SAGINAW AND MANISTEE FLAGSTAFF OPERATIONS: 1941-1952

  

SAGINAW AND MANISTEE FLAGSTAFF OPERATIONS: 1941-1952


 On March 1, 1941, the Saginaw and Manistee leased the Arizona Lumber and Timber Company from manager Joe Dolan. The S&M had acquired vast timber holdings in the area of Mormon Lake; the lease of the AL&T allowed them to harvest these holdings. 

    The Saginaw extended the Howard Spring line an additional 14 miles to Allan Lake, located South of Mormon Lake. The Allen Lake Line was essentially a steam engine powered, reasonably straight conveyor belt to and from the mill. With the exception of several short spurs and a "Y" near the southern end, the line was fed by trucks. Mechanized logging had replaced the need to constantly relay spurs into the forest. A steady flow of quality timber was provided to the leased Flagstaff mill, and during WWII made a significant contribution to the war effort.

   In October of 1944 the Saginaw and Manistee purchased its' first and only 2-6-6-2 articulated mallet locomotive. Not just any articulate, but a true mallet with high- and low-pressure steam cylinders. It had previously been used in the Pacific Northwest. Later, in 1953, it was sold to Southwest Lumber Mills, then scrapped in 1956 (Schuppert, pages 96, 97.)     

     South-West Lumber Mills took control of the AL&T and the Saginaw lease in 1952-53. The next reorganized company, South-West Forest Industries, ran the line until March of 1966 (Kuhn 1981:101; Glover 1965; Stein, Report #19, page 33.)  

 

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