When it entered life, MC Station in Detroit was a visionary railroad station that underscored NYC-controlled Michigan Central’s commitment to moving the masses efficiently, with style and class. It was also once the tallest railroad station in the world. To the residents of Detroit, the station remained their primary base for travel for over 50 years. As passenger service faded in the 1950s it became a white elephant for a new, New York Central management team, that battled for survival. In the end, newcomer Amtrak attempted to incorporate this tarnished monument into their final plans for facilities, but the task was far too challenging.
Michigan Central Station – Detroit lived a life of extremes. Architects called it the railroad station that looked like a hotel, and therein lie its primary reason for survival and eventual, intelligent redevelopment. But to get to that point, MC Depot (as it is known locally) experienced ups and downs of economic climates, changing tastes, the reshaping of the railroad industry and urban challenges.
Prior to MC Depot, trains of the railroad were cloistered at a modest depot at 3rd Street and Jefferson Avenue that dated to 1883. The construction of the Detroit River Tunnels reshaped the NYC-MC footprint in Detroit and that prompted the need for a new passenger terminal in a new location in the vicinity of the tunnels. MC Depot was developed between 1908 and 1914 and the completed structure was the work primarily of architect Whitney Warren and NYC Chief Engineer Willaim Wilgus. Plans called for the grand opening January 2, 1914, but those plans were forcefully derailed.
On December 26, 1913 a fire started in the old MC Depot and spread rapidly. MC President Henry Ledyard led a heroic evacuation of all passengers, personnel and then organized a swift removal of critical records and furniture from the blazing structure. All that material was moved to the new MC Depot and at 5:20 PM that same day, Train #205 for Saginaw and Bay City had the distinction of being the first departure. Mayor Oscar Marx of Detroit was present and attempted to buy the first ticket, but could not, since the newly relocated ticket office was not ready to open.
Above the waiting room, concourse and support services, a fifteen-story office tower rose that was positioned to house critical railroad offices, with room for expansion and to consolidate functions acquired by merger. In truth, the majority of that vast office space was never finished internally and remained vacant. Below the offices, passenger traffic moved efficiently from the concourse down a gently graded tunnel to reach individual tracks and platforms. In the yards, classic NYC steam power (and later diesel-electrics) comingled with GE-built electric locomotives used in the Detroit River Tunnels.
The station was at its peak from 1920 through 1945 when trains like the posh Twilight Limited, Wolverine and later, the Mercury trains to Cleveland and Detroit offered passengers some of the best railroad service in the land. NYC made a gallant effort to maintain that momentum by purchasing the largest post war order for new passenger equipment between 1947 and 1950 but sadly that did not stop passenger exodus to private automobiles, busses and airplanes. NYC was eventually consumed by rival PRR to form ill-fated Penn Central.
That chaos, and the National “passenger problem” prompted the creation of Amtrak, an enterprise that struggled initially since it started life with a nearly obsolete and /or dysfunctional collection of equipment and facilities. MC Depot was in that mix and despite an active partnership between the carrier and urban planners to utilize the massive edifice, MC depot was eventually vacated. Vandals and looters moved in and in time, MC Depot became the symbol of forgotten Detroit. Irony surrounded its eventual rescue and renovation, spearheaded and funded by the major contributor to the decline in railroad passenger traffic.
In 2018 Ford Motor Company purchased the station and after spending over six years and an expenditure of $950 million on a massive restoration project, the station has been transformed into a classic mix of old and new. The renovation preserved the station’s historical grandeur while preparing it for a new future as a hub for mobility technology and a center for the community. A key to maximizing the entire space and revenue potential was the generous amounts of office space above the station proper. Future plans call for the station to once again become a transportation hub.
This week we salute all railroad stations, and we offer an extensive range of models, in all scales for those that want to add or upgrade their passenger operations. We also carry an extensive line of locomotives and cars to make depots come alive. We hope you take this opportunity to further explore our website and check back often, since we add and upgrade product selection frequently.
Frank Wrabel
Modeltrainstuff.com