Michigan Central Railway Tunnel

Posted on by farlane
Sinking last tubular section Michigan Central RR tunnel by Albert Duce

Sinking last tubular section Michigan Central RR tunnel by Albert Duce

One of the fun things about Michigan in Pictures is the way that the photos I share raise questions that I am then obliged to find the answers to! That is the case today after someone asked “Where does the Holiday Train cross over from Canada?” The answer is the Michigan Central Railroad Tunnel which the Henry Ford explains was the answer to a wintertime challenge:

Ferrying railroad cars across the Detroit River was time-consuming and expensive — and sometimes impossible through winter ice. The Michigan Central Railroad opened a tunnel between Detroit and Windsor in 1910. The tunnel’s sections were built on land and then towed and sunk into position. This innovative construction technique saved the railroad some $2 million versus more conventional methods.

The Diesel Shop shared the photo above and continues the explanation:

The tunnel was constructed utilizing the immersed tube method in which tunnel sections are prefabricated and then sunk to the bottom of the river. Immersed tube construction is generally faster and cheaper than the alternative of boring a tunnel into the earth. The Michigan Central Railway Tunnel was the first immersed tube tunnel to carry traffic. The tunnel, built at a cost of $8,500,000, is 1 3/8 miles in length from portal to portal.

Here’s a cool video tour of the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel & some shots of the tunnel via Wikipedia’s Michigan Central Railway Tunnel entry.

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How to see the CPKC Holiday Train this Saturday

Posted on by farlane
Holiday Train Rolling through Detroit by Craig Hensley Photography

Holiday Train Rolling through Detroit by Craig Hensley Photography

The CPKC Holiday Train is set to roll through Michigan this Saturday November 22nd. My post about the train last week generated so many questions and so much interest that I decided to share some more info about this very cool Canadian project. Since its first journey in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has collected over 5 million pounds of food and raised more than $26 million dollars for community food banks in Canada and the US!

The estimated time that the train will pass by Michigan Central Station in downtown Detroit is 6pm, but it could be (and usually is) later. The train passes through southwest Detroit including Melvindale, Allen Park (est 6:30 – 7:30pm), Taylor, and Romulus before passing through Adrian (est 10pm – 2am) on its way out of Michigan near Munson. I’ll add updated information & answers to questions on this Facebook post about the Holiday Train.

Craig Hensley has been shooting the Holiday Train for years (check out these 2023 pics!). He put together a sweet Google Map of the Holiday Train’s route through Michigan that includes suggested viewing locations. He notes notes that the train is not making stops in Michigan and will be traveling at night so be smart and keep a safe distance from the tracks!! Head over to his website to view & purchase his work.

Also, Detroit photographer Montez Miller reports that she has a friend in Windsor who is a police officer & will let her know when the train is leaving customs so you should probably follow her for that and also her amazing work as a photographer for the red hot Detroit Pistons!!

UPDATE: Montez adds that cpkcr.com will provide LIVE TRAIN TRACKING, but it won’t go live until the train starts to move. She also shared some good Metro Detroit locations where you can watch the Holiday Train!

  • CPKC railway, a few minutes from tunnel/bridge in Windsor
  • Railroad in Windsor
  • Southwest Greenway/Michigan Central Station
  • Delay/Southwest Detroit/111 Gates St
  • Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park (parking lot)
  • Airport (Romulus)
  • Wayne Rd/94
  • North Side of airport along 94
  • Social House Group – Belleville, MI same plaza as the Belleville Secretary of State office and Jet’s Pizza
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See the Canada Pacific Holiday Train when it rolls through Michigan

Posted on by farlane
2025 CPKC Holiday Train at Michigan Central by Snappd by Sean Photography

2025 CPKC Holiday Train at Michigan Central by Snappd by Sean Photography

The 2025 CPKC Holiday Train will tour Canada and the United States November 19 through December 21st raising money, food and awareness to support food banks across their rail network. Professional musicians play free concerts from the brightly decorated train’s stage, and CPKC donates to the local food bank at each stop and encourages all attendees to make a monetary or heart-healthy food donation! Since its inaugural journey in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $26 million and collected approximately 5.4 million pounds of food for community food banks in Canada and the U.S.

Sean shares that he got these shots from near Detroit’s Michigan Central Station last year – click the pic above for more photos! He recommends it as a really good spot, especially if you can make it there before the crowds. You can see lots more if Sean’s work on his Facebook, where you can also subscribe for exclusive content including live videos.

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The Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Detroit’s Campus Martius

Posted on by farlane
Michigan Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Campus Martius by Andrew McFarlane

Michigan Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Campus Martius by Andrew McFarlane

Historic Detroit shares that although there is probably no other area of Detroit has changed more often and more drastically over the years than the city center, Campus Martius, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument has endured:

Over the years, Old City Hall, the Majestic Building, the Pontchartrain Hotel, the Family Theatre, the Hammond Building and the old Detroit Opera House have all come and gone.

