Jacksonville Florida

Jacksonville Union Terminal

This Beau Arts station, designed by Murchison K. Mackenzie (or possibly Kenneth Mackenzie Murchison a New York Architect who was the son of a Confederate Colonel from North Carolina depending upon your source), was opened in 1919 to serve the burgeoning passenger traffic, particularly in the winter, between the frozen north, places like New York City, Cleveland, Chicago and Charleston WV, and the growing balmy beaches on Florida’s “Gold Coast,” Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and the rest. As such, most of the passenger traffic this station saw was “through” traffic. That is to say, in its heyday 85% of the passengers who used this station had arrived from elsewhere and were going to another location. Thus, this was a “Terminal” in name only for the vast majority of the travelers. Jacksonville was not their destination or the point of departure. They were only there to change trains, have their car switched from one train to another, or to use the station’s platforms as a good place to get out and stretch while the train’s operating crew changed and the train was serviced with fuel, water, and all the other items a passenger train needs (contrary to some Congressional expectations) to operate comfortably and efficiently.

The first Jacksonville Union Terminal was built in 1904. Interestingly enough, when the 1919 structure was built to replace the by-then inadequate structure, instead of tearing down the old station, it was incorporated into the new structure as a baggage and perishable freight facility. Thus, even today, it sits beside, and in the shadow of, its replacement.

The biggest problem with the Jacksonville Union Terminal was getting the trains into and out of it. Because of its location along the St. John’s River, a location dictated in part by the need to be near the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC), many of the trains coming and going, had to back into the terminal, or, back out when departing. While most of the trains coming in from or going onto the FEC simply pulled through on the station trackage located on the river side of the building, trains from the other lines using the terminal, the Atlantic Coast Line, the Seaboard Air Line, and the Southern Railway (and its subsidiary line The Georgia, Southern and Florida Railroad) were forced to make several inconvenient, and potentially hazardous, switching moves. This awkward situation was compounded when, as a result of labor strife, the FEC stopped all passenger traffic in 1963.

Jacksonville Union Terminal, nevertheless, soldiered on into the early days of Amtrak. It finally closed on January 3, 1974, when Amtrak’s Floridian made the last stop at this facility. The next day Amtrak opened its new facility on the northern outskirts of town.

The new location, is not as convenient to downtown Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Landing as the old Jacksonville Union Terminal. However, it is convenient to the tracks Amtrak uses for its “Silver Service” trains. Further, it allows a “run-through” operation (except when the Sunset Limited ran through Jacksonville on its New Orleans LA to Orlando FL leg). While this new facility has never seen 115 trains and 20,000 passengers, the design capabilities of Jacksonville Union Terminal, it nevertheless can be quite busy in the mornings and again in the evenings. Many times I have had to “wade through” a huge crowd of people in order to board at this new station. It does appear to have some expansion room available so that it could handle more trains and people. However, it does not, IMHO, have as much as might possibly be needed if the “dream” of a high speed rail line up and down the east coast is realized.

As for Jacksonville Union Terminal, it has survived to “live another day.” Now it is the key structure in Jacksonville’s Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center. Prime F. Osborn was the last president of the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad and, consequently, the one who led it into the CSX merger.

Baltimore Maryland

The President Street Station

This is all that remains of the President Street Station that was constructed in Baltimore Maryland near the present-day Inner Harbor area. The station itself was erected in 1849-50 as the southern terminus for the Philadelphia Baltimore and Wilmington Railroad (PB&W). In the early years passengers arriving at this station from Philadelphia, had to disembark and take a “hack” down Pratt Street about 6 blocks to the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad’s Camden Street Station. There they could board cars that were pulled out to the B&O’s Mt. Clare Station where a locomotive was attached to the front of the consist and the train ran to Washington DC. The reason for this interruption in travel in Baltimore was caused, in part, by a Baltimore City Ordinance which did not allow the railroads to use steam engines within the inner city area because of the noise, smoke, congestion, etc. By 1860’s, a track had been laid down Pratt Street connecting the 2 stations, but still, steam locomotives were not allowed to pull the cars, they had to be pulled by horses. The events of Spring 1861 demonstrated that these arrangements were inadequate and even dangerous. Two historical events from that era demonstrate the validity of this statement.

The first involved the journey of then-President Elect Abraham Lincoln as he made his way, ever-so-slowly by train from Springfield IL to Washington DC. After leaving New York City, Lincoln made his way to Philadelphia PA. While he was in Philadelphia, one of his travelling aides was approached by the President of the PB&W Railroad, S.M. Felton, and Allan Pinkerton then the head of a well-known (both then and now) private detective agency. Pinkerton reported that there was a plot developing in Baltimore to kidnap and/or possibly kill Lincoln as he moved between the two stations to make his train connections. Both Felton and Pinkerton urged the official party to depart from their published itinerary and depart for Washington immediately. Lincoln was told of the plot, but decided to go on to Harrisburg from Philadelphia anyway so that he could address the State Legislature at the Capitol.

