Vince, I doubt very much it’s a “mortal sin” to post trolley models on the CT site, I’m sure most will find it interesting.
I’ve got several myself I run on the O gauge layout. An Atlas Public Service, an Lionel Bergen County Transit, an MTH Jersey Transit PCC, a Bowser VTC car and an MTH one as well, limited run club collector cars.
By the way VTC stands for “Virginia Train Collectors,” but we all fudge it a bit and say it means “Virginia Transit Company!”
Transit Gloria Mundi!
Wayne
I’d be more inclined to find it being related to the labor unrest in the 1930s, when protecting access to the plant from this or other mass transit might have been somewhat ‘difficult’.
The arrivals’ platform was open without fencing.
2 More
Page 118 of Cox’s Birney Book mentions the DSR’s one-off Birney replacement, here photographed at the Michigan-and-Wyoming yard in 1948.
I haven’t been to Cobo Hall in some years. There was still a section of DSR track embedded in Washington Blvd. that ran for about 100 yards. I’m sure it’s been tore out since Washington Blvd. was resurfaced some years ago.
But Woodward Avenue has real-use streetcar tracks again.
Just call it light rail.
The Peter-Witt heading toward the camera will turn left on Wyoming Avenue for the rush-hour and shift-change extension of the Michigan Avenue line to the Ford River-Rouge plant. The car wirh the blind side in the view is on the regular turn-back loop.
I first visited Detroit, with my parents, in January 1942. We used the Empire State Express both ways. Even at going on age 10 I explored the streetcar lines, but without a camera. The Woodward Avenue Line at that time ran at least all the way to Royal Oak. Possibly even as far a Birmingham, But I did not have time to go beyond Royal Oak before turning back to be in time for dinner.
After WWII, the line was cust back to 8-Mile Road, where a chrt-turn loop was already in use, and a covered interchsnge station to buses constructed, as in the 1947 picture. A year PCCs replaced the Peter Witts, and shown on an earlier posting.
Baker was the last line that did not use PCCs, but converted directly to bus (early 1949?). It was alsdo the only line providing full-time service to the Ford River Rouge Plant, with Michigan (later Michigan-Gratiot), and Fort-Kerchival running there rush hours and shift-change times only.
The next to last line that did not use PCCs was Mack, two downtown photos:
Fort did get PCCs and was through routed with Kerchiaval, but this downtown photo was taken earlier:
Fourteen also never got PCCs and was an early bus conversion. Downtown Grand Army Plaza off-street loop and north end of the line, loop on Detroit University campus, with operators’ facilities building matching the campus architecture:
woodward Avenue PCC, southbound:
An sttempt at an interior photo:
Help by answering this puzzle/ The previous picture has a Peter Witt with a Woodward route sign, but here, at the same locatiom, a Peter Witt with a Michigan (Av.) sign. Just where was this loop?
Michigan Ave. and Woodward Ave. meet at Campus Martius Park, but it is downtown, whereas the photo looks like out in the country. I live in Michigan, and our library has a 3 volume set on the Railroads of Eastern Michigan, which is trolley heavy. I’ll try to get down there to see if they can give a clue.
My guess is that it is the northern terminal of the Woodward Avenue Line (Oak Park?) before it was cut back to Eight Milke Road. The Michigan Avenue route sign might be an error, or the car was to be through-routed out to Wyoming Avenue for some special servive.
My guess is that it is the northern terminal of the Woodward Avenue Line (Oak Park?) before it was cut back to Eight Milke Road. The Michigan Avenue route sign might be an error, or the car was to be through-routed out to Wyoming Avenue for some special service.
1947 view of the yard at Michigan & Wyoming Avenues, before PCCs arrived:
