Depot: (
3D Satellite)
Railyard: (
Satellite, the railyard is abandoned, but the city limits sill go around it.)
Roundhouse: (
Satellite)
Michigan Central is like Illinois Central and Wisconsin Central in that the purpose of the railroad was not to connect towns, but to make towns. Today's freight railroads don't want the MC route because they want the more direct routes. But Amtrak passenger service needs this route because many of the towns in Michigan are along this route since they were created by this route. So Amtrak bought this route. (The Santa Fe route across Kansas and Colorado has the same problem --- BNSF no longer uses it because a more direct route was built. But evidently Amtrak can't afford to buy and maintain that route.)
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Mark Hinsdale posted
Niles (Michigan Central / New York Central
Mark Hinsdale shared |
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Worldwide Railfan Productions posted
New and Old! One of the Michigan wolverine services stops at Niles an old Michigan Central station built in 1892. In all my trips to Michigan I finally got to Niles to see this station. ~IG Drawbar_Photography |
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Mark G Tyler posted
Niles, Michigan train station in winter. This historic station has been in several major movie films.
Nick Kozlik shared |
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| Michael Ponsetto commented on Nick's share |
Durand Union Station-Michigan Railroad History Museum posted two photos with the comment:
The Niles Depot was a popular destination for movie shoots, even before Michigan’s film incentive came along. Three movies had scenes shot at the station: 1981’s “Continental Divide” starring John Belushi, 1988’s “Midnight Run” starring Robert DeNiro, and 1991’s “Only the Lonely” starring John Candy.
For “Only the Lonely,” the station was decorated for Christmas scenes, prompting an annual holiday tradition for Niles to be made.
Sources:
Jim Kelling sharedMichigan Central station in Niles Michigan (1892)  |
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Roberta Crawford
posted eight photos with the comment:
The current Michigan Central Railroad Depot, in Niles, opened in 1892. Master Gardner John Gipner developed extensive gardens with greenhouses, colorful flower beds, shade trees, walkways, benches, and even a koi fish pond around the depot.
Gipner started a custom of giving a fresh flower to each lady passenger. The greenhouses supplied flowers for railway dining cars and other Michigan Central depots along the rail line. The remaining grounds are still maintained by the Four Flags garden club.
RoJean Starke: The lights came from the film Only the Lonely.
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| David Walenga commented on Roberta's post |
It looks like it had a large wooden coaling tower and small backshop in addition to a 180-degree roundhouse.
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Rick shilling posted
1946 Michigan Central Railroad Roundhouse, Turntable, Shops and Yard Niles, Michigan. |
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| 1947 Cassopolis Quad @ 62,500 |
While looking for the depot, I discovered that Amtrak has a maintenance facility in this town.
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Daniel C Carroll Jr. posted
Justin Gillespie: Niles, MI |
3 of 18 photos
posted by Steve Houts with the comment:
The NYC DEPOT at Niles Michigan taken today [Sep 7, 2025] with beautiful clouds. 3 movies were shot here and it is beautifully decorated at Christmas The Four Flags garden club do the landscaping.
A bonus the interurban tunnel under the Amtrak tracks now a street that went to Benton Harbor.
Dennis A. Livesey: My favorite photo of the Niles, MI, station was done by Mel Patrick decades ago.
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