Boston Massachusetts

Boston South Station

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Savannah Georgia

Central of Georgia Depot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grand Canyon Arizona

Santa Fe Station

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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