A Collection of Railroad Stations

Hamlet North Carolina

2009-04-11T15:14:00.004-04:00

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad Station

It was raining the morning I pulled into Hamlet North Carolina on Amtrak’s Silver Star. We were running a “bit” late, as is common for Amtrak on the tracks of many freight lines, but not terribly late. As the train pulled up it stopped right by the depot to let a sleeping car passenger off. Therefore, I found myself in a fairly decent location to take this shot.

Hamlet North Carolina was a town of the post-Civil War south. It developed the obligatory cotton mills and a few lumber yards. More importantly, it became a “railroad town.” In this case, the railroad that brought life to the gathering of buildings that became Hamlet NC was the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. From an initial beginning of one crossing, the Seaboard soon expanded to the point where 5 different lines left Hamlet for Richmond VA, Wilmington NC, Atlanta GA/Birmingham AL, Charleston SC/Savannah GA, and Columbia SC. In its prime, Hamlet had 30 passenger trains a day leaving.

The town, itself, was incorporated in 1897. About the same time, this depot was constructed. It was designed in the “Queen Anne” version of Victorian Architecture, a popular choice for many railroad stations built during this period. It’s most prominent feature is a rounded corner tower, with a roof to match. The feature, often called a “Witch’s Hat,” was designed to give train employees and passengers better visibility of the various approaching tracks. This was an important feature in those pre-radio days, when often the only warning anyone had of an approaching train was the blowing of the whistle upon the train’s close approach.

Today, the station is served by 1 train a day each way, Amtrak’s Silver Star. Further, most days this train comes through during the darkness of the North Carolina night and thus the station is unseen by most of the passengers. The station also has a second use. It is the home for a railroad museum located in Hamlet.

Gordonsville Virginia

2009-04-07T20:29:00.003-04:00

The Louisa Railroad (later the Virginia Central Railroad) Station

When a group of farmers and other interested business persons began building a railroad in Louisa County Virginia, they did so because they realized that it was impractical for them to depend on using the far-distant James River and Kanwha Canal system despite what the Virginia Legislature of that time was advocating. No, they knew that if they were going to have a way to ship goods to market, they would have to rely on that new-fangled technology called a “railroad.” And thus they started the Louisa Railroad, later re-named the Virginia Central. By 1841 they had built westward to the town of Gordonsville Virginia. There they constructed this building to serve as a passenger and a freight station (it is possible that the passenger portion of this station was torn down many years ago and only the freight portion of the structure survives). Over the next 15 years, and particularly during the Civil War, the structure was to see several important trains arrive and depart.

In the spring of 1862, the troops under the command of Robert E. Lee managed to force the Union troops under the command of George C. McClelland away from the gates of Richmond in a series of engagements now known as the Seven Days Campaign. In the subsequent re-alignment of troops, Lee sent his chief Lieutenant, Stonewall Jackson with a group of men and equipment, west on the Virginia Central railroad. Their destination, was this building, the Virginia Central station in Gordonsville.

Here they detrained and tarried a while until Jackson saw the Bluecoats gathering up north and went off to “whip ‘em” once more at the Second Battle of Manassas.

A year later and Stonewall was dead. Lee and his forces had moved north into Pennsylvania, and in a ferocious contest had been turned away at a place called Gettysburg. As a result of Lee’s tactics, another of his “Lieutenants,” James Longstreet, decided he had had enough of Bobby Lee, and implored the War Department, and President Davis, to send him and his troops anywhere but with the Army of Northern Virginia.

The Civilian Government gave in to his entreaties and ordered Longstreet and his Corps, to be transferred to the troops under Braxton Bragg which were gathering to counter the Union threat coming down upon Chattanooga TN. They were to make their transfer by “the cars.” The most direct route, via the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad through Bristol and Knoxville, was not a viable option due to the presence of Union troops, and Union sympathizers in East Tennessee. Accordingly, Longstreet and his Corps, troops and equipment, boarded the Virginia Central at the Gordonsville station and went east and then south over several roads, before finally turning west and again north at Atlanta. But they got to Bragg just in time for him to use them with devastating results at the Battle of Chickamauga.

Throughout the conflict, various Union Commanders recognized the importance of the Virginia Central to the Confederacy. Without the Virginia Central, foodstuffs from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia had only the vagaries of the James River and Kanawha Canal as a way of traveling to Richmond. Thus, much of the Virginia Central’s line, and many of the stations and other railroad-related structures, was destroyed, often more than once. Somehow, however, this building survived.

After the conclusion of the Civil War, the Virginia Central became the basis for Collis P. Huntington’s Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. Eventually, this station was replaced with another one further on down the track built to serve both those trains heading to East-West to Richmond and Charlottesville, and North to Washington DC. And the 1841 station was demoted and used for strictly freight. Eventually, the “new” station was demolished, but the 1841 building soldiered on.

A few years ago, it was purchased by a local preservation group and at the time this picture was taken they appeared to be working on stabilizing the building. Initially they had to move the station back from the active tracks, there is also the possibility that it may be moved yet again.

Hoboken New Jersey

2009-03-16T20:36:00.004-04:00

The Lackawanna Railroad Terminal

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, today I post, a Green Station. Now, before some of you start adjusting your color settings, or accuse me of digital chicanery, let me assure you, this is a fairly accurate representation of the actual color of the station. I admit, it is a bit unusual, but indeed, even in the broad daylight without the benefit of colored floods (a la’ the Empire State Building), it is green.

This coloration is a result of the design of the work of the architect Kenneth M. Murchison (his work has been featured on a previous posting). He designed this station for the Lackawanna Railroad (technically and legally the railroad in question was the Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad, but it was normally referred to by just the one name) in 1907. He collaborated with Lackawanna Chief Engineer Lincoln Bush, also noted as the creator of the “Bush Train Shed.” In it Murchison used the then predominate architectural style which has been classified as “Art Nouveau.”

Apparently one of the main stipulations in the contract that Murchison had with the Lackawanna was that any structure he built for them in Hoboken had to be “Fireproof” (perhaps because the previous Hoboken Lackawanna Terminal had burned to the ground?). Accordingly, Murchison clad most of the exterior of the building in copper, which by now has “rusted” into the green that is seen today.

The station is technically not actually a “Terminal” rather it has always been more of a transfer point, or what we would call today an “Intermodal Facility.” Passengers coming into the station by train would, and still, debark and board a waiting ferry to complete their trip into Manhattan. In like manner, passengers coming from New York City by boat would, and still, alight here and board an outbound train.

In its inception, the Hoboken Lackawanna Terminal was built to serve both those commuting into New York from the surrounding New Jersey/New York/ Pennsylvania countryside, and those coming from more distant points such as Chicago. In the late 1950’s the Erie Railroad, which at that point was in the process of merging with the Lackawanna, closed out its Jersey City operations and moved them into this terminal. But this was only a temporary measure. In 1970, all inter-city operations out of the Hoboken Terminal ceased leaving only the commuter runs. These commuter operations, and this terminal were later taken over by New Jersey Transit, which continues to use the station to this day (however, the Bush Train Shed is now gone).

