Springfield Oregon

The Southern Pacific Depot

This structure is notable for several things. First, it is the oldest commerical structure in Springfield Oregon, having been constructed in 1891. It was built according to Southern Pacific standard plan # 22 for a combination station and depot. (What is meant here is that it was a station that was designed to handle both passengers, station, and freight, depot.) Given its building date, the structure, not surprisingly, is now regarded as a "Victorian structure." More specifically it was constructed in the style called "Queen Anne." In this style the builder used as many pieces of architectual ornamentation in erecting the structure as he thought he could get away with/as much as his pocketbook, or the pocketbooks of the buildings owners would tolerate. Regardless of which was the case in the building of this structure, the fact remains it is the last Queen Anne style passenger train station left in the state.

Passenger service into Springfield disappeared in 1965. For a time the SP continued to use the building for freight. But soon even that business evaporated. Finally in 1988 the city council of Springfield took the SP up on its offer to give the building to the city.

Subsequent to its "purchase" by the city it was moved to its new location. It became the anchor for Springfield's "western" (car) entry. It was placed near the old Mill Race, and a park. In its new surroundings, the building was restored to how it looked in 1913.

In addition to the station, the city also purchased a "baggage car" and placed it out in back of the building. The car that was purchased was actually a combination baggage and Railway Post Office car that had belonged to the Pennsylvania Railroad. Notwithstanding its heritage, the car was moved to the city, sandblasted and then re-painted into the Southern Pacific livery.

The only question that remains is, why display a baggage car? Why not a passenger car? Well, possibly because the city of Springfield found it to be a "cheaper" way to go. Baggage cars, in the early 1990's, may have been more plentiful than they appear to be now. Nowadays, according to the officials at Amtrak, such is not the case. And thus, Amtrak's trains # 50 and 51, The Cardinal, are forced to operate with 3 coaches, a sleeper, a combination diner/lounge car, but NO baggage car. Not surprisingly, in the coaches, this results in bewildering mounds of luggage stacked in the mini-luggage bins at the ends of the cars, in the overhead compartments, and whereever else one can find room.

Marlinton West Virginia

The Cheaspeake and Ohio Station

Pocahontas County was formed in 1821 by an act of the Virginia Legislature (West Virginia was still part of Virginia at this time). The first county court met in the small community of Huntersville WV.


In 1891 the County seat was moved to "Marlin's Bottom" which was subsequently re-named "Marlinton" ("There ain't no "g" in Marlinton). In reality, Marlin's Bottom had been the scene of the earliest settlement. In 1851 Andrew Lewis, a famous early Virginia explorer, found 2 individuals living in the bottom, one of them in a tree.


Shortly after Marlinton became the county seat, The Cheasapeake and Ohio extended its Greenbrier sub-division into town and then beyond (the line eventually ended at the small town of Durbin WV). This station was constructed in 1901.


After the Greenbrier Sub-Division was abandoned by the Chessie System (the successor to the C&O), most of the roadbed was converted to the Greenbrier Rail-Trail. The Marlinton Station, by that time one of only 4 still extant on the line, was converted into a Visitor's Center complete with information and a display of what the station had been like in the period 1910-1920.




Sadly, this station burned last spring. I found out about it a few weeks ago from a fellow traveler on Amtrak's train, The Cardinal. He told me at the time that he understood the fire had started in the electrical system.



Since the fire, the Visitor's Center has been moved to the Van Reenen Home, and an effort is underway to build a replica of this station. This is an area of the country that has struggled economically for many years. Any help I am sure would be appreciated.

Martinsburg West Virginia

The Baltimore and Ohio Station

This station was built in 1842. It was actually a hotel owned by a private individual that had a shed for train passengers to use while waiting attached to it. It had a status in relationship to the B&O similar to the status enjoyed by the many taverns and inns found along the roads back then, and even today. That is to say, it was dependent upon the B&O for providing it with customers even though it did not belong to the B&O. This building is still the site of a train stop today. Amtrak train numbers 29 and 30, The Capitol Limited, stop here. In addition, at present, there are two MARC Commuter trains that leave from here for DC in the morning, and two MARC Commuter trains that arrive here from DC in the evening.

I say at present, because MARC has announced that due to reduced funds from the gasoline taxes, they are going to cut one in-bound and one out-bound train from Martinsburg WV. They will have a public hearing on this on the 24th of November. If you are interested, and are geographically able to attend, do so. The hearing will be from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Martinsburg City Hall, J. Oakley Seibert City Council Chambers, 232 North Queen Street Martinsburg, WV 25401.

At any rate, to the best of my knowledge these train stops make this the oldest Train Station still in active use by Amtrak. Now the reality is that today a new re-modeled and expanded basement is the actual "station," and even it is really little more than a waiting room. But at least it is still a "station" in the broadest sense of the word.

