?Other uses for a Depot?

[Boyd]

Post use by a RR, what have you seen depots turned into?

[ValleyX]

Insurance agency (Pickerington, OH)

Restaurant (Kent, OH)

I believe the depot in Granville, OH, was a printing shop for awhile.

Auto Parts store (North Manchester, IN)

Homes, a couple of places.

Chamber of Commerce (Newly done, Dalton, GA)

And, of course, museums or, museum pieces.

[edblysard]

Minute Maid Baseball Park...

[CShaveRR]

A dental office (Grand Haven, Michigan). Back in the day, though, the place was less filling and more fun!

[tree68]

Warehouse for a farm supply business. (LaFargeville, NY, NYC, nee Utica & Black River)

Lumber yard. (Evans Mills, NY, NYC, nee Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg)

Offices for a door manufacturer (bookstopped by two larger buildings). (Antwerp, NY, as above)

Diner. (Adams Center, NY, As above)

Museum - now closed. (Brownville, NY, NYC, on the original RW&O)

Warehouse for a telephone company (burned several years ago). (Chaumont, NY,ditto)

Marina (waterfront station). (Cape Vincent, NY, ditto)

Brewpub (also on the waterfront). (Sacket Harbor, NY, NYC, originally Carthage Watertown & Sackets Harbor Railroad)

Town offices (Holland Patent, NY, NYC, nee U&BR)

Seasonal residence. (McKeever, NY, NYC, nee Mohawk & Malone)

Lumber company, currently temporary fire station. (Milford, MI, CSX, nee PM)

Museum commemorating a rail attraction (Rail City, Sandy Pond, NY, Former Deer River, NY station, NYC, nee U&BR)

[Edit - forgot to include the location and RR...]

[Murphy Siding]

     Directly accross the street from my office is an old, pink quartzite, Illinois Central passenger depot.  It's now the office for Immigration & Naturalization Services,  complete with a big, honkin' Homeland Security bus parked out front.

     The Milwaukee Road depot had it's grand hip roof cut off decades ago.  It's now an ugly, non-descript building used as a halfway house for people coming out of drug rehab.

     The Great Northern depot is still intact, being used for storage by BNSF.

     The grand Rock Island depot is now re-opened again, as a retail store.  The big, glass insurance company next door had bought it some years back, to prevent it from re-opening again as another wino dive bar.

[bedell]

 

Bank    DRGW depot in Canon City, CO

 

Restaurant   NW depot in Bedford, VA  recently heavily damaged in a fire.  This was the station from which the "Bedford Boys" left during WWII.  The heavy loss of life sufferd by this group on D-Day  led to the location of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford. 

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Bank - Chatham, NY

Real estate and surveyor's office - Warwick, NY

Homes - PRR/ Amtrak/ SEPTA R-5 Main Line west from Phila., esp. at Villanova

Cafes - Reading North Penn Branch/ SEPTA R-5 line north to Lansdale, esp. at Glenside, North Wales, and Lansdale; also a restaurant at Jenkintown. 

Model railroad club - one of the former RDG stations on the line from Phila. to Jenkintown, in the Melrose Area - believe it was the Chelten Hills Soc. Model Engrs., or similar

[samfp1943]

Murphy Siding

     Directly accross the street from my office is an old, pink quartzite, Illinois Central passenger depot.  It's now the office for Immigration & Naturalization Services,  complete with a big, honkin' Homeland Security bus parked out front.

     The Milwaukee Road depot had it's grand hip roof cut off decades ago.  It's now an ugly, non-descript building used as a halfway house for people coming out of drug rehab.

     The Great Northern depot is still intact, being used for storage by BNSF.

     The grand Rock Island depot is now re-opened again, as a retail store.  The big, glass insurance company next door had bought it some years back, to prevent it from re-opening again as another wino dive bar.

N;

   Just reading your comments in the above post... My thought is maybe you might need to relocate your office?   Or maybe a surplus tank (operational, of course) for transport, to and from work.

