Chicago & Lake Michigan Railway

Synopsis
The Chicago & Lake Michigan Railway is a Railway line Running from Chicago, IL to Traverse City, MI. It was founded in 1903 to cater to the Carferry Traffic of the C&O, AA and GTW Railroads on Lake Michigan, acting as a Shuttle Line, running cars between the terminals. the road thrived for a few decades but was plunged into receivership during the 1970s. today, it operates with a single locomotive, it's #2, and has survived much longer than many of its speculators projected it would.

History
in 1920, a group of Chicago Buisnessmen chartered the Chicago & Lake Michigan Railway Company in the banquet room of a Chicago Hotel. The Railway was built to tap into the Agricultural resources on the Western Michigan Coast, as well as provide car-shuttle service between the terminals of the Great lakes Carferrys: Something which many Railroad's Refused to do. The C&NW in particular had been pressured by farmers to build a line through the area, but refused to do so. So the Chicago & Lake Michigan Railway was formed. The Projected route called for a mainline from Chicago, through south bend, then up the Western Michigan Coast to Mackinac City. The Detroit & Mackinac Railway promised an interchange connection as well as trackage rights with the C&LM if it could reach Mackinac City, it's Northern Terminus.