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

[CSXrules4eva]

Well I can say this now since I will remain a resident of Louisville for about a day and 1/2. Here in Louisville the old Union Station on Broadway, is now owned by Tarc, Transit Authority of River City. It serves as an somoewhat of an office building today. Tarc has restored the old station into it's once hayday form. It's pretty neat.

Now, in my hometown of Philadelphia, PA. Many of the abandonded depots are used as wearhouses. We do have a couple of train stations along former Reading, and PRR lines, now Septa in which people have restored and currently live in.

[monkeyman2]

In Easton,MD The old station is some wildlife office. No pic's though, I can get if anyones intersted.

[blhanel]

QUOTE: Originally posted by blhanel

Although our address is officially Cedar Rapids, my wife and I are quite fond of Marion, IA, having lived there for many years. In Marion, the former Milwaukee Road depot has long since been torn down, but they did save the roof and use it for the town square park's pavilion. I tried searching for a picture, but none seem to be available here in cyberspace, so I'll have to get out and get a shot and add it later.

Finally got a shot of it today...

[Trailryder]

If you live in or near Michagan check out this site.

http://user.mc.net/~louisvw/depot/index.htm

It's hosted by another Depot Fan.
Later Bill

[n2mopac]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Trailryder

I have been traveling all over Illinois, Iowa & Wisconsin to see the surviving railroad depots.
I have a little photo gallery with over 50 shots of Depots in there current state of repair, some have been restored to museums, some are nicely modernized into new businesses, and some sadly are in terrible shape and waiting for the wrecking ball to fini***hem.[V]
I invite you to visit the site and see my collection.

http://www.pbase.com/trailryder/railroad_depots

The 2 depots that once graced the roads of my home town (Dixon Illinois) have been torn down to make way for modern progress, there is a city garage on the site of the Illinois central depot and on the site of the CNW depot on sits a gravel parking lot. Now that’s progress.

Later Bill

Great collection. Thanks for sharing them. [8D]

Ron

[Anonymous]

Matthews, NC Built by Carolina Central about 1890, used by SAL/SCL until agency closed in 1968, last passenger train in 1958. Now owned by the Town of Matthews and in 2004 underwent full restoration and is currently leased in part to the Matthews Chamber of Commerce, who use the office and waiting rooms (it was a Jim Crow station) and the Town opeartes a small museum of Town and RR history in the freight area. We have started a nice collection of SAL material. I did a little research on the station in the National Archives during the renovation, looking up the 1918 ICC valuation records on it. They were pretty amazing in the level of detail, including the fact that the CCRR built the station for a little over $7,600. In 2004, we spent almost $400,000 on the renovation. A little inflation perhaps? A picture is available on the Town webpage, photo section at www.matthewsnc.com

[jedi_tev]

Well, in Pueblo, CO the train station, also called Union Station is not in use for passengers but has many offices in it and a few shops. I know Ken Salazar has his offices there. There is a bunch of historic railcars there. And on New Year's Eve they raise the "Chili" there.

You can see a picture of the station in 1967 in Mar 2006 issue of Model Railroader. Also, it's about to become the set of a Star Wars fan film one my friends is going to shoot. We're not using the depot itself but the DRGW Frieght house and platforms nearby for the filming. This is combining my two loves, trains and Star Wars. I showed my friend the location recently and he loved it for what he wanted to do with my charaters film. I'm looking forward to filming there.

[blhanel]

Cool collection there Trailryder. LOL at the La Rue shot. How did you get an Alaska depot in the mix?

You aughta venture further into Iowa for some more!

[Trailryder]

I have been traveling all over Illinois, Iowa & Wisconsin to see the surviving railroad depots.
I have a little photo gallery with over 50 shots of Depots in there current state of repair, some have been restored to museums, some are nicely modernized into new businesses, and some sadly are in terrible shape and waiting for the wrecking ball to finish them.
I invite you to visit the site and see my collection.

http://www.pbase.com/trailryder/railroad_depots

The 2 depots that once graced the roads of my home town (Dixon Illinois) have been torn down to make way for modern progress, there is a city garage on the site of the Illinois central depot and on the site of the C&NW depot on sits a gravel parking lot. Now that’s progress.

Later Bill

[Flint Hills Tex]

I was born in Allentown, PA, where the old victorian depot was (if I'm not mistaken) served by an affiliate of the Central of NJ, the Allentown Terminal Ry. As a child, I remember peering through the boarded up windows of the abandoned building. During the '80s it was oppulently refurbished and served as a railroad themed restaurant. I do not know as what it serves today.

