Grand Stations To Little Depots

[passengerfan]

If anyone is traveling up or down the central valley this summer on I-5 or hwy 99 they should stop off in Stockton and vist the beautifully restored former SP station that now serves two Amtrak schedules daily between Sacramento and Bakersfield and the ACE Altamont Commuter Express trains. While their a couple of blocks away is the former WP station that sits derelict today but once served the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR. One should also visit the former Santa Fe Station that serves Amtrak today. How many cities in the U.S. of just over 200,000 population have two active railroad stations and the third although closed is still recognizable for what it was.

[passengerfan]

If anyone is traveling up or down the central valley this summer on I-5 or hwy 99 they should stop off in Stockton and vist the beautifully restored former SP station that now serves two Amtrak schedules daily between Sacramento and Bakersfield and the ACE Altamont Commuter Express trains. While their a couple of blocks away is the former WP station that sits derelict today but once served the CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR. One should also visit the former Santa Fe Station that serves Amtrak today. How many cities in the U.S. of just over 200,000 population have two active railroad stations and the third although closed is still recognizable for what it was.

[Anonymous]

City hall station is really nice too. They closed it when the trains were too big to run through it safely. It is still there but you can only get there on a tour.

[Anonymous]

City hall station is really nice too. They closed it when the trains were too big to run through it safely. It is still there but you can only get there on a tour.

[Anonymous]

PENN STATION WAS THE GREATEST OF THEM ALL. ALSO I LOVED THE OLD BROAD ST. STATION THAT WAS IN PHILADELPHIA.

[Anonymous]

PENN STATION WAS THE GREATEST OF THEM ALL. ALSO I LOVED THE OLD BROAD ST. STATION THAT WAS IN PHILADELPHIA.

[Anonymous]

I am a former Amtrak on-board employee and I worked the Empire Builder and the old Hiawatha. My favorite stations were(and stil are) Livingston,Mt and Billings,Mt. The old Livingston is looking kinda sad but the Billings station has been restored and is looking great! Does anyone know if the old Salt Lake City depot is stil around? I sure hope so. The stained glass windows were works of art. I always love to see communitys save their old depots instead of giving them the wrecking ball.
Tombobcuster[C=:-)]

[Anonymous]

I am a former Amtrak on-board employee and I worked the Empire Builder and the old Hiawatha. My favorite stations were(and stil are) Livingston,Mt and Billings,Mt. The old Livingston is looking kinda sad but the Billings station has been restored and is looking great! Does anyone know if the old Salt Lake City depot is stil around? I sure hope so. The stained glass windows were works of art. I always love to see communitys save their old depots instead of giving them the wrecking ball.
Tombobcuster[C=:-)]

[leighant]

I can't resist telling a story about Saint Louis Union Station. Traveled from south Texas to Saint Louis for the first time in 1994 to visit my girlfriend's family shortly before we became engaged. Her daughter knew I was interested in trains so her family took us to visit Union Station and I was impressed at seeing the big train shed, disappointed to see most of the tracks gone. The train shed covered what I would describe as an entertainment mall: T-shirt shops, music and poster stores, toy stores including one "upscale" train shop. After we had done the shops, I said I wanted to see the station. My host said there wasn't anything else to see, it was all just the T-shirt shops etc. I wanted to explore and see the architectural wonders of which I had heard. But I accepted for a few minutes the word that there was nothing else to see. But it kept grawing at me that I had traveled over a thousand miles to the station I had heard of and seen in pictures etc. I might never get there again. In the back end of the "entertainment mall" was an unmarked stairway. I wondered where it went.
My host said he thought it was "just the hotel." Nothing more to see.
I finally came close to throwing a tantrum, told them to just humor me and let me walk up those stairs and make sure there was nothing there and I'd be back down in a minute.
My host gave me a look like "you dummy". But I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing the old stuff I had heard about.
I went up and came back down the stairs half a minute later. Before he could say, "see there wasn't any..." held out my hand and motioned with one finger, "come here. Just come here." And I had an expression that combined "I was right after all" with tears of being overwhelmed by something. Just come here.
They followed, as if wondering if I was really on to something.
We went up that unassumming-looking stairwell. At the first landing, we could see stained glass depiction of the goddesses of the Atlantic and the Pacific greeting each other in the alcover over the stairway. When we got to the top of the stair, a vast space opened out, an arched space that seemed like like the space of the Astrodome, but in the gold and style of a palace. A space three or four stories high. Crystal and gilt chandaliers as big as a truck hanging in the air. A broad arch over each end of the space, with seven larger than life sculptures of goddesses across the heavens at each end-- the goddesses of the seven continents and the goddesses of the seven seas. Acres of oriental carpeting. It was the station's former waiting room, converted to a hotel lobby. This was the Union Station I had come to see, along with the trainshed. My host said, "I didn't know this was here..."