   I'd really be cautious and concerned when you go for your morning latte.

At the very least, I'd be whittling down a couple of your two x fours to cope with foot traffic around your office.    Take Care! 

[Anonymous]

• Chinese restaurant on the Providence & Worcester in Uxbridge, MA.
• Gift shop on the MBTA in Concord, MA.
• Insurance agency (?) on the MBTA in Westborough, MA.
• Dry cleaner in the two-story depot in Clinton, MA, serving both the Pan Am (ex-B&M) Worcester line and on the 2nd story, the CSX (ex-NH) Leominster Branch.

Also, not in a depot, but I've seen photos of a bank in Fayetteville, AR, that is built from an old passenger car and caboose - all that was added was a drive-through window; there was no addition to the structure except for modifications.

[wjstix]

The Milwaukee Road depot in downtown Minneapolis was renovated and is now part of a hotel complex. For many years the space under the passenger car shed area has been used as a skating rink.

http://www.thedepotminneapolis.com/

St.Paul Union Depot has been used for various businesses and restaurants over the years, and part has been used as storage for the downtown St.Paul post office next door. With the coming of light rail and commuter rail, SPUD will once again be used as a passenger station, nearly 40 years since the last train stopped there.

[Modelcar]

Somerset, Pa.....A brick passenger station {B&O}, Auto wrecking yard business building.  Demolished years ago.

{Slightly different}....A round house became a Catholic Church facility in Ligonier, Pa.  It's still in use.  The local passenger station {Ligonier Valley RR....Became a Pa. State facility and believe it now is part of the local school administration facility.

Connellsville, Pa....A brick passenger station became a colored glass speciality sales shop.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

That reminds me - the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western station in Scranton, PA has been a hotel for about 20 - 25 years now - it was first a Hilton, I believe, but is now a Radisson.  See: http://www.radisson.com/scrantonpa 

 

[mudchicken]

Paul: Similar story at St. Louis Union Depot.

Cincinnati's Union Depot is a museum complex, was a shopping center before that & still handles trains.

Dexter, MO (MoPac) is a Civil Defense & emergency services office

Rocky Ford, CO (ATSF) = Chamber of Commerce offices

Manzanola, CO (ATSF)= Senior Citizens Center & clinic

Fowler & Holly, CO(ATSF) = City Hall

Lascar, CO (DRGW) & Ordway, CO (MoPac)= Ranch House

Colorado Springs (ATSF) and Pueblo, CO (Union Sta) = Office Buildings

Colorado Springs (DRGW); Canon City (ATSF) & Ft. Collins (UP) = Major Restaurants

At La Junta, CO ....5 wooden depots were brought into town and converted into houses on a common street (Cheraw, Lyon, Timpas, Hasty and one more - The buildings kept their station names painted on the side)....all ATSF

At Concordia, KS a bakery

At Hugoton, KS a restaurant built from the combined Ulysses, Rolla and Hugoton depots.

Springfield, CO a barn (Pritchett, CO depot...Springfield's burned)

Thatcher, CO's depotis a storage yard office

[Murphy Siding]

samfp1943

Murphy Siding

     Directly accross the street from my office is an old, pink quartzite, Illinois Central passenger depot.  It's now the office for Immigration & Naturalization Services,  complete with a big, honkin' Homeland Security bus parked out front.

     The Milwaukee Road depot had it's grand hip roof cut off decades ago.  It's now an ugly, non-descript building used as a halfway house for people coming out of drug rehab.

     The Great Northern depot is still intact, being used for storage by BNSF.

     The grand Rock Island depot is now re-opened again, as a retail store.  The big, glass insurance company next door had bought it some years back, to prevent it from re-opening again as another wino dive bar.

N;

   Just reading your comments in the above post... My thought is maybe you might need to relocate your office?   Or maybe a surplus tank (operational, of course) for transport, to and from work.

