| THE FORMER D.S.R. WYOMING TERMINAL |
Although only a small cornered-off vacant lot is all that the City of Detroit can lay claim to today, the current Wyoming
Loop turn-around was once part of a much larger DSR-owned property known as the Wyoming Terminal.
The Wyoming Terminal was one of the last of five city-owned terminal facilities to survive under the former DSR —- a
once vibrant operation, which during its peak years operated with over a dozen carbarns and a half-dozen bus garages.
The facility was located at 5170 Wyoming in the city of Dearborn. The property stretched nearly one-quarter of a mile
to the south along the east-side of Wyoming, just south of Michigan Avenue, between Wyoming and Stecker. Originally
built by the City of Detroit as a streetcar barn, the facility opened as the Wyoming Carhouse on March 3, 1930. The
Wyoming Carhouse replaced the former West Jefferson (Fort) Carhouse (W. Jefferson at Brennan) which closed
that same day. The nearby Michigan Carhouse (Michigan Ave. at Military) closed the next year, on August 8, 1931.
Loop turn-around was once part of a much larger DSR-owned property known as the Wyoming Terminal.
The Wyoming Terminal was one of the last of five city-owned terminal facilities to survive under the former DSR —- a
once vibrant operation, which during its peak years operated with over a dozen carbarns and a half-dozen bus garages.
The facility was located at 5170 Wyoming in the city of Dearborn. The property stretched nearly one-quarter of a mile
to the south along the east-side of Wyoming, just south of Michigan Avenue, between Wyoming and Stecker. Originally
built by the City of Detroit as a streetcar barn, the facility opened as the Wyoming Carhouse on March 3, 1930. The
Wyoming Carhouse replaced the former West Jefferson (Fort) Carhouse (W. Jefferson at Brennan) which closed
that same day. The nearby Michigan Carhouse (Michigan Ave. at Military) closed the next year, on August 8, 1931.
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| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
| DETROIT TRANSIT HISTORY |
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As the DSR entered the 1960s the department would find itself struggling to survive,l as revenue and ridership numbers
continued to plummet. l One immediate solution sought to alleviate the self–supporting department from the burden of
paying property tax—not only in the City of Detroit, but to a number of the surrounding suburbs where the DSR also
owned property.l Even though the voters of Detroit—on September 1, 1964—approved an amendment to the Charter
which relieved the DSR from paying city and school taxes, and charges rendered by other city agencies, that obligation
in other cities remained. According to a series of newspaper articles which ran in The Detroit News during February of
1964, the DSR paid an estimated $634,049 in city, school and county taxes to five communities during the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1963. This included $97,970 for property located in Dearborn. It was estimated that the closing of the
Wyoming property would grant the DSR an annual savings of $213,000.
On Monday, September 30, 1963, the Wyoming Terminal was closed and the property later sold to a trucking firm.
The DSR would use the $554,000 it received from the sale of the terminal to pay for equipping two-way radios on the
DSR's fleet of 1,500 buses. Today, all of the former Wyoming Terminal buildings still remain standing and are part of
the Truck City Truck Stop complex, including the adjacent Truck City Restaurant.
For decades after the city had sold the terminal the extreme northern one-block long area of the property, at Michigan
and Wyoming, was retained by the city and served as the relocated Wyoming Loop turn-around for the Grand Belt,
Michigan and Wyoming bus lines. Today, if one was to visit the intersection of Wyoming and Michigan Avenues, they
could easily overlook a much smaller cornered off vacant lot which surrounds a lone bus stop shelter which now serves
as the Wyoming Loop. A rather small and unimpressive reminder of what once was.
continued to plummet. l One immediate solution sought to alleviate the self–supporting department from the burden of
paying property tax—not only in the City of Detroit, but to a number of the surrounding suburbs where the DSR also
owned property.l Even though the voters of Detroit—on September 1, 1964—approved an amendment to the Charter
which relieved the DSR from paying city and school taxes, and charges rendered by other city agencies, that obligation
in other cities remained. According to a series of newspaper articles which ran in The Detroit News during February of
1964, the DSR paid an estimated $634,049 in city, school and county taxes to five communities during the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1963. This included $97,970 for property located in Dearborn. It was estimated that the closing of the
Wyoming property would grant the DSR an annual savings of $213,000.
On Monday, September 30, 1963, the Wyoming Terminal was closed and the property later sold to a trucking firm.