However, once Lincoln had finished his task in Harrisburg, he assented to a deviation from his announced schedule. The plan had been for him and his “party” to spend the night in Harrisburg and depart the next day for Washington through Baltimore. However, under the re-arrangement he agreed to, his “Party” (including his family) stayed in Harrisburg that night, while he and a trusted companion (Ward Hill Lamon) departed for Philadelphia in a special train run just for the two of them. As soon as they departed Harrisburg, the telegraph wires were cut isolating that city, and all the reporters in it, from the rest of the country. That way even if it was discovered Lincoln had left Harrisburg, the news could not get out.

When Lincoln arrived in Philadelphia, minus his trademark “Stove-Pipe Hat” he boarded a sleeping car that had been reserved for him by one of Pinkerton’s operatives. The ruse used when making the reservation was that the party traveling was an ill relative who was going to Washington DC.

When Lincoln arrived at the President Street station shortly after 3 in the early morning, his car was quietly and quickly pulled down Pratt Street by horses and attached to a Washington DC –bound train. Lincoln, who apparently was awake during his trip through Baltimore, arrived in DC at 6 AM. While much of the opposition press “ragged” him for his maneuver through Baltimore, later events were to prove that he made a wise choice. (Note: While I have read about this event in several different sources, I used BP Thomas’ Biography in constructing this sequence of events.)

It should be noted, given the posting of this dating, that this Philadelphia-Washington routing Lincoln took in 1861, is the same one taken January 16, 2009, by President Obama when he arrived in Washington for the Inauguration. While obviously the track alignment has changed somewhat from the original Lincoln train ride, and President Obama made his trip in the daylight, and stopped to make speeches, it was, in essence, the route Lincoln had followed in 1861.

On April 19, 1861, only a little over a month after Lincoln’s “Midnight Ride” through Baltimore, and a week after the firing on Fort Sumter SC had marked the beginning of hostilities, the 6th Massachusetts Volunteers arrived at the President Street Station bound for the defense of Washington DC (they and Seventh New York Volunteers were the first Union troops to arrive to defend that city). As the Regiment’s cars were pulled along Pratt Street they were pelted by an angry mob. Finally, the tracks were blocked and the soldiers had to dismount into the street. As they were forced to detrain and march down Pratt Street towards the Camden Street station a riot ensued. Later in the day another train filled with Volunteers from Philadelphia bound for the defense of Washington DC had to disembark at the President St. Station. They made it to the Camden Street Station only after being given a police escort.

Now, the composition of this “mob” of attackers has been debated through the years. Some then, and now, maintain that the mob consisted of Southern Sympathizers of which Maryland (after all it was a slave-holding state) in general, and Baltimore in particular, had a lot of. Another version, told in the exhibits at the Baltimore Civil War Museum, maintains that the crowd was composed, at least in part, of sailors (who were not necesarily from the South) from the bars along the waterfront (then, as now, Pratt Street is right beside the old Main docking area of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and in 1861 there were a number of saloons catering to the sailors located along the north side of the street).

In the ensuing melee 4 (some say 3) of the soldiers, and 9 of the “mob” were killed. However, the both sets of troops finally made it to the Camden Street Station and continued onto Washington DC where they joined the hastily gathered DC Volunteers (including my Great Grandfather) in the defense of the city. As a direct result of this mob attack, further movements of Union troops through Balitmore were suspended for a few months. Instead of going through Baltimore, they disembarked from their trains at the head of the Chesapeake Bay and took boats down to Annapolis. Then they marched from Annapolis up to DC through Benning MD (and the home of my Great Grandmother on another “side” of my family). Eventually the Union “occupied” Baltimore, and were able to re-establish the rail link between the two stations (I have generally used Randall & Donald’s Civil War textbook as the basis for this account but I have added information I am aware from other sources including our family’s history.)

This entire arrangement of the Pratt Street tracks continued even after the Civil War, and became the focal point of an eventual “feud” between the railroads that became the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad that erupted in 1871. The feud began when the Pennsylvania Railroad formed the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad (B&P) for the express purpose of building south to “the Potomac River.” The B&P began construction of its tracks at an interchange with the Pennsylvania controlled Northern Central Railroad southward. Then the P B & W built a branch up to this junction.

Under its charter from the State of Maryland the B&O had a monopoly into the city of Washington DC. However, the B &P was allowed to build branch lines not to exceed 20 miles in length. Accordingly when they extended their tracks south out of Baltimore to, eventually Pope’s Creek MD, they made sure that the line came with 20 miles of Washington DC. This allowed them to build a branch into DC along the Anacostia River. The line was complete into Washington DC in 1873. They erected a station in DC near the site of the present-day National Gallery of Art. This was the station where President James A. Garfield was assassinated.