   I'd really be cautious and concerned when you go for your morning latte.

At the very least, I'd be whittling down a couple of your two x fours to cope with foot traffic around your office.    Take Care! 

  That struck me as extremely funny, and ironic.  I work in a 100+ year old lumberyard, in the center of downtown.  Next week, we're closing the yard, and moving everything to our new yard.  It's outside of town, and has a brand spanking new railroad siding!  From my new office this morning, I could look out the window and watch a Dakota & Iowa train on the BNSF track a half mile to the east.

[samfp1943]

   That struck me as extremely funny, and ironic.  I work in a 100+ year old lumberyard, in the center of downtown.  Next week, we're closing the yard, and moving everything to our new yard.  It's outside of town, and has a brand spanking new railroad siding!  From my new office this morning, I could look out the window and watch a Dakota & Iowa train on the BNSF track a half mile to the east.

  Well,  I sure hope you enjoy your new diggs!  Sounds like a change in scenery and neighbors will suit you just fine!

To respond to your original Topic on recycling old DEPOTS. 

Cherryvale, Ks (nee AT&SF) Beautiful brick classic station, now home to the local model railroad club

                          and its layout; as well as the HQ for the SK&O RR.

Chanute, Ks. (AT&SF, as well), now town property, various uses.

Sedan, Ks. (nee SLSF) now a feed store, and coop. Old wooden structure. Railroad, long gone.

 

[wholeman]

Bartlesville, OK  Chamber of Commerce Office

Branson, MO  depot for the Branson Scenic Railway

Harrison, AR  museum

Tulsa, OK various tenants including the local jazz club

Flippin, AR restaurant and bar

[wholeman]

samfp1943

To respond to your original Topic on recycling old DEPOTS. 

Cherryvale, Ks (nee AT&SF) Beautiful brick classic station, now home to the local model railroad club

                          and its layout; as well as the HQ for the SK&O RR.

The model railroading club was forced to move a few years ago.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

MC's post reminded me of another one:

The former UP/ Oregon Short Line depot/ terminal in West Yellowstone, Montana, which is now a museum that anchors that downtown's 'historical district'.  When I was there in late May of this year, the displays were mainly about the history and experiences of Yellowstone National Park - including the UP's trains to there - as well as the 1988 fires, the 1959 earthquake, and fly fishing, etc. See:

http://www.yellowstonehistoriccenter.org/museum.php and

http://www.yellowstonehistoriccenter.org/depot.php

- Paul North.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Modelcar

  {Slightly different}....A round house became a Catholic Church facility in Ligonier, Pa.  It's still in use.  The local passenger station {Ligonier Valley RR....Became a Pa. State facility and believe it now is part of the local school administration facility.

Sadly, Quentin, it appears that a new more typical church - Holy Trinity - was built and the roundhouse was demolished in the 2005 time frame.  It was unique enough that I've pasted below the text of an article that I found on-line about that, from the 05-12-05 ''ACCENT''.

Is the former passenger station that imposing stone building with the huge arched windows on the other/ south side of West Main Street from the church ?  Bounded on the west by South Walnut St., on the south by Railroad St., and west of Depot St. to the south and the church's new driveway to the north, as well as Hadley St. which is further east ?

- Paul North.

Holy Trinity Parish marks 150 years with new home
Long awaited church dedicated as part of milestone celebration

By Angela J. Burrows, Executive Director, Infomedia Services

LIGONIER – Four longtime parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish remember when the congregation moved into its “temporary” home in the former engine repair shop for the Ligonier Valley Railroad. After gutting and renovating the building off of West Main Street, they settled in and stayed for nearly 50 years.

On Sunday, May 8, Ed and Cecilia Blaszkowski, Shirley Bassi and Eleanor Michaels were among the nearly 700 members and friends of the Holy Trinity faith community to celebrate the long-awaited dedication of their new church, which comes in the year the parish is also celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Expenses related to the $3.2 million dollar project, which expands the parish’s seating capacity from 350 to nearly 600, have been more than covered.