The DSR would use the $554,000 it received from the sale of the terminal to pay for equipping two-way radios on the
DSR's fleet of 1,500 buses. Today, all of the former Wyoming Terminal buildings still remain standing and are part of
the Truck City Truck Stop complex, including the adjacent Truck City Restaurant.
For decades after the city had sold the terminal the extreme northern one-block long area of the property, at Michigan
and Wyoming, was retained by the city and served as the relocated Wyoming Loop turn-around for the Grand Belt,
Michigan and Wyoming bus lines. Today, if one was to visit the intersection of Wyoming and Michigan Avenues, they
could easily overlook a much smaller cornered off vacant lot which surrounds a lone bus stop shelter which now serves
as the Wyoming Loop. A rather small and unimpressive reminder of what once was.
| This July 1963 Detroit News photo shows the Wyoming Avenue side of the former DSR Wyoming Terminal. This view looks south, with Wyoming Avenue located just outside the fence (extreme right). The original office building (left) was built in 1930, while the two coach fueling buildings were erected later—the oldest addition in 1943, fuel/wash bays #9–12 added in 1957. (Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University photo #29985 — see disclaimer below) |
© 2009 (PAGE LAST MODIFIED ON 06-16-11)
After the end of World War-II, the DSR revived its pre-war plans to convert its streetcar lines to motor buses. Beginning
June 20, 1948,l the carhouse portion of the property was closed and its few remaining rail lines transferred to the Baker
Carhouse (Vernor at Livernois), resulting in the Wyoming property temporarily serving as a bus-only facility.
Meanwhile,l by the mid-forties,l plans were in the works for the DSR to consider converting a number of streetcar routes
to electric "trackless" trolley-coach operation. l In April of 1949, under pressure to retain streetcar operation on its major
rail lines, the DSR placed an order for 106 additional PCC streetcars, while also ordering sixty electric trolley–buses built
by Twin Coach for its Crosstown (Warren Avenue) line—a former streetcar route recently converted tol motor buses
two years prior. Thirty of the Twin trolleys-buses and 28 of the new PCCs would be assigned to the Wyoming facility.
In order to accommodate both electric–buses and streetcars, the Wyoming property would undergo renovation. l The
facility had to be modernized so that inspection and light repairs could be performed on the new vehicles. On October 2,
1949, the carhouse reopened once again, and by December full electric-bus operation had been attained on the nearby
Crosstown line, as more new trolley-buses became available. Access to Warren Avenue from the terminal was reached
via one-and-a-quarter mile of non-revenue overhead wire which ran along Wyoming Avenue. With the reopening of the
Wyoming Carhouse came the arrival of PCC cars, which were assigned to the Michigan line where full PCC operation
was attained by January, 1950. Initially, a total of 28 PCCs (#129-139, 142-158) were housed out of the Wyoming
Carhouse for service on the combined Michigan-Gratiot line, and briefly during weekends on the Baker line.
June 20, 1948,l the carhouse portion of the property was closed and its few remaining rail lines transferred to the Baker
Carhouse (Vernor at Livernois), resulting in the Wyoming property temporarily serving as a bus-only facility.
Meanwhile,l by the mid-forties,l plans were in the works for the DSR to consider converting a number of streetcar routes
to electric "trackless" trolley-coach operation. l In April of 1949, under pressure to retain streetcar operation on its major
rail lines, the DSR placed an order for 106 additional PCC streetcars, while also ordering sixty electric trolley–buses built
by Twin Coach for its Crosstown (Warren Avenue) line—a former streetcar route recently converted tol motor buses
two years prior. Thirty of the Twin trolleys-buses and 28 of the new PCCs would be assigned to the Wyoming facility.