There have been two other recent changes. While there is still some ferry service from the terminal, and indeed probably some of the ferries involved in the recent rescue of the passengers from the Delta Airliner that landed in the Hudson recently were from this terminal, for many people this option has been supplanted by the PATH “tubes” which run over to 33th street in Manhattan. Even more recently, a surface “light rail” operation running along the New Jersey shore of the Hudson, called the Hudson-Bergen line, has been added. Thus, while it no longer hosts long-distance travelers, the station remains a true “Inter-modal” operation in the most modern sense of the word for thousands of commuters each day.

There are two further interesting notes concerning this station. First, owing to its Riverside location, the terminal building (shown) and the ferry slips are built out over the water. Only the land-side train tracks and adjacent yard trackage are actually on land. Second, the famous Wizard of Menlo Park, Thomas Alva Edison, brought an interesting closure to his career by piloting the first electrified equipment (which his company had built) that left the station in 1931 (Edison’s first job was selling papers and snacks on the trains of the Michigan Central). The equipment Edison introduced was finally retired in 1980, but it has been replaced by newer more modern equipment. Thus, the Hoboken Lackawanna Terminal has both diesel-electric and “pure” electric commuter trains operating out of its restored and refurbished surroundings.

Chattanooga Tennessee

2009-02-24T14:57:00.008-05:00

Terminal Station

What do: The Chicago World’s Fair, the New York City Public Library, the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco CA, The Vanderbilt House in Newport (RI), and the Terminal Station in Chattanooga TN have in common? The answer, as I am sure many have guessed, is they are all premier examples of the Beaux-Arts style of Architecture.

The Beau Arts Style of Architecture was a popular style in America from about 1885 to 1920. The name comes from a particular school of architecture, the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris France (Beaux-Arts is the French word we translate as “Fine Arts” in English).

The Beaux-Arts style was marked by a preference for using designs and ornamentation from earlier periods of architecture, primarily from Roman and Renaissance buildings. In addition to the columns arches etc. that one would expect from a design with this parentage, it also included designs worked into the exterior walls. These designs were made of the same material as the rest of the wall and thus made to seem as if they were a regular, essential part of the structure and not just a bric-a-brac ornamentation (though, in fact, that is exactly what they were/are).

Of all the buildings listed above, one stands out as being able to claim that it was a “prize-winning” example of Beaux-Arts Architecture. In 1900 Donald Barber was a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He submitted a design for a building in a contest the school sponorsed, and won. Several years later, now a graduate, he was approached by the President of the Southern Railway about designing a Terminal building for the railroad to use in Chattanooga Tennessee. According to the records, the design he presented, and executed, was the design he had won the prize with in Paris.

The Chattanooga Terminal was opened in 1909 and was used by the Southern Railway until 1970. In 1973 it was re-developed as a hotel and opened as a Hilton. In 1989, as a prelude to a major renovation, the Hilton was closed. After it was restored, it was re-opened, this time as a Holiday Inn.

We stayed there in 2006. The interior of the Terminal is now a combination Front Desk, Lobby, Bar and Restaurant. The actual hotel section with rooms is in back of the terminal building. However, there are also some old style “Pullman cars” parked on non-functioning tracks beween the two structures which can be rented for a night’s stay. Also out back, in addition to static displays of various pieces of equipment, there is one functioning piece, a restored New Orleans Street car. When we were there, it was possible to take a brief ride on this specimen on a short circuit around the hotel’s property.

If you ever go to Chattanooga Tennessee, and there is a lot to see and do there, I strongly recommend you consider staying at this land-mark, design award-winning structure. And by all means, ride the Trolley if you can.

Thurmond West Virginia

2009-02-21T15:37:00.004-05:00

The Chesapeake and Ohio Depot

These days, three days a week, Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday, two Amtrak Trains, # 50 (Eastbound) and # 51 (Westbound) The Cardinal, pass by this station located in one of West Virginia’s, and I would submit America’s, most famous Ghost Towns. Because this town (yes, under the laws of the State of West Virginia it is still an “Incorporated” town with a mayor city council etc.) is a well-known White Water Rafting mecca, Amtrak still lists Thurmond as a flag stop. And sometimes, occasionally, the Cardinal, will stop, but only occasionally. But it was not always so. During the first two decades of the 20th Century, the Thurmond Depot hosted 15 trains a day, and handled as many as 95,000 passengers a year (note: for FY 2008 Amtrak reported the grand total of Boardings and Alightings at Thurmond WV came to 405)!

Thurmond WV began its existence in post Civil War West Virginia. It was the offspring of the fertile mind of Captain William Dabney Thurmond. He was called “Captain” because during the then “recent unpleasantness” had had led a group of Confederate “fighters” known as “Thurmond’s Rangers.” (Note: for much more of the historical background on the town click on: http://www.wvculture.org/history/wvhs1403.html. This is an article by Jessica Fair on Thurmond which appeared in the West Virginia Historical Society Quarterly in 2000.) Nowadays, in addition to having the town named after him, he has an extreme sport triathlon, consisting of whitewater rafting, biking and running events, named in his honor: “Captain Thurmond’s Challenge.”

In 1873 when the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad was finally completed through the Allegheny Mountains, Captain Thurmond built a railroad depot on some of his land in Fayette County WV. All of his holdings, and the Depot in particular, were located on a small spit of land on the north side of the New River. Then he and his sons went into business hauling produce and passengers in, and passengers out on the newly completed Richmond to Huntington rail line. His “town” never grew to more than about 75 people. But it was a complete town with a general store, post office, Western Union office, Adams Express office, and after 1891 a hotel in addition to the depot. But one thing it didn’t have was liquor.

Captain Thurmond was a strict Baptist and he wanted that evil “firewater” kept out of “his” town. As part of his plan to do this he had his town Incorporated in 1901. He wanted to be sure that if you lived in his hamlet located on a narrow piece of land on the north side of the New River, deep in the heart of the New River Gorge, you would never be in temptation’s way. With “Incorporation” he insured that this would remain the situation in Thurmond. Now that he was sure he had Satan under control, in 1904 the old depot was torn down and a new one was built. This depot is the one pictured above.

Oh yes, the Liquor, it never did come to Thurmond. But it came close. A commercial rival of Mr. Thurmond’s, a Mr. McKell, saw a “business opportunity” and opened a rival hotel to Mr. Thurmond’s establishment but on the south side of the New River, not within Thurmond itself, but literally within sight of the Thurmond C & O Depot. This hotel, The Dunglen Hotel, became known as a “Little Monte Carlo” because it not only had liquor, particularly for miner’s on the week-ends, but also gambling, “the world’s oldest profession’ (ahem it is hard to maintain a family-oriented blog these days isn’t it), and 100 rooms. Among other activities, there are those who claim (a claim published in that noted historical authority: “Ripley’s Believe it or Not!”) that the Dunglen Hotel hosted the worlds longest running poker game. This Gaming Marathon lasted, it is claimed, for 14 years. (Too bad they didn’t continue on so they could have hosted a show on the Travel Channel.)

In the 2000 Census the town of Thurmond had a population of 7 (click on the site if you don’t believe me). I really don’t think there has been much of an influx since then, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see a decrease in next year’s counting. Most of the buildings are vacant and not open under normal operations (don’t worry, from what I have heard and seen, there is nothing in them anyway, unless you are into the paranormal world). The Depot is owned by the National Park Service and is part of their New River Gorge National River operation.

