hand, whether it then controlled any other common-carrier corporation. The property of the Alpena and Northern Railroad Company was operated by its own organization from the date the first section thereof was placed in operation, November 18, 1893, until it was surrendered to the carrier July 8, 1895, although it was conveyed to the latter company by deed dated April 15, 1895.

The Alpena and Northern Railroad Company owned on the date of sale 54.70 miles of single-track narrow-gauge steam railroad, the main line extending from Alpena, to La Rocque, Mich., with a branch projecting from La Rocque to Valentine Lake, Mich. This property was all acquired by construction. It is not known whether the construction work was performed by company forces or by contract. Further details with respect to the construction of this property are given in the section on development of fixed physical property in the report on the carrier.