Streetcars

[expatriate]

There are two old PCC Streetcars in the yard of a private house up in St. Clair County on Gratiot. Does anyone know anything about them?

[MikeM]

Are there two? I know there is one that belongs to the Michigan Transit Museum. It was once on display at Selfridge but was evicted about a decade ago once their lease expired. There was no room at the museum in Mt Clemens, so it was stored on the property of one of their members.

[Sandhouse]

This is the last surviving DSR streetcar still in Michigan. [[Two 1920s Peter Witt cars survive in trolley museums in other states.) In the 1980s a trolley enthusiast promoted the reimportation of the PCC car from Mexico City. The Mexicans donated it, and repainted it into DSR colors. The car has a third, left-hand door installed in Mexico. No one has come up with a plan to preserve and display this significant artifact. I don't believe any ex-Detroit cars survive in Mexico City.

[CassTechGrad]

[Henry Whalley]

So, GM didn't single-handedly kill mass transit?

At least according to CBS?

[K-slice]

Well worth the watch for anyone who doesn't know how public transit was intentionally killed off in this country.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-I8GDklsN4&t=385s

One of those clasic cases where corporate greed and government ineptitude and graft work together againt the benefit of the population. Now we've ended up with idiots who say things like "any transit system that's not profitable should be dismatled", and "I don't use transit, why should my taxes pay for it"?

[expatriate]

Are there two? I know there is one that belongs to the Michigan Transit Museum. It was once on display at Selfridge but was evicted about a decade ago once their lease expired. There was no room at the museum in Mt Clemens, so it was stored on the property of one of their members.

Indeed there are.

[CassTechGrad]

On April 8, 1956, the last streetcar in Detroit rolled down Woodward Avenue. After less than 10 years in service, Detroit's fleet of streamlined streetcars was loaded on railcars and shipped to Mexico City, where they ran for another 30 years. Schramm notes,

[Jimaz]

Indeed there are.

I love a good treasure hunt.

I found them in Google Maps on the north side of Gratiot east of S. Richman Rd. here. Zoom out to see both cars from above.

[expatriate]

I love a good treasure hunt.

I found them in Google Maps on the north side of Gratiot east of S. Richman Rd. here. Zoom out to see both cars from above.

The logistics of getting them there would be a fascinating story.

[expatriate]

Found another clue:

PCC 4601 at Michigan Transit Museum


#792522 by Tom6921
Tue Apr 06, 2010 2:07 pm


I found out from my friend who took me to see ex TTC PCC 4601 back in 2000 that
the people at Selfridge Air force base [[which the Michigan Transit Museum runs
through) needs 4601 off the base.

However, the car still hasn't been regauged from the TTC track gauge and is
sitting on a small piece of track. They need help regauging the car which isn't
easy.

Hopefully someone here can help.

[Jimaz]

This belongs here.

“Getting About”
1935 Detroit, Michigan Street Railways Vintage Trolley & Transit Film

This vintage transportation film is created by the Detroit Department of Street Railways {D.S.R} as a promotional film {00:00}. Viewers travel around old Detroit in the mid-1930s as the city grew into a major hub for the transportation industry. It details how locals get around focusing on use of the D.S.R line. The film boasts of the line’s excellence in maintenance, cost and service. The D.S.R. was founded in 1922 and was the progenitor of DDOT; the Detroit Department of Transportation. D.S.R managed the Detroit United railway system. The last of the streetcars were decommissioned in 1956. Al Weeks narrates {0:17}. A trolley car of the DSR line is shown, probably a double ended Birney Safety Car or similar {0:25}. A railway employee wipes the company logo clean {0:32}. 1930’s automobiles and a Yellow Coach bus run by the rail line {0:58} as the narrator stresses the value of public transit. During this time period; nearly a million rode the D.S.R. street cars and busses daily {1:07}. Detroit’s history as a hub for transportation began in 1902. A Ford transit bus navigates past Detroit's Highland Park property {1:25}, site of the first Highland Park Plant, opened in 1909. Inevitably it would be the automotive industry which would decimate the rail car industry by the close of the 1950's. Over 30 acres of yards are set aside for rail car storage {1:32}. Other major rail car companies of the time are mentioned including Coolidge, Shoemaker and Jefferson Car Housing {1:42}. Maintenance men perform routine maintenance {1:50}. A hydraulic jack pumps the 16000 lb. car up {1:53}. A fresh layer of paint is sprayed on {2:05}. A rail car runs through the shower rack {2:31}. Window washers snap to work {2:55}. An 18 ton truck moves towards the moveable platform {3:14}. A view follows from over the driver's shoulder as he moves down city roads {3:56}. Mistersky power plant is pictured {4:06}. Energy for the trolleys is sourced from here. A massive drag scraper scoops coal from the mound {4:22}. A conveyor belt runs fuel to the bunker {4:28}. The boilers are pictured {4:40}. Various meters monitor the boilers performance {4:48}. Four massive turbines {4:55} convert steam energy to electrical energy. One of the 18 substations is pictured {5:16}. A repair truck runs out to save a broken tire {5:36}. Workers build tracks for the rail cars {6:15}. Detroit added 75 miles of rail line {6:20}. Construction of the rail line is discussed {6:30}. A mold with a sand core is fit tight over the joint {6:42}. Magnesium and iron are combined in a pot {6:50}]. Molten iron welds the rails together {6:58}. The cooled mold is broken {7:08} displaying one connected piece of steel. D.S.R. was able to construct new rails without hindering the flow of the established rail line {7:41}. The rail line mainly served the working community {8:16}. Riders move through a gate to pay fares {8:47}. Another car of the D.S.R. line arrives for a different group of workers {9:14}. Four cars of the D.S.R. appear {9:34} among a massive crowd. A young couple stands in the street as a horse-drawn trolley or horse car is shown {9:43). D.S.R. began in 1873, running horse cars on Jefferson Ave {10:03}. 1892 saw Detroit's first electric car {10:14} and the final horse car disappeared in 1896. Bus lines were established for distant communities {10:39}. A repair shop is visited {10:58}. Two wheels are set to be added to a 10 ton car {11:04}. Buses peel from their garage {11:11}. Population increase led to the expansion of the bus line {11:35}. The trackless trolley bus, probably a Brill {11:43} on Plymouth Rd. Traffic regulations between rail cars and autos {12:24}. Detroit was known for having low fares. Locals move down the line looking at the rail cars {12:49}. Routes and costing are noted on a map {13:31}. A steam locomotive {13:44}. The rail car is noted to be the most economical. Seal of D.S.R. {13:59}.

Note the lateral "turntable" at 3:00 and the in-the-field rail welding process at 6:20.

[EASTSIDER BALDUCK]

Cool.

cliff

[gnome]

The comment section on YouTube is a real treat.

In short, the YouTube commenters assert that everything was roses and lollipops when out of no where “they” got all uppity and burned down everything.

oh, and Coleman is to blame.

This is going to be a long four years. Stupidity now has a license to breed.