The Definitive History of the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway Inc. 1977-2006
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This article is a dynamically growing, foundational piece of content focused on providing historical accuracy with details. I'm not a professional historian, just a railroad enthusiast. If you can contribute to the accuracy and growth of this content, or have relevant documents, images, or knowledge of the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway, please Contact Me. I don't always get things right, but I want to.
- Last Updated: August 29, 2026
- This article will update when progress is made.
Working For The Railroad
As a young teenager, I did not have the privilege of knowing anyone who worked for the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway. I found very little publicly known information on employees and the work culture. A Michigan Railroads Association Rail Updates Fall 2001 article noted that the employee count at the time of publication was only fifty.
As with most privately-owned short-line railroads, its was a lean operation. Given it’s size, the workforce would likely have been smaller in the initial years and gradually increasing with the expansion of the early 1980’s. Either way, the total number of employees was relatively small, even after it expanded operations across Michigan. In the final years, around early to leading up to the 2006 sale, A Michigan Railroads Association Rail Updates Fall 2001 article detailed TSBY having only fifity employees time of publication.
Roles & Responsibilities
Management: A 1979 report filed by TSBY to the Interstate Commerce Commission lists the company’s general officers as the following;
- President: C. J. Lapp (Vassar, Michigan)
- Vice President Operations: P. J. DeWelf (Vassar, Michigan)
- Secretary: E. D. Gerst (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Treasurer: C. M. Ritter (Vassar, Michigan)
- Asst. Treasurer: J. White (Caro, Michigan)
- Attorney or General Counsel: E. D. Gerst (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Twelve years later and the more historically notable manager was Jim Shepherd. Jim served as the company’s chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) after purchasing the railroad in 1991. He had two major business partners who owned a combined 39 percent of the company. I was not able to find publicly available information on the two specific partners.
Office Staff/Administration: The company had headquarters in Vassar initially and later in Owosso, where administrative tasks, dispatching, and payroll would have been handled by office staff. I was not able to determine how many people worked in this role.
Rail Operations: Engineers and conductors are the backbone of railroad operations. They are responsible for the safe movement of freight across network generating revenue. I was not able to determine how many people worked in this role.
Mechanical Department: The maintenance and repair of TSBY’s 12 diesel locomotives and single switcher only required a few workers. The book Railroads Across North America: An Illustrated History mentioned Renee Holbrook. Renee was a woman mechanic who performed maintenance on the GP35 diesel locomotives. Little is know about her other than she was TSBY’s first woman mechanic. She was interviewed while checking over a GP35 locomotive’s eight, 74-volt batteries.” She was quoted saying “I’ve been working almost every day for a month (on 36-month inspection)”. The article also stated “She has been a mechanic at the rail yard since October 1998“.
Maintenance of Ways & Structures: These crews are responsible for maintaining the trackage and associated infrastructure (e.g., bridges, buildings). I was not able to determine how many people worked in this role.
The company’s success was largely attributed to efficient operations and a lean but effective staffing made up of dedicated men and woman.
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