In fact, according to Father Joseph P. Maddalena, pastor, through the generosity of parishioners and local foundations, $3.8 million has been raised. As part of the project, the parish even installed a new storm sewer drainage system, which has benefited the entire borough.

At left, Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt serves as principal celebrant of the Mass dedicating the new Holy Trinity Church in Ligonier May 8.  Holy Trinity Parish, established in 1855, purchased the Ligonier Valley Railroad roundhouse and repair shop in 1956. The parish community stayed there for 50 years.

The Blaszkowskis remember the “big box” that had served as a roundhouse for the Ligonier Valley Railroad, which shuttled passengers between Latrobe and Ligonier.

“It was a place to repair and house trains. There was a unit in the center that enabled workers to move trains onto different tracks,” Ed Blaszkowski recalled.

The railroad ceased operations in 1952 and the parish purchased the building from the Mellon family, which had operated the railroad, in March 1956.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of money to build something,” Ed Blaszkowski said, and the parish had outgrown its original home.

The first Holy Trinity Church, which had also been located on West Church Street, had a seating capacity of 100. When parishioners moved into the former roundhouse, the parish school, which had been established in 1942 on the original property, was also moved to the new site.

St. Ann Chapel

In addition to Holy Trinity Church and school, the parish has also operated St. Ann Chapel in Wilpen since 1913. A former coal company town about five miles outside of Ligonier, Wilpen once boasted a population greater than that of Ligonier Borough.

Cecilia Blaszkowski, who grew up in Wilpen, remembers the days when it was a bustling community with a four-story hotel, a bowling alley and several schools. Summer evenings were devoted to baseball, she recalled, stating that each coal company had its own team.

The first Mass in the coal company town was celebrated in a schoolhouse on Christmas Day 1908. A year later, fire destroyed the school and the worship site was moved to a hall near the company store. The cornerstone for St. Ann was laid in June 1913 and the chapel was blessed in November of the same year.

Former Roundhouse Became Home

The former Ligonier Valley Railroad engine repair shop may not have been an ideal location for a church, but parishioners were happy to have the much-needed space, Ed Blaszkowski said. At the time the building was purchased, the parish was operating out of its original building, as well as the theater and the armory in town.

Once the roundhouse was purchased, parishioners went to work. It was cleaned and gutted down to the steel, said Ed Blaszkowski, who served on the building committee for the new church.

“We went to Mass there withbirds flying through.”

Bassi also remembers those days in the mid-’50s, before and right after the parish moved into its new home. She and her late husband, Leo, who also served on the building committee for the new church, were not natives of Ligonier.

“I was from Pittsburgh and he was from Johnstown. We decided to set up our life in Ligonier, I guess because it was the halfway point (between the two families).”

The couple was married in the original Holy Trinity Church in 1954. “I was a newcomer then. I remember they had outgrown the church.”

Not only had the parish already expanded to the point where Masses were held at the armory and theater in Ligonier, during the summer Mass was celebrated in the “church in the wilderness.” The latter was a non-denominational church, which had been built by the Mellon family northeast of Ligonier.

When the parish moved into the roundhouse, it was definitely a facility that was lacking in many areas, but parishioners didn’t seem to mind. The folding chairs set up on the dirt floor, the broken windows and the birds flying through were viewed as minor shortcomings. Parishioners didn’t even mind that they couldn’t use the bell, which had been cast in Baltimore for the original church building.

“We were very excited about it because it was going to be so much better than what we had,” Bassi said of the building. “It was only going to be a temporary church until we could build something closer to Main Street. We never dreamed it would take all of these years. I think we settled in and it became church.”

“It didn’t matter what the building looked like,” said Michaels, a lifelong parishioner. “What matters is that it is a house of worship.”

It was only when the former roundhouse began to deteriorate that the parish began to consider renovations, Bassi explained. Eventually, a decision was made to build a new church rather than renovate the former facility. That new building comes complete with the parish’s original bell, which now rings proudly from the bell tower.

