User:Russell D. Jones/Lenawee County Railroad/Draft

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The Lenawee County Railroad Company (LCRC) was a short-line railroad operating between 1977 and 1990 in Lenawee County, Michigan, U.S.

Corporate History

The railroad began operations on the eighteen miles between Adrian and Riga, Michigan, sometime in October 1976, as a "Designated Operator" for the state of Michigan of a route scheduled for abondonment by the United States Railway Administration's Final System Plan.

The Lenawee County Railroad Company (LCRC) was incorporated on March 9, 1977, by a group of Adrian businessmen.

The LCRC ended operations on September 30, 1990. But as the state had designated the lines as essential to the local economy, the state purchased the railroad. The state contracted with private railroads to operate the line until the legislature forced divestiture in 2000.

Motive Power and Rolling Stock

The LCRC owned and operated two locomotives. Alco class S2, number 1, named the "Addison B. Comstock" and Alco, class S2, number 2, also named but unknown right now.

Divestiture

In July 1998, the Michigan legislature revised the state's transportation goals. These included minimizing state subsidies for rail operations deemed to be commercially viable. Under the program competitive bids were accepted and in November 2000 the LCRC was sold. The Adrian and Blissfield Railroad bought the line for $1.7 million. MDOT Director James DeSana said that the Adrian and Blissfield "exhibited the greatest potential to provide efficient and reliable rail service."<ref>"[MDOT Sells Lenawee County Railroad System]," Mackinac Center for Public Policy, March 9, 2001.