The Pennsylvania assumed control of the PB&W in 1881 after a long fight with the Baltimore & Ohio. They began operating the PB&W and the B&P as one line with through trains from Washington DC all the way to New York City (on the Penny’s New Jersey lines). The Pennsy constructed the Baltimore Penn Station in 1911. This station was located further north in the city, on the site of the former Northern Central Railroad Depot. All passenger service to President Street Station ceased in 1922 and was shifted to Baltimore Penn Station. However, the President Street Station continued after that date for another 40 years or so as a freight station. Finally, that function ceased and the community took the building over.

The President Street Station still stands, albeit in a greatly truncated fashion. It is the Baltimore Civil War Museum noted above. I have visited there and found the exhibit to be very well-done and informative. However, since I was there, I understand that there has been a change in the ownership and operational arrangements. It is now owned by the Maryland Historical Society also located in Baltimore. It is hoped that they will maintain this museum, or even improve it, and not let it become a “useless appendage” to their Mt. Vernon area operation.

There is also talk of making the President Street Station a stop on a new subway line through Baltimore, or possibly a stop on new Commuter Rail, or Light Rail, service being proposed for that area. Whether/when that will happen is difficult to say as of the date of this posting.

Washington DC

Union Station

Inauguration Day

Those of you who are regular followers of this blog (all 1 or 2 of you) will remember that I began these postings with a piece about my "home town depot, Washington DC's Union Station. Today, in honor of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, I wish to return to this station for just a bit.

Since it opened in 1907, Union Station has been the “next-door neighbor” to 25 Inaugurations (today would have been number 26, but on his 4th Inauguration FDR, already showing signs that his condition was terminal, opted to be sworn in at the White House). While some of these Inaugurations have been memorable, others have been less so. For Union Station probably the most memorable Inauguration was the 1953 Ceremony when Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower became President for his 1st term. What made this particular Inauguration memorable actually occurred about 3 weeks before the event.

Starting in 1935, the Pennsylvania Railroad used the engine it became most famous for, the Raymond Loewy-designed GG-1, to pull the majority of its passenger train runs into and out of Union Station. For the most part, the arrivals and departures went unheralded; the GG-1 was, among other things, a very reliable piece of motive power. However, in the early days of January 1953, one of the trains comprising the Pennsylvania’s through service from Boston (via the New Haven Railroad), The Federal, got out of control. The incident started as the consist powered by a GG-1 was coming through the station trackage. As it left the station trackage and came in on Track 16 it was way too fast to stop at the bumper. Instead, it proceeded to crash through the bumper, crash through the “Gate” and roll out on the main concourse floor. Thankfully, an announcement had been made moments prior to this that a train was out of control and persons were advised to flee from the concourse. Luckily, everyone there did just that. Consequently, no one was killed or injured on the concourse floor.

Due to the weight of the engine, the GG-1 stayed on the Concourse only momentarily before the floor gave way and the huge engine crashed down into the baggage room located below the concourse. As I remember it, it did trap a baggage handler or two in there for a few minutes, and I think at least one of them did receive a few scratches, but otherwise, things were fine.

The only problem was Washington DC was getting ready for its version of "The Big Show," the upcoming Inauguration. It was only 3 weeks away. And now, Union Station had no concourse for passengers to use. So the decision was made to install a temporary plywood floor over the concourse and leave the GG-1 IN THE BAGGAGE ROOM until after the “festivities” were over. Accordingly, this was done, and except for a slowing of the baggage service, everything went on as planned. Only a few of the thousands of people coming to town through the station ever paused for a moment to reflect upon the meaning of a plywood floor on the concourse.

And after the crowds were gone, in the cold days of February, the plywood was ripped away and the GG-1 was lifted out (incidentally, it was eventually returned to service by the Pennsy). And then the concourse was re-built for use.

I remember the time well. Being a local, I, along with many others, joined in the inevitable “second-guessing” that occurred as everyone talked about what “they” would have done about the runaway locomotive. The most popular notion put forward by us locals was to question why “they” hadn’t just re-routed the train through the tunnels that led south (I suspect the answer was, in part, if there had a derailment in those tunnels, then things would have really been messed up for all the expected travelers).

In addition, there were some locals who gave pause to the possible terror such a repeat scenario might cause. For example, A. recalls that for several years after the accident, whenever she was in Union Station, particularly when she and her family were riding on the train back to West Virginia, she would always be afraid another train would come crashing through the concourse. Consequently, she was always relieved when she could finally board their train and leave.

Well, that was 1953, and this is 2009, another busy Inauguration Day for Union Station, the station that literally “re-made” a city. Happy Inauguration Day President Obama, treat Union Station and Amtrak well. They are a key to helping our country become what it should be.

Eugene Oregon

The Oregon Electric Station

At one time the United States had two extensive passenger rail systems. The first, and most well-known, was the one operated by the freight railroads on their own tracks using the same type of motive power as their freight trains (albeit with some differences in terms of gearing and later the addition of steam generators on the diesel-electric locomotives).

The second, and mostly forgotten, was a system of Electrified Railways called, in most instances “Interurban Lines.” These lines were more directly derived from the various Electric Street Car operations that were common back then in many cities, both large and small, throughout the United Stations. The tracks for the Interurban Operations used rail that was generally not designed to allow for heavy trains. Further, their track laying “standards” (curvature, clearances etc.) were tighter and limited the size and length of much of the equipment used. Plus, in many instances, at least part of their right-of-way was located on regular city streets and not set apart from the rest of the traffic.

