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1940-49 EQUIPMENT PHOTOS (Page 4)
DSR (Department of Street Railways) P.C.C. Photos (Part 2)
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FOR MORE 1940's DSR EQUIPMENT PHOTOS (PAGE 5) CLICK-ON "NEXT" (Below)
© 2008 (PAGE LAST MODIFIED ON 03-22-09 (additions 8-21-12))
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P.C.C. GRATIOT AVENUE OPERATION:
P.C.C. MICHIGAN AVENUE OPERATION:
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P.C.C. JEFFERSON AVENUE OPERATION:
Back in 1863, the Jefferson line became the city's first horse-drawn rail line.  On February 7,
1954, it became the city's first PCC line to be converted over to diesel buses.  In this photo, car
#181 can be seen at the Wayburn Loop turn-around.  During most of the Jefferson line's years of
operation, the Wayburn Loop property—located just to the east of the city limits in the
neighboring suburb of Grosse Pointe Park—has served as the eastern terminus for that line.
The Wayburn Loop was originally purchased by the former DUR
(Detroit United Railway) back
on October 24, 1910.  It  still serves as the terminus for the Jefferson bus line to this day.
[photo source: "Dave's Electric Railroads – DSR" — Joe Testagrose collection photo]
All Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University photos posted with permission.
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 Jim Husing Collection photos are posted with the permission of Mr. James Husing. Any distribution of photos for sale purposes is prohibited.
Please click-on link to return to the "PHOTO GALLERY" Main Page.
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In this early 1950's photo, Jefferson car #198 can be seen traveling west along East Jefferson,
approaching Woodward Avenue.  When this photo was taken, the new City-County Building in
the background was still under construction.  Previously, Jefferson cars entered downtown from
Jefferson via Bates, Farmer and Gratiot to the end of the line at State and Griswold.  But with the
building of the City-County Building, the cars were now forced to use Woodward Avenue.
[photo source: "Dave's Electric Railroads – DSR" — Joe Testagrose collection photo]
Gratiot car #125 is headed westbound along Monroe Street at Campus Martius on its inbound
trip into downtown Detroit.  After the PCCs were eliminated on the Michigan portion of the line
on September 7, 1955, all Gratiot cars terminated downtown via Randolph, Monroe, Michigan
Avenue and Porter street to Third.  On a side note: The building in the background housing
Crawford Clothes is today the location of the Compuware Headquarters Building.  
[photo source: "Dave's Electric Railroads – DSR" — Joe Testagrose collection photo]
This September 18, 1955 photo, looks west along Monroe at Library street. PCC car #153 is just
a few blocks down the road from the same safety island seen in previous photo.  Sadly, aside
from the three-level parking garage
(left), the adjacent National Theater and the tall skyscrapers
in the distant background, every building in this photo is history.  The Crowley's Dept. Store
Buildings
(right) and the Kern Block buildings are now occupied by the Compuware Hqts. Bldg.,
while the old City Hall
(center) and the 10-story Hammond Bldg. are now long ago memories.
[Jim Husing Collection photo, courtesy of James Husing — see disclaimer below]
(Click-on photo to view larger image)
RV Mehlenbeck Photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive
(www.DetroitTransitHistory.info)
During the streetcar era in Detroit, the eastern end of the Gratiot line terminated at the old
Eastwood
(Amusement) Park, located in the northern surburb of East Detroit (now Eastpointe).  
In this 1952 photo, car #164 is turning from Gratiot into the Eight Mile Loop area turn-around,
which was located on the northern end of Eastwood Park.  
(click-on photo for larger image)
[photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson archive collection: RV Mehlenbeck photo]
The Eastwood Park loop was located off Gratiot, just north of Eight Mile Road.  In this photo,
taken on June 28, 1952, car #155 has just left the loop area, and is south along Gratiot Avenue,
passing the entrance to the park and on its way to downtown or beyond.  After 1950, most
Gratiot cars were also through-routed onto the Michigan line.
