What is that old depot in your town used for today?

[n2mopac]

I was driving by the old Missouri Pacific depot in my town, Otterville, MO along the old Sedalia sub (now busy UP main) and I thought this would make a good discussion. Tell us what old depots are being used for in your town--or better yet take a pic and show us.

Below is ours. It is now owned by a grain elevator and ag supply dealer and has been converted into a mechanic shop and catch-all storage. It was moved about 100 feet from the tracks and turned 90 degrees years ago. At least it still looks like a depot.



I can't wait to hear about your old depot.

Ron

[Anonymous]

Our depot in Orange CA is still used as a depot for commuter rail and a restaurant. The Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner goes through, but doesn't stop. Quite a few depots in Orange County have been restored and are used by Amtrak and the commuter rail.
Bill

[fiatfan]

The former CNW freight depot here is now a printing shop. The depot in Hollister, MO is now city hall.

Tom

[Todd McWilliam]

The Milwaukee Road depot in Jefferson Iowa, where I grew up is museum for RR.

[selector]

Our depot. in Courtenay, BC..still is! However, aside from servicing passengers for the E & N Ry RDC, it serves as a meeting place for odds n' sods groups. For example, my wife and I attended a public meeting of the local seed savers society last fall.

[mikebonellisr]

The NYC,Harlem division ,Croton Falls station is now a liquor store.

[loathar]

One an hour south of me turned into a museum.http://home.earthlink.net/~loathar/id8.html
I went on a job interveiw yesterday and stumbled across an on old magnificent depot that was three stories tall and all borded up int he middle of an industrial crack neibhorhood. I kicked myself for not taking my camera!!!![banghead][banghead] Even though it had seen better days, It still made you go WOW! when you looked at it. (It is in Columbia Tn.)

[Anonymous]

The old Carlsbad, Ca is now a visitor's center. It is across the street from the new coaster station. You can see both the old and new stations here: http://www.danzukowski.com/journeys/2006/01/california_is_o.html

[Anonymous]

The station still is used as such, although it's much reduced. Passengers only use the platforms and a single ticket office/waiting room now, the rest appears to be storage for the local MOW crews. The original engine shed still survives too - it was a single-track one intended to house a small tank loco. It's now a Vauxhall (GM) dealer!

[wetidlerjr]

The NS depot in Tipton IN is used by the Signal Maintainer, the Track Supervisor and the Track Maintenance gang for offices.

[Canondale61]

In my little town (LOL) the old connection and depot for Maine Central and Sandy River Narrow Gauge has all been refurbished. Some of the old buildings are used for storage, and the old passenger statopn has been turned to offices and the railroad approach has been turned into a theater (called the Narrow Gauge) and parking area.

[Anonymous]

East Rochester, NY; Old Terminal there has been a Model Train Store for years. Has a great Picture window in the back to veiw the old Main Line that is still in use. Being that the place has been in business for quite awhile the inside is a little dark and the isles are a little tight. OK Pricing, but not great. Does make for a nice stop if you are out of town.

Coldwater Station, Gates NY. This station is now once again a Bar/Restraunt. Been used for this by a few companies. Not been to the lates incarnation.

Chris

[dave9999]

They actually made good use of our old L&N depot. It's now the lobby of the
Crown Plaza Hotel here in Pensacola. It has a nice lounge and is just across
the street from the Civic Center. We always go there for a couple of drinks
before concerts at the Civic Center.

They restored the depot beautifully and I am glad to see it still standing. I have
seen many depots falling down... Dave

Here's a pic:

(From the Crown Plaza website):
The depot was built in 1912 by L&N construction engineers; it replaced the original L&N depot (circa 1882), which had been, located at Guillemard and Wright Streets just two blocks from the Crowne Plaza.

" After serving the Pensacola rail industry for 58 years, the last train rolled out of the station in April 1971. The structure soon fell in disrepair. However, in 1978 the structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an important architectural landmark. Six years later developers purchased the depot from the L&N railroad with the intent of restoring it as part of a hotel project. That project ultimately evolved into today’s Crowne Plaza – Pensacola Grand Hotel."

[cwclark]

the one in Houston is still being used as an Amtrak station but most of the ones in this area and the small outlining areas are making railroad museums out of them...in some of the small towns, it's the only attraction for miles...chuck

[MisterBeasley]

In Bedford, MA, the old depot is in the middle of what is called "Depot Park." There is a slow-moving project to create a small train museum there, based around an old B&M RDC car which is parked on the last of the old rails. The rail line itself has been converted to the Minuteman Bikeway, which (I've heard) is the most used Bikeway in the country. The Park stands at the end of the paved Bikeway. Right now, there is a small shop (a former bakery) with light refreshments for the bikers, plus a small display of railroad things. The original Depot building has fallen into disrepair, but there is some interest in restoring it as part of the project.

