The Detroit Michigan Central Station

Along with my fellow bloggers John R and Ralph V, I'm a big fan of Emery Gulash DVDs, most of which are available from Green Frog, though he's done some for other producers. One of his very common locations was the Detroit Michigan Central station between the years 1955 to 1980 or so. I've never been to Detroit, almost never to Michigan, but it's worth pointing out that about 1960, Detroit was the fourth-largest city in the US. The Michigan Central station, completed in 1914, was in many ways comparable to New York's two great stations, with electrified operation and reached by underwater tunnels. Architecturally, it was in the same beaux-arts style. I didn't pay any attention to it until I began to watch Gulash DVDs.

Here's a postcard view from the front, probably in the 1940s:

Researching the station, I discovered that the skyscraper section was never finished on the inside, with original plans for a hotel or office space never completed. The space was eventually used for railroad offices, but some floors were never occupied. The building is currently being restored by a developer, but it's likely it won't ever be fully occupied at any time.

Here's an overall view from the track side, showing the low Bush train sheds:

Lincoln Bush was an engineer who pioneered the use of reinforced concrete in railroad structures. As Chief Engineer of the Lackawanna, he developed a concrete train shed that had a trough over the tracks that would allow smoke from locomotives to pass out of the shed. The design was used for Lackawanna stations in Hoboken, Scranton, and Buffalo, as well as for the Jersey Central terminal in Jersey City, Chicago Union Station, and the Detroit Michigan Central station as shown here. There are probably others.

Here's a cropped enlargement from the postcard view above:

Here is a cross section drawing of a Bush train shed that I found on the web:

The station has other good focal points. Just east of the station is the 15th St Tower. This view from a postcard shows the tower behind one of the original electric locos that operated through the Detroit River Tunnels, which opened in connection with the new station:

There are some good shots in Gulash DVDs of trackage in the 15th St area. Here is part of a Sanborn map showing the viaduct from which Gulash sometimes shot:

East of the tower and viaduct was the entry to the Detroit River Tunnels. Before the tunnels were completed, the main line went further downtown to a station on the riverfront. Trackage was diverted to go around the tunnel portals, but over the years, it was gradually removed. The trackage to the left in the postcard view below seems to have lasted into the 1960s, and at least one Gulash shot shows trackage on the east side being removed from the area around the 15th St tower.

Here is a contemporary view of the Detroit River Tunnel portals. Pretty much all other trackage is now gone.