The Thurmond Depot is a National Park Service Visitor’s Center. It is opened during the “tourist season” (generally during the summer and a few “high tourist weekends” such as the fall foliage season). It has a few exhibits downstairs and a few more upstairs as well. On the second level, in the “Bay Window” extension on the track side (the above shot is of the other side) is a recreation of the railroad telegrapher’s office complete with a manikin dressed in his C&O uniform and a recorded message wherein this “agent” tells about what he did back when Thurmond was a classic American Mining Boomtown.

You can still travel to Thurmond West Virginia today. The National Park Service directions are as follows:

“To reach Thurmond, take U.S. Route 19 to the Glen Jean exit, north of Beckley. Follow the signs to Thurmond, seven miles down WV Route 25 (Route 25 is a narrow, winding road and is not recommended for RVs and trailers). No automotive services are available in Thurmond.”

Those of you who may travel into this area in an RV or even a small truck with a trailer note the warning about Route 25 well. I drive this road 1 or 2 times a year. They are not kidding and yes, I have seen several “rigs” driven by “experienced” drivers come to grief on this road. Yes, the curves ARE that bad. But other than that, I do urge you to come, not only to see the Depot, but also “Downtown Thurmond.”

Special note: The Hotel Dunglen, mentioned above, burned to the ground in 1930. The site is now a parking lot used by the National Park Service and its visitors. As with most National Park Sites, I am sure the use of alcohol is prohibited and the Rangers probably would not want card games or any other shenanigans going on either. Ahh . . . Captain Thurmond would be pleased.

Olympia Washington

2009-02-18T14:02:00.004-05:00

Centennial Station

This station poses the eternal question that bedevils rail fans and non rail fans alike: namely, when is something new, really something old? But before you get an answer, you’ve got to understand the history behind the riddle.

Olympia Washington (actually the location is east of Olympia) had a Northern Pacific Railroad train station for many years. However, in the late 1960’s, given the passenger traffic declines, and the desire of the then-failing railroads to exit the unprofitable passenger business, the station was razed after the last passenger train had departed.

Even after the arrival of Amtrak, rail passengers going through Olympia Washington found a wooden bus shelter in a remote area, with bad parking and no other connection to any form of public transportation. Finally one of the County Commissioners, George Barner, realizing that a train station is, first and foremost, a community’s way of saying “hello” to the traveling public began the process of raising the money for Olympia to build a new station.

After several years of fund-raising efforts, the community managed to gather together a combination of $100,000.00 (USD) in cash, and an estimated $300,000.00 (USD) to erect the structure. These efforts allowed the work on the new passenger station for Olympia, and the adjacent community of Lacey, to begin. The new station, dubbed “Centennial Station” was opened in 1993.

Since it was not an “Amtrak Station” it was not staffed by Amtrak. Instead a collection of volunteers has manned the station during all operating hours since the station was opened.

Now, we get to the old part. On the inside the Station is very “new.” It has several eco-friendly energy-conservation features. It also has a very modern electronic train status board so that awaiting passengers have some access to train arrival and departure information. However, for the outside the architect, Harold E. Dalke (who had donated his services), decided to keep the “look” old. He did this, in part, by incorporating into his design a collection of 150 year old corbels made of Cyprus which had been saved from houses on Cherokee Street in New Orleans LA. While the pieces, as most Victorian-type “Gingerbread,” are strictly decorative and structurally add nothing to the building, esthetically, they add a lot. They help to remind us that while this is a new building, it has a very old, traditional, function: Welcoming the weary traveler into your midst.

Today much of the thinking about building train stations/ airports/ bus terminals (or that new conglomerate the “Intermodal Center”) appears to hold that most travelers are rushing through the station on their way to their “real” destination. Thus they are looking for nothing more than entertainment, if even that, while they await their next mode of transport. However, Centennial Station reminds us that we should also take the time, as a community, to welcome the stranger within our midst.

I have visited this station on several occasions. While I found the “electronic boards” to not always be correct, at least the people inside the station were friendly, and I was made to feel welcome. That says a lot about what a train station, or any kind of mass transportation terminal, should be.

Springfield Illinois

2009-02-05T20:00:00.003-05:00

The Great Western Station

The Station was built in the 1850's. It is now a museum.

Happy 200th Birthday President Lincoln.

Oyster Bay New York

2009-02-03T13:39:00.008-05:00

Long Island Railroad Depot

The story of Oyster Bay New York goes back to the very early days of European exploration. It has been fairly well documented (as well as any routes for the early explorers of that time can be documented by contemporary historians attempting to de-cipher the various notes and descriptions left by these pre GPS travelers) that the expedition led by Giovanni de Verrazano, a Florentine sailing under the French flag, was the first to sail up the south shore of Long Island Sound in 1524. In 1639, a Dutchman, David deVries, named the bay he found in this location “Oyster Bay.” This was about the same time that the Dutch formally established their colony which they called “New Netherland.” In the same year that de Vries named the bay, several Dutch settlers “purchased” a parcel of land on the western fringes of present day Oyster Bay from the local Native American tribe.

In 1653 some New Englanders purchased land on the other side of the bay from the Native American Chief Mohannes and established a “town” (note the present-day seal of the town carries this 1653 date). In so doing, two settlements, one Dutch and one English, were established in close proximity to each other. Thus, Oyster Bay became the northern point of separation between the English and Dutch on Long Island. This division ended when the English took control of all of New Netherland (including Long Island) in 1664 as a result of their war with the Dutch.

During the Revolutionary era, this area was quickly conquered by the English and became known as “Loyalist” territory. However, there were a few brave patriots in the area, two of whom, Robert Townsend and his sister Sally, functioned as spies for George Washington. Reportedly, it was Robert, code name “Culper, Jr.” using information obtained by Sally, who blew the whistle on the Benedict Arnold’s plan to defect to the British and turn over the fortress of West Point New York as well. The Townsend Home Raynham Hall is now a museum.

In the 1880’s the Long Island Rail Road (note this is not a mistake, this is how the original charter spelled it) extended service into Oyster Bay from Locust Valley. This idea represented an attempt by the railroad's management to return to their "roots." In 1832, when the road was founded, the idea was to build a line offering New York to Boston service via Long Island. This early “mission” for the Long Island was rendered unprofitable in 1850 when a rail line was constructed through the hills of southern Connecticut connecting New York City with the coastline on Connecticut.

However, as is often the case in railroad corporate history, new times, in this case the 1880’s, and new management resulted in the renaissance old ideas, specifically the idea to construct a “New York to Boston via Long Island route.” The plan as it evolved under the new regime was to build to Oyster Bay, and from there ferry the passengers across to Connecticut where they could board the New Haven to complete their trip to Beantown. On June 21, 1889 the first train arrived in Oyster Bay at the station pictured above which had just been completed. The following year, the regular New York to Boston service via Oyster Bay commenced. Alas, it only lasted about a year before giving way to other, more direct connections.