(click-on photo for larger image)
[photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson archive collection: William C.  Janssen photo]
(Click-on photo to view larger image)
WC Janssen Photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive
(www.DetroitTransitHistory.info)
Gratiot streetcars left the downtown area via Michigan Avenue, Monroe, Randolph and Gratiot
Avenue onward to the Eight Mile Loop.  In this photo, a Gratiot car is east on Michigan Avenue
at Woodward, passing along-side the old Detroit City Hall.  Notice the triangular shaped building
at the corner of W. Lafayette and Michigan
(in front of the Lafayette Building), that for decades
housed a United Shirt Distributor retail store.  In 1989, this building  was completely renovated
and became part of an expanded American Coney Island, that owned the storefront next-door.
[photo source: online – unknown (unidentified) collection photo]
The Wayburn Loop was originally purchased by the former DUR (Detroit United Railway) back
on October 24, 1910.  It  still serves as the terminus for the Jefferson bus line to this day.
After the closing of Bates Street to make way for the new City-County Building (also part of the
city's Civic Center Project)
all Jefferson cars were rerouted via Woodward, Monroe, Farmer and
Gratiot to State and Griswold.   In this June 19, 1951 photo,  a Jefferson PCC car
(lower left) is
facing north on Woodward preparing to turn east onto Monroe.  A westward view up Michigan
Avenue (between the old City Hall and the Majestic Building) can also be seen in this photo.  The
Book Cadillac Hotel is in the distant background.
(click-on photo for larger image)  
[Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University photo #28313_3 — see disclaimer below]
(Click-on photo to view larger image)
In this September 26, 1955 photo, Gratiot car #269 can be seen boarding passengers within the
center-of-the-road safety island, which was located on Monroe Street just east of Woodward at
Campus Martius.  With just six months of rail service left on the Gratiot line, GM diesel coach
#1247
(seen passing on car's left) is patiently awaiting its turn to take-over operation of the line.
[Jim Husing Collection photo, courtesy of James Husing — see disclaimer below]
Jim Husing Collection (www.DetroitTransitHistory.info)
Jim Husing Collection (www.DetroitTransitHistory.info)
Before the Michigan and Gratiot lines were combined in September 1950, Michigan cars looped
downtown via south on Griswold, west on Fort and north on Shelby.  After the lines were joined,
the cars continued east along Monroe and Randolph to Gratiot.  While eastbound cars displayed
a "GRATIOT" route sign, westbound cars
(see photo) displayed a "MICHIGAN" sign.  In this
1955 photo, Michigan-Gratiot PCC #143 is westbound on Monroe at the Campus Martius safety
island.  Note the historic pre-Civil War built
(c. 1852) commercial buildings along the south side
of Monroe.  These historic "Monroe Block" buildings were demolished by the city  in 1990.
[Jim Husing Collection photo, courtesy of James Husing — see disclaimer below]
Jim Husing Collection (www.DetroitTransitHistory.info)
In this photo, PCC car #203 boards crowds of Detroiters on Monroe at Campus Martius on
September 6, 1955, the last full day of streetcar operation on the Michigan portion of the
Michigan-Gratiot line. Beginning September 7, 1955, GM diesel buses would begin operating on
Michigan Avenue. On an historical note: This location today is part of Campus Martius Park, a
1.2 acre re-established downtown park completed in November of 2004.
[Jim Husing Collection photo, courtesy of James Husing — see disclaimer below]
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HISTORY FOOTNOTE: The Hotel Norton (on the NE corner of Jefferson and Griswold) was a 14-story,
250-room hotel located at 410 Griswold and opened in 1918.  Once considered one of downtown Detroit's
more stately and prestigious hotels, the Norton had lost much of that prestige by the 1950s.  With the
move by city officials toward erecting modern skyscrapers around the Civic Center area, the Norton
family was pressured to sell the hotel building to Michigan Consolidated Gas Company for the erection
of their new $20 million skyscraper headquarters.  The Hotel Norton closed its doors on Feb. 26, 1959,
and demolition work began on the landmark hotel during the summer of 1959.
[photo source: online – unknown (unidentified) collection photo]
After leaving State and Griswold streets, Jefferson streetcars began their return trip by traveling
south on Griswold
(through the city's Financial District) and east on Jefferson.  In this photo,
Jefferson PCC car #195 can be seen turning east onto W. Jefferson from Griswold Street for the
six mile trip eastward to the city limits.  The
(36-to-40–story) Union Guardian Building and the
former Hotel Norton are both pictured in this photo along the east side of Griswold Street.
