Mackinac Transportation Company
Encyclopedia
The Mackinac Transportation Company was a train ferry
service that shuttled railroad car
s across the Straits of Mackinac
from 1882 until 1984. It was best known as the owner and operator, from 1911 until 1984, of the SS Chief Wawatam
, an icebreaking train ferry.
, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
, and the Michigan Central, to create a twelve-month service to connect their three railheads located in Mackinaw City, Michigan
and St. Ignace, Michigan
.
These three railroads faced a serious engineering challenge posed by local climate
conditions. The Straits of Mackinac is often a region of significant ice buildup in winter. After using several boats unsuccessfully, the joint venture spearheaded the development of an improved icebreaker
design. Vessels with a bow propeller
, such as the Chief Wawatam, could plow through the ice and connect the two peninsulas of Michigan
throughout the year.
With changes in railroad ownership, the names of the partners who owned the Mackinac Transportation Company also changed. The Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette became part of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway
and then the Soo Line Railroad
; the Grand Rapids and Indiana became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad
and then the Penn Central and finally the Michigan Northern Railway
; and the Michigan Central became part of the New York Central, the Penn Central and finally the Detroit and Mackinac Railway
.
With completion of the Mackinac Bridge
in 1957, however, customers who had used railroads trains to ship goods back and forth between the two halves of Michigan began to shift their usage patterns to heavy truck
s. The Mackinac Transportation Company permanently ceased operations in 1984.
s, but the non-icebreaking vessels could not operate successfully in the Strait of Mackinac in winter. With economic success, they purchased and operated four icebreaking ferries:
– built by the Detroit Dry Dock Company in 1888, 1199 tons, capacity 10 cars on 2 tracks. Retired c. 1913 – built by the Detroit Dry Dock Company in 1893, 1357 tons, capacity 18 cars on 3 tracks. Retired 1911 – built by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company in 1911, 2990 tons, capacity 26 cars on 3 tracks. Retired 1984 – built by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company in 1913, 2383 tons, capacity 14 cars on 3 tracks. Retired 1961
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
service that shuttled railroad car
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
s across the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
from 1882 until 1984. It was best known as the owner and operator, from 1911 until 1984, of the SS Chief Wawatam
SS Chief Wawatam
SS Chief Wawatam was a coal-fired train ferry and icebreaker that operated in the Straits of Mackinac between 1911–1984. Her home port was St. Ignace, Michigan, and she shuttled back and forth during her entire working life between that port and Mackinaw City, Michigan.-Railroad ferry:The Chief...
, an icebreaking train ferry.
History
The Mackinac Transportation Company was a joint venture founded in late 1881 by three separate railroads, the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette RailroadDetroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad
The Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad was a land grant railroad that was built and operated briefly in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Incorporated in 1879, the -long railroad began operations in 1881. It was intended to help the economic development of a region of...
, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad
The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA...
, and the Michigan Central, to create a twelve-month service to connect their three railheads located in Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City, Michigan
Mackinaw City is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2000 census the population was 859. The name "Mackinaw City" is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a village...
and St. Ignace, Michigan
St. Ignace, Michigan
Saint Ignace, usually written as St. Ignace, is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,678. It is the county seat of Mackinac County. From the Lower Peninsula, St. Ignace is the gateway to the Upper Peninsula.St...
.
These three railroads faced a serious engineering challenge posed by local climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
conditions. The Straits of Mackinac is often a region of significant ice buildup in winter. After using several boats unsuccessfully, the joint venture spearheaded the development of an improved icebreaker
Icebreaker
An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller vessels .For a ship to be considered an icebreaker, it requires three traits most...
design. Vessels with a bow propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
, such as the Chief Wawatam, could plow through the ice and connect the two peninsulas of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
throughout the year.
With changes in railroad ownership, the names of the partners who owned the Mackinac Transportation Company also changed. The Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette became part of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway
Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway
The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway was an American railroad serving the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Lake Superior shoreline of Wisconsin. It provided service from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and St. Ignace, Michigan, westward through Marquette, Michigan to Superior, Wisconsin,...
and then the Soo Line Railroad
Soo Line Railroad
The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , controlled through the Soo Line Corporation, and one of seven U.S. Class I railroads. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste...
; the Grand Rapids and Indiana became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and then the Penn Central and finally the Michigan Northern Railway
Michigan Northern Railway
The Michigan Northern Railway was a railroad operating in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The main line stretched from a southern hub at Grand Rapids to a northern terminus at Mackinaw City...
; and the Michigan Central became part of the New York Central, the Penn Central and finally the Detroit and Mackinac Railway
Detroit and Mackinac Railway
The Detroit and Mackinac Railway , informally known as the "Turtle Line", was a railroad operating in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The main line stretched from the southern hub at Bay City, to its northern hub at Cheboygan...
.
With completion of the Mackinac Bridge
Mackinac Bridge
The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the bridge is the third longest in total suspension in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages...
in 1957, however, customers who had used railroads trains to ship goods back and forth between the two halves of Michigan began to shift their usage patterns to heavy truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s. The Mackinac Transportation Company permanently ceased operations in 1984.
Fleet
The Mackinac Trasportation Company began its operations in 1881-1882 with bargeBarge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s, but the non-icebreaking vessels could not operate successfully in the Strait of Mackinac in winter. With economic success, they purchased and operated four icebreaking ferries:
– built by the Detroit Dry Dock Company in 1888, 1199 tons, capacity 10 cars on 2 tracks. Retired c. 1913 – built by the Detroit Dry Dock Company in 1893, 1357 tons, capacity 18 cars on 3 tracks. Retired 1911 – built by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company in 1911, 2990 tons, capacity 26 cars on 3 tracks. Retired 1984 – built by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company in 1913, 2383 tons, capacity 14 cars on 3 tracks. Retired 1961