Cadillac and Lake City Railway

The Cadillac & Lake City Railway (reporting mark CLK) was a railroad which operated in the Midwestern United States. The operation was owned by Western States Properties, Inc. and several investors who operated lines in three states; Colorado, Kansas, and Michigan during its time.

The Cadillac & Lake City Railway began operations in 1964 over former Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), ex:Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad (GR&I) trackage between its namesake cities of Cadillac, Michigan, and Lake City, Michigan, 21 miles (34 km). The actual terminus for the Cadillac, Michigan end of the operation was at Missaukee Junction, Michigan, 1 mile north of Haring, Michigan where Ephraim Shay had a residence during the development of the Shay locomotive and just over 2 miles north of Cadillac, Michigan. It was here that all traffic was transferred to and from the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR); prior to the 1968 merger of the PRR with the New York Central (NYC); thence becoming the Penn Central (PC). All operations ceased in 1971, with the entire Michigan operation abandoned in September 1984 and all rail since removed.

In July 1981, the Cadillac & Lake City Railway began operations over a former portion of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad between Simla through Limon, Colorado, to Colby, Kansas, about 171 miles (275 km). The CLK also had trackage rights via the Union Pacific Railroad from Limon to Denver, 84 miles (135 km), but rarely exercised them.