[leighant]

I can't resist telling a story about Saint Louis Union Station. Traveled from south Texas to Saint Louis for the first time in 1994 to visit my girlfriend's family shortly before we became engaged. Her daughter knew I was interested in trains so her family took us to visit Union Station and I was impressed at seeing the big train shed, disappointed to see most of the tracks gone. The train shed covered what I would describe as an entertainment mall: T-shirt shops, music and poster stores, toy stores including one "upscale" train shop. After we had done the shops, I said I wanted to see the station. My host said there wasn't anything else to see, it was all just the T-shirt shops etc. I wanted to explore and see the architectural wonders of which I had heard. But I accepted for a few minutes the word that there was nothing else to see. But it kept grawing at me that I had traveled over a thousand miles to the station I had heard of and seen in pictures etc. I might never get there again. In the back end of the "entertainment mall" was an unmarked stairway. I wondered where it went.
My host said he thought it was "just the hotel." Nothing more to see.
I finally came close to throwing a tantrum, told them to just humor me and let me walk up those stairs and make sure there was nothing there and I'd be back down in a minute.
My host gave me a look like "you dummy". But I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing the old stuff I had heard about.
I went up and came back down the stairs half a minute later. Before he could say, "see there wasn't any..." held out my hand and motioned with one finger, "come here. Just come here." And I had an expression that combined "I was right after all" with tears of being overwhelmed by something. Just come here.
They followed, as if wondering if I was really on to something.
We went up that unassumming-looking stairwell. At the first landing, we could see stained glass depiction of the goddesses of the Atlantic and the Pacific greeting each other in the alcover over the stairway. When we got to the top of the stair, a vast space opened out, an arched space that seemed like like the space of the Astrodome, but in the gold and style of a palace. A space three or four stories high. Crystal and gilt chandaliers as big as a truck hanging in the air. A broad arch over each end of the space, with seven larger than life sculptures of goddesses across the heavens at each end-- the goddesses of the seven continents and the goddesses of the seven seas. Acres of oriental carpeting. It was the station's former waiting room, converted to a hotel lobby. This was the Union Station I had come to see, along with the trainshed. My host said, "I didn't know this was here..."

[Anonymous]

I recently took an insiders tour of Grand Central Terminal in NYC. This tour meant alot to me since my father, and great grandfathers worked for the NYC.I am still interested in NYC history and collect NYC artifacts. The NYC was truely the "Road to the Future." Many of the improvements developed by NYC President Al Perlman are still in use today.
NOTE: Another NYC station that is getting alot of attention is the Buffalo Central Station.

20th Century Limited man

[Anonymous]

I recently took an insiders tour of Grand Central Terminal in NYC. This tour meant alot to me since my father, and great grandfathers worked for the NYC.I am still interested in NYC history and collect NYC artifacts. The NYC was truely the "Road to the Future." Many of the improvements developed by NYC President Al Perlman are still in use today.
NOTE: Another NYC station that is getting alot of attention is the Buffalo Central Station.

20th Century Limited man

[Anonymous]

Being an ex New Yorker, I've always will love Grand Central Station (ex NYC property). Although I hung out at Penn Station (ex PRR property) as well, I grew up well after the original station was demolished and the arena was built over it. So the anteseptic starkness did nothing for me. The same goes for Chicago's Union Station (Amtrak's property). With half the original station left intact (the main waiting room [hall]), and the other half (the concourse) covered over by an office building, it looks ridiculous. Just like where I work, Washington's Union Station, all this modernization accomplished was to take away much needed track space. I've seen my share of small to large train station abandoned along this nation's rail lines and it's a damn disgrace. Much love and respect to all current and retired railroaders in this country and in the world.


PEACE!!
Glenn
A R E A L RAILROADER...A TRUE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Being an ex New Yorker, I've always will love Grand Central Station (ex NYC property). Although I hung out at Penn Station (ex PRR property) as well, I grew up well after the original station was demolished and the arena was built over it. So the anteseptic starkness did nothing for me. The same goes for Chicago's Union Station (Amtrak's property). With half the original station left intact (the main waiting room [hall]), and the other half (the concourse) covered over by an office building, it looks ridiculous. Just like where I work, Washington's Union Station, all this modernization accomplished was to take away much needed track space. I've seen my share of small to large train station abandoned along this nation's rail lines and it's a damn disgrace. Much love and respect to all current and retired railroaders in this country and in the world.


PEACE!!
Glenn
A R E A L RAILROADER...A TRUE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Visit Philadelphia's 30th street station Its still in its prime. Now is its second big time or its grandest time under Amtrak.

[Anonymous]

Visit Philadelphia's 30th street station Its still in its prime. Now is its second big time or its grandest time under Amtrak.

[ValorStorm]

I think "Tombobcuster" may have gotten it backward. Livingston Montana's fabulous depot has been restored, and is now an important museum for our state. In fact, all the major depots in MT have been restored, and some are nicer now in their roles as office buildings.

[ValorStorm]

I think "Tombobcuster" may have gotten it backward. Livingston Montana's fabulous depot has been restored, and is now an important museum for our state. In fact, all the major depots in MT have been restored, and some are nicer now in their roles as office buildings.