In order to accommodate both electric–buses and streetcars, the Wyoming property would undergo renovation. l The
facility had to be modernized so that inspection and light repairs could be performed on the new vehicles. On October 2,
1949, the carhouse reopened once again, and by December full electric-bus operation had been attained on the nearby
Crosstown line, as more new trolley-buses became available. Access to Warren Avenue from the terminal was reached
via one-and-a-quarter mile of non-revenue overhead wire which ran along Wyoming Avenue. With the reopening of the
Wyoming Carhouse came the arrival of PCC cars, which were assigned to the Michigan line where full PCC operation
was attained by January, 1950. Initially, a total of 28 PCCs (#129-139, 142-158) were housed out of the Wyoming
Carhouse for service on the combined Michigan-Gratiot line, and briefly during weekends on the Baker line.
| Although the former Wyoming Terminal buildings are today owned by a Trucking concern, the original office building still displays "CITY OF DETROIT" along the Wyoming street side of the building. (Photo taken by Reggie A. Craig) |
Interestingly, the construction of the Wyoming Carhouse
followed the opening of two largel DSR streetcar loading yards,
which were built along Miller Road at Eagle Avenue, across from
the Ford Motor Company's expanding Rouge River complex
in Dearborn, MI. l Before 1928, the only streetcar access to the
Miller Road side of the Ford Rouge facility was from the south,
via the Baker and Fort Street lines. l By July 1928, the DSR
had constructed over one mile of double track along Wyoming
—-from Michigan Avenue to Eagle—-to provide rail access from
the north, and extended its Michigan line along Wyoming. lTo
power this extension the city's Public Lighting Commission built
a 2,000-kilowatt substation near Wyoming and Michigan.l Land
to construct the nearby carhouse was purchased lin August of
followed the opening of two largel DSR streetcar loading yards,
which were built along Miller Road at Eagle Avenue, across from
the Ford Motor Company's expanding Rouge River complex
in Dearborn, MI. l Before 1928, the only streetcar access to the
Miller Road side of the Ford Rouge facility was from the south,
via the Baker and Fort Street lines. l By July 1928, the DSR
had constructed over one mile of double track along Wyoming
—-from Michigan Avenue to Eagle—-to provide rail access from
the north, and extended its Michigan line along Wyoming. lTo
power this extension the city's Public Lighting Commission built
a 2,000-kilowatt substation near Wyoming and Michigan.l Land
to construct the nearby carhouse was purchased lin August of
1929 from the Clippert Brick Co., one of a number of brick manufacturing companies in the area at the time.
When the Wyoming Carhouse originally opened in 1930, the DSR had to utilize two St. Louis Car Co. built wooden-
body streetcars (both built in 1903) to temporarily house its employees until the permanent buildings were completed.
When the Wyoming Carhouse originally opened in 1930, the DSR had to utilize two St. Louis Car Co. built wooden-
body streetcars (both built in 1903) to temporarily house its employees until the permanent buildings were completed.
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Car #1028 was used as the terminal offices and car #1040
for the men's lobby. Initially, there were no bus facilities built
at the Wyoming Carhouse, since the much larger recently
built Coolidge Terminal (which opened in 1928) and the
new Highland Park (bus) Garage (built in 1929) were well
able at the time to handle the department's bus needs.
However, shorty after the DSR launched a campaign during
the mid-1930s to convert its mostly streetcar operation
over to an "all–bus" operation, bus facilities were added to a
number of DSR carbarns. A new bus facility was also added
to the Wyoming location, and the Wyoming Terminal bus
garage opened on June 21, 1943. As a result, both street-
cars and motor buses would now operate from that location.
for the men's lobby. Initially, there were no bus facilities built
at the Wyoming Carhouse, since the much larger recently
built Coolidge Terminal (which opened in 1928) and the
new Highland Park (bus) Garage (built in 1929) were well
able at the time to handle the department's bus needs.
However, shorty after the DSR launched a campaign during
the mid-1930s to convert its mostly streetcar operation
over to an "all–bus" operation, bus facilities were added to a
number of DSR carbarns. A new bus facility was also added
to the Wyoming location, and the Wyoming Terminal bus
garage opened on June 21, 1943. As a result, both street-
cars and motor buses would now operate from that location.