“I give a lot of credit to Father Joe,” Bassi said. “He has had a wonderful influence on the parish and the entire community. Everyone loves Father Joe, regardless of their religious affiliation.”
Michaels agreed. “He has brought people back to the church.”

Theresa D’Orazio, whose family purchased a farm in Ligonier in 1968, also had high praise for Father Maddalena, who will be leaving the parish sometime this summer. He plans to take a six-month sabbatical, during which he will study at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. Following the sabbatical, he will be assigned to another parish.

“I wish Father Joe well in his future endeavors,” said D’Orazio. “I pray that he will continue to grow in holiness and that he will know that the arms of Holy Trinity Parish will always be open to greet him.”

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Another couple of restaurants - the former Central RR of NJ's Bethlehem, PA station is now the ''Main Street Depot Restaurant'' -

http://www.mainstreetdepotrestaurant.com/directions.htm

The former Lehigh Valley railroad station in Allentown was the now-closed ''Bananas/ Banana Joe's'' dance club.

The former CRRNJ station in Jim Thorpe/ Mauch Chunk, Carbon County, PA, is now a Visitor's / Tourist Center/ Chamber of Commerce office.

 http://www.visitjimthorpe.com/new/images/train%20station.jpg 

 And this may be a new category here - medical center - the former Reading Railroad / Lehigh Valley Railroad Union Station at the former LV main line on the South Side of Bethlehem is now an out-patient branch of St. Luke's Hospital, known as ''St. Luke's - Union Station'.  See:

 http://www.mystlukesonline.org/locations/stl-union-station/index.aspx and

 http://www.mystlukesonline.org/locations/stl-union-station/index.aspx#Facts

- Paul North.

[rrnut282]

The former Pennsy Station in Fort Wayne that was used by Amtrak until around 1980 was restored after sitting empty for twenty years and now houses the office of an architectural firm.

The former Wabash RR station in Huntington, IN is now Pizza Junction.  You can eat and watch 30-50 NS trains fly by at track speed.  Next door is a museum with a lot of former Erie artifacts.

The Former NKP (nee Cloverleaf) station in Craigville, IN was moved to a private residence East of New Haven, IN and is used as a station where you can buy tickets to ride behind the owner's narrow gage 0-4-0T steam locomotive that bears a striking resemblance to an LGB model.

The former C&O station in Peru, IN is now a hall you can rent for dinners, receptions, etc.  The yard office, concrete coaling tower, and shops complex were all torn down.  Part of the original main was asphalted to make a trail beside the station.

[mudchicken]

Add:

Trinidad, CO (DRGW Depot): City Garage

Trinidad, CO (C&S Depot): Restaurant (Hornery Dotties)

Littleton, CO (ATSF) Art Gallery

Brighton, CO (UP): Steakhouse (We had a former motorcar house at Las Vegas, NM used as the Engineering Dept Stake House....building record said "food not to good")

Sutton, KS (ATSF): Guest house on a ranch

Sugar City, CO (MoPac): Tack Barn

Pinion, CO (DRGW): Summer Ranch cabin

[samfp1943]

Ok, Will:

   Thanks for the update on Cherryvale Model Club... They usually bring their portable layout to KATY Days in Parsons, I did not realize my info was so stale on their clubhouse.. Any idea as to where they are housed now? 

A couple of DEPOT updates:

   ERIE, Ks.- Both the old Santa Fe Depot (was at the junction of the SF's Chanute-Pittsburg Branch, and the KATY's Main Line at Erie. Both buildings,( the KATY's Erie Depot, and the SF's Depot) are now located several miles North and East of Erie on a farm, One is now a residence, the other is a barn.

[Modelcar]

Paul_D_North_Jr

Sadly, Quentin, it appears that a new more typical church - Holy Trinity - was built and the roundhouse was demolished in the 2005 time frame.  It was unique enough that I've pasted below the text of an article that I found on-line about that, from the 05-12-05 ''ACCENT''.