About the same time as the arrival of the railroad in Oyster Bay, Theodore Roosevelt, an up-coming politician, later to be New York Governor and the 26th President of the United States, chose a farm to the east of this town as the location for his home Sagamore Hill. He lived here from 1886 until his death in 1919. His widow, Edith, continued to live here until her death in 1948. Sometime in the 1950’s a movement was begun to make Sagamore Hill into a site to honor Theodore Roosevelt. In 1962 the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site was created by Congressional Legislation.

The Long Island Railroad still runs to Oyster Bay. However, the line is not a line to a ferry link-up to Boston, nor is it a line to a resort, or to a well-known and well-visited national landmark. It is mainly a commuter line. Accordingly, in keeping with the current thinking of “Transportation Experts,” the 1889 station no longer serves the Long Island Railroad. Instead, it has been restored for "other uses," and when I was there in 2006 it appeared to be headed toward a role in an emerging railroad museum in Oyster Bay.

Instead of using the 1889 structure, modern-day riders of the Long Island Railroad use a “bus stop” type of station. While during my visit in the summer of 2006 I found it pleasant to sit in this “shelter” and enjoy the scenery of Oyster Bay, I wondered how much protection from the winter winds coming in off the harbor, this edifice truly provides for those waiting for an incoming train.

If you desire to take the train out to Oyster Bay in order to visit Sagamore Hill, you will need to catch a cab when you arrive at the station. IMHO Sagamore Hill is a little too far to walk. However, the 1851 Octagon Hotel which served as the “Little White House” (according to a plaque on the building) during TR’s presidency is in the downtown area within easy walking distance of the station.

Oh yes, according to one source, Oyster Bay still produces Oysters.

Jacksonville Florida

2009-01-29T11:51:00.007-05:00

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

2009-01-23T16:31:00.009-05:00

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

2009-01-20T16:08:00.009-05:00

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

2009-01-17T17:11:00.009-05:00

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

2009-01-15T14:01:00.006-05:00

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

2009-01-13T19:28:00.005-05:00

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

2009-01-07T14:36:00.006-05:00

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

2009-01-05T20:16:00.010-05:00

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

2009-01-02T18:07:00.007-05:00

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.

Galesburg Illinois

2008-12-16T20:34:00.003-05:00

The Chicago Burlington and Quincy Depot

This depot, which is still in use by Amtrak, is of uncertain (at least to me) origin. I do not know when it was built. But I do know that the town it serves is a thorough railroad town even in this day and time.

Knox County Illinois, Galesburg is the county seat of Knox County, was founded in 1825 and the first settlers arrived shortly thereafter. Things were put on hold for a while in that area when the last major dispute between the settlers, and those who had been there first, erupted into what became known as The Blackhawk War. This affair was chiefly noted for two things, first, it was the last attempt east of the Mississippi to stop the settlers, and a young man, one A. Lincoln, was elected a Captain of his militia company that was raised to do battle on the side of the settlers.

By 1841 a College, Knox College, was founded and by 1854, the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad arrived. Thereafter, Galesburg became known as a railroad town. Even today, it is the site of the 2nd largest hump classification yard on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

But that is not Galesburg’s only connection to railroading. Galesburg is also the home town of poet, author, Lincoln biographer, and troubadour, Carl Sandburg. Sandburg, in a certain sense, is recognized by many as the “Father of Modern Folk Music.” While Burl Ives, Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, and The Weavers (and many others) are all credited with the popularizing of this genera of music, Sandburg is often credited with being the first to sing it in public, for a fee.

Prior to Sandburg, if you sang “folk music” you could sing only songs that had been composed by who knows whom before the invention of the printing press. Any song composed since that event, was written down at sometime or the other and thus was not considered a “folk song.” Sandburg changed all that when he started collecting tunes he heard in what he called his “Song Bag.” Sandburg spent part of his young adulthood as a "hobo" who rode the rails. Many of these individuals were musically inclined and sang many songs. Most of these tunes were of uncertain origin and uncertain parentage. Yet, Sandburg wrote them down and then sang them. Not co-incidentally, many, though by no means all, or even a majority, of these songs he collected were either about railroading, had been composed (or were believed to have been composed) by someone on the railroad (often as a work song), or were sung by railroaders. Thus, Galesburg, and not co-incidentally its railroaders gave birth, albeit in a very indirect way, to what we called “Folk Music” today.

The Galesburg Depot is still a very busy place today, with 4 trains a day each way, serving points as distant as Los Angeles and San Francisco California, Denver Colorado, and Quincy Illinois. The town celebrates its continuing railroad heritage each year in September during “Railroad Days.”

Etowah Tennessee

2008-12-14T17:48:00.004-05:00

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad Depot

The town of Etowah was a creation of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, thus, in the truest sense, it was, and indeed remains, a railroad town. In 1902 the Louisville and Nashville Railroad upgraded their route between Cincinnati OH and Atlanta GA. As part of this upgrade, the route up the Hiwassee River Gorge, complete with the famous Hiwassee Loop lost its status as a mainline (a truly dastardly deed in the eyes of many fans of mountain railroading), and a new Division Headquarters was established in a field of mud that probably took its name from a nearby watercourse, the Etowah River (note, there is some debate about this version of the origin of the town’s name). What is generally agreed is that the word Etowah is the European way of transcribing a Creek word that means “tribe” or “town.”

The station, and the adjacent yards were constructed in 1906. In order to build the yards and station, the railroad had to drain the land and built it up over 3 feet from the original level in an attempt to surmount the mud that covered the area continually. However, mud remained a part of the station’s existence for many years.

Up through the introduction of steel freight and passenger cars, Etowah, and its shops, remained fairly busy. However, with the introduction of steel cars, the L&N decided to phase out Etowah. The first big reduction occurred in 1928. Up until that time, 14 passenger trains a day stopped at this depot.

One day, April 6, 1927, a very special train stopped at Etowah. On that date, according to a report from the era reprinted in the book Murderers’ Row, by G.H. Fleming, a train traveling north carried the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals (the victors of the 1926 World Series over this same Yankee team). It arrived in Etowah 1 hour late (Amtrak is following in a well-worn tradition). Etowah was, and still is, a crew change stop. Thus, the stop that day was scheduled to be a bit longer than was normal for a town of this size. But this stop turned out to be even longer than scheduled.

The Yankee Team on board was the one destined to be called by many the greatest baseball team ever assembled. And their star was none other than Babe Ruth. According to the report in the book, Ruth and some of his buddies were engaged in a poker game when the train arrived in town. This being a railroad town, everyone in town knew who was on the train. Therefore, it is not surprising that according to the printed account everyone in town was at the station except for 4 individuals. It was pouring the rain that day, and of course, the station area was muddy, and so 3 of the 4 absent individuals were still looking for their overshoes. The only other absentee was home in bed with pneumonia.

The mud was up to the shoe tops of the townspeople, but they stood there in the pouring rain and cheered away. They would not let the train leave until they saw their one true hero, Babe Ruth. And so Ruth left the card game, just as he had raised the stakes owing to his strong hand, and went out onto the platform of the car. He smiled at the people and waved and that was enough. The people responded with a loud cheer. That was it, they had seen their hero, and thus the train could leave.