In Dinkelsbuehl, Bavaria, Germany, where I now live, the railroad has been out of passenger service since 1985, despite adequate ridership, as the still present station agent assured me in 1992! Freight service ended in the early '90s. At first, the station was rented to the local model railroaders' club, but they were evicted when the line and all real estate was sold by the German Railway. The building was later acquired by a local real-estate mogul, who rents out the upper two floors as low income housing. The ground floor is boarded up and empty. Local and regional bus service still stops at platforms streetside, and the town even invested in a new park & ride parking lot.

While the town council is plying the state government for funds to reactivate passenger service, most people are rather pessimistic about those prospects. At least the Bavarian Railroad Museum at Noerdlingen runs excursion steam trains on 5 weekends a year to the station, so the platform, crossing signals, the runaround track and a few other vestiges of the line remain in working order. For recent and historic pictures, click onto the following link (German language only, sorry): www.woernitz-franken.de/

[n2mopac]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I have enjoyed reading about and seeing your local old depots. I had not idea that this topic would get 3 pages of responses here and 4 on the MR forum--but I guess everyone likes to tell about their old rail structures. This thanks does not mean to stop posting.

Ron

[Anonymous]

My hometown of Guilford, Connecticut, had a neat suburban station that I believe was built in the late 1800's or early 1900's. It pretty much followed the ups and downs of the NYNY&H RR; it was closed in 1968 when Penn Central took over. As I recall, the station was then taken over by a marine repair shop and then was torn down sometime between 1980 and now. What is interesting is that passenger service has come back to Guilford- three trains a day, which is about the highest amount of service Guilford has ever seen. The stop has been rebuilt as one of those ubiquitous bus stop type platforms. I was interested to see that the warning lines for passengers were about six inches back from the edge of the platform- and that there were signs saying that high speed trains went through the station (the Acela service goes through town, alledgedly at one of it's highest speed points.)
When they tore the station down, they left what appears to be an ancient water tower there. I'm not sure how old that is, but the exterior shell, made of brick, hasn't fallen apart.

Erik

[Kevin C. Smith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

At La Junta, CO the La Junta depot soldiers on as a railroad office & Amshack. There are four timber depots from surrounding communities (Cheraw, Keesee and Hasty plus Thatcher) that are now 3 residences plus an office for a storage yard.

A similar collection of 3 Santa Fe timber depots is a bakery in Hugoton, KS.

The Pritchett, CO depot is now a county garage in Springfield, CO. (Springfield's depot burned in 1986)

Lamar, CO; Holly, CO; Manzanola;CO; Fowler, CO; Rocky Ford, CO and Las Animas, CO (all brick depots) are all now munincipal offices.

What is the status of the D&RGW Grand Junction depot? Over the past few years it appears to be undergoing some restoration/preservation but very slowly (probably a volunteer effort?). What is the outlook when the job is finally finished? Amtrak depot (if it's still around)?

[Anonymous]

The ex-CNW station here in Fond du Lac WI was renovated by the city, and then leased to a furniture store for about 5 years. It now houses a flea market/second hand store.

[Anonymous]

It is still used as the Local Metra Commuter Station re-built in 1947 after a Train Derailed into the station.

[mudchicken]

At La Junta, CO the La Junta depot soldiers on as a railroad office & Amshack. There are four timber depots from surrounding communities (Cheraw, Keesee and Hasty plus Thatcher) that are now 3 residences plus an office for a storage yard.

A similar collection of 3 Santa Fe timber depots is a bakery in Hugoton, KS.

The Pritchett, CO depot is now a county garage in Springfield, CO. (Springfield's depot burned in 1986)

Lamar, CO; Holly, CO; Manzanola;CO; Fowler, CO; Rocky Ford, CO and Las Animas, CO (all brick depots) are all now munincipal offices.

[miniwyo]

Well theese days the passenger depot is owned by the city and is used as a community center thing, you can rent it for things, and the REA / Freight depot is now owned by a company called Bunning Transfer. They store expensive things in the freight house, while the REA depot is now occupied by the Bitter Creek and Western Model Railway. The Freight depot is built directly over the old entrance to the No. 1 Coal mine in 1917 and was used until 1975.

