Train Stations Archives - Page 6 of 6 - The Trackside Photographer

Posted on April 28, 2016January 8, 2017 by admin

Toledo Union Station

The city of Toledo, Ohio, has a fascinating railroading history, of which I know almost nothing. Trains run through between the East Coast and Chicago, and between Columbus and Detroit, and any possible combination. In the early days of railroading, in the late 19th century, cooperation between railroads basically did not exist. As a result, instead of trying to share tracks and other facilities, many different railroads built tracks to or through Toledo. Even today, Google Maps shows an amazing collection of tracks going every which way.

Toledo Union Station - End of Track — Toledo Union Station – End of Track

A central passenger railroad station was built in Toledo in 1886, but by 1930 it was so decrepit that when it caught fire, watching citizens cheered. They were sad later, when the structure was repaired instead of replaced. A couple of decades later, in 1950, they got their wish, and the new Toledo Union Station was opened.

That was still in the glory days of passenger rail transportation, and its many tracks and platforms would have been constantly busy. But, as time went on, we all know the fate of passenger rail. Today, the station houses a nice waiting room for Amtrak’s four trains per day. That’s all the passenger traffic it sees. Freight trains pass on the main Norfolk Southern line, frequently stopping for crew changes.

Toledo Union Station - Empty Platform — Toledo Union Station – Empty Platform

During the Christmas holiday of 2013, I had a day to spend exploring northwest Ohio and visiting Fostoria, a favorite location. One of my stops was Toledo Union Station. It is still an impressive building, but I think the station must feel sad to be used so far below its potential. I wandered its empty platforms, wondering what they would have looked like when they were crowded with passengers, and porters, and train crews, and trains everywhere. They’re not there any more.

See more of Rob’s work at: Where Trains Were

Posted on April 7, 2016January 8, 2017 by admin

Bugilbone Siding

Bugilbone-Siding

In the north-west of the Australian state of New South Wales, several branch lines were built in the 19th and early 20th centuries to open up sparsely populated regions. Built to serve rural communities they survived mostly on outward shipments of grain plus whatever else the local population consigned to the rails. The line to Walgett was opened by 1908, and its value ebbed and flowed with each successive crop. Some years were good, and some were not, but as with many such lines the world over, less and less freight went by rail and ultimately the line closed. The line to Walgett is still open though, although in this case, the only trains to run this far out on the branch are unpredictable grain trains.

I found myself in that country for the first time over Easter in 2013 and, with information a grain train was loading at Walgett wheat terminal, took the two hour drive from Narrabri to go and investigate. As it happens, there was no train on the line that morning, but I did find this remnant of the station at the oddly named Bugilbone Siding. Opened in 1905 and closed 70 years later, even in its heyday it was no more than a loop*, a simple shelter and this loading bank. By the time I drove past, the loop had been lifted so the loading bank was not only disused, but literally removed from the line it once served. From memory, there was almost nothing else to be seen at Bugilbone Siding, and why someone felt the need to paint its name on the edge of the loading bank is a mystery, but it did stand out on the otherwise flat and empty plains.

*Australian rail terminology is based on the English, with US-style terminology becoming more common in say the last 30 years or so. So we refer to a loco driver rather than engineer, sleepers rather than ties and so on. We would normally refer to a siding as a stub track (i.e. access from one end only) while a loop would have access from either end.. At Bugilbone, since it had access from either end, we call it a loop.

Alan Shaw – Photograph and text copyright 2016
See more of Alan’s work on his Flickr page

Posted on March 24, 2016January 8, 2017 by admin

Built to last

One hundred years ago, when airplanes had just been invented, and automobiles were not affordable for most people, transportation in the growing United States was provided mostly by railroads. One of the busiest and most successful was the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. The New Haven reached throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and parts of New York State. New England’s factories were busy manufacturing goods for most of the country, and shipping raw materials in and finished products out made the New Haven a prosperous and growing business.

Traffic demand between New Haven and New York grew to the point that the railroad decided to invest in two infrastructure improvements. The first eliminated grade crossings by elevating or depressing the tracks through populated areas between New Haven and Mount Vernon. From there, trains ran down the New York Central tracks into Grand Central Terminal. The second improvement was to electrify the four track main line, which was completed in 1907 between Mount Vernon and Stamford, and extended to New Haven in 1914. The New Haven’s innovations resulted in the first commercially successful, large scale electrified railroad in the world.

A key location in the system was Stamford, Connecticut. The New Haven operated a robust commuter railroad service with frequent trains serving the towns along the new tracks, which quickly expanded the suburbs of New York City, making it possible for commuters to return home after work in the City with ease and in relative comfort.

Stamford, Connecticut - 1966 — Stamford, Connecticut – 1966

This photo was taken in summer of 1966. The view is from the eastbound platform at Stamford, facing west. The overhead wires are the New Haven’s innovative design using a triangular structure which held the catenary wires in a fixed position over each of the four tracks. In the left background, an express passenger train, powered by an EP-5 class locomotive, is just coming into view around the curve and is about to pass under the semaphore signal displaying “Medium Clear”. The engineer has reduced speed to 30 mph, and shortly his train will clatter over the switches, set to crossover from track 2 to track 4, and make the station stop.

On the right, the signal semaphores controlling westbound traffic are set for “Clear” on track 3, allowing the next “Stamford Local” to depart on time and make all stops to Mount Vernon and on to GCT. The three boys at the end of the platform are enjoying mainline passenger railroading up close.

In the next fifty years, there will be many improvements to the New Haven. High level platforms, modern cab signaling, a superior lightweight catenary system, new locomotives and new commuter cars, and modern electronic systems will make the commuters’ journey more frequent, more comfortable, and more reliable. Today the system is still providing the service it was designed to do by the forward thinking managers of the New Haven Railroad one hundred years before. It was built to last, and it has.

Posted on March 17, 2016January 8, 2017 by admin

Santa Fe Depot

The San Diego, CA, station was built by Santa Fe in 1915 and was the terminal for the railroad’s San Diegans until Amtrak took over in 1971. Passenger trains of SP’s San Diego & Arizona Eastern also originated here from 1919 to 1951. Today it is the terminal for Amtrak, Coaster, and several lines of the San Diego Trolley.

The Mission Revival architecture includes interesting tile work.

Santa Fe Depot - May, 2010 — Santa Fe Depot – May, 2010

Posted on March 3, 2016January 8, 2017 by admin

Montpelier

James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, lived at Montpelier plantation until he died in 1836. In 1901, the DuPont family acquired the property which they owned until 1985. In 1910 William DuPont financed the construction of the train station to provide both freight and passenger service to the Montpelier community. Passenger service was discontinued in the 1960s and the freight depot was closed in 1974. Today Norfolk-Southern freight trains pass by the depot, but rail service to Montpelier is a thing of the past. The station was built to a Southern Railway standard architectural plan.

Montpelier_P14807

Montpelier is now owned by the Montpelier Foundation and the station, has been restored. Part of the station houses a small museum and one end serves as the U.S. Post Office for Montpelier Station, Virginia. The active Norfolk-Southern tracks are just out of view on the right of the picture above.

Montpelier_P14798

Also on the grounds is a small freight house. There was once a siding that ran in front of the building and ended in a coal loading trestle just beyond. Montpelier Station is located in Orange County, Virginia. All photos were taken in December, 2015.

Montpelier_P14814