HESR 100, 101 (EMD GP9's) @ Bad Axe MI (1989)
Huron and Eastern Railway (reporting mark HESR) is a short line railroad operating 394 miles (634 km) of track in The Thumb and Flint/Tri-Cities area of the lower peninsula of Michigan.
HESR began operations in 1986, over 83 miles of former Chesapeake and Ohio track in Michigan's thumb area. This track served areas in Huron and Sanilac Counties, roughly between Bad Axe and Croswell, with a few spurs to outlying small towns.
On December 22, 1988, HESR acquired CSX Transportation's Bad Axe Subdivision between Saginaw and Bad Axe. On January 22, 1991, HESR again added more track to its system, acquiring a cluster of former Penn Central lines from the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway. This new track crossed the current HESR track in Reese, and allowed the HESR to now serve Vassar and Caro, among other towns. On April 30, 1998, HESR purchased CSX's Port Huron Subdivision from Saginaw to Brown City.
On January 26, 2004, HESR again increased in size with the acquisition of the Central Michigan Railroad, allowing the HESR to reach Bay City and Midland, as well as interchange with Class I Canadian National in Durand. Furthermore, in May 2004, RailAmerica underwent an inter-corporate merger between the Saginaw Valley Railway and HESR. Saginaw Valley, who operated a line from Buena Vista to Denmark Junction. It is currently owned by Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., who purchased it from RailAmerica in 2012.
The railroad's traffic comes largely from agricultural products, as well as industrial goods, such as cement, fly ash, and chemicals.
HESR 100, 101 (EMD GP9's) @ Bad Axe MI (1989)
Huron and Eastern Railway (reporting mark HESR) is a short line railroad operating 394 miles (634 km) of track in The Thumb and Flint/Tri-Cities area of the lower peninsula of Michigan.
HESR began operations in 1986, over 83 miles of former Chesapeake and Ohio track in Michigan's thumb area. This track served areas in Huron and Sanilac Counties, roughly between Bad Axe and Croswell, with a few spurs to outlying small towns.
On December 22, 1988, HESR acquired CSX Transportation's Bad Axe Subdivision between Saginaw and Bad Axe. On January 22, 1991, HESR again added more track to its system, acquiring a cluster of former Penn Central lines from the Tuscola and Saginaw Bay Railway. This new track crossed the current HESR track in Reese, and allowed the HESR to now serve Vassar and Caro, among other towns. On April 30, 1998, HESR purchased CSX's Port Huron Subdivision from Saginaw to Brown City.
On January 26, 2004, HESR again increased in size with the acquisition of the Central Michigan Railroad, allowing the HESR to reach Bay City and Midland, as well as interchange with Class I Canadian National in Durand. Furthermore, in May 2004, RailAmerica underwent an inter-corporate merger between the Saginaw Valley Railway and HESR. Saginaw Valley, who operated a line from Buena Vista to Denmark Junction. It is currently owned by Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., who purchased it from RailAmerica in 2012.
The railroad's traffic comes largely from agricultural products, as well as industrial goods, such as cement, fly ash, and chemicals.