From AnnArbor.com:

When Susan Greenberg graduated from Lincoln Consolidated Schools, she took a trip via rail to Washington, D.C., to celebrate.

Greenberg boarded that train in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town.

Now, almost 60 years later, Greenberg once again got the chance to board a passenger train in Depot Town.

The demonstration passenger rail car she boarded is one of 23 that will be a part of the Ann Arbor-to-Detroit commuter rail that will make regular stops in Depot Town when service begins in what officials expect will be about three years.

Greenberg said she is excited to see rail return and thinks it’s a service Ypsilanti and the region needs.

“Most people are finding it harder to pay for and run an automobile,” she said. “Wages aren’t keeping up where everyone can afford it and it helps to have rail where many people are traveling together.”

A press conference Friday that showcased the recently purchased cars helped kick off the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival weekend.

Representatives form the city of Ypsilanti, Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) Washtenaw County, the Ypsilanti Visitor’s and Convention Bureau, Eastern Michigan University and U.S. Rep. John Dingell all spoke at the event.

Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber reminded more than 100 attendees that as they walk around the Heritage Festival and think about Ypsilanti’s past and it’s tie to rail, they should also consider the role rail will play in the city’s future.

Specifically, he noted how Depot Town has been on an upswing since it was full of derelict buildings in the 1970s.

“Depot Town has made big strides since the 1970s and this is the next big stride,” Schreiber said.

Dingell also recalled that rail was once a central component of Ypsilanti.

U.S. Rep John Dingell speaks at the MiTrain Press Conference that showed off the newly purchased commuter rail cars.

“A lot of people forget that this used to be a railroad town. And it’s going to be a railroad town again,” he said. “I want you to know it’s going to be a success.”

But, like several other speakers, he told the audience many challenges to making the Ann Arbor-To-Detroit rail line a success still lie ahead.

Don’t pat yourself on the back yet. There’s still a lot more work to be done,” he said.

The purchase of the cars showcased at Friday’s event was a milestone, however. The Michigan Department of Transportation recently bought 23 cars from the Chicago Metra and refurbished them for around $300,000 each.

SEMCOG and MDOT are now working on a multi-million-dollar effort to upgrade the tracks between Ann Arbor and Detroit to reduce travel time and improve the ability of passenger and freight trains to share the tracks.

That effort will take several years, and SEMOCG Executive Director Paul Tait said the organization is simultaneously working to secure more funding for the estimated $10 million in annual operating costs.

Tait underscored the positives that the Ann Arbor-To-Detroit corridor has working for it. It holds three of the state’s top 10 employers; it has 135,000 college students, four of the state’s most populous cities, several health systems and a variety of sporting and entertainment venues.

‘We have to be patient, but rightfully optimistic about the potential,” Tait said.

Ypsilanti Visitors and Convention Bureau Director Debbie Locke-Daniels, like most in Ypsilanti, is eager to see the potential of a train stop in Ypsilanti realized.

“It will bring thousands of new visitors,” she said. “We already know what we have here in Depot Town, and we want many, many more people to discover it.”

Source:  http://annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti/commuter-rail-showcase-john-dingell-help-kick-off-ypsilanti-heritage-festival/

From CBC News:

Two Boblo boats have landed a role in Transformers 4.

The S.S. Columbia and her sister the S.S. Ste. Clair, both docked in River Rouge, are being used as props.

The Columbia ferried people to the island amusement park from 1902 to 1991. The Ste. Clair did so from 1910 to 1991. Boblo closed for good in September 1993.

Filming of the movie began across Metro Detroit earlier this year.

The Columbia’s ship keeper, Sam Buchanan, said the St. Clair has “a prominent role” in the movie while the Columbia’s appearance is “minor.”

“When the movie folks are in town, they’re always looking for unique place to shoot so these boats came into play,” Buchanan said. “They’re moving right along. They’ve been shooting primarily at night. I don’t know how much more is going to be going on there but they’re not nearly finished.”

The City of River Rouge confirmed filming took place Wednesday and Thursday night.

“There were a lot of helicopters flying around,” city clerk Sue Joseph said.

The steamships were put on the U.S. List of National Historic Landmarks in 1992.

Producers have added a second smokestack to the Ste. Clair.

“It was unique looking because both Boblo boats only had one smoke stack. They added a second one for some sort of explosion in the movie,” Buchanan said. “It won’t harm the boat any. The boats won’t be harmed in any way, but they’re making their big Hollywood debute.”

Both are scheduled to be restored. The Columbia is owned by a not-for-profit group, the S.S. Columbia Project. The end goal is to have the ship eventually give tours along the Hudson River in New York.

Richard Anderson was the man behind the group. He died in January. But according to the organization’s website and Buchanan, his dream is still alive.

“The board has undertaken a thorough review of the condition of the SS Columbia, the challenges involved in bringing her to N.Y. and the Hudson River, the adventure of restoring her, and the practicality of her operating up and down the Hudson,” the organization posted on its Facebook page last month. “We expect to have announcements shortly about the next steps for the SS Columbia Project, who will be taking those steps, and how you can help.”

Buchanan said complete restoration could cost “more than $10 million.” In 2011, Anderson estimated a bill of $13 million The Ste. Clair, meanwhile, is owned by a Michigan doctor who wants it restored. It was most recently used as a dockside haunted house.

An added bonus about the filming is that the Ste. Clair had to have its decks replaced for safety’s sake.

“It’s looking pretty good and at least it’s safe,” Buchanan said.

Although he’s seen some of the work done, Buchanan hasn’t watched any of the filming.

“I’m going to wait for the film. I think Detroiters and folks from Windsor will like seeing their boats [in the movie]. Everybody in this area were very close or have a very good memory or experience going to Boblo riding on those boats,” Buchanan said.

“Boblo is one of those things that everyone in this area misses.”

Boblo ran as an amusement park from 1898 to 1993. It’s now a residential development.

Source:  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2013/07/26/wdr-boblo-boats-transformers-four.html