In the Pacific Northwest there were several lines. In Oregon the largest was the Oregon Electric Railway. The Oregon Electric was controlled by the Spokane Portland and Seattle Railroad (itself jointly owned by the Great Northern and Northern Pacific). The Oregon Electric had at least 2 lines. The one associated with this station started in Portland and ran south via Tigard, Wilsonville, Salem, Albany, and ended at this terminal in Eugene.

This station was constructed in 18 months between 1912 and 1913, though the first Oregon Electric train stopped in Eugene in October 1912. The Oregon Electric Railway was in direct competition with the Southern Pacific’s Willamette Valley Line which ran between Portland OR and (ultimately) Sacramento CA. For most of its run, including its run into Eugene, the Oregon Electric tracks were within a mile or less of the competing SP Line.

The peak passenger travel for this line was during the 1920’s. However, the economic hardship of the Depression, coupled with the rise in popularity of the Automobile, doomed the Oregon Electric (and most other Interurban Lines throughout the country). In 1933 when the Oregon Public Utilities Commission held a hearing to decide whether to allow the Oregon Electric to be disbanded, only 6 people showed up for the hearing.

Today, the station is a restaurant. A. and I ate there last summer when we were in Eugene. It is quite a nice eatery (sorry, as readers of my other blog know, I don’t take pictures of the food before I eat it, I just enjoy it). You have your choice of outside seating (weather permitting), or inside seating. The décor on the inside is quite interesting. You have a choice of the waiting area, an area designed to look like a station platform, or the inside of an actual Oregon Electric car that has been converted for restaurant use!

On the outside of the station there is a caboose, which I understand is a private residence, so if you go by there, please be respectful of private property and privacy. Please note, however, you will see it carrying the reporting marks of the Oregon Electric and Eastern. Apparently, there is some question about the authenticity of this marking as most of the folks from that area do not recall ever hearing of such a line. Not being from that area, I make no pretense of being any type of expert. If you have questions, go to the web site: http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3A9Y , and do your research from there.


Concluding modern note:

One of the “unspoken” causes of the demise of the Electric Interurban Railroads, was the improvement in the various State Road systems. Throughout the 1920’s, and especially after the coming of the Great Depression, the Governments (not only state, but also the Federal Government) provided large appropriations, out of “General Revenue Funds,” to build new roads and bridges, and pave or otherwise improve existing thoroughfares. Further, other Federal agencies unique to that time period, e.g. the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the Works Progress Adminiatration, built many “attractions” reachable only by an automobile. All of these projects had a worthy goal, put people back to work and thus re-build our "economic" system. But as with many government programs there were some “unintended consequences.” Among these consequences was the demise of the Interurban System coupled with the rise in power, prestige and money of the American automobile industry, and oil industry.

Since that time, anytime politicians have talked about “economic stimulus” you can almost be sure that what they are really talking about is more road building projects, regardless of the appropriateness of them, or the long term consequences of the road projects on our nation’s energy consumption, or ecological footprint.

The current (this is being posted in January 2009) version of this saga is the economic stimulus package currently before the US Congress. The emphasis is upon “quick return projects,” “projects ready to go,” etc. What they really mean is “Bring us your road building projects for the next 5 years so we can fund them all.” Rail passenger advocates, such as the National Association for Railroad Passengers, are trying to get passenger rail, and mass transit projects a greater proportion of the funding, but from all the reports I am reading at present, they are having an uphill battle. There is some funding for these energy efficient, ecologically-friendly projects included in the present legislation, but the majority of resources appear to be oriented toward more road building. If you decry this current emphasis in our "Public Works (Infrastructure) Program, I encourage you to do what I did, let your Senators, and your Representative know of your thoughts.

As this station shows, it all happened once before, and look what has been the result-- a dependence on other, not necesarily "friendly" countries for our energy supplies, and an industry that seems incapable of responding to the changing priorities of America without large amounts of government-provided cash (this is "Private Enterprise"?).

Fort Payne Alabama

The Southern Railway Depot

A few years ago, A. & I were headed to Birmingham AL in order to attend the wedding of a cousin of hers. As I was doing my “guidebook research” in the AAA Guidebook on the lookout for interesting stops to make along the way, I was struck by the entry for Ft. Payne AL. Among the attractions listed was this Richardson Romanesque Depot originally constructed by the Southern Railway when it was under the guidance and control of J.P. Morgan.

Ft. Payne AL has a fairly long history for that region, since it was originally a Cherokee town called “Willstown” named for its headman, a man by the name of “Will.” During that early period it was most noteworthy for being one of the homes of the famous Cherokee, Sequoyah, the “inventor” of their “syllabary.” During the 1830’s a unit of the US Army under the command of Major John Payne built a fort here. The purpose of the fort was to provide a place for the internment of the Cherokee immediately prior to their beginning the infamous and sad “Trail of Tears” which led them from their native homelands to the Oklahoma Territory. After the Cherokee were removed, the name of the town was changed to that of the Fort that had been established here.

