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. 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. It is on West Main Street

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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.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan

and in Greater Detroit.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pipp Children Fishing (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Henry Ford and John Tanner (about 700 feet away); Duke the Hereford (approx. 0.2 miles away); Mill Pond Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); Alice Jolly (approx. 0.2 miles away); Brighton Area Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Paul's (approx. 0.2 miles away); Alvira Gilluly (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brighton.

Also see . . . Who's that? Faces from Brighton's past pop up on city streets. According to this article from the

Photographed by Joel Seewald, September 23, 2017

2. Railroad Repair Gang Marker

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

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 607 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 26, 2017, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.