# Historic images of trainstations



## WeimieLvr (May 26, 2008)

The Michigan Central Station in Detroit's Irish neighborhood "Corktown" opened in 1913. Operations continued for 43 years, when it closed for the first time in 1956. 15 years later it was bought by Amtrak in 1971 for $5 million - one third of its original building cost. Amtrak opened the main lobby and ran passenger trains out of the facility, but the remaining 14 floors of office space above stood empty. Amtrak officially closed the facility and ceased all operations in 1988, and the mammoth building sits empty while many plans for recycling the station have come and gone. Ailanthus Altissima (more commonly known as ghetto palms, a Chinese garden tree that flourishes in abandoned urban settings) now grows out of the lobby interior, rooftops, and crumbling concrete. The estimated cost of restoring the station is $200 to $300 million.

1913








http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Michigancentralstation1913.jpg

2004








http://www.ferestenphoto.com/bfecade.html

Central Michigan Station was replaced by the current Amtrak station in a different location...








http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellek23d/719861438/


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## Bubbybu (Sep 5, 2008)

^ that's a crime....

how did they dispose of the old building?


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## WeimieLvr (May 26, 2008)

Bubbybu said:


> ^ that's a crime....
> 
> how did they dispose of the old building?


The old building is still sitting there empty and decaying...the Amtrak station was built in another location.


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## erbse (Nov 8, 2006)

The restoration of Michigan Central Station would be a key project for flagging Detroit.

I hope they're going to revive this buildings' former glory soon. Is there anything planned yet? An anchor tenant found? I could imagine a middle-class hotel and some apartments, along with restaurants.


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## WeimieLvr (May 26, 2008)

erbsenzaehler said:


> The restoration of Michigan Central Station would be a key project for flagging Detroit.
> 
> I hope they're going to revive this buildings' former glory soon. Is there anything planned yet? An anchor tenant found? I could imagine a middle-class hotel and some apartments, along with restaurants.



There have been a few false-starts on restoration of the CMS over the years, but they have all fizzled out. I think part of the problem is the massive size of the building...500,000 square feet, 18 floors. I'm sure a Detroit resident could tell us more. I just posted the info because it would be a shame to have a thread on historic train stations without this one being represented. Some of the more recent ideas for CMS:

-Trade Processing Center - One proposal suggested turning the station into a customs and international trade processing center due to its proximity to the Ambassador Bridge.

-Convention Center and Casino - Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel J. "Matty" Moroun proposed that his Michigan Central Station be restored as the centerpiece of a new convention center possibly combined with a casino. Such a project could cost $ 1.2 billion, including $300 million to restore the Station. Dan Stamper, president of Detroit International Bridge, noted that the station should have been used as one of the city's casinos. 

-Detroit Police Headquarters - In 2004 Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced that the city was pursuing options to relocate its police department headquarters and possibly consolidate other law enforcement offices. However, in mid-2005, the city cancelled the plan and chose to renovate its existing police headquarters.

2008 photo, front entrance:








http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mcsfacade.jpg


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## Kame (Jan 13, 2007)

^^ That's so sad!

*Hauptbahnhof, München*









wikipedia

today... hno:








panoramio by Mesner Oberjoch


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## mediadave (Apr 19, 2006)

London's Euston station.

Then...




















Now...


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## Kame (Jan 13, 2007)

*Hauptbahnhof, Kaiserslautern*









bahnhofsansichten.de

today...








wikipedia


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## xlchris (Jun 23, 2006)

*Rotterdam Central Stration*

_Picture from +/- 1950;_









_Picture from +/- 2004;_









_Picture from a few days ago;_









_Pictures from future situation;_


















*Utrecht Central Station*

_Picture from +/- 1990_









_Picture from +/- 2007_


















_Picture from future station;_


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## l'eau (Jul 7, 2008)

germany's trainstations was looks great!!


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## l'eau (Jul 7, 2008)

izmir, turkey


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## l'eau (Jul 7, 2008)

istanbul, haydarpasha trainstation.


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## RawLee (Jul 9, 2007)

Budapest - Nyugati terminal back then and now:


















Budapest - Keleti terminal back then and now


















Budapest - Déli terminal back then and now


















Debrecen - Great terminal back then and now


















Miskolc - Tiszai terminal back then and now


















Szeged - Great terminal back then and now


















Pécs - back then and now


















Győr - back then and now


















Nyíregyháza - back then and now


















(all pics are from http://www.vasutallomasok.hu/abc.php)


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## ambiente2008 (Aug 22, 2008)

See this.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=711442


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## Kame (Jan 13, 2007)

Budapest's stations look(ed) great!

*Hauptbahnhof, Gera*









as65.de

today...








wikipedia


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## Kame (Jan 13, 2007)

After a long break, let's continue now!

*Hauptbahnhof, Lübeck*

The very first one, built in 1851:








wikipedia

The newer one, built in 1908:








bahnhofsansichten.de

Today:








flickr


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## storms991 (Mar 28, 2006)

St. Pancras Station, London

Old- 










Now


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## vlaDyka (Dec 14, 2007)

*Bratislava, Slovakia*

*First horse-drawn rail build in 1836~40*:
Origin :


















Now:









*First railway station build in 1848* :
The first station building, now serving as headquarters of the railway police, was built in 1848 as a terminus for the Vienna - Gänserndorf - Bratislava (Pressburg) and Břeclav - Bratislava (Pressburg) lines :
(sorry, no picture)

Now, after reconstruction (still the same as origin...) :









*Origin 2nd building since 1871* (I. Feigler Jr.). The second building was built after constructing track to Budapest around 1850s and is used to this day :


















After 1st rebuild in 1904 (until 2nd rebuild in 1986~1992):









After WW2 reconstruction (until 1986) :
















The third building was built in 1988 as an extension to the existing second building. (Untill now) :
















interior with openings (see picture from 1980):


















Future plan :
see more here : http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=624879
1st building is bottom right, the 2nd one is on the top left....


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## redstone (Nov 15, 2003)

Sad to see grand buildings demolished for ugly boxes


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## LoKeY (Nov 11, 2004)

Ljubljana, Slovenia: Main Train Station

about a century ago:









Today:









2011:








(the old landmarked building is on lower right)


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