During the Civil War this area was relatively untouched by Union Forces (as indeed most of Alabama escaped destruction). This was because it was perceived by the Union Generals that the area lacked few areas of strategic importance.

After the hostilities were ended, the great financier J.P. Morgan began organizing a railroad he called “The Southern Railway” out of the totally segmented railway system operating in the south. As part of his efforts, he had agents for his new line scouting the route of the track for potential “business opportunities” that would create traffic for his railroad.

Ft. Payne was found to be in an area containing both coal and iron ore resources. And so, in the 1890’s Ft. Payne experienced a real “boom.” The Southern Railway, seeking to maximize the extent of the boom for its benefit had this substantial Richardson Romanesque Depot built in 1891. I suppose the thinking was: “We could just put up a standard-issue wooden depot, such as can be found in many places even today. But we are trying to attract Northern financiers to the area, and we must go the extra mile and constructing this type of depot. If you make it substantial, and more like what the Northern financiers are used to seeing at home (Richardson Romanesque architecture was the prevailing style for public buildings constructed during that era), then the chances are better that they will bring their business to Ft. Payne Alabama.”

The Southern Railway was, in short, a privately-owned, privately financed, economic development council. This Depot was seen as one of their “economic development tools.” The idea behind constructing it was: “The First Impression is the best one.”

This same idea, no doubt was on the minds of the economic development folks in Indianapolis Indiana when they recently re-did their city’s international airport. In this case, they opened a new terminal building, the Col. H. Weir Cook terminal building, that houses not only gates for folks to use when catching their airplane flights, but also stores, eateries, and a giant civic plaza the includes a huge sculpture entitled: “The Cardinal” (The Cardinal is the state bird of Indiana. It is also the name of the only Amtrak train that services the Indianapolis area, “The Cardinal.”). I expect that the thinking was: “Make a good first impression, that is what a community needs to do in order to experience economic development (that and give the local economy away by giving large tax breaks to those precious new business developments).”

Two communities 100+ years apart with the same approach, for sure, but with a major difference. In Ft. Payne, in the 1890’s, economic development through maximizing the transportation infrastructure (I believe that is the current jargon) was done by a private corporation using capital they had raised on the financial markets. In Indianapolis, and most other communities across the United States today, it is done by the taxpayers of Indianapolis, of Indiana, any I also suspect by the U.S.

Now, I am sure that many would argue that there were many abuses and mistakes made with the economic development experienced in the 1890’s under the guidance of private investors. In this particular instance, the coal and iron ore deposits proved to be very thin, and by the early 1900’s most of the mines and mills associated with the minerals were out of business. But I sometimes wonder, particularly as the US Congress works up the an even newer economic stimulus plan, not to be confused with the last one, if there are not just as many faults, perhaps even more, with the new public-funded economic development that is in vogue now. Only no one will know about it for at least 10 to 20 years.

Elkins West Virginia

The Western Maryland Railroad Terminal

For yours truly, this is the station that started me on the road of trying to photograph Railroad Passenger stations in the towns I visited. The particular day this shot was taken, we were on our way back home. We stopped in Elkins on this particular afternoon. And there I had a chance to get a close look at something I had only glanced at in all my previous brief passes through town. This beautiful, but sadly forgotten railroad station.

And the sight of it set me to thinking. I guess it was the grandeur of the building, built to standards equal to, or in many cases better than other contemporary buildings in the town that caught my eye. Why had this happened? Was it a fluke, or were similar structures still extant? And thus began the “quest.”

Elkins WV was originally created as a railroad town by Henry Gassaway Davis and his West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway (WVC&P). The WVC&P began from an interchange with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Piedmont WV. Davis had been working in Piedmont for the B&O for a number of years when he began “his” railroad in 1880. In 1890 Davis and a business partner, Stephen Elkins founded a town on the Tygart Valley River and named it after Elkins. The WVC&P reached Elkins in the late 1890’s.

Shortly after building through to Elkins, Davis sold the WVC&P Railroad to George Jay Gould who at the time controlled the Western Maryland Railroad. Gould had dreams of building a transcontinental line and saw the Western Maryland as the eastern portion of that dream. His original goal had been to make his west-east link through Pittsburgh.

How Gould saw the WVC&P fitting into this scheme is still not clear to me. According to Alan Clarke in his book on the Coal and Coke Railroad (Henry Gassaway Davis’ “retirement project”), Davis expected Gould to send his Western Maryland transcontinental trains through Elkins, down his Coal and Coke to Burnsville WV. Then the trains would follow another rail line that was supposedly going to be constructed through the southern portions of the Little Kanawha River drainage into Parkersburg WV where it would link up with a supposedly new line of the Wabash. Whether this was indeed Gould’s plan, or just a diversion that Gould promoted in his “war” with the Pennsylvania Railroad, is unknown to me (perhaps some reader of this posting can enlighten us all).

