  Dfd Member Username: Dfd Post Number: 579 Registered: 09-2004 |
If you worked at MCS or knew someone who did, we'd like to hear about the heyday of the railroads in Detroit. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1460 Registered: 11-2003 |
Or worked at Fort St. Union Depot, or Brush St. Station, or in any other job with railroads in Detroit. Train service, executive, operations, maintenance of way, engineering, clerical, etc. Most appreciated would be recollections of places, circumstances and operations that are no longer existent. Even in the '80s and '90s, there were RR operations in Detroit that are *long gone* (like the river carfloats) and any memories would be welcome. (Message edited by Burnsie on August 28, 2008) | ||
Stinger4me Member Username: Stinger4me Post Number: 266 Registered: 08-2007 |
I spent sometime working for the Grand Trunk Western wile there was still a Brush St. Depot. The commuter trains were in full operation. In the mornings there were three or four trains arriving from as far north as Pontiac. One of the stops in Detroit was adjacent to the Chrysler offices in Highland Park. The next stop would have been Milwaukee Jct.. The "junction" as it was called just north of E. Grand Blvd., there were DSR buses to take the commuters to various locations in the New Center area. The final stop was the Brush St. Depot and again there were buses to help move the commuters. I believe there was another train which arrived in Detroit close to noon and it may have been called the shopper special. These trains had priority over anything else on the rails. They were powered by a GP engine and may have had up to six cars. If I recall there was another passenger train which may have been called the Mohawk which ran to Chicago via Pontiac, Durand, Battle Creek and ending in Chicago. I hope this helps. | ||
Flanders_field Member Username: Flanders_field Post Number: 950 Registered: 01-2008 |
Both my late father and I worked at the MCS. He from about 1965 to 1979, with the PennCentral RR in Property Accounting Management from the C&O RR. Working for those two railroads became his career after being discharged as a Master Sargeant at the end of WWII. If he was still alive, he would be able to recall far more stories about the MCS here than I can. Me, from 1975 to 1981 hired in the Accounts Payable department as a union clerk. Many of the employees there were at least 20 years older than me, and probably most are now, like my father, deceased. More of the employees who were closer in age to me did not work at the MCS, they were in a building at the Livernois Yard working in offices there, where I transferred (bid on a position) to in 1981. Working at the MCS was like stepping back into the 1940s and earlier. Everything used there including the office machines was ancient, wooden chairs and desks, with rows and rows and rows of file cabinets on every floor. My first bid award position was in sidetrack accounting, taking over for an employee who was retiring. More to come... | ||
Bragaboutme Member Username: Bragaboutme Post Number: 484 Registered: 02-2008 |
My father worked as an engineer for Grand Trunk at the Milwaukee Jct., this was in the 80's. I remember they move all of the trains from that Yard to Pontiac in the late 80's. | ||
Rsa Member Username: Rsa Post Number: 1544 Registered: 10-2003 |
my boss first started his firm there. he was hired by the company that bought it and wanted to renovate it to do all of the architectural work. he and his partner were the second to last tenants out of the building... | ||
Dfd Member Username: Dfd Post Number: 588 Registered: 09-2004 |
Stinger, did the commuter trains connect MCS with smaller stations around the city? And I guess downtown was thriving so well that there was a train just for people to come to town to shop. | ||
Stinger4me Member Username: Stinger4me Post Number: 270 Registered: 08-2007 |
Dfd; the commuter trains ended at Brush St. depot of the Grand Trunk Western RR. The Brush Street Depot was next to the Robin Hood Flour mill at Randolph and Atwater streets. Those structures were razed to facilitate the construction of the Renaissance complex. There was enough shopping in downtown area to bring in travelers from the northern suburbs. Why drive and do the hassle of parking and traffic, they just got on the train. In the early 70's there was a train which came in from Ann Arbor and the final stop was MCS. I am not sure of the number of riders. The trains followed what is now referred to as the Dequindre Cut. They train made stops in Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Birmingham and others. (Message edited by Stinger4me on August 31, 2008) | ||
Dfd Member Username: Dfd Post Number: 603 Registered: 09-2004 |
What was scheduling like in the heyday before computers? Track assignments and sending the passengers to the right platform must have been quite a balancing act. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1462 Registered: 11-2003 |
Stinger4me-- The Amtrak commuter train from Ann Arbor (Michigan Executive) that made the final stop at MCS did not use the Dequindre Cut, and it didn't stop in PR, RO or Birmingham. (those stops were on the GTW line). It only used the Penn Central/Michigan Central tracks. | ||
Stinger4me Member Username: Stinger4me Post Number: 288 Registered: 08-2007 |
Burnsie; I know the Amtrak train did not make the stops on the Grand Trunk Western tracks. Hope I made that clear in the original posting. Do you know how many stops the Amtrak made between Detroit and Ann Arbor? | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 751 Registered: 04-2006 |
I worked there. | ||
Dfd Member Username: Dfd Post Number: 613 Registered: 09-2004 |
Trainman, What did you do there? | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 754 Registered: 04-2006 |
