Hi, my parents said they would take me railfanning after my midterms, and it’s about that time. So, I was wondering the best places to railfan on the outskirts of Detroit. My dad doesent like taking me too far into Detroit, but laces that are still in Detroit are still welcome. I would really love to see the CN, since I haven’t seen them in a while. Thanks,
Chris
I don’t know how far you consider “outskirts”, but Durand, which is about 60+miles NW of Detrot, is a great place to see CN. It’s at the junction of the main line and the Detroit line. Great Lakes Central (ex-AA) also makes an appearance. It has an Amtrak station hard by the diamond crossing, and the station is also a museum. It often has a gathering of railfans.
Chris,
I have spent my lifetime as a railfan in Detroit - here are a few highlights:
The new AMTRAK station in Dearborn, MI. This brand new station is also an entrance to the Henry Ford Museum. Visible from the Amtrak station platform is the last Detroit Mackinac steam locomotive and a few period freight cars. Inside the station itself is a 2 foot narrow gauge steam engine.
Across the AMTRAK Station tracks - which are themselves the Michigan Central main line from Detroit to Chicago - are a wooden water tank, wooden coaling tower and roundhouse of the Henry Ford Museum. Inside the roundhouse is one of the last remaining Michigan Central high speed passenger engines 4-4-2 in original condition. It ran from Detroit to Chicago on the mainline just outside the windows in the 1890’s.
Inside the main part of the museum are the Henry Ford railroad collection - one of the largest steam locomotives ever built the Chesapeake & Ohio “Allegheney” 2-6-6-6 in absolutely mint condition. Also in the musuem is an original American 4-4-0 with period passenger coaches plus Henry Fords personal custom pullman car which enabled him to travel the United States with out being accosted by the general public etc.
Durand, - as has been mentioned in another post - is north of Detroit and is a rail junction. The CN main line runs from Detroit north-west to Durand then on to Chicago. At Durand, MI the main line from Port Huron, MI tunnel meets the Detroit mainline on its juncture and journey to Chicago, ILL. There is a Grand Trunk steam engine - GTW 5632 Pacific 4-6-2 on display in Durand and a huge HO train layout in the AMTRAK station there if it still exists.
Thats a lot of good information!! Thank you so much, Chris