At any rate, presumably in anticipation of this transcontinental role for Elkins, Gould had the Western Maryland build this station in Elkins. Hence, this was the rationale, supposedly, for the station’s ornate features. This was going to be a “Transcontinental Line” (nevermind that the Western Maryland for years advertized itself as a “Fast Freight Line” and ran comparatively few long distance passenger trains).

The Western Maryland is “long gone,” absorbed into the Chessie System, and thence into CSX. And the trackage into Elkins is almost all gone as well. What was once a giant yard hosting many train cars is now largely a patch of weeds. And while CSX was at it when they “tore up” the track in the area, they also destroyed a key bridge just south of the station that tied the station trackage into the tracks then still left in the Elkins area thus effectively taking it “off line.” (It is rumored that they did this at night to avoid detection.)

The station, itself, has been extensively renovated both inside and out. And as beautiful as the picture above shows the outside to be, the inside is even more elegant, particularly the woodwork. The Station serves as a Visitor’s Center for the town of Elkins. Among other things, the town and many citizens in the area are attempting to create a West Virginia Railroad Museum on the “patch of weeds” in the back where the freight yards used to be. Presumably the station will become part of that overall idea.

The bridge south of the station that CSX “destroyed” has been replaced, and now tourist trains run by the West Virginia Central, utilize the Elkins terminal for some of their runs down the Tygart Valley and also up towards Cheat Bridge. The railroad has also moved its headquarters into the station building.

Boston Massachusetts

Boston South Station

Boston, in the late 1800’s had as many as 8 different passenger depots. The city officials, recognizing that this was too much of a “good thing” convinced the railroads to consolidate down to two stations. The first to be constructed was Boston North Station, opening in 1894. It was the station designed to serve the “New England Trains,” that is to say, the Boston and Maine. It was soon eclipsed by the structures surrounding it, and today “Boston North Station” is completely engulfed by Boston’s Fleet Center, home of the Basketball Celtics and the Hockey Bruins teams.

Boston’s South Station followed 4 years later, seeing its first revenue passengers pass through its headhouse in September 1898. The Boston South Station was designed to serve the “Northeast Trains,” that is to say the Boston and Albany (later part of the New York Central System), and the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad.

As with most passengers stations in America, Boston South Station was at its busiest during World War II. However, 20 years later, the New Haven Railroad, which owned the station through its subsidiary line The Boston Terminal Company, entered bankruptcy and sold the structure to the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA).

The initial ideas of BRA included demolishing the old structure and erecting a new complex of office development projects. However, in 1972, at the 11th hour, with demolition already started, BRA changed its mind and retained those parts of the station not already gone, mainly its signature headhouse, and decided to re-think its development ideas. The reason, in part, was the fact that America finally had a passenger rail system, Amtrak, and thus the revival of intercity rail became a possibility.

The station was sold by the BRA to the local Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in 1978. Shortly after this transaction, between 1984 and 1990, $195 million was spent to refurbish South Station and make it an “Intermodal” facility including not only intercity passenger trains, and commuter trains, but also inter-city buses, local buses, and a stop on the city’s historic subway system.

The late 1990’s saw Amtrak bring electrification into Boston, thus enabling the fast Acela trains to travel between Boston and Washington DC on a schedule which at this posting calls for a run of 6 ½ hours. Add to these speedy electrics, a complement of “Regional” runs, some through Springfield MA and others through Rhode Island, a daily train to Albany that connects with the New York-Chicago Lake Shore Limited, and commuter trains, to say nothing of all the busses and subway trains, and South Station is once more a busy place. Perhaps not as busy as 1945, but still busy enough to make many realize how close the BRA was to making a fatal city-killing mistake in the late 1960’s.

When Boston South Station was originally built, a coffer dam was constructed to keep the tidal waters of Fort Channel out of the station. Maybe there was a lesson here. Since that time, Boston, in true fashion, continued to “creep in” on Fort Channel with development, culminating with the construction of the infamous Central Artery which carried I-95 though downtown Boston.

In the 1990’s Boston realized that the Central Artery was out-of-date and started a new project intended to replace the Artery, the so-called “Big Dig.” During the planning phase, Rail Passenger advocates lobbied to have a rail connection between Boston’s North Station and Boston’s South Station become part of the project (the tunnel runs right by both stations). They were unsuccessful in their efforts and so even today, travelers coming in from the “Northeast” who desire to travel to “New England” must detrain and either catch a bus at South Station, or take the MTA to North Station where The Downeaster stops (Amtrak recommends if you do this, don’t get off your NE Corridor train at South Station, get off at the Back Bay station and catch the Orange MTA which runs from the 128th station up past Fleet Center and Boston’s North Station).

But remember the coffer dam of 1898? In a final fitting tribute to the shortsightedness of the planners of the Big Dig, it has been reported from time to time, that the new I-95 tunnel project has an awful lot of water being pumped out of it, far more, so it is rumored, than was originally projected. As the actress on the old Margarine commercial used to say: “It’s not NICE to fool with Mother Nature!”

