Hamburg Township near Pinckney in Livingston County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Trains Off Line
The Challenge of Railroad Safety
Photographed by Joel Seewald, July 9, 2022
1. Trains Off Line: The Challenge of Railroad Safety Marker
Train wrecks were a constant worry
in Hamburg Township, though they were not common. Accidents jolted communities around the world as trains became common in the 1800s. In fact, worldwide time zones were established, in part, to coordinate train schedules and minimize accidents. Railroads became a dynamic presence in Hamburg Township when two railways were built through here in the 1880s. On October 25, 1893 a northbound freight train hit an unstable stretch of rail near Zukey Lake, the engine rolled off into a swamp and caught fire. The charred shell of the locomotive was left to disappear into the landscape near here.
You Auto Know
The 1893 Lakeland train fire lasted three days, fed by the train's cargo of oil and coal.
This sign produced as a joint effort by the Hamburg Township Board of Trustees and the Hamburg Township Historical Society.
Special thanks to Eagle Scout Nathan Hinkle whose 2008 project inspired this new sign.
Erected by MotorCities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the MotorCities National Heritage Area series list. A significant historical date for this entry is October 25, 1893.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan and in Greater Detroit. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Chain of Lakes (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Big Chill (approx. half a mile away); Hitting the Road (approx. Ύ mile away); Huron River (approx. 1.2 miles away); Homesite of Edwin B. Winans (approx. 1.3 miles away); St. Stephen's (approx. 2.9 miles away); Trains to Hamburg (approx. 2.9 miles away); Travelers Stop (approx. 2.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pinckney.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society
2. Trains Off Line: The Challenge of Railroad Safety top left image
Human error sent these two trains into each other on November 21, 1908 along the Ann Arbor Railroad line between Hamburg and Lakeland. Dense nighttime fog kept the engineers from seeing each other until it was too late.
3. Trains Off Line: The Challenge of Railroad Safety Marker top right image
This railroad signal light, in the collections of the Hamburg Historical Museum, helped coordinate the movements of trains through the area.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society
4. Trains Off Line: The Challenge of Railroad Safety Marker center left image
Looking past the Grand Trunk rail line in the foreground to the Ann Arbor Railroad collision. This accident killed two people and injured many others.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society
5. Trains Off Line: The Challenge of Railroad Safety Marker center right image
This massive wreck at the Hamburg Road crossing occurred on April 1, 1973. Twenty-two loaded rail cars, including two full of automobiles, went off the track and were destroyed but no one was injured.
6. Trains Off Line: The Challenge of Railroad Safety Marker bottom left image
This backpack water sprayer was used to douse brush fires along train tracks ignited by burning embers from steam locomotives. The sprayer is in the collections of the Hamburg Historical Society.
7. Trains Off Line: The Challenge of Railroad Safety Marker bottom middle image
The original Ann Arbor Railroad track, looking west from Hamburg Road. The Ann Arbor Railroad ceased operations in 1976, but freight trains still travel this track.
Photo courtesy of the Hamburg Historical Society
8. Trains Off Line: The Challenge of Railroad Safety Marker bottom right image
This train accident tore up 500 feet of rail, and the railway was shut down for a week for repairs.
Photographed by Joel Seewald, July 9, 2022
9. Trains Off Line: The Challenge of Railroad Safety Marker
View along the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail looking toward the east and Kress Road.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2022, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 821 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on July 18, 2022, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
