The history of K&L

This is the history of the Kalamazoo and Lansing Railway as modeled by me in N scale.

The Road's primary function is to act as a bridge route for traffic of the Pennsylvania Railroad to and from Lansing Michigan and the Lansing Manufactures Railroad, which is partly owned by the PRR and K&L (as well as the GTW and PM). The era after the US Civil War was a boom time of railroad construction across the Nation and Michigan was no different. Men and groups of men were building rails to every where from every where. By the mid 1870's there was a spider web of completed, under construction, and planned railroads, and also by this time the larger profitable Lines were buying and merging lines to expand their traffic base. In the Lower Peninsula Michigan the Michigan Central and the Lakeshore & Michigan Southern (soon to be NYC) were the "big guys" on the block. Gladly there were some local "would-be" Railroaders that thought local control of a quality local Road would be more of a benifit to local citizens....this is the K&L's timeline.

mid-1870's - the MC and LS&MS aquire most of the small lines in southern Lower Michigan beginning a monopoly on transportation in the region

1877- The PRR having fully absorbed the Grand Rapids & Indiana offers "expidited and competitive shipping to Chicago and New York" from Kalamazoo and points on the west side of the State. Also the PRR encourgess the building of other lines to "end the monopoly of the MC/LS&MS"

1879 - Kalamazoo buisnessmen Carl Enfield and Dirk Hanson begin talks of starting a railroad to connect to Lansing.

1880 - Enfield and Hanson file for a charter to start the Kalamazoo & Northern Railroad. This charter is approved by the MIch. Legislature and $500,000 of stock is authorised to begin consturction. Also at this time the "P Company", the holding company started by the Board of the PRR, bought many of the first shares of the K&N.

Sept 1880 - Ground is broke on the east side of the Kalamazoo River. The area became known as Enfield and as the Railroad grew so did this community.

June 1881 - The tracks of the K&N reach Parchment Mi 11 miles from Enfield. The first customer began regular shipments. A small coal mine owned by the Gooderham family.

1881 - a National recession hurts the K&N. Many of the Lines early stock subscribers to go bankrupt leaving the Line short of cash.

1882 - Facing a critical shortage of money and credit Carl Enfield took to the stump and began an effort to get new stock subscribers. By July the Road had $300,000 in new capitol and had continued laying rail towards Richland 34 miles from Parchment.

1883 - The rails reach Richland this year. The roadbed and track work was subpar, but one train a day was making the round trip.

1884 - The Farmers Co-Op of Richland started. That harvest season saw many trains of grain beat the bad track to a pulp. By late November the track was so bad it would take a train 10 hours to make the 46 miles.

1885 - in Feb. Dirk Hanson sells is interest in the K&N to the GR&I (the PRR). The GR&I offer C. Enfield for his shares which would effectively give the GR&I control of the K&N with hopes of expanding into the NYC held areas of Michigan.

1885 - The GR&I bridge the Kalamazoo River near Parchment and enter into a shared track agreement with the K&N.

1885 - The NYC through its control of the MC and LS&MS begin court proccedings to stop the PRR from building any new track or buying into the K&N

1885-1896 - For 11 years the NYC kept the K&N/PRR tied up in the courts. The Line lay mostly unused, coal still came from the mine at Parchment and Richland would see maybe 1 train a week. Carl Enfield never gave up his hope of both keeping the K&N local owned and expanding it to be profitable. The entire 11 years of court battles Enfield was constantly drumming the people of Michigan to raise money for his Road.

1890 - Two of the roads serving Lansing Mi form the Lansing Belt Line to serve industry and interchange cars. The Line has a complete belt around Lansing. The roads owning are the GTW and the PM. The GR&I also buys a minority stake.

1890 - Because of the forced limbo by NYC court action the K&N files for Chapter 7 bankrupcyy. Carl Enfield is named trustee and continues to run what trains he can.

1896 - After 11 years of "frivolous" lawsuits and injunctions the NYC ends its attempt of stonewalling the K&N and makes a public offer to the bankrupcyy court for the K&N. The PRR follow up with its own offer. Again the two giants of railroading end up in the courts fighting over a hay-wire 45 mile line.

1897 - Finally finding sympithetic ears in the public and in the Legislature Carl Enfield reorganizes the K&N into the Kalamazoo and Lansing Railway. Backed by bond money from the PRR and local buisnessmen the K&L buys the K&N's property.

1897 - The Lansing Manufactures Belt reorganizes into the Lansing Manufactures Railway.

