This one ran in the Free Press, September 30, 1970, and was taken inside the old Michigan/New York/Penn Central Railroad Station that was located near Crawford & Tecumseh.
The caption that ran with this photo in the newspaper read as follows:
- Back in 1929 the trains used to run twice an hour 24 hours a day, from the Penn Central station in Windsor. Now they only leave four times a day, and after Wednesday they won’t leave at all.
Staffed now by only three men – a baggage master, a station operator and a watchman – the station ships mostly freight as its passenger cars are almost always empty.
Penn Central, which has filed for bankruptcy, is closing the station for passenger business Wednesday because it doesn’t make money. It marks another step nearer the end of a transportation dating back to the golden days of the West.
Free Press Photos by JOE LIPPINCOTT
I can’t even imagine 2 passenger trains leaving/arriving n Windsor every hour of everyday, and this is only one of 4 stations back then. Now we have one station and 4 trains a day.
I think people are really gonna start realizing the benifits of passenger rail fairly soon with gas being so unpredictably expensive.
Great photo,
Thanks Andrew!
Is this the same Michigan/New York/Penn Central station that was demolished a few years ago after a fire? I remember walking by that building when it was derelict and wondering why nobody was using it.
Same one George.
Aaron i remember in 1977 long after Penn Central had stopped passenger service i remember seeing the Amtrak Niagara Rainbow alot on the old caso it came from thru the tunnel from detroit i’m not 100% sure but i think it was a train each way daily? i recall being at the twin east drive in with my wife i don’t recall the exact time but! it was dark maybe 10pm and saw it coming thru Pelton interlocking west bound what a site!!
this train went across southern ontario to buffalo ny
ya i know it went from Detroit to Buffalo NY