Obviously, this station saw a lot of "action" during the Civil War. It is located just across the tracks from what was, at one time, one of the larger collection of railroad shops on the B&O. In late June, early July 1861, Confederate forces under the command of Thomas J. (soon to be called "Stonewall") Jackson occupied Martinsburg. While there they proceeded to attempt to completely destroy the B&O Railroad and deny its use to the Union forces. Towards that end, they destroyed or removed all pieces of rolling stock in the area. In addition, they took machines and machine tools from the shops, and burned the shop buildings to the ground. Finally, they also tore up most of the tracks in the area, and burned or otherwise attempted to destroy all the bridges nearby.


Some of the operating equipment Jackson seized at Martinsburg was moved over land, drawn on wagons by teams of horses, down the "old wagon road" (which became US 11 and later parts of I-81 down the Shennandoah Valley) to Strasburg VA. Here it was placed in use on the Manassas Gap Railroad. Less than a month later, Jackson and his men used this hi-jacked rail equipment to ride from the Valley over to Bull Run to participate in the battle called "Bull Run" by those loyal to the north, and "Manassas" by those loyal to the south (It all depends upon where your lines were located).

But Jackson did not let his men touch this station across the tracks from the shops. At that time, the state of Maryland (which had stayed with the Union) and the City of Baltimore were major stock-holders in the B&O. That fact made the B&O a function of the Union Government in Jackson's eyes. And thus, since his forces were operating against the forces loyal to the Union Government, that made the B&O, its tracks, equipment, and buildings, "Fair Game" for appropriation and/or destruction. Jackson reasoned, however, that this station was, in reality, a hotel owned by a private individual who was a resident in Martinsburg (and a potential loyal supporter of the secessionist cause). Thus, it was not "B&O" (i.e. Union government) property, but "private property." And so it was spared. (Note, the famous Belle Boyd, who later earned "fame" as a Confederate spy lived just around the corner from the station. Her house is still there and is open for tours.)

Naples Florida

The Atlantic Coast Line Depot

Florida, unlike many of our states, is not so much the product of "settlement" per se, as it is a product of "Development." This is best explained in this way. In many states of the present-day United States land hungry settlers moved in to settle, in reality to "squat," on a piece of land and farm it (i.e. "work" it). They figured on purchasing that land for little or, in the case of the "Homesteaders" nothing. However, in Florida the thousands of people who came, came to play. And this time, they were willing to pay for their pleasure, or at least let people think they were paying for their pleasure. This fact is what makes the history of Florida a bit different from all the other states (including Califormia's). And so much of this difference can be seen in a name.

"The name Naples caught on when promoters described the bay as 'surpassing the bay in Naples, Italy.'" Thus is the self-described history of the birth of the name of this city. By the late 'teens of the 20th Century, promoters in the area, and, in particular, Baron Collier the biggest landowner and developer in the area, wanted to emulate the astounding success that they could see happening over in the Miami area (an area which had taken upon itself the nickname of "The Gold Coast."). And they wanted to do it the same way as it had been done in Miami, by promoting their area as having a "Mediterranean-type" climate. After all, wasn't the original Naples in Italy? And wasn't Italy on the Mediterranean Sea? So Naples, the American answer to Italy, became a growing reality. Frederick Lewis Allen in his classic book "Only Yesterday" describes the realities behind this early "development" of Florida in the Miami area in all of its gory details, including the use of a sophisticated financial instrument, for its time, called "The Binder"(sorry, Google does recognize this term, you'll have to read the chapter on the Florida Real Estate Boom in Allen's book to understand it). NOTE WELL: A Binder is not to be confused with "The Derivative" BUT in a certain sense, I regard them as "cousins" in the Financial World. Apparently, much the same type of land speculation happened at many other locations in Florida, including Naples.

The emphasis on "Mediterranian-style" living extended even to the railroads that were quickly built through the swamp-land that was, and to a large extent still is, Florida. And so it was, and is, that most Florida train depots from this era are built to represent Spanish Missions. Because while few Americans had been to Italy, many were aware of the Spanish influence in architecture in our Southwestern states. And after all, isn't Spain on the Mediterranean Sea also (and so the logic goes, remember we are dealing in speculation here)? Thus, you see in this posting a Spanish Mission-style Naples Depot built in 1926-7.

The Naples Depot was built by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. It was the starting point for their passenger train which became most famous for inspiring a fiddle tune, "The Orange Blossom Special." What the lyrics of the song do not make clear is that "The Clearwater Line" does not run down to Miami, the tracks run down to Naples. And so, at 12 noon every day, from 1927 up until 1971, the whistle would blow, and the train would begin its northward trek.

But, for now, those days are past. The tracks into Naples are practically non-existent and so are the trains. Instead, you either fly into the airport Naples shares with Ft. Myers or if you take the train, as I do, you come into a more northern city, in my case Lakeland, Winter Haven, or Sebring on Amtrak, rent a car and drive to Naples.

Oh yes, and did I mention, in all the speculation surrounding the building of Florida, all the promotion of the sun, the surf, the sand, and the Mediterranian-style climate, they forgot to mention one thing -- Hurricanes. And that, at times has almost put an end to everything down there.