Only one landmark has outlived them all.

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is among Detroit’s oldest pieces of public art and was one of the first monuments to honor Civil War veterans in the United States. It was announced by Gov. Austin Blair in 1865 that money would be collected to erect a tribute to Michigan’s soldiers killed in battle. Detroit, being the largest city, won the right to the monument.

…The bronze and granite sculpture was formally unveiled on April 9, 1872, though some of its statues were not added until July 18, 1881. Among the military commanders of Civil War fame attending the ceremony were Gens. George Armstrong Custer, Ambrose Burnside, Philip Sheridan, Thomas J. Wood and John Cook. The estimates were that 25,000 visitors turned out for the event, and each of the state’s main cities was represented by a marching delegation. Detroit’s hotels could not accommodate the crowd and some people had to sleep on the floors of the halls and parlors of taverns.

The Classical Revival monument stands more than 60 feet tall and cost more than $75,000 ($1.3 million today) to build. It was sculpted by Randolph Rogers, who grew up in Ann Arbor and studied at the Academy of St. Mark in Florence, Italy, under Lorenzo Bartolini. Rogers won the commission after a public competition in 1867. He also is known for the bronze doors for the U.S. Capitol’s main entrance and created monuments like the Sailors and Soldiers in other cities.

Read on for much more at Historic Detroit, and for sure thank a veteran today and every day for stepping up to serve.

Although most of the photos that appear on Michigan in Pictures are by other photographers, I took these photos. I don’t sell my photos, but you can for sure throw me a few bucks through Patreon if you enjoy Michigan in Pictures! The top photo is from second floor the new glass pub on Campus Martius looking south down Woodward and the detail shots are from just after they cleaned the monument before the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Detroit is shining brightly

Posted on by farlane
Detroit Shining Brightly by Chris Ahern Photography

Hudson and Gordie Howe Bridge with new lighting by Chris Ahern Photography

Chris shared a perfect photo for a roundup of recent Detroit news saying: “Both projects broke ground in 2020. The Hudson’s site is now Detroit’s second tallest building, while the Gordie Howe Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. Also lit up is the Ambassador Bridge which recently reached its 100 year anniversary.” (the Ambassador is in the foreground with the string of lights).

For starters, the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit to Windsor announced that the planned Fall 2025 opening has been delayed to 2026. WDIV Detroit writes:

While 98% of the $5.7 billion project is complete, bridge officials say the remaining work is forcing the delay from the previously announced fall 2025 opening … The final phase focuses heavily on testing the bridge’s technological systems.

…A report from S&P Global Ratings indicated that contractors had missed previous deadlines for transferring border facilities to authorities, though bridge officials would not specifically comment on this.

Detroit has definitely been on the come up in recent years, but it is still notable that 13 years after a poll showed two-thirds of Detroiters felt the city was moving in the wrong direction, a new survey found a dramatic, 180-degree turnaround with 76% feeling the city is headed in the right direction with 11% disagreeing & 13% having no opinion. Among that 11% is Livonia resident & leader of the Detroit News editorial page Nolan Finley, who ruffled more than a few feathers when he suggested that Detroiters are deluded to express contentment.

If you tuned in to Monday Night Football to see the Lions whomp on the Buccaneers, you saw the spectacular drone footage of Detroit taken by Chris. I can’t find it all, but you can see some drone video of the Hudson on his Instagram & also of the Detroit Riverfront on the opening of the Monday Night Football highlights. For sure follow Chris Ahern Photography on Facebook and view and purchase his work & drone photography services on his website!

Ford Field from Above by Chris Ahern Photography

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The Beauty of Detroit’s Brush Park

Posted on by farlane
Brush Park in Detroit by Terrell Morton

Brush Park in Detroit by Terrell Morton

The Detroit Historical Society shares some great information on Detroit’s Brush Park neighborhood that begins:

Established in 1860, Brush Park is one of the oldest historic neighborhoods in Detroit. Today it encompasses twenty-four blocks, bounded by Mack Avenue on the north, Woodward Avenue on the west, Beaubien Street on the east, and the Fisher Freeway on the south. In the late 1700s, the land was part of a ribbon farm owned by the Askin family, prominent fur traders and British loyalists.

Askin did not approve of American independence, so in 1802 he and his wife moved to Canada, leaving control of the farm and the enslaved people who worked there in the hands of his son-in-law Elijah Brush, husband to Adelaide Askin. Brush was active in civic affairs, serving as the second mayor of Detroit, the Michigan Territory United States Attorney, and Michigan Territory Treasurer. As a lieutenant colonel in the territorial militia, Brush was taken prisoner during the War of 1812 when the British captured Detroit.

Edmund Brush inherited the estate when his father died. He was also an influential figure in Detroit – a volunteer with the fire department and president of the water commission. In the 1850s, Brush began dividing and selling his land to wealthy families. He named the streets Alfred, Adelaide, Edmund, Eliot, and Brush after family members. Brush had many building restrictions, some which required expensive, large homes for the neighborhood, leading Brush Park to be called “Little Paris” for its mansions. Many famous Detroiters lived in the area in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century including Joseph L. Hudson, Albert Kahn and Grace Whitney Evans, daughter of David Whitney.

