Railroad Ferries

Railroad Ferries. Mackinaw City Historical Pathway. , A boat connected the railroads of the Lower and Upper Peninsula , In 1881 the Michigan Central Railroad extended its rail line north into Mackinaw City while the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad reached east to St. Ignace. Only water separated the two lines. The Algomah was the first custom-designed boat to ferry freight, removed from boxcars, across the Straits. Further customized boats, like the Sainte Marie, transported loaded rail cars. The Chief Wawatam was the last rail ferry., Automobile drivers were accommodated but... , By 1919 automobiles were becoming widely available. At Mackinaw City many travelers wanted to cross the Straits but the only option was to roll their auto onto a railroad flatbed and pay to have it hauled as a train car. Complaints about the $40 one-way fare (roughly $500 today) hastened the development of the state auto ferry service., [Captions:] , Gradually, bigger, more rugged ferries extended the shipping season through winter. The Chief Wawatam made her final trip in August, 1984., A locomotive backed its cars into the ferry. When all the cars were carefully loaded to balance the weight in the boat, the locomotive was then disconnected and remained in town to unload south- bound rail cars on the ferry's return.