| This photo shows a 1961 aerial view of the Wyoming Terminal property which was located near the southeast corner of Wyoming and Michigan Avenues. Also visible are the two additions later added to the main building. During this time the Wyoming Loop turn-around was located mid-way between Michigan and the terminal buildings. |
| The former DSR Wyoming Terminal building today houses the Truck City Truck Stop—–which includes an office building, a warehouse, a restaurant and a truck fueling station and convenient store. Aside from the alterations and upgrades, the exterior of the building still resembles those days when it was a bus terminal. The south addition to the building has housed the Truck City Restaurant for a number of years. Only a small north-end portion of the property was retained by the city and for decades served as the Wyoming Loop end-of-the-line turn-around for the Grand Belt, Michigan and Wyoming bus lines. (June 2008 photo taken by Reggie A. Craig) |
Unfortunately, PCC operation out of the Wyoming Terminal facility would be short-lived as the DSR began eliminating
the last of its rail operation during the early-1950s and began closing remaining carhouses. When the Gratiot Cahouse
(Gratiot at Harper) closed in September of 1954, most Michigan-Gratiot operations were transferred to the Wyoming
Carhouse.l However, when PCC operation was discontinued on the Michigan portion of the Michigan-Gratiot line on
September 7, 1955, the Wyoming Carhouse was closed permanently. l All of the remaining PCCs from the Wyoming
Carhouse were then transferred to Highland Park—which would now provide the service on the two remaining carlines,
Woodward and Gratiot.l Although electric trolley-coach operation would still continue out of the Wyoming Terminal,
its days too would soon be numbered. l When electric trolley-coach service was discontinued on the Crosstown line on
March 31, 1961, the Wyoming Terminal once again became an all bus facility. It would remain as such through its last
remaining years of operation.
the last of its rail operation during the early-1950s and began closing remaining carhouses. When the Gratiot Cahouse
(Gratiot at Harper) closed in September of 1954, most Michigan-Gratiot operations were transferred to the Wyoming
Carhouse.l However, when PCC operation was discontinued on the Michigan portion of the Michigan-Gratiot line on
September 7, 1955, the Wyoming Carhouse was closed permanently. l All of the remaining PCCs from the Wyoming
Carhouse were then transferred to Highland Park—which would now provide the service on the two remaining carlines,
Woodward and Gratiot.l Although electric trolley-coach operation would still continue out of the Wyoming Terminal,
its days too would soon be numbered. l When electric trolley-coach service was discontinued on the Crosstown line on
March 31, 1961, the Wyoming Terminal once again became an all bus facility. It would remain as such through its last
remaining years of operation.
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Virtual Motor City Collection photo #29985 and second 1963 photo used by permission of the Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University.
All rights, including those of further reproduction and/or publication, are reserved in full by the Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University. Photographic
reproductions may be protected by U.S. copyright law (U.S. Title 17). The user is fully responsible for copyright infringement.
All rights, including those of further reproduction and/or publication, are reserved in full by the Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University. Photographic
reproductions may be protected by U.S. copyright law (U.S. Title 17). The user is fully responsible for copyright infringement.
Information for the above article was compiled from various sources, including "DETROIT'S STREET RAILWAYS Vol II: City Lines 1922-1956" by Schramm,
Henning and Dworman (Bulletin 120 – Central Electric Railfans' Association); from Motor Coach Age magazine articles "Detroit's DSR, Parts 1 thru 3" written by
Jack E. Schramm; form The Detroit News articles "DSR: It Can't Afford to Run in Red" (Thursday, July 25, 1963), "The DSR's Dilemma (Part 2): Tax Help
Faces Battle at Polls and in Council" (Monday, February 17, 1964) courtesy of the S. Sycko Collection; and from miscellaneous sources in author's possession.
Henning and Dworman (Bulletin 120 – Central Electric Railfans' Association); from Motor Coach Age magazine articles "Detroit's DSR, Parts 1 thru 3" written by
Jack E. Schramm; form The Detroit News articles "DSR: It Can't Afford to Run in Red" (Thursday, July 25, 1963), "The DSR's Dilemma (Part 2): Tax Help
Faces Battle at Polls and in Council" (Monday, February 17, 1964) courtesy of the S. Sycko Collection; and from miscellaneous sources in author's possession.
FOR RELATED TOPICS SEE:
- FORMER D.S.R CARBARNS & BUS GARAGES
THE COOLIDGE TERMINAL
THE SAMUEL T. GILBERT TERMINAL (coming later)
THE HIGHLAND PARK TERMINAL (coming later)
THE SHOEMAKER TERMINAL / D.S.R. ADMINISTRATION BLDG
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| This panoramic view of the DSR Wyoming Terminal property appeared in the Thursday, July 25, 1963 edition of The Detroit News. The photo was taken while looking south toward the property buildings. The Wyoming Terminal, for the most part, was an outdoor facility with very few enclosed bays for indoor storage. Consequently, most of the equipment was stored outdoors. (Photo courtesy of Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University — see disclaimer below) |
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