As noted above, the railroad began to began to “downsize” the Etowah shops (and thus the town) the next year, and all passenger service into this station stopped in 1968. In 1977 the L&N no longer needed the depot for any purpose and eventually sold it to the town. It has now been restored and has, among other things, the offices of the town's Chamber of Commerce, and a Museum dedicated to L&N memorabilia on the first floor.

And while it was dry when we were there a few years ago, I understand, the mud still returns every now and then. And while I am sure they are few and far between by now given the passage of years, it would not surprise me to find that there are still those who remember that muddy day Babe Ruth came to town.

Richmond Virginia

2008-12-09T12:22:00.010-05:00

The Main Street Station

This station was originally proposed, and plans were developed, in the early 1890’s. At that time Richardson Romanesque Architecture was in fashion. However, due to “economic conditions” (i.e. the famous depression of 1893 and subsequent years), construction on the building was not begun until the spring of 1900. By that time Daniel Burnham had begun his Beaux Arts masterpiece now known as Washington Union Station, and Richardson Romanesque architecture was “out of fashion.” Nevertheless, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, with its headquarters newly relocated to Richmond, spearheaded the building of Main Street Station as originally designed. The Seaboard Airline Railroad, joined with the C&O in the construction efforts.

On November 2, 1901, the first train to officially leave the station was an SAL train bound for Tampa Florida. A C&O Newport News to St. Louis train followed shortly afterwards. And Main Street, located in the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond near the beginning of the historic Kanawha and James River Canal, became a busy station for the next 50 years.

But as happened in many other cities and towns in the US, after World War II cars and airplanes became the “preferred” mode of transportation for many people, and Main Street Station declined. Symbolic of this decline was the routing chosen for the Richmond portion of the new North South Atlantic Coast “Speedway,” I-95 (note, don’t laugh, this now congested, slow-moving roadway was once seen as a “Speedway”). The road was built in such a way that piers for the bridge built to carry auto traffic through the area, were constructed cheek by jowl beside Main Street station.

In 1949 a photo in the Richmond Times Dispatch newspaper showed Main Street Station surrounded by the bridges of the C&O, SAL, and Southern (down beneath the area). This view later became a popular post card sold in the Richmond area. One can’t help but wonder if some highway engineer, full of an overweening pride that only access to unlimited amounts of project money can give, saw this I-95 routing as a way to take “revenge” for the earlier technology that Main Street represented.

SAL left the station first, choosing to route its trains through the Broad Street Station via a switchback shortly after its construction in the 1930’s. Thus, when I was in college and would take the train home, I would arrive via the C&O at Main Street, and then have to catch a cab, along with all 200 other college students going home on “break,” and dash up to the Broad Street station to continue my journey north.

On October 15, 1975 Amtrak, the inheritor of all passenger train operations, pulled out of Main Street. After that the Main Street Station went through a rather checkered history as a “Mall” of sorts. The problems were many. First there was a devastating fire almost 8 years to the day from when Amtrak pulled out. Second, urban decay became the fate of the entire Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond. Third, through the years there have been a series of high water “events” (call them floods if you will). These events culminated with the waters of Hurricane Agnes washing to first floor of the Main Street Station in August of 1972. At last a floodwall was constructed. But since then, there has been yet one more flood owing to a design flaw in the floodwall. All of these factors contributed to the continuing decline of the Main Street Station.

Finally, in the 1990’s the City of Richmond got involved in the effort to restore the station. They sensed that Main Street Station was the key to any restoration efforts in Shockoe Bottom This was sort of ironic because at one point, after the fire, city officials almost destroyed the tower of the station, considered by many to be the “key” to the whole Richardson Romanesque structure. Their goal at that time was to “save” I-95. However, cooler heads prevailed and the tower stayed and thus the building was intact when the restoration effort finally gathered momentum. Amtrak agreed to work with the city and so, in the fall of 2003 train service returned.

However, even that return was filled with drama. On the day of the Official Grand Re-Opening, officials gathered at Main Street Station to wait for the first Southbound Amtrak NE Corridor Train to arrive. Unfortunately, the train never made it. CSX had a derailment up near Alexandria that completely blocked their North-South Rail line (the old Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad) for the entire day. And so the eagerly awaited NE Corridor train was aborted at Alexandria’s Union Terminal.

But now, the trains come. Currently, it is only those trains heading down to Williamsburg and Newport News. But Richmond would like to have the Florida Trains stop at Main Street as well. Belatedly, the City Officials have discovered that the Staples Mills Station, while it is great in terms of parking your car and “commuting” up the east coast, makes a terrible destination for folks coming into Richmond (I mean, you are greeted by a series of strip malls and fast food places, and that ain’t Richmond).

However, before Florida trains can arrive and depart out of Main Street, massive work to the track both into and out of Main Street, needs to occur. This will take time and money, lots of it. In addition it will take a greater understanding on the part of the freight railroads as to the importance of providing good passenger service as a way of developing greater public support for their enterprise. However, there are those, including yours truly, who believe that one day these two items will be in place. And then Main Street Station can assume its rightful place as a truly beautiful historic gateway into one of our nation’s most historic cities.

Springfield Oregon

2008-11-17T19:24:00.011-05:00

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

2008-11-11T14:43:00.008-05:00

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

2008-11-05T21:03:00.006-05:00

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

2008-11-03T08:50:00.008-05:00

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.

Balcony Falls Virginia

2008-10-31T12:37:00.006-04:00

"Carrying Coals to Tidewater"

While I plan to provide mostly pictures of train stations on this site, occasionally I will include other "railroad related" shots. This is one of these type of shots. This shows a CSX coal train along the James River in Virginia, near Balcony Falls, in the late spring/early summer of 2006. When I took it I was driving east towards Charlottesville and had decided to follow State Route 130 from Natural Bridge over to Bus. 29 North just outside of Lynchburg VA.

As I was driving, I saw a sign posted for a wayside. Having driven for a while I decided to stop and rest. Once in the parking lot, I saw a well-used path leading south towards what I knew was the James River. I grabbed my camera and decided to follow the path. Soon, I came upon the above scene (minus the train). I stopped, did some "mental picture composition" and took a shot. I waited around to see if I could catch any rail traffic, but after about 5 minutes, hearing nothing I left my perch above the tracks and river. I had to be in Charlottesville that evening.

I was about 1/2 way back up the trail to the parking lot when I heard the un-mistakeable growl of a pair of engines lumbering in the distance. Accordingly, I retraced my steps, waited a few more minutes, and up above is what I got.

The James River Line of CSX (originally known as the James River Line of the C&O), was considered a "secondary route" for the C&O, the "Main Line" being the original line through Louisa, on to Charlottesville, Waynesboro, Staunton, Augusta Springs, Millboro Springs and into Clifton Forge. A few years ago, CSX leased the original "Main Line" to the Buckingham Branch railroad and retained this trackage. Thus, this line is now part of the CSX east-west Main Line through Virginia.

Parts of the James River Line were built on the old Tow-path of the Kanawha and James River Canal. In places the surveying for this tow-path had been done by George Washington. Thus, the C&O during the 1930's proudly announced this connection with the "Father of our Country" and named their new streamline flagship passenger train after him. Some would call this a "PR Stretch" but I must admit I have seen worse.

