Brighton in Livingston County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Railroad Repair Gang
Brighton's Victorian Silhouettes
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 23, 2017
1. Railroad Repair Gang Marker
Inscription.
Railroad Repair Gang. Brighton's Victorian Silhouettes. The iron horse arrived in Brighton in 1871. Brighton's future growth and success was off to a good start with this new transportation service running through town. The railroad depot was built about 600 feet beyond this artwork. The push-pull handcar was used for daily maintenance and frequently stored at the depot. Pumping the handle up and down would generate the energy to travel down the tracks. These carts, made of steel, were extremely heavy and quite difficult to get moving and hard to stop using the foot brake. A section repair gang would maintain about 10 miles of track. One notable story was how a gang of thieves used dynamite to blow open the Brighton Depot safe and escaped to Plymouth using this railroad cart. , , Original Art by: Susan Sanderson
The iron horse arrived in Brighton in 1871. Brighton's future growth and success was off to a good start with this new transportation service running through town. The railroad depot was built about 600 feet beyond this artwork. The push-pull handcar was used for daily maintenance and frequently stored at the depot. Pumping the handle up and down would generate the energy to travel down the tracks. These carts, made of steel, were extremely heavy and quite difficult to get moving and hard to stop using the foot brake. A section repair gang would maintain about 10 miles of track. One notable story was how a gang of thieves used dynamite to blow open the Brighton Depot safe and escaped to Plymouth using this railroad cart.
Original Art by: Susan Sanderson
Erected 2017 by Brighton Area Historical Society, Brighton Art Guild, Downtown Brighton. (Marker Number 12.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1871.
Location. 42° 31.773′ N, 83° 47.133′ W. Marker is in Brighton, Michigan, in Livingston County. Marker is on West Main Street west of North First Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 500 West Main Street, Brighton MI 48116, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . Who's that? Faces from Brighton's past pop up on city streets. According to this article from the Livingston Daily Press & Argus, Brighton's Victorian Silhouettes will be "left on display for three years, except for during the winter." (Submitted on September 26, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 23, 2017
2. Railroad Repair Gang Marker
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 23, 2017
3. Railroad Repair Gang Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 26, 2017. It was originally submitted on September 26, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 359 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on September 26, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
