Just thought I'd share this sad photograph from the Columbus, OH newspaper. It's from the demolition of Columbus Union Station in 1976.
The National Limited abandoned it's nocturnal call at an aluminum amshack three years later. Sojourner, you're just a shade late for being able to get the Ohio Capitol using just the train.
Posted by AHALL (Member # 3515) on :
The remaining arch in the photo is likely the arch that was "preserved" and moved down the street to a park. It has since been moved into the new Arena District nearby, constructed on the site of the former Ohio Penitentiary. I put preserved in quotes as each move needed the arch to be taken apart and reassembled, and when last I saw it, the stonework appeared to be badly chipped from the moves.
Columbus (OH) Union Station was unusual in that from the Street the building appeared much larger than the reality of the structure. The exterior walls extended along the street and overpass, but the station itself was further inside those walls. Like so many station sites, much of the foundation walls and overpass support structure is still in place along the tracks and can be seen by peeking from overpass railings and the loading docks of the Columbus Convention Center on the site today.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Goodbye, Columbus! I get so pissed off when I think of this--and when I think of how ridiculous intercity public transportation in Ohio is, considering the size and number of cities and type of state it is-- that I really am thinking of boycotting Columbus on my visits to capitols. Of course, NYC demolished Penn Station too, a HUGE disgrace--but at least in the wake of that disgrace people wised up and saved Grand Central. And at least NY provides public transportation to its citizens, esp in the Albany to NYC corridor. As do, to a certain extent, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Missouri, states that are perhaps more comparable to Ohio.
Posted by vline (Member # 1132) on :
It was a different era. People thought the time for railroads had passed.
Obviously with the benefit of hindsight they were wrong.
Mike.
Posted by ehbowen (Member # 4317) on :
We have trained Google well. The word "bagpipe" appears nowhere in the first four posts, yet the Google ads at top and bottom of the page are touting "Houston Bagpiper" (from my IP), "Scottish Bagpipe", "American Bagpipes", and the ebay banner ad features three books of bagpipe music....
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
quote:Originally posted by ehbowen: We have trained Google well. The word "bagpipe" appears nowhere in the first four posts, yet the Google ads at top and bottom of the page are touting "Houston Bagpiper" (from my IP), "Scottish Bagpipe", "American Bagpipes", and the ebay banner ad features three books of bagpipe music....
I don't have anything about bagpipes but there is an ad for visiting New Zealand that looks pretty interesting.
Posted by Tanner929 (Member # 3720) on :
I hate seeing the destruction of those great monuments. I see the Michigan Central and Buffalo stations as America's Ruins. To big for redevelopment too grand to teardown. Was it because both railroad and city developers did not see much financial or romantisism in inter-state, inter city links. I look at New York Citys two rail facilities. both built with Long Distant trips with commuter trains relegated to the lower levels. Today commuter trains has made Penn Station America's busiest station.
Posted by Amtrak207 (Member # 1307) on :
Actually, a few dedicated groups are actually *working* on Buffalo's Central Terminal. It'll be interesting to see if there's anything left after every piece of copper and brass were stripped by about 1983, all the glass is broken, Conrail hacksawed the platform bridge out for container clearances, and the neighborhood is not the nicest around. I went to school in Buf-lo for three years and never visited Central Terminal because, in the words of my uncle, "there won't be any wheels on your car when you get back."
Posted by 4021North (Member # 4081) on :
quote:Originally posted by vline: It was a different era. People thought the time for railroads had passed.
Fortunately they were wrong.
Posted by amtraxmaniac (Member # 2251) on :
Sojourner: NYC Penn Station demolished? I just traveled through Penn Station a little over a year ago. AM I confused? Amtrak uses Penn station I thought. Grand Central still stands as well, but appeared to be more of tourist attraction with shops rather than an operating train station. I think I remember that it was still used by local transit.
Posted by Geoff M (Member # 153) on :
quote:Originally posted by amtraxmaniac: Sojourner: NYC Penn Station demolished? I just traveled through Penn Station a little over a year ago. AM I confused?
The original impressive station was demolished and the current subterranean maze of tunnels was put in its place. Same name, same area, different "architecture".
Geoff M.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
Any progress in New York on turning the adjacent Farley Building into a grand new Penn Station?