As should be obvious to anyone looking at the above picture, in times of high water on the James, parts of this line are under water. CSX is aware of this, and accordingly retained running rights on the old "Main Line" when they leased it out. As to whether the "old Main Line," technically the "Mountain Division" will be able to handle all the traffic in its drastically reduced running status is another question. I wonder if anyone at CSX ever asked it?

Wheeling West Virginia

2008-10-29T22:10:00.009-04:00

The Baltimore and Ohio Terminal

This 1908 structure was noteworthy among West Virginia Passenger Train stations both then and now. At one time it functioned as the largest "Terminal" in the state and the busiest one as well. But maybe the term "Terminal" needs a little explanation.

As I understand it, a Passenger Station (or Depot) has passenger trains that may start or end at the structure. But it also will have trains, indeed the majority, that start or stop elsewhere but pause at this particular structure as part of their regular schedule. A "Terminal" on the other hand is noted primarily for being a place where most of the trains either begin or end their routes. There may be through trains pausing in route, but they do not comprise the majority of the traffic seen at the station.

One of the peculiarities of West Virginia Railroads, is that most of them are in the process of going from someplace and going to a different place. Thus in the far south you have the old Norfolk and Western line (now Norfolk Southern). It runs from Cincinnati Ohio to Norfolk Virginia. Passenger trains using the main line stopped at several places, but except for the occassional branch local up some hollow in the southern coal fields, there were few trains that stopped and/or ended at any of these stations.

In the south central area you have a collection of lines which were operated by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (now CSX). The main line goes from Cincinnati Ohio in the west, to Tidewater Virginia in the east. However, it had numerous branches serving various mines up various hollows in the area that became known as the Kanawha Coal Fields. Again, as with the Norfolk and Western, there were a few local trains, many of them mixed" (combinations of passengers and freight), but most C&O passenger trains at any one station, were through trains.

Just north of that line, you did have the only lines that "ended" in West Virginia. These lines, which actually connected and thus made through service for freight possible, were the Kanawha and Michigan (later New York Central, later Penn Central, later Conrail, and now Norfolk Southern), and the Virginian (later Norfolk and Western, now Norfolk Southern). They did have a "Terminal" in Charleston WV that served the Kanawha and Michigan (later New York Central), the Virginian, and the Elk River line of the Baltimore and Ohio (originally built as the Coal and Coke Railroad). However, on none of these lines was passenger traffic ever a major concern.

Still further north you had the two B&O lines, the "Old Main" (the original line completed in 1852) that ran up to Benwood and Wheeling WV, and the early "branch line" constructed as the "Northwestern Virginia Railroad" (later known by the B&O as the "National Limited Line). The eastern part of this route (through Clarksburg and Fairmont WV) still exists. The western part has been abandoned. The Clarksburg-Parkersburg section has become The North Bend Rail Trail. Again, as with the Norfolk and Western and the C&O, these lines had some branches, and these branches had some "local" passenger service which started and ended at various points. But again, as with the previous roads mentioned, trains serving these branches were not as numerous or as prominent at any particular station as the through passenger service.

Finally, in the "northern panhandle" section of West Virginia there was one more East West route. This was the Pennsylvania Railroad line that went from Pittsburgh to Columbus. It made only one station stop, Weirton WV.

With all these east-west lines, there were only 2 lines that went north-south, and one of them went only part way. There was a line in the east that consisted of the Western Maryland, down through Elkins and Durbin, where it met up with the Greenbrier Branch of the C & O. This line ended at Ronceverte WV. However, passenger traffic on this line was minimal though for a time a north-south passenger connection did exist between the 2 roads. The other north-south line was the B&O line which hugged the eastern bank of the Ohio River, all the way from above Weirton, down to Huntington WV. And this is where the above "Terminal" comes into place. For this line did see a lot of local traffic between points on the river.

The Wheeling Terminal was the busiest train "terminal" in West Virginia when measured in terms of the number of trains that either started, ended, or stopped en route. Further, it had more trains starting or ending than an other Passenger Train facility in West Virginia. At one point in the operational history of the B&O there were 19 trains that started, ended, or paused at this station. Historically, this made perfect sense. Because the originally projected western terminous for the B&O in 1828 was to be "Wheeling." Now once Wheeling was reached, the B&O started trying to cross the Ohio. In these efforts they met some resistance from the government of the state of Virginia, and . . . as they like to say, the rest is history.

Today, the B&O tracks through Wheeling, both the east-west line which went from Pittsburgh across the Ohio River and on to Zanesville and points beyond, and the north-south Ohio River line, have been adandoned and the tracks pulled (in the case of the Ohio River line, they are in place south of Moundsville WV). And obviously, this station no longer functions as a railroad terminal. Instead, it is part of the campus of the Northern West Virginia Community College. (Incidentally, I took this shot from the 2nd floor of West Virginia's Independence Hall, where the state was formed in 1863).

On a more personal note: I notice I have a follower, Ed. Welcome, I hope you enjoy this site as much as I enjoy posting to it.

Ottumwa Iowa

2008-10-28T20:52:00.008-04:00

The Burlington Station

Sometimes a station is memorable because the town is memorable. In this case memorable because of a great fiction.

As many people in my generation, I watched the TV program "M*A*S*H" regularly. For me, it was refreshing because it was about the only program on the air then (or now for that matter) that had an actor playing an Ordained Minister as part of the regular cast (Father Mulchay). Further, the character portrayed was not the Elmer Gantry type that is all too common among Hollywood productions.

Ottumwa Iowa was the "hometown" of "Radar" O'Reilly. Not really, but hey, it put the town on the map.

Being on the route of Amtrak's California Zephyr, Ottumwa is a regular passenger train stop these days. And this station is there to welcome guests eager to see where "Radar" lived. It also welcomes bus passengers as well, since it is also a bus depot. Finally, it also has a small museum.

The Station itself is fairly old, being constructed originally in 1888. For many years it served the trains of the Chicago Burlinton and Quincy Railroad (more commonly known as "The Burlington Route.") It was "remodeled" in 1951 (probably when the stone exterior was added). Thus, despite its age, it appears to be fairly modern.

Kingsport Tennessee

2008-10-25T11:52:00.006-04:00

The Clinchfield Station

The Carolina Clinchfield and Ohio (also just known as "The Clinchfield") was (and is, since as part of the CSX system it has remained pretty much the same type of operation) known as a coal hauling road. It was not noted for its passenger service. That was at least partly due to the routing of the line. There were few towns of major importance that it served.

That is why I was so surprised upon coming to this station on one of our roadtrips. I knew Kingsport had a station, and I knew it was brick. But I was not prepared for this. A brick edifice complete with a clock tower.

But here it was, and still is. Perhaps the grandeur of the station, which overshadowed anything I saw in Kingsport, was due to the Clinchfield's using it as a headquarters (though their main division point was in Erwin TN) for their operations in that part of their route. Perhaps it was due to local "political" considerations. Whatever the reason, it appears to be a station almost a "step above" its surroundings.

Thankfully, this magnificent structure has been saved and in its new life is the local bank building.

Portland Oregon

2008-10-24T20:34:00.009-04:00

Portland Union Station

This station opened in 1896. It was a joint project of the Union Pacific, the Northern Pacific, and the Southern Pacific railroads. All three lines used the station for the first two decades of its existence. They were finally joined, after a fight in which the WW I US Railway Administration got into the act, by the Spokane, Portland and Seattle. At the same time the US Railway Administration also allowed the Great Northern to use the station.