You can check the project out at http://www.bedforddepot.org/ if you'd like.

This is a shot of the area in 1949, from the above web site:

 

[TomDiehl]

The old DL&W station in East Stroudsburg PA has been converted into a restaurant called the Dansbury Depot. Still a heavy railroad theme, even a G-Scale train running around on a overhead track.

[GAPPLEG]

In Erie, PA. Amtrak does stop there still for service east and west. Also a resturant and a BREW pub ( BEER)!!!. Second floor of the old station was leased by a new trucking firm around town.

[Anonymous]

The closest station to me is currently a restaraunt called Baldwins (oooo,pricy) and will probably survive for a long , long time. Life-like made a model of it (Sykesville MD station)

[mikebonellisr]

The NH station in Danbury CT. is nowhome to the Danbury Rail Museum.They seem to be getting more equipment every month.

[Anonymous]

In my home town of Harrington Park, NJ (NYC West Shore line) the original staion became the police station when commuter trains stopped in 1959. 30 years later it burned down, so the police rebuilt it. Where my parents currently live (Whitehouse Station, NJ, CNJ main line) the station is still an active stop on the NJT Raritan Valley line and serves as a branch of the county library. My current home (Creve Couer, MO) has no rail service.

[tstage]

Here in Cleveland, Terminal Tower still stands in the heart of downtown at Public Square and is used as office buildings. An upscale hotel and restaurant (Stouffers on the Square) is situated beside it.

Tower City, located inside the large atrium of the Terminal Tower, opened up in the 90's to help revitalize the downtown area with upscale shopping. The RTA still uses some of the tracks underneath the Terminal Tower and is the central hub for trains running either east or westbound to various Cleveland suburbs.

Tom

[jecorbett]

I have had several hometowns. I was born in Chicago where there were numerous major stations, most of which have come down. The two in Omaha where I grew up have been salvaged. The Union Station has been home to the Western Heritage Museum for several decades. The station recently had its 75th anniversary. The Burlington Station is currently being rennovated and converted to luxury condos. See www.burlingtonstation.com.
The station in Columbus, Ohio was torn down about 30 years ago and other than excursions, no passenger train has passed through since Amtrak abandoned the route. A convention center has been built over the old site and the tracks run underneath it. I believe they have plans to install a platform, if and when passenger service returns. Not much chance of Amtrak returning but there has been a little noise about a high speed 3C route connecting Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. I'm not holding my breath waiting for that one. I currently live near Mt. Vernon, Ohio and there are two small depots. One I believe is a book store and the other sits vacant but seems to be in good shape.

[Anonymous]

it was being used as a boy /girl scout administration building.

[ouengr]

In Tulsa, OK the old Santa Fe Frieght House is now an office for a local civil engineering firm. I was really neat to go to work their and see the history of the building in my office.

[n2mopac]

Sedalia, MO--just 10 miles from me--is home to the beautiful old brick Katy Depot (MKT). This one has been restored and houses the Sedalia Chamber of Commerce, a museum, and a model railroad club with a permanent display layout. Here is a link with pics of the original depot and restored condition.

http://sedaliakatydepot.com

The tracks of this long abandoned line are now covered over an are the 200+ mile Katy State Park walking/cycling trail.

Sedalia's old MoPac station, now beside the UP main (Sedalia sub) is still in use by Amtrack. It is a simple brick box and not much to look at.

Ron

[grayfox1119]

In Palmer, Ma, which is in the south central part of the state, the old stone Depot is now the Steamer Resturant. It is located directly along side the Diamond where the Vt central crosses the old Boston & Albany Main line, now CSX. It is also a Hot Spot for camera action.

[n2mopac]

Having lived in DFW for 6 years, I also love the old Texas & Pacific (later MoPac) station in Fort Worth. It is a massive old building, but the first floor is still used by Amtrack today. I'm not sure what is housed in the rest of the building. Here is a look at it today and in the past.

http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/?p=9&loc=38&cat=13

Ron

[jrbernier]

Rochester, MN

C&NW - Station was converted to the 'Depot House', then became the Salvation Army, then was razed to make room for the extension of 'Civic Center Drive'.

CGW - Station was converted to the Jefferson Lines bus deport, then it was moved and is now a nice 'high end' resturaunt.

Jim

[nbrodar]

I have many depots in my town:
Royersford - Reading depot: a real estate office and pretzel stand.
Phoenixville - Reading depot: a catering hall.

Downingtown, Malvern, & Paoli - PRR depots: SEPTA/Amtrak
Whitford - PRR depot: SEPTA stop

Nick

[oleirish]

Medford,Oregon station is now an restaurant.We hav'nt had passenger service for over 60 years here,the fright trains still rumble by all day through!!
JIM