I worked on the computer systems for a large railroad company which had their regional offices there in the 1980's. Today, I still work on transportation computers that coordinate the movement of both freight and mass transit. Thus, my interest in helping SMART and DDOT fill their buses with fare box paying customers and putting an end to the federal and state cuts in funding to them. I'm active in stopping the possible Amtrak cuts in funding and I want to protect the ten percent of state fuel tax money for mass transit known as ACT 51, which is presently in danger of being abolished if no action is taken. | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 517 Registered: 09-2004 |
The Michigan Executive was train numbers 374 (eastbound) and 373 (westbound), and was in operation in the mid 1970s. The timetable looked something like this: To Detroit (MCS) 6:15AM Jackson 6:40 Chelsea 7:00 Ann Arbor 7:10 Ypsilanti 7:50 Arrive Detroit To Jackson (from MCS) 5:25PM depart Detroit 5:55 Ypsilanti 6:10 Ann Arbor 6:30 Chelsea 7:00 Jackson The train operated Mon-Fri except holidays. Dearborn was not included, because the Dearborn station behind the civic center had not yet been finished. Ann Arbor was still in the old MC depot at this time, too. Don't forget that Amtrak also operated the Niagara Rainbow service until the end of the 70's through MCS, and that service continued east through the Detroit River Tunnel to Canada and eventually Buffalo. In this current age where Michigan Amtrak trains are busier than ever in Amtrak's past, it would be nice to see more trains added through the mitten... I think I'll leave my adaptive reuse plan for MCS for another day... | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1463 Registered: 11-2003 |
Stinger4me-- Your posting that follows made it seem as if you thought that the Amtrak trains to Ann Arbor followed the GTW tracks. It just had a confusing wording, that's all. "In the early 70's there was a train which came in from Ann Arbor and the final stop was MCS. I am not sure of the number of riders. The trains followed what is now referred to as the Dequindre Cut. They train made stops in Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak..." | ||
Rhymeswithrawk Member Username: Rhymeswithrawk Post Number: 1464 Registered: 11-2005 |
Here's something on the depot that stood at Third and Jefferson: http://www.buildingsofdetroit. com/places/mcrr Not a first-hand account, mind you, but that place closed in 1913 (when MCS opened), so I doubt you'll find many people who worked there. | ||
Ljbad89 Member Username: Ljbad89 Post Number: 55 Registered: 10-2007 |
Thank you Buster for providing that information. I was curious too, but barely found any information at all. | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 518 Registered: 09-2004 |
Happy to help where I can. Below is a very interesting link to old newpaper clippings from the last day of FSUD train service (1971), and the demolition of the building in 1974. http://www.michiganrailroads.c om/RRHX/Stories/FSUD-TheFinalD ays.htm | ||
Dfd Member Username: Dfd Post Number: 632 Registered: 09-2004 |
Yeah thanks Buster, It's hard to read about the end of a railroad or certain runs being eliminated. Was every floor used for railroad business, or did they lease some of them out? | ||
Cman710 Member Username: Cman710 Post Number: 482 Registered: 07-2006 |
Rsa, trainman, or anyone who may know: RSA mentioned that the firm he works for started inside MCS and was the second to last tenants out of the building. When was that? I know that the last train left on January 5, 1988, but am wondering how long any office operations continued beyond then. Also, when did the building begin to get vandalized? Was it immediately after the last tenants left, or was the building secured for some time before it started to occur? Which owner was the first to let the vandalism occur? | ||
Busterwmu Member Username: Busterwmu Post Number: 534 Registered: 09-2004 |
bump | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1471 Registered: 11-2003 |
I remember talking to an Amtrak agent who used to work there; he mentioned something about how security guards were supposedly paid for after the place closed, but eventually they stopped getting paid, or something like that. Conrail owned the building until about 1985. I doubt that there were any other tenants, besides Amtrak, until Conrail sold it. Excerpt from Freep article, 12/31/87: "Conrail moved its 400 remaining employes out of the 17-story building in October, and the railroad's credit union closed the same month... OFFICIALS for Kaybee Corp., which owns Michigan Central, could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but the New York- based firm is expected to seek a new Urban Development Action Grant to convert the old terminal into a retail and office center. Earlier this year, the federal government withdrew a $3.25 million grant because insufficient progress was being made." | ||
Mortalman Member Username: Mortalman Post Number: 292 Registered: 03-2007 |
I rode on the Grand Trunk RR line everyday for some years. I picked it up in Ferndale and went downtown where they dropped us off at the Brush Street Depot at Randolph and Atwater next to the Robin Hood Flour mill. Those were the days when I worked ANGSC at the corner of Woodward and Jefferson. It felt just like the heart of the city because it was vibrant, exciting and I felt the heartbeat! I feel fortunate that I was able to experience the City of Detroit in what I considered her heyday. | ||
Ukinthed Member Username: Ukinthed Post Number: 13 Registered: 07-2007 |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =sbtyUsnrY2I Great video shot just before the station closed | ||
Dfd Member Username: Dfd Post Number: 884 Registered: 09-2004 |
That's a great story. One of my favorite parts is at the end when the one guy says "OK, see you tomorrow". |