For most of its existence prior to 1950, the station saw in excess of 90 trains a day. While I came into this station on UP's Portland Rose from Pocatello ID (Yellowstone Park), and left on SP's Lark bound for Los Angeles (but we got off in San Francisco) when our family went west in the mid-1950's I do not remember anything about the station from that trip.

Today, it is a busy Amtrak terminal hosting 2 long distance trains, the Coast Starlight, and the Portland section of the Empire Builder, as well as 10 Cascades trains (southbound to Eugene, northbound to Seattle and Vancouver BC) a day. In addition, the bus station is just across the street and bus departures are announced in the station, particularly those which are Amtrak "Thruway" connections. In addition, the City of Portland is extending its Light Rail line so that one of its routes will call at the station.

The station, itself, is downtown near the Japanese-American Historical Plaza along the Wilamette River. It is also within walking distance of the Portland Classical Chinese Garden. This latter place makes a great place to spend a 3 to 4 hour layover!

When we were there in the summer of 2008, it was a busy station indeed. Maybe not all the time, but certainly when trains were arriving or departing.

While the interior has been "spruced up" it still reminds you of the way stations used to look, complete with wooden benches! Portland should be proud of what they have done to make the Amtrak traveler feel welcome.

Hanover Junction Pennsylvania

2008-10-23T20:55:00.000-04:00

The Northern Central Railroad Station

From perhaps the newest train station in our last posting, we go to one of the oldest train stations in this posting, the station built by a predecessor line to the Northern Central Railroad, which itself later became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad System, in a remote valley in south Central PA.

The main reason for a station here was to allow passengers and freight from the Northern Central to connect with the railroad that went Northeast from here to the little Pennsylvania community known as Gettysburg.

And so it was, that on November 1863, this station had one particular passenger visit it on his way into the annuals of history. For it was to here that Abraham Lincoln came from Baltimore. And it was from here that he boarded another train and rode off to the northeast to deliver his famous words we now know of as "The Gettysburg Address."

The station today appears to be used as some type of eating establishment. The tracks you see in the picture are only used occasionally. It has been many years since they were used regularly. Instead, the line through this area has been converted into a bike trail. Parts of the Northern Central in northern Baltimore County have become the roadbed for the Timonium Line of the MTA Light Rail line that runs into Baltimore. But most of the rest of the road has been given over to recreational use.

But who knows, maybe late at night, Vachel Lindsay may be right, and a ghost of Lincoln walks around Hanover Juntion, waiting to catch another train to destiny.

Milwaukee Wisconsin

2008-10-22T21:03:00.001-04:00

Milwaukee Amtrak Station

This posting we will consider a new station, not an old one. This is the new Amtrak Station, in Milwaukee Wisconsin. It is an "Intermodal Station" since Greyhound is also located there. It is brand new because it has been opened within the last year. It is a ray of hope in an otherwise dark scene of modern passenger railroading. And yes, it is an Amtrak station that shows the community is proud of itself and not afraid of rail passengers and welcomes them as guests.

I admit this station is not as ornate as past stations that have graced this area, such as this shot of the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (better known as The Milwaukee Road) station I found in the waiting area. However, it is certainly a lot better than the all-to-common "Amshack" structures that many communities, such as Chemult Oregon, provide for their guests who travel by rail.

According to the city's web site, this structure will also become the key to a comprehensive transportation plan that will grow to include Commuter Rail, a light-rail (streetcar) downtown Circulator, and a series of rapid bus lines (oh come on, in today's traffic? Only if you have a separate bus way such as Pittsburgh PA's.).

I have seen noteworthy stations that have been constructed in the Amtrak in other communities, and will present them in future blogs. But I wanted to start with this one, since it stands out in my mind as the best that I have seen to date.

At any rate, this is something for other communities to shoot for.

Denver Colorado

2008-10-19T21:59:00.000-04:00

Denver Union Station

The original structure, erected in 1881 by financier Jay Gould to serve all of "his" railroads that served the Denver area, survives as the center section of the present structure. Though this 1881 structure was devastated by a fire in 1894, the rebuilt structure used the original walls in part, thus preserving the heritage of the station.

One of the unique aspects of this station was that for many years it regularly served not only "Standard Gauge" railroads (4' 8 1/2"), it also served the 36" gauge Colorado Southern Railroad. While this arrangement existed all the station's trackage had a third rail inside the outer two rails. The Colorado Southern is no more. It eventually became an all-standard gauge line that was affiliated with the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad (The Burlington Route). However, some Colorado and Souther equipment can still be found at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden CO.

Denver Union Station is still an active station today, serving Amtrak's California Zephyr. In addition, the Ski Train that operates from Denver to Winter Park also departs from here. Finally, if and when the route from El Paso to Denver by way of Albequerque NM ever takes shape, it too will call at DUT. Finally the station is also the end of the line for the "Light Rail" system in Denver. While these activities do not generate the constant flow of people traffic of previous years, nevertheless, at times, it is one busy place! And it appears slated to be even busier!

Amherst Virginia

2008-10-18T12:16:00.000-04:00

The Southern Railway Depot

When you visit some train stations you just know you will never see them again. Mainly because you know they will not be in that location much longer. You know they will either be torn down, burned down, or moved.

Only occasionally when they get to be this bad do they get to be "restored" and turned into something like a restaurant or Visitor's Center. Thus, you realize this is a once in a lifetime stop, and you are not sad about that situation. For this is a station you really do not want to come back to.

Thus it is for this station we found one day in Amherst Virginia just to the north of Lynchburg Virginia. It was an old Southern Railway Depot that was obviously on its last legs. It still sat on Depot Street beside the active Washington DC to Atlanta Mainline of the Norfolk Southern Railroad. At one time it was no doubt busy with passengers boarding and de-boarding from various passenger trains, maybe even the fabled Crescent. But now Amtrak's Cresent passes by about mid-night with nary a nod to this old station. Surely, sadly, I suspect its days are numbered and soon will be no more. And thus, I will not see it any more.

Smithton West Virginia

2008-10-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

The Baltimore and Ohio Station

This is a very normal, ordinary wooden station building, plain in design. It probably resembles many other railroad station buildings that still exist, or used to exist. About the only thing out of the ordinary about it, is that despite the fact that the railroad called it "Smithton" it is actually located in the town of Smithburg WV. But that, in and of itself, is not really all that extraordinary. In plenty of other places, the railroad would give a station a name that was different from what the locals called their settlement.

Sometimes there were understandable reasons for a difference between a station name, and the name of the community it served. For example, several places railroads changed the station name in order to avoid confusion with other stops in the area with similar sounding names. The Norfolk and Western had two stations, Shepherdstown WV, and Sharpsburg MD, separated only by the single track bridge spanning the Potomac River. Accordingly they re-named the Sharpsburg MD depot, Antietam. This change not only avoided confusion on the operation of the railroad, but also assisted Civil War veterans who desired to return to the scene of battles they were in.

