Detroit railtunnel construction.... At Shorpy!

**Whitehouse** · August-04-10, 08:24 PM

http://www.shorpy.com/node/8647?size=_original

Pioneering with the Caisson method! First ever railway tunnel build according to this principle.
Here's wikipedia.

**Zacha341** · August-04-10, 08:28 PM

Nice.... Shorpy never dissapoints. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

http://www.shorpy.com/node/8647?size=_original

Pioneering with the Caisson method! Here's wikipedia.

**wolverine** · August-04-10, 09:49 PM

Very cool. 100 years ago. Too bad their clearances are too low for modern passenger trains.

**royce** · August-05-10, 01:09 AM

I got an opportunity to see a train come out of the tunnel this past Tuesday night. It was exciting. I was driving over the Bagley bridge when suddenly I heard all of this rumbling. I quickly parked my car and caught the engine car heading west along the track. I observed the cars passing for about two minutes, hoping to see the last car but it was dark [[no street lights working) and it was late, about 10:30 p.m. A question I have is this, "What does it mean when it is explained that the tunnel is electric? The engine car was clearly a fuel-driven locomotive that you would see on any railroad track. What's the story?

**Gsgeorge** · August-05-10, 01:41 AM

Facking awesome

**BillyBBrew** · August-05-10, 03:38 AM

Royce,

Back in the days before diesel locomotives, electric transfer locomotives were used to shuttle cars through the tunnel. Steam locomotives were not able to transit the tunnel. Looks like it might be the Stmr. Wilpen in the background. The tunnel was built by Great Lakes Engineering Works [[company that built the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1958) at their St. Clair, MI yard.

**Zacha341** · August-05-10, 05:57 AM

My eyes were on the steamer in the background too. Thanks for the extra detailed information BBB...

Originally Posted by BillyBBrew

Royce,

Back in the days before diesel locomotives, electric transfer locomotives were used to shuttle cars through the tunnel. Steam locomotives were not able to transit the tunnel. Looks like it might be the Stmr. Wilpen in the background. The tunnel was built by Great Lakes Engineering Works [[company that built the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1958) at their St. Clair, MI yard.

**mcsdetroitfriend** · August-05-10, 06:58 AM

I'm still waiting for an MCS construction photo to get up there, the daughter of the guy who owns Forbes Management holds in her words "several hundred" photographs and glass negatives of the construction photos from the Manning Bros. collection, I have not had the privilege to see any however...I did go to Columbia University in NYC and saw their collection of photos from the Warren and Wetmore collection, it was very very interesting

**Magnatomicflux** · August-07-10, 07:25 PM

Royce,
Here's an example of some of the electric locomotives used for transfer. This is taken infront of Windsor's MCS. Note the third rail in the foreground.

Attachment 7111

and then just some various photos from our side

Attachment 7112

ah....so this is why border jumpers get smushed all the time lol
You can also see the third rail to the right
Attachment 7113

Attachment 7114

Attachment 7115

BBB - I don't know where I read it, but I thought the sections of the tube were constructed here in Ojibway at the Canada Steel Company. Is that the road tunnel I'm thinking of? Also, this sectional shows the contractors as the Butler Bros Construction Co. of NYC. Are they maybe just the ones who put it together or .....?

Attachment 7116

**BillyBBrew** · August-08-10, 11:29 PM

I assume from the photos that the contractor was Butler, but the tunnel sections were built by Great Lakes Engineering Works. I do not know the history of the automobile tunnel, so that could be correct. I also have not heard of any other companies besides GLEW building the railroad tunnel. If you find out anything different, please share, I learn new things every day!

Stosh · August-09-10, 06:51 AM

Originally Posted by mcsdetroitfriend

I'm still waiting for an MCS construction photo to get up there, the daughter of the guy who owns Forbes Management holds in her words "several hundred" photographs and glass negatives of the construction photos from the Manning Bros. collection, I have not had the privilege to see any however...I did go to Columbia University in NYC and saw their collection of photos from the Warren and Wetmore collection, it was very very interesting

MCS, it's almost criminal what the Manning Brothers/Forbes people are doing with those photos. Several hundred I can believe. I don't think we'll see those in [[at least) my lifetime without some serious cash. Not that it really matters anyway.

**Detroitnerd** · August-09-10, 10:45 AM

Yes, the tunnel turned 100 this year. There was a large article about it in this month's Michigan History.

**JBMcB** · August-09-10, 09:51 PM

Looks like Google Earth caught a picture of a train on it's way to the tunnel on the Windsor side:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour....0109&t=h&z=17

**goggomobil** · August-09-10, 10:46 PM

An amusing real story about the tunnel, circa 1973:

http://railroaddave.com/frstday/

**Magnatomicflux** · August-14-10, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

Looks like Google Earth caught a picture of a train on it's way to the tunnel on the Windsor side:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour....0109&t=h&z=17

Wrong rail cut JBMcB. That's CP's "Windsor" yard, and that rail cut used to serve the ferries but the track ends juuuuuuust south of University Ave. The engine is just building/dropping off a train and they use almost the whole length of that cut to do it. If you pan over, the rail tunnel is to the west, and south of Wyandotte, between Wellington and Cameron.

But here's a picture of our side if you've never seen it.....for shits n' giggles. The crossing bridge belongs to the Essex Terminal Railway, Canada's oldest shortline RR. Not my picture, it's credited on the bottom

Attachment 7171

**mcsdetroitfriend** · August-14-10, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

MCS, it's almost criminal what the Manning Brothers/Forbes people are doing with those photos. Several hundred I can believe. I don't think we'll see those in [[at least) my lifetime without some serious cash. Not that it really matters anyway.

Apparently she's good about non-profits, but my group is non-profit and she called back/emailed then rainchecked me a couple times, then that was the last I heard from her. When I get home from working in Europe I definitely plan on blowing her phone up because it is terrible, what I saw in New York at the Avery Library was just the tip of the iceburg, they were all Manning prints that were numbered and obviously MANY were missing, the rest, I hope and believe are in Detroit in the Palms building just sitting around

I have a few shots posted on my flickr page http://flickr.com/ashtonpar I'll throw more up later on another page, I was allowed to take photos of the prints, however they had annoying low overhead lights that made the photo taking difficult

**douglasm** · August-14-10, 05:46 PM

Here's a webpage of the electrics used by the Detroit River Tunnel Company.....

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewt...p?f=93&t=69261

**Magnatomicflux** · August-14-10, 05:48 PM

cool info there douglasm, thanks!

**Crystal** · August-15-10, 10:07 AM

I am always amazed at the apparently poor air quality shown in so many of these old photos.

Sometimes we grouse about emission controls, air quality standards, and government intrusion into our lives, but wow, we have it good today compared to even fifty or sixty years ago.

I am also amazed at how many American Elms there used to be in Detroit.