Is the former passenger station that imposing stone building with the huge arched windows on the other/ south side of West Main Street from the church ?  Bounded on the west by South Walnut St., on the south by Railroad St., and west of Depot St. to the south and the church's new driveway to the north, as well as Hadley St. which is further east ?

- Paul North.

Wow, Paul.....I'm flabbergasted....!  I knew nothing of what you have provided in your post of the demise of the former "roundhouse" at Ligonier.....I can't believe it's been that long since I've been there.  Each time we visit our home area, east 19 miles from there, I always expect to make a run over to my {beloved}, Ligonier, but so many times we seem to run out of time to do so...Just didn't think it's been that long now.....

I had relatives there for years, but that has passed....

That's quite a story of the Church and the roundhouse....50 years...!  And yes, I have been in that former roundhouse when it was still in operation....

It housed a Doodlebug too.....Ligonier Valley RR had 2 different ones.  They also had a passenger coach or two.  Several steam engines.  And passenger service was also out to Wilpen the lady in the article mentioned.   Years ago, on that RR there was a tragic accident with their passenger train and many passengers were killed....I believe the figure was 23....I believe it was back before my time....I knew nothing about it until I read of it someplace, {maybe on the computer here}, some years ago.

Thanks for sharing that article Paul....Really enjoyed reading it, not necessarily about the destruction of that historic building though.....

And yes, you are spot on with your ID of the great stone passenger station you asked about.....Sure glad that building was saved.  It has been a typical "over the top" type building for that size community....Beautiful.

It is possible I have one of the regulator clocks that hung in that station back in LVRR operational days.  Can't prove it, but it's the story behind it from where I got it.  It still runs too.

Paul, that depot {or possibly one before it}, also served the PW&S railroad briefly early in the 20th century.....It had carved a ROW up over and down the east side of Laural Hill mountain to Somerset. Basically a logging RR, but it did have a passenger train service all the way, connecting service to the LVRR and on to Latrobe, and there connecting to the Pennsy RR.

Again, thanks for posting that info Paul.

[wholeman]

samfp1943

Ok, Will:

   Thanks for the update on Cherryvale Model Club... They usually bring their portable layout to KATY Days in Parsons, I did not realize my info was so stale on their clubhouse.. Any idea as to where they are housed now? 

Here is a link to their new location

http://www.cvmrc.com/home.html

I have not been to their new location.  I might do that sometime.

[inch53]

 

No depots left in this county, but here's few we've found.

Nelson Crossing, part of the Monticello Railway Museum.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/20516/ppuser/4309

Also part of the railway museum.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/20503/ppuser/4309

Grayville IC is being restored for a museum [Grayville IL]

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/90581/ppuser/4309

Flatrock's NYC depot is part of a grain and fertilize plant.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/90580/ppuser/4309

C&EI depot in Westville IL, RR museum

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/41132/ppuser/4309

IC depot in Bethany IL, was used as a restaurant 4 yr ago, don't know bout now.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/32441/ppuser/4309

NKP depot Charleston IL, beauty parlor

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/32447/ppuser/4309

IC depot Toledo Il, Kiawanis club

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/75929/ppuser/4309

TH,I&E interuban station, Paris IL, insurance agency.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/70281/ppuser/4309

IC & PRR depot Effingham IL, IC side [left] Amtrak, PRR side, had a print company in it I think.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/41114/ppuser/4309

IC [one time PRR] depot, Greenup IL, Cumberland Co historical museum

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/42172/ppuser/4309

GM&O depot, Chatum IL, RR museum

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/41190/ppuser/4309

IC depot, Mattoon IL, Amtrak downstairs, the upstairs is being restored now.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/19907/ppuser/4309

NYC depot, Robinson IL, used as a war museum run by the VFW.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/37489/ppuser/4309

CCC&StL [I think] depot, Pana IL, unused and in need of some repair.