[jpwc50]

I voted for St. Louis Union Station because of it's size, the varied number of railroads and numerous great railfanning spots on several highway(with sidewalks) bridges spanning the main tracks both east & west of the station. Operationally, it must have been a nightmare because the station itself was reached by 4 three track wye's that required a back-up move at some point during arrival or departure. I rode one of the last Amtrak trains out of the station in 1979...The National Limited... at that point running between Kansas City & New York. It was a good size train (due to an airline strike) and if memory serves me, it had 2 SDP40F's, 2 baggage cars, 4 coaches, a diner, a sleeper/lounge and 3 10/6 budd sleepers. The consist was backed into the station & I was assigned to the last sleeper and from 11 cars back, I could tell that the nose of the lead unit was just poking out from under the trainshed. It was and still is an enormous structure. The Great Hall in the headhouse itself, as has been posted earlier, is simply magnificent.
Another station that is a jaw dropper is 30th Street in Philadelphia. The view coming up the escalators from the platform level into the main station is breathtaking!! Amtrak scores some points with this one.

[jpwc50]

I voted for St. Louis Union Station because of it's size, the varied number of railroads and numerous great railfanning spots on several highway(with sidewalks) bridges spanning the main tracks both east & west of the station. Operationally, it must have been a nightmare because the station itself was reached by 4 three track wye's that required a back-up move at some point during arrival or departure. I rode one of the last Amtrak trains out of the station in 1979...The National Limited... at that point running between Kansas City & New York. It was a good size train (due to an airline strike) and if memory serves me, it had 2 SDP40F's, 2 baggage cars, 4 coaches, a diner, a sleeper/lounge and 3 10/6 budd sleepers. The consist was backed into the station & I was assigned to the last sleeper and from 11 cars back, I could tell that the nose of the lead unit was just poking out from under the trainshed. It was and still is an enormous structure. The Great Hall in the headhouse itself, as has been posted earlier, is simply magnificent.
Another station that is a jaw dropper is 30th Street in Philadelphia. The view coming up the escalators from the platform level into the main station is breathtaking!! Amtrak scores some points with this one.

[Anonymous]

I have seen the Old Chamapign IL Train Station they have just a few years ago built an intramodal station where the buses, local as well as Greyhound/ Trailways and Amtrak all go through. hile it is functionsl and Up to date it Lacks a LOT of the old Character that the old station has. and I'm Terriably afraid that if someone with s significant amount of money does not step in and redevelope it in some way. With the Growth that Champaign / Urbana Il is currently undergoing there should be someone with the right connection.
Even if they would turn it into a Night Club called the Depot I'm sure it has been done elsh where, bu tit at least would be spared the wrecking ball. and not be truened into another one of these pre fab buildings.

Heres to Hoping that Champaign Il and the Community will stand together to preserve their Heritage.

My only Regret is than my Hometown Hoopeston Il did not take that step, I recall only Looking into the station, with my father when I was very young.
By that time it had become derlict and the rairoads decided and the city that it was an eyesore. Now if we only had that Glorious structure back.
It was a shared Between the C&EI and The NKP.

Jeff Keith
[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

I have seen the Old Chamapign IL Train Station they have just a few years ago built an intramodal station where the buses, local as well as Greyhound/ Trailways and Amtrak all go through. hile it is functionsl and Up to date it Lacks a LOT of the old Character that the old station has. and I'm Terriably afraid that if someone with s significant amount of money does not step in and redevelope it in some way. With the Growth that Champaign / Urbana Il is currently undergoing there should be someone with the right connection.
Even if they would turn it into a Night Club called the Depot I'm sure it has been done elsh where, bu tit at least would be spared the wrecking ball. and not be truened into another one of these pre fab buildings.

Heres to Hoping that Champaign Il and the Community will stand together to preserve their Heritage.

My only Regret is than my Hometown Hoopeston Il did not take that step, I recall only Looking into the station, with my father when I was very young.
By that time it had become derlict and the rairoads decided and the city that it was an eyesore. Now if we only had that Glorious structure back.
It was a shared Between the C&EI and The NKP.

Jeff Keith
[e-mail]

[cnw1995]

Too late to see Penn Station which would be neat to have seen. I would've liked to see the North western's station as I commute into it every day - but it's soul-less now - just a skyscraper overhead.

[cnw1995]

Too late to see Penn Station which would be neat to have seen. I would've liked to see the North western's station as I commute into it every day - but it's soul-less now - just a skyscraper overhead.

[kwboehm]

Although I voted for Chicago Union Station, I would have loved to see any of the Chicago stations in their prime as well as St. Louis and Kansas City. I would have also loved to see Omaha Union Station & the Burlington Station in Omaha during their prime as well.

[kwboehm]

Although I voted for Chicago Union Station, I would have loved to see any of the Chicago stations in their prime as well as St. Louis and Kansas City. I would have also loved to see Omaha Union Station & the Burlington Station in Omaha during their prime as well.

[Anonymous]

Penn station in my mind is in its Hey day more people are passengers now then ever before I believe. To bad the Pennsylvania is no longer there and the building looks nothing as it did in its true heyday.

[Anonymous]

Penn station in my mind is in its Hey day more people are passengers now then ever before I believe. To bad the Pennsylvania is no longer there and the building looks nothing as it did in its true heyday.