Amtrak, Wolverine Route, Royal Oak - Chicago, 01/31/2007 - 02/01/2007

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It was a cold morning and we left 40 minutes late due to the train leaving the Pontiac terminal late. I had not planned on shooting much but got the camera out and took this shot going what I would guess to be 60 mph This is the American Axle Manufacturing plant as seen from trackside. This was the first of many buildings I saw adorned with colorful graffiti. I have no idea what the name of this building is or was. You can see that like many buildings that were designed during the heyday what appears to be a way to load train cars. The right side of the building was curved all the way around. This is the back side of the Russell Street complex. After this I decided to put the camera away and enjoy the ride. I put on some Scorpions Lonesome Crow, kicked back and drifted off into sleep. The Amtrak Station in Chicago on the morning of departure. The building was closed during the night and opened at 5 am. People were already crashed out on the benches trying to get warm. This is what I remember about the station in Detroit when I used to hop the train to Kalamazoo. It was big, gothic and beautiful. Now it is in ruins. The flag hangs over the main entrance inside the terminal. I wondered what was on the second floor of the building. The early morning sun through the pains of glass in contrast to the warm glow of the lights showing off the ornate nature of the building. Small shops on the left and right handle all traveler needs. The little cafe was like a Starbucks. Leaving the central area going to the boarding platforms. Again I wondered what the balcony was for. Looking back from the boarding platform entrance to the central area. You will never see many buildings built today with this type or architecture. It costs too much to build, maintenance is high and the craftsmen of the day have not handed down the craft. Again I really was not planning on shooting on the way home, but I did pull the camera out any way. The way the sky was I decided to switch to black and white and started to snap away. The effect of the moving train blurred some of the foreground detail but I thought that the snow and the contrast of the bare trees created on ominous photo. I wondered what the name of the river was. Some of the water was frozen over and some of it was still running leading me to believe it was a pretty fast current. I was playing with the sepia tones on the camera here. The bridge even though you could not see the detail in the photo appeared to be made of iron. It seems that because the back of the buildings are hardly seen they all collect junk on track side. More junk. Outdated manufacturing tooling I wondered. By the look of the building I thought it was derelict but the cars and trucks painted a different story. Any one want to make a diner out of this car? I bet you could have it cheap. Pulling into Ann Arbor. Lots of people got off and lots of kids got on here. I missed the one like this where you could see that some one was living there. Cardboard was the outer structure but you could still see the mattress and some personal items. I almost missed it but there were take out containers that littered the area below forming a neat triangle at the bottom where it all piled up. I think this was one of my favorite photos as I caught the sky in the water. Remove the power lines and it could be just about anywhere. Again the stark snow on the dark buildings with the trash in the back. This can be seen as the Ypsilanti Farm Bureau Feed and Grain store. The Ypsilanti train station as we pulled away. If you compare that station to the one in Chicago you can understand what I meant about replacing the stations with newer less costly buildings. Almost every overpass I wondered if some one was taking up residence on the other side of the pillar. I wonder why some one would want to live so close to the railroad tracks. Abandoned or habited? Spare railroad ties and other things. As you can see this is where they switch the trains along the different tracks. Several times we had to slow down and sometime stop the train waiting for clearance to go further down a railroad line. The dispatchers had to make sure there was not an opposing train running late or early on the same track. The riches of another man. I saw no type of order here, however I wondered if there were any jewels buried in one of these piles. Snowy roads to nowhere. I can not stress how much junk was along the ride. See what I mean? For sale signs every where. Piles of what against that crazy sky. Some sun was peeking through here and you could see the dirty window. Some kind of manufacturing plant. I saw lots of chemical plants on the way. I was not sure if this was some kind of drainage ditch. You could feel the train rock and rumble when it went over junctions like this. Pulling back into Detroit. More tires. They were everywhere. There was no business near here and it seems to me like someone had to two track it back here to dump them. Tires and railroad timbers. Another outdated manufacturing building. I wonder if those jobs are now overseas. Some of these artists were really good. Oncoming train. This one was not very close but some of them were so close when we passed by you could swear you could reach out and touch them. With the way the train rocked it was actually scary. Is that a spay paint can I see in his hand? Looking down Woodward to downtown Detroit. White Castle seemed like a good idea at the time but the train would not stop for me. More abandoned manufacturing capacity. This building I thought was abandoned as well. Until I saw this guy peeking out at me as I was taking the photo of the building. Notice the burned out corner of this one. For sale or lease. Any buyers out there? Russell Street complex on the way back. Same building as on the way out. I was fascinated by this one. This time I got the rest of the curvature of the building. If only these buildings could talk what kind of story would it tell? All these perfect round little piles. Hundreds of them. Then I saw the crew making them. I wondered wonder what they were burying there. I wonder what it all means? The once mighty Sears, Roebuck and Co. I wonder how long this building has been left for dead. More piles only this one was still being added too. Is this where the road salt comes from? A once proud neighborhood. Pallets. What would some one do with all these? All I know is that if I ever have a bonfire this is the place to go to get some good firewood. The wrong side of the track? Rock D City. Michigan State Fairgrounds. Once the proud home of Softball City. The Softball City bar. Softball City was the first private field in the united states. It spurned Liberty Park in Sterling Heights and others across the country according to a friend of mine that built it. Leased on the State Fair grounds it was just abandoned after the lease ran out. The Wonder Bread factory at 8 Mile Road. Grand Trunk Intermodal transportation yard. This crane is used to pick up truck trailers and put them in stacks on trains or take them off the train for the trucks to haul them away. Most everything shipped into Detroit via train will stop here at one point. Looking back on the trip before I put the camera away. The Royal Oak Station was at 11 mile road and this was near 8 Mile Road.