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/70284/ppuser/4309

 

inch

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Quentin -

Glad you enjoyed seeing that information, though not the content.  Did you see in that article where the Ligonier Valley was supposedly owned by the $ Mellon family ?  That would explain why the station is so elaborate and 'over the top', as you appropriately put it.  It's likely I'll be out that way sometime in the next month or so - if so, I'll try to make some time in the schedule to go see it, and some of the many other landmarks and features that you've mentioned here.

Here'a another one, which Quentin can also relate to:  former Reading RR Quakertown, PA station, restored in 2005 from extensive fire damage many years before, now used as a 'community center' or banquet hall / meeting room type building.  See: http://www.qtowntrainstation.org/ 

- Paul North.

 

[Modelcar]

Paul_D_North_Jr

Quentin -

Glad you enjoyed seeing that information, though not the content.  Did you see in that article where the Ligonier Valley was supposedly owned by the $ Mellon family ?  That would explain why the station is so elaborate and 'over the top', as you appropriately put it.  It's likely I'll be out that way sometime in the next month or so - if so, I'll try to make some time in the schedule to go see it, and some of the many other landmarks and features that you've mentioned here.

Here'a another one, which Quentin can also relate to:  former Reading RR Quakertown, PA station, restored in 2005 from extensive fire damage many years before, now used as a 'community center' or banquet hall / meeting room type building.  See: http://www.qtowntrainstation.org/ 

- Paul North.

 

Oh yes....the Mellon family was surely involved in that area along with ownership of the RR.  Rolling Rock Estates area....just southeast of Ligonier was another of their interests.  In years past, the RR provided for special trains to come in from Pittsburgh bringing in people going to Rolling Rock for all kinds of celebrity events.

I hope you can find time to visit the Ligonier area when you are in that locale....And approaching ligonier from the west on rt. 30...enter the town off to the left to get off 30 {it bypasses Ligonier to the south side}, and drive right up on main street {east}, and you will find the "depot" on your right.  Do drive on up town then and see the big "small town" diamond....with a quaint gazebo in it's large center.  And as you stop at the former Passenger depot....as I am sure you know....the former railroad yard and the "round house" church was located right across the street to your left...{north}.  That area included storage tracks....a coal tiple....and water stand pipe to water engines back when the LVRR was in operation.  The "yards" extended on north of the round house and I believe that space in part, is now occupied by a lumber business.  That was the direction the RR continued {north}, out to Wilpen to haul coal out and on over to Latrobe to connect to the PRR.

One more bit of trivia:  Back in WWII....I was in that depot, upstairs in one of the executive's offices {with my cousin and his friend}, as there was a war time program of "spotting aircraft"....as a war effort of protection in many parts of the country, and that was the location it was being done there....I believe from the roof.  Cards were provided {silhouettes}, of enemy aircraft so one might recognize and report if any sighted.  There was a "tower" in our little home town of Stoystown, Pa., to do that service, too which was "manned" by volunteers.

[wjstix]

Modelcar

One more bit of trivia:  Back in WWII....I was in that depot, upstairs in one of the executive's offices {with my cousin and his friend}, as there was a war time program of "spotting aircraft"....as a war effort of protection in many parts of the country, and that was the location it was being done there....I believe from the roof.  Cards were provided {silhouettes}, of enemy aircraft so one might recognize and report if any sighted.  There was a "tower" in our little home town of Stoystown, Pa., to do that service, too which was "manned" by volunteers.

My grandfather was a volunteer air raid warden during WW2, I believe I still have his pith helmet with a logo on it from that service. Most cities had that, with the volunteers keeping vigil especially at night from tall buildings (where tall buildings could be found). I read that in New York some of the taller buildings even had machine gun nests on their roofs!!  

I guess it's because of Grampa's hard work and dedication that neither the Luftwaffe nor the Japanese ever bombed Minneapolis.