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Jefferson streetcars continued east along E. Jefferson to the Wayburn Loop in Grosse Pointe
Park.  The above photo looks west along (W.) Jefferson at Woodward Avenue during the days
prior to the underground entrance to the John Lodge Expressway, Cobo Hall, or the widening of
Jefferson into a boulevard.  These same rails would later be used as a turnaround detour for the
Woodward PCC cars after Woodward Avenue was closed south of Jefferson in 1955.
HISTORY FOOTNOTE: The Hotel Norton (on the NE corner of Jefferson and Griswold) was a 14-story,
250-room hotel located at 410 Griswold and opened in 1918.  Once considered one of downtown Detroit's
more stately and prestigious hotels, the Norton had lost much of that prestige by the 1950s.  With the
move by city officials toward erecting modern skyscrapers around the Civic Center area, the Norton
family was pressured to sell the hotel building to Michigan Consolidated Gas Company for the erection
of their new $20 million skyscraper headquarters.  The Hotel Norton closed its doors on Feb. 26, 1959,
and demolition work began on the landmark hotel during the summer of 1959.
FOOTNOTE:  The only surviving building today found along the north side of Jefferson is the 9-story
Standard Savings Bldg. [a.k.a. Raymond James Bldg/One Griswold Street]
(center - erected 1927).  The
entire block between Woodward and Griswold fell victim to the wrecking ball in 1959, and is today
occupied by the 28-story Michigan Consolidated Gas/ANR Bldg [One Woodward Bldg], erected in 1962.
[photo courtesy of the S. Sycko transit photo collection]
FOOTNOTE:  The only surviving building today found along the north side of Jefferson is the 9-story
Standard Savings Bldg. [a.k.a. Raymond James Bldg/One Griswold Street]
(center - erected 1927).  The
entire block between Woodward and Griswold fell victim to the wrecking ball in 1959, and is today
occupied by the 28-story Michigan Consolidated Gas/ANR Bldg [One Woodward Bldg], erected in 1962.
RV Mehlenbeck Photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive
(www.DetroitTransitHistory.info)
In this 1952 photo, Michigan PCC car #158 is westbound on Michigan Avenue near 10th Street,
right across the street from Tiger Stadium
(then Briggs Stadium).  The Collins Car Wash in the
background is now a vacant lot, although some of the distant background buildings still remain.
By the way, car #158 is on its way to the Ford Rouge plant.  
(click-on photo for larger image)
[photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson archive collection: RV Mehlenbeck photo]
(Click-on photo to view larger image)
BL Stone Photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive
(www.DetroitTransitHistory.info)
(Click-on photo to view larger image)
In this 1955 photo, car #155 is westbound along Michigan between 18th and 17th streets.
Surprisingly, all of the buildings on this first block are actually still there, although one has had
its facade altered. Blanco Canvas occupies the first building, while the building housing Bullock-
Green Hardware currently houses Vernor-Brush Motors & Parts.
(click photo for larger image)
[photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson archive collection: BL Stone photo]
(Click-on photo to view larger image)
In this April 17, 1955 photo, car #157 is west along Michigan Avenue, approaching the Scotten
Street overpass.  Back then, this stretch of Michigan Avenue bordered the north end of the
former GM Clark Street
(Fleetwood) Assembly Plant, which would be to the right of this photo.
The railroad viaduct in the background was one of two in that area that carried railroad freight
train traffic into and out of the auto plant complex.  
(click-on photo for larger image)
[photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson archive collection: WC Janssen photo]
WC Janssen Photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive
(www.DetroitTransitHistory.info)
(Click-on photo to view larger image)
BL Stone Photo, Krambles-Peterson Archive
(www.DetroitTransitHistory.info)
In this 1955 photo, PCC car #112 is westbound along Michigan Avenue, just east of Junction, en
route to the Ford Rouge Miller Road Terminal.  The Federal Department Store in this photo was
located on Michigan Avenue at 33rd Street.  Click on photo to view a wider-angle version.
[photo courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson archive collection: BL Stone photo]
THE 1920's
1  2  3  4
THE 1930's
1  2  3
THE 1940's
1  2  3  4  5
THE 1950's
1  2  3
THE 1960's
1  2  3
THE 1970's
1  2  3
THE 1980's
1  2  3
THE 1990's
1  2  3
THE 2010's
1   2
THE 2000's
1   2