Read more and/or see related historical photos & from the Detroit Historical Society, and as someone who used to live on Adelaide, I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to see these wonderful buildings return to life!

Check out all the photos on Terrell’s Facebook page! and follow him there and on his Instagram @UrbanPharaoh444!

More wonderful Michigan architecture on Michigan in Pictures!

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Gordie Howe International Bridge lights the night!

Posted on by farlane
Gordie Howe International Bridge lights the night! by Andrew Dean Aerial Photography

Gordie Howe International Bridge lights the night! by Andrew Dean Aerial Photography

I heard rumors yesterday that were confirmed when I woke up this morning to Andrew’s eye-popping shots of the Gordie Howe International Bridge from Detroit to Canada all lit up! Andrew shares that this isn’t the final stage either. According to the Gordie Howe social media pages – the bridge will have 5,000 aesthetic lights that will illuminate the cables, towers, deck and approaches!! I’ve also got a flyover video from the Gordie Howe International Bridge below.

There are a couple more pics below. Head over to his Facebook page for the latest and check out his website for more about his drone photography services and to view & purchase his work.

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Heads Up – Today is Cloud Appreciation Day

Posted on by farlane
Midtown Clouds by Andrew McFarlane

Midtown Clouds by Andrew McFarlane

The good folks at EarthSky inform us that today (September 12, 2025) is International Cloud Appreciation Day. The Cloud Appreciation Society shares that it’s a day when people all around the world look up to appreciate the beauty of the clouds and contribute a photo of their sky to the Memory Cloud Atlas. The Atlas is an enduring and unifying record of people coming together from different locations and cultures in appreciation of our shared world and the most dynamic, evocative, and poetic nature of clouds.

Head over to the Memory Cloud Atlas to view the photos people have shared & share your own. You can also check out photos from 2024, 2023, and 2022!

I took this photo in August in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood looking east over Woodward & Barlum Apartments, about 2 blocks from the Detroit Institute of Arts. If you would like to support me, please feel welcome to do so through Patreon or just sharing this blog with your friends & family!

More clouds on Michigan in Pictures!

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Sergei Ferderov’s Number 91 rising to the rafters!

Posted on by farlane

Sergei Ferderov 91 on TCF Center by Detroit Red Wings/Allison Farrand / Ilitch Sports

The Detroit Red Wings shared these pictures from around the city to announce that they will retire the #91 jersey of all star & multiple Stanley Cup winner Sergei Federov on January 12, 2026. Federov remains the all time scoring & assist leader among Russian-born hockey players so I honestly thought they had already done this, but in any case – an honor richly deserved!

The photos are by Allison Farrand who is the lead photographer for Ilitch Sports (Detroit Tigers & Detroit Red Wings).

More Red Wings on Michigan in Pictures.

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2025 opening of Gordie Howe Bridge in question

Posted on by farlane
Freighter passing under Gordie Howe Bridge by Ryan Jake Jakubowski

Freighter passing under Gordie Howe Bridge by Ryan Jake Jakubowski

The Detroit News digs into emerging signs that the planned Fall 2025 opening of the Gordie Howe will be delayed due to issues with new construction at the US Port of Entry & multiple links to the bridge in southwest Detroit:

…The S&P analysis said delays at the future U.S. Port of Entry “may delay substantial completion by about six months.” The 167-acre U.S. Port of Entry includes border protection facilities for passenger and commercial vehicle and maintenance facilities. The southern edge of the complex is on the 6300 block of West Jefferson Avenue near Historic Fort Wayne in the Delray neighborhood.

The S&P analysis pointed out that a key “handover date” was missed last September that would have allowed U.S Customs to begin its six months of work needed to make the facilities ready to open. That new target for the handover date was July 31. It is unclear if the handover occurred. The WBDA cited security concerns that won’t allow it to comment on “certain aspects” of the U.S. Port of Entry.

Completion of the Michigan interchange portion of the project in southwest Detroit is not expected to be done until Aug. 31, more than 120 days longer than contractually planned, the S&P report said. The work involves building four new road bridges, five new pedestrian bridges and four bridges crossing a railway and connecting to I-75. Work on this can be seen on blocks of Fort Street, I-75 and the freeway service drive. Bridge officials said that various aspects of the Michigan Interchange work continue but did not give a completion date.

Read on for more but it’s sounding like we might not be riding bikes to Canada on the Gordie Howe this fall after all. 🫤

Ryan shares that this is one of his favorite shots of the new bridge. Click the pic to follow him on Facebook & head over to J&C Photography to view & purchase his work and to hire him for photographic services including drone photography & 360 degree panoramas.

More freighters & bridges on Michigan in Pictures!

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