A doomed entity on its own, the Michigan Northern is pretty much summed up in this photo. Contracted in 1976 by the State of Michigan to operate the former Grand Rapids & Indiana line, the MIGN covered arguably the second most beautiful route (outdone by the former Ann Arbor line from Cadillac to Frankfort) in the state. By 1983, the time of this photo, hard times were hitting especially hard, and as a result, some things were just not able to be repaired due to cost. GP7 1602 was one of the victims, as it has been stripped of its trucks and left on blocks just outside the Cadillac Engine Terminal with counterpart 1606 hoping, but closing in on a similar fate. 35mm slide from my collection, photo by Bill Clynes.