But other times, there was spite and vengance involved in changing a station's, and even the town's name. The best example of this situation I know of, was when Collis P. Huntington decided that the citizens of Coalsmouth WV were not sufficiently cooperative with the crew building his new Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. So, he simply had the name of the town changed by his chief lawyer, a man by the name of Parsons. The lawyer decided to name it after his home town, St. Albans VT. And thus was born "St. Albans WV."

At any rate, Smithton, Smithburg, whatever you want to call it, is no longer an active station. Further, the tracks that used to serve the station are no longer in existence. The tracks, which dated back to the historic Northwestern Virginia Railroad, a subsidiary of the Baltimore and Ohio, known for many years as the "National Limited Line" of the Baltimore and Ohio, were pulled in 1985 and the line was "railbanked." Through this section of the country, the line became the North Bend Railtrail.

Smithton depot, located roughly at the half-way point, has been repainted and restored on the inside to resemble a typical country station of the late 1800's in West Virginia. It is a very ordinary station. But even so, it still has a story to tell. You just have to listen and know where to look.

Jersey City New Jersey

2008-10-17T18:17:00.000-04:00

The Central of New Jersey Station

For many years this structure, originally built in 1889 to replace an earlier out-dated one, meant for many people, the beginning of not just a train trip, but a whole new life. This was the closest rail station to Ellis Island, the first destination for so many immigrants into the United States during the latter half of the 19th century. This station was so close, it could be seen from the north-facing windows of the facility.

This station saw not only Central of New Jersey trains, it also saw the "Royal Blue Line" trains of the Baltimore and Ohio. And there-in lies the problem. Because unlike the Pennsylvania, the Baltimore and Ohio did not go into New York. It stopped here, and you had to make a bus/ferry connection to get into downtown New York. During World War I and up until 1926 an exception was made and the B&O came into Penn Station. But then the exception was ended and the B&O came back to Jersey City.

And that was too much for many people. And so, while the Pennsylvania struggled to hold onto the New York Passenger Train market, the Baltimore and Ohio finally gave up.

Today, the station is part of Liberty State Park. It has a small exhibit about its role in the Ellis Island Operation. It also is one of two places where you can catch the ferry boat out to Ellis Island, and to the Statue of Liberty (Battery Park on the tip of Manhattan is the other place). Because it is not as well known, it does not appear to be as busy as the Manhattan stop, so if you want to visit Ellis or the Statue, this might be your best bet.

There is also a Science Museum at the entrance to the park. It has been recently remodeled.

All of this can be reached by using the Jersey City Light Rail Line (you can get it at the old Lackawanna Station in Hoboken which is now called "Exchange Place", and then use a shuttle bus.

The Station is obviously in good condition both inside and out. The authentic Bush Train shed out back, alas, is in a very advanced state of decay. I expect before too long they will either have to do a major renovation, or tear it down out of a concern for the safety of the visitors.

Cincinnati Ohio

2008-10-16T20:51:00.000-04:00

Cincinnati Union Terminal

In 1900 Cincinnati OH had a problem similar to many cities of that era, too many train stations, 5 of them in all. This meant that travelers on the 7 different railroads which served the town, who needed to change trains often had a cross-town dash. Further, the many railroad grade crossings caused a lot of traffic congestion on the city's streets. Finally, all of the stations were within the Ohio River floodplain. And in those days the Ohio often flooded.

Finally in 1927 work was begun on a new facility located in the west end of Cincinnati. The architectural firm of Fellheimer & Wagner won the commission and began work on this structure shortly after completing Buffalo NY's Central Terminal. It was to be one of the "high water marks" of the Art Deco style of architecture.
It opened in 1933 two weeks early because once again, the Ohio River was on the rampage and threatening to inundate the old stations. But despite the undeniable beauty of the building, it has never lived up to its initial expectations. In addition to the overall decline in passenger rail traffic which began in the 1930's, the city fathers and the railroads soon realized they had located the new station too far from downtown.

Today, the basement of the building is still an Amtrak stop for its tri-weekly Cardinal which calls in the wee hours of the morning. The rest of the building has become a children's museum.

Thus, though the building is beautiful beyond words, it stands almost as a testament to the old saying "Beauty is skin deep." It may be beautiful, but through the years it has not met the needs of the traveling public.

Ashland Kentucky

2008-10-16T20:38:00.001-04:00

The Chesapeake and Ohio Station

This imposing structure was built in 1925 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway to serve not only the city of Ashland KY, but also as a way station for all major passenger trains traveling along its mainline. It also served as a terminous for local trains which left Ashland and traveled up the Big Sandy Valley and over towards a connection with the Clinchfield Railroad at Elkhorn KY.

But it was as a way station that it was probably best known. The major passenger trains heading west stopped here and were often "split-up" into 3 different sections, each headed a different direction, before resuming their journey. One section, normally the longest, continued out of Ashland toward Cincinnati OH. Here it would connect with the Indianapolis IN and Chicago IL-bound James Whitcomb Riley of the Big Four (or New York Central) line. A second section, would head north across the Ohio River for Columbus, & Toldeo OH, and ultimately Detroit MI. A third section would head due west over trackage now removed, and end in Louisville KY. Trains arriving from these three Western destinations were combined in Ashland before they headed East.

Given the importance of this station for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, it is not surprising that it was located within the floodwall that the Army Corps of Engineers built to protect Ashland from Ohio River flooding. It was reached through a "WYE" connection with the mainline that ran along the Ohio River's edge, outside the floodwall.

Today, this station is no longer an active station. The tracks leading to it have been removed, and a local bank is now the owner and occupier. While Amtrak does stop at Ashland KY, it uses the old Chesapeke and Ohio freight station located just outside of the flood wall.

Yet in its time, the station pictured above was an important way-station on the C&O. And given that trains were consolidated and split up at this location, it was a station where you would be able to sit and reflect upon where you had been and where you were ultimately going, both on the train, and in life.

Washington DC

2008-10-16T19:39:00.001-04:00

Union Station

I will start off this blog, fittingly, with the station located scarcely 4 blocks from the hospital where I was born (this hospital no longer exists in this location). It is also located 3 blocks from the house where my father was born (the house no longer exists either, does this tell you something?). Washington Union Terminal, or Union Station as the "locals" called it (and still call it), was a child of, what else in DC, politics.

About 1900 Congress, both then and now the true "city council" of Washington DC decided that it was time to end the inconvenience, smoke, noise etc. that resulted from having two separate train stations, one for the B&O, one for the Pennsylvania RR (and the southern connections). The B&O was located on the NE corner of the Mall (roughly were the Taft Memorial is today) and the Pennsy on the south central border of the mall (near the Smithsonian and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing). While Congress initially told the railroads to each build a station, by the time the "politics" of the situation panned out, through something called "The McMillian Commission" the result was, as signed into law by Teddy Roosevelt, a single Union Station.

The architect chosen, Daniel Burnham, of Chicago's World Fair fame, had close ties to both the McMillian Commission and the Pennsy (have things ever be otherwise in DC?). He took as the basis of his design Baths of Diocletian. The result, Union Station, not only set the tone for the re-establishment of a Washington DC according to the original plans of Pierre L'Enfant, complete with its Mall and many monuments, but also a whole school of Public Architecture, Beax-Arts.