Savannah Georgia

Central of Georgia Depot

Probably one of the reasons for the continuing interest in Civil War History by so many Americans was the presence of so many Generals who were noted for their eccentricities as well as their battlefield leadership. The cast of characters who assembled to fight this long bitter struggle was definitely not the product of some carefully constructed system of Officer Progression. Nor were they assembled via the “Hollywood Casting Office” model that has been used by our nation’s Department of Defense in recent years.

Among the most colorful of these Civil War character/Generals, no doubt, was William T. (“Billy”) Sherman. While he participated in most of the noteworthy fights that occurred in what became the “Western Theater” of the War, he is probably most famous, or infamous depending upon your political views regarding the Civil War (Ooops, did I mean “The War Between the States?”) for one military maneuver in the East that started on November 15 1864, and ended 36 days later. This military maneuver of his is now known as the famous “March Through Georgia.”

After entering Atlanta GA on September 2, 1864, and insuring that this important center of rail and industry would no longer be used in support of the Confederate cause, he rested for about 2 months, long enough for Lincoln to win his re-election, largely, so many historians claim, as a result of “Billy’s” success (General U.S. Grant was getting mired down south of Richmond at this time). And then, after making careful preparations, including sending General Thomas back to Nashville to watch that area carefully, on November 15 he and his “bummers” as many called his armies, cut off their line of Communications and Supply and began a March to the Sea.

Despite the initial skepticism that his move caused, Lincoln was not too fond of it for one, nevertheless, this was not the first time that “Billy” had been involved in this type of operation. As a careful study of the Vicksburg Campaign reveals, “Billy” was simply doing what General Grant had done in the capture of that Confederate stronghold. In order to capture Vicksburg MS, Grant had cut his lines of Communication and Supply, struck south along the west bank of the Mississippi River, crossed the river below Vicksburg, penetrated to the east, and sent “Billy and his boys” to destroy Jackson MS (at that time the phrase the soldiers used was “to make a chimneyville”). Only then, did Grant turn his troops back west towards the Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg. Only after encircling the town/stronghold did Grant re-establish his lines of Communication and Supply. During the interim period Grant and his troops had lived off of what they carried, and come on let's be real, what they "found" in the area.

And so it was that on the 21st of December 1864, Sherman peacefully entered a Savannah GA that he had threatened to reduce via siege guns and starvation if he met resistance. However, instead of resisting, the Confederate forces left the city via a pontoon bridge and escaped north, Sherman entered the city and then, instead of laying waste to it, as he had the rest of the Georgia countryside, he spared the city, and gave it to President Lincoln, according to his message sent on the 22nd of December 1864 “as a Christmas present.”

And here is where the above station enters in. Pictured above is the “Headhouse” of the Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Depot which was constructed in 1876. Behind this headhouse, and attached to it even today is a brick train shed (see picture on left). This train shed had been constructed in the 1850’s (various sources have given various dates). Thus, this brick train shed was part of the Savannah that Sherman gave to President Lincoln as a “Christmas present.”

The Central of Georgia Railway survived the Civil War and for many years was considered a prosperous and well-run line. However, like many of its brothers in the south, it soon fell under “foreign” (i.e. a series of Northern financiers), control. Because of this, it became a financially troubled line for many years. Subsequently, it was controlled by a series of different interests/railroads, culminating in the Interstate Commerce Commission ordering the sale of the line by the St. Louis and San Francisco (better known as the Frisco) Railroad (which is now part of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad) to the Southern Railway in 1963.

Technically, the Central of Georgia Railroad, as it was re-named by the Southern Railway in 1971, still exists as a subsidiary line of the Norfolk Southern Railroad. However, there is very little equipment still carrying Central of Georgia Railroad markings.

The Savannah Central of Georgia Passenger Station was last used in 1972. Sometime after that it was purchased by the Coastal Heritage Society and turned into a museum dedicated to telling the story of Coastal Georgia in general, and Savannah in particular. Unfortunately, as of the date of this posting, I understand that the Museum has been closed for a year so that they can make needed repairs. Hopefully, when it re-opens, it will be not only as good as it was when A. and I toured it a while back, but even better.

Grand Canyon Arizona

Santa Fe Station

I have been to the Grand Canyon twice. The first time, when I was a boy, our family came into the Park through this station. We had boarded our sleeper in Los Angeles CA the night before and rode the Santa Fe Railway’s aptly named Grand Canyon Limited through the night (not even noticing the switching move in Williams Junction AZ). We awoke at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, climbed off our car, passed through this station and climbed the steps to our hotel accommodations at the El Tovar Lodge (a truck moved our luggage). And even though it was before breakfast, we were able to check in. We stayed that whole day, and the next and on the third day in the evening we boarded our sleeper through this same station and left sometime after sundown for the reverse move down to Williams Junction AZ where we were shifted onto the San Francisco Chief.