1897-1901 - Again the NYC sends the K&L into the court system claiming the K&L and the PRR violated the law. During this time though the K&L was able to rebuild the Line to Richland and offer quality service.

1902 - Free of the courts and finally able to grow the K&L begins to lay rail towards Lansing. The State grants an issue of stock and the PRR immediately buys %35. The rest of the issue went to local persons. With this lush fund of cash the K&L doubles its effort to get to Lansing maybe sacrifcing quality for speed.

1903 - June the Line reaches a connection with the LMR. July regular service is in full operation. Track work is still "hay-wire" at best.

1904 - The Charlotte Western (pronounced CHAR-lot) Railroad is purchased. A 87 mile line from Vermontville to Ann Arbor.

1905 - In an effort to better service and actually showing a profit the previous year (the Lines first ever) relaying of track and better grading begins.

1905 - What will become the largest shipper on the Line opens, the Gates Block and Gravel Company opens its quarry in Vermontville.

1906 - With service improving the K&L and the PRR enter an agreement; All PRR traffic to the LMR will be forwarded by the K&L.

1907 - The K&L buys %40 of the LMR. This is controlling interest in the LMR. Others are PRR %30 GTW %15 PM %15.

1908 - The Line begins its "Modernization Project". Bringing track up to "trunk line" status. Replacing old bridges, etc.

1910 - The Jennifer Lynn Bridge over the Kalamazoo River is completed, giving the K&L direct access to downtown Kalamazoo for the first time.

1913 - The K&L begins Pullman service to Lansing from Kalamazoo Union Station. Connections are on PRR trains.

1914 - The "Modernization Project" is completed. New heavy duty mainline track, new frieght houses, new yard at Enfield. The first "standard" K&L locomotive, the "150 class" of Baldwin 2-8-0's arrive replacing the 1880 locomotives.

1914 - July the "Gull" is intorduced. Three round trips a day and catering to the sportsmen crowd to the many fishing lakes along the Line.

1914-1920 - Other than USRA control the Line handled the war traffic very well. At this time the employees of the K&L showed their commitment to the Line and the region.

1922 - The first abondonment of K&L track. 50 miles of track from Charlotte to Ann Arbor (the old CW). The Charlotte Branch continues with 37 miles from the wye in Vermontville to Charlotte. Trains work out of LMR's South Yard Lansing.

1925 - The first "large" engines arrive, three Baldwin heavy 2-8-2's the "300 class". Also the "100 class" 4-6-2 is bought from Alco for the Gull.

1926 - A RPO route is given to the K&L. Routed St. Louis/Lansing via the PRR and is daily.

1925-1933 - These were some banner years for the Line. Steady traffic to/from the industrial hub of Lansing and the growing auto manufacturing keeps the money flowing.

1933 - The Depression finally hits the K&L. With auto makers suffering the PRR traffic to Lansing dries up. Two thirds of the K&L's locomotive fleet is idle. Happily the grain harvests continue to be good so seasonally the Line stays busy the next few years

1934-1938 - With the locomotive fleet idle and wanting to keep its employees working the Line begins a program of modernizing the 150 class. Upgrades include Superheaters, stokers, and Walschearts Valve Gear.

1939 - The drums of War are beating and industry is picking up. 1939 saw as much traffic in one year as the previous 5 combined.

1940 - The year currently modeled and current stats.

12 locomotives owned in 4 wheel arrangements.

280 frieght cars owned; including 25 specialty gons for Gates Block.

5 passenger cars including a gas-powered "Doddlebug"

103 miles of mainline, 37 miles of branchline and 42 miles of other track (sidings yards and industrial)

119 employees

1,163,438 ton-miles 1939

$1,674,334 operating revenue 1939

$545,922 profit 1939

97,345 shares of common stock issued, current price $43.67/share

current interchanges; Enfield PRR/GTW, Charlotte GTW, Lansing LMR/GTW/PM. The K&L has embargoed the NYC at all locations.

public team tracks; Kalamazoo Downtown Branch, Enfield Freight House, Parchment, Richland, Lansing Freight House, Charlotte Charlotte Branch

active on-line shippers:

Kalamazoo; Gates Block and Stone Plant #1, Farmers Fruit Union, Hanson's Furniture (via team track)

Enfield; Kalamazoo Crane, Cody's Machine Products, Checker Motors (pull only)

Parchment; Gooderham's Fuel, Wood's Implements (via team track)

Richland; Richland Farmers Co-op, SpeedQueen Washing Machine Co, Richland John Deere (via team track), Gull Funriture

Vermontville; Gates Block and Stone Plant #2