[gradyo54]

I live in Monticello Il. We are lucky enough to have two old Depots, Illinois Central depot, built in 1919 at Deland Il. was moved to the site of the Monticello Railway museum and is used for a gift shop and Dispatchers office for the tourist railway, In downtown Monticello round trips depart from the 1899 Wabash depot, it also houses the Monticello Chamber of Commerce. Both are in excellent condition. The Museum is located just off I 72 half way between Champaign and Decatur Il. and is open from May to Nov. on weekends they have a web site, www.prairienet.org/mrm/homepage.html. Gradyo54

[Anonymous]

The old Union Pacific Union Station in Omaha is now the Western Heritage Museum. I'ts a great museum that brings in national exhibits on the first floor. On the track level is the history of Omaha. They even have static displays of a steam engine and coach. Directly south of the tracks from the UP station is an abandoned Burlington Station. Both BNSF and UP have their main lines between these stations. The Burlington Station has major plans for renovations which will include condos, a spa, office space, and a restaurant that overlooks the busy rail lines (a railfan's dream for sure!) The Amtrak depot sits right next to the Burlington Depot. In fact, the Amtrak platform is the old Burlington platform. Check it out here:
www.ontrackdevelopment.com

[samfp1943]

Here in Southeast Kansas there are more abandoned railroad properties than I would have imagined..In Parsons, the Big Katy Station was the victim of a large fire in the 1950's that destroyed what had also been the offices of the Katy Railroad, before it was moved to St. Louis. But about twenty miles away in Cherryvale, Ks there is a beautiful example of a masonry and brick Santa Fe station, that is in good repair and is the office for the SkOL RR [ a WATCO Co],and the Cherryvale Model RR Club.

http://www.leatherockhotel.com/railhist.htm

The link has many interesting details and some photos of both the Santa Fe station as well as the Frisco station which was demolished some time ago.. Quite a bit of area railroad history and many interesting links to follow also. The Leatherrock Hotel would be of interest to railfans as they mention having quite a bit of memorabilia to show. I found these and others while doing on-line research for a project for one of my classes.
Hope some of you will find this of interest.
Sam

[Anonymous]

Just in the last couple of weeks we've had the old freight depot in Flatonia moved downtown to the railpark. That's basically step one in a process where the Railpark Association hopes to turn the depot into a museum. Some of that is still up in the air, but I guess ya gotta take one step at a time. We were just glad to save it (we only had till Feb 28 to have it moved). It looks good right by the tracks too, like it's always belonged there.

m

[tatans]

Try this for a treat: www.trainstation.ca

[blhanel]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Ocala Mike


Someone on here posted about the Marion, IA station. I lived in Cedar Rapids briefly, and recall a late 1968 trip I took on the Milwaukee Road to and from Chicago from Marion.

I moved here from Minnesota back in 1974- missed seeing that passenger service by a couple of years, I think they discontinued it in 1971, IIRC. My wife has taken that trip, though...

[Anonymous]

Here in Nampa it is the county's musem.

[eolafan]

Our town of Aurora, IL has two stations...the old station (once a CB&Q station and division offices) is now vacant and very large...we hope the city of Aurora will find a suitable use for it some day soon...the other is the new station which is housed in the former CB&Q roundhouse building which also has shops and a pretty good restaurant. The station in the next town down the main line, Naperville (also formerly CB&Q), is used as the Metra and Amtrak station and is extremely busy. Whoops, I forgot the station inbetween the two at Route 59 which serves only Metra and is kind of a cross between a bus station type building and an Amshack...it is one of the busiest on the BNSF Metra line and one of the busiest on all of Metra.

[coborn35]

WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL, the depot in my city is being used as a home for the LAKE SUPERIOR RAILROAD MUSEUM, AND the railroad it operates, the Duluth and Northshore Scenic Railroad, which is normally just called the North Shore Scenic Railroad.

[Anonymous]

The RR Station in Ocala, FL is no longer used by Amtrak. It's now the Greyhound Bus Station, and also houses a "hot dog" restaurant.

Someone on here posted about the Marion, IA station. I lived in Cedar Rapids briefly, and recall a late 1968 trip I took on the Milwaukee Road to and from Chicago from Marion.


Ocala Mike

[Anonymous]

The old Wabash (now NS) depot here in the thriving metropolis of Clifton Hill, Mo...Pop. 124...is our City Hall.

When I lived in MN, I got to Red Wing now and then. The old CGW depot there is now a Hardees, and has some railroad memorabilia displayed there.

jonesey

[Anonymous]

In my hometown the depot is next to the Maritime Museum which wants to renovate it to add more maritime exhibits perhaps. I can't imagine anyone in my town allowing it to be demolished. Personally I think it would make a great Microbrewery which my town doesn't have yet. At present it sits empty though the lights inside still light up at night.

[n2mopac]

Ok, I've been looking fot these pics since I started this thread, and I finally found them. This is the old Missouri Pacific Depot in my hometown, Warrensburg, MO along the old (now UP) Sedalia sub in west-central Missouri. The station was added on to twice over the years with the original part being farthest from the camera. The station is built from locally-quarried lime sandstone, matching the Johnson count court house a few blocks to the north and the older buildings on campus at Central Missouri State University a few blocks to the south. It is completely rennovated inside and houses the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce as well as the Amtrack station.







Ron