But all of the above was in the mid-1950’s, on my second visit, in the summer of 2000, I witnessed “Change.” The Santa Fe was no more, it was replaced with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. And it no longer was in the passenger train business, and it no longer owned the branch line that extended from Williams Junction AZ to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

And so, A. and I de-trained at Flagstaff AZ and spent the night there. The next morning we took a bus up to the Grand Canyon where we spent 2 nights and most of three days. But, that was how we chose to do it.

Now, don’t get me wrong it is still possible to take a “train” from Williams Junction up to the South Rim. I understand the Grand Canyon Railway hauled more passengers this past summer than have ever been hauled on that line. But it is just not the same.

For one thing, The Grand Canyon Railway appears to have bought into the “Disney theme park” routine hook, line, and sinker. Why I mean you start off your day with a “Wild West Shootout." Why lookee here pardner, you have almost the real thing complete with horses, blanks and face bandanas. Then you ride up the line from Williams Junction and you are pulled by “historic” engines (since steam is more difficult to do these days, you will probably find yourself pulled by some 1st generation re-worked diesels, of course, if you're lucky, you'll draw an Alco, they smoke almost as much as the old Mallets used to).

You arrive at the South Rim about noon, and if you are on the 1 day excursion, that means you have time for a quick picture at the South Rim, a little souvenir shopping (after all, you want all the folks back home to know you’ve been there), and then its “All Aboard” and back you go (I understand you can make arrangements to stay over.) along about 4:30 PM.

Now don't get me wrong, being a theme park ride is one way to consider rail transportion. But it is also possible, indeed it is probably very likely, that America is going to have to join the rest of the world and get serious in appreciating rail transportation as a viable option, both for "pleasure" and business travel. (Gee where does going to visit family fit into this dicotomy?) In other words, you don't need Mickey Mouse aboard in order to have a successful train service.

It is theoretically possible to ride the train all the way from your home (provided you are within 50 miles of Amtrak's drastically truncated "national system") next summer. The only draw back to riding on the Grand Canyon Railway via Amtrak is that in recent years the westbound Southwest Chief pulls into Williams Junction AZ in the late, late hours of the night, while the eastbound arrives in the early, early, and I do mean early, morning hours. So if you want to ride the rails to the South Rim, your best bet is, you guessed it, to drive to Williams Junction, either directly, or by renting a car from, you guessed it, the Phoenix AZ Airport.

Of course, rail travel to the South Rim is not your only option. When we were there, every day, just about 11:30 in the morning, two or three buses rolled in from Las Vegas, and a pile of people got off. They came out took a picture from the South Rim (“Now Mable, turn you head a little more to the right and at least LOOK like you are enjoying this trip!”), got in line to get some food and/or a souvenir, and then boarded promptly at 2 or so for the ride back to the gaming tables.

And then, of course, you can drive it and spend the majority of your time in Grand Canyon National Park looking for someplace to park your "rig." Or maybe you are daring and want to ride one of the "puddle jumpers" into the Grand Canyon Airport (that is, if they will still be operating). (Please note, for much of the above, I will not provide "helpful links." Sorry.)

The sad part of all this is, the folks working at the Canyon see a problem, there are an awful lot of cars, and the accompanying problems of congestion, pollution etc. (I wonder how it was this past summer with the high gas prices?) When we were there in 2000 we saw their “solution.” They were going to build a giant parking lot about 5 miles away from the canyon rim, and "make" (good luck on that in freedom loving America) everyone park there and ride a “light rail shuttle” into the park.

I wonder, whatever happened to the “overnight train from Los Angeles” concept? It’s funny, in a very sad way, how America has come to regard transportation. Everyone knows there is a problem if you rely only on Airplanes and Autos to move people around, but no one is willing to see the rail passenger alternative. Indeed, they not only do not see it, they go out of their way to avoid it as a possible solution, they trivialize it.

It kind of reminds me of a party game that became popular in the late 1960’s and 70’s and is still somewhat popular today. It is called “Twister.” As I understand it (and no, I haven’t played it, and I suspect with my back I better not), you have this large piece of cloth on the floor with various color dots. You goal is to place your various body parts on the colors as instructed by a spinner. To read a full description of the game click here. Anyway, that is how it seems to me it is with America and its transportion.

Every time someone, or more often some agency, comes up with a new reason why we should be riding the train more (less pollution, less congestion, energy efficient, etc. etc.) those “in charge” of transportation planning spin around and pull every kind of contortion possible to avoid the obvious. Some of the contortions I have seen rival anything that Twister could ever create.

America needs to be riding on more trains, and less planes and a lot less automobiles.

Oh yes, I almost forgot in all my ranting, the station pictured above. It was built in 1909-1910 by the Santa Fe Railroad to service its hotel, the El Tovar, which it had constructed 5 years earlier. This station was one of only 10 log train stations ever constructed in the United States. Today, there are only 3 still in existence. It is the only log train station which still is in active use as a “Train Depot.”

Sorry for the rant. I promise, I'll try to do better next time.