BEST STATIONS EVER

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darjel

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Jun 7, 2007
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okay, something to do on a cold rainy night in upstate ny;

but BEST TRAIN STATIONS EVER IN THE HISTORY OF ALL MANKIND IN THE USA (CAVEAT:MUST BE IN CURRENT USAGE)

I'm coming up with: wash union, chicago union, cinncy, 30th st. philly, portland or, los angeles

i'm leaning to washington ( for the classicists) or la (for art deco, i'd go for cinncy for art deco -but it's barely used)
 
I really liked LAX. Still many many old-style solid wood benches in use. . . I also really like San Diego, but mostly on the outside.

As for classically restored, Salisbury, NC is real nice, but the original terminal is closed off for receptions, etc. Amtrak gets a pittance of a space over there on the end.

Fort Worth T&P Station on the TRE (NOT the Amtrak stop) has perhaps one of the greatest potentials of being restored to its original glory. But it'd take billions. On a darker note, the station still has signs of segregation in the 60s. Most would be barely detectable to the average Joe, but if you know to look for it, you can.

One of the stations in WORST shape compared to it's historical glory would be Dallas Union Station.
 
darjel said:
okay, something to do on a cold rainy night in upstate ny;but BEST TRAIN STATIONS EVER IN THE HISTORY OF ALL MANKIND IN THE USA (CAVEAT:MUST BE IN CURRENT USAGE)

I'm coming up with: wash union, chicago union, cinncy, 30th st. philly, portland or, los angeles

i'm leaning to washington ( for the classicists) or la (for art deco, i'd go for cinncy for art deco -but it's barely used)
Click to expand...
Might I add Canaan, CT ? The New England Central was a very prosperous line and took the present day Hamptonites to the country in the early part of the 20th Century. I'm fearful that it burned to the ground recently as it was all wood and quite a show place. Duncan, Oklahoma was a mini-me Grand Central station that not many people got to see after it was boarded up after the Rock went under. Oh, I could go on and on. Does present use by hoardes of pigeons count?
 
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I'm gonna cheat on this. My family has deep roots (pre Civil War in Atlanta) and rarely a year passed when I didn't hear the family story about the young rowdy uncles getting plastered and one standing in Union Station and yelling to the other in Terminal Station. My grandfather was a boilermaker (?) for the RR. These stations were always described with fondness and makes me wish Atlanta had hung onto them.
 
The station in Meridian Mississippi is very nice for a smaller station, it serves the Crescent and Greyhound. The funny thing about this station is the overly excessive number of platforms for 2 trains a day.
 
Crescent ATN & TCL said:
The station in Meridian Mississippi is very nice for a smaller station, it serves the Crescent and Greyhound. The funny thing about this station is the overly excessive number of platforms for 2 trains a day.
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I am not intimately acquainted with the Meridian station. I do know it has been beautifully re-done.

But about the number of tracks....if this is on the old original property,and I guess it is, just re-done, not new-- of course there used to be a lot more trains.

In my lifeltime,earliest 50's, there would have been six trains a day on the then-Southern Railway. From mid-50's forward, four trains a day. Then the Illinois Central had at least two trains a day. The Gulf Mobile and Ohio may have used that station, not sure. And of course I may be leaving some railroad out completely. I am just fishing here---could the Kansas CIty Southern have used that station????

George Harris can probably fine tune this.
 
You said stations still in use, well, Houston Union Station is still in use, just not by passenger trains. It is now the main entrance to the Astros baseball stadium. The only train still using it today is the one that runs on the left field wall when homeruns are hit. Anyway, the grand room is quite impressive.
 
Although it's not a huge station (still 2 stories), I'm going to say Kingston, RI. When it was first built in the mid to late 1800's (by the NH :unsure: ), it was also used by the Narragansett Pier Railroad for the ~10 mile run to the coast.

When Amtrak electricfied the main line all the way to BOS from NHV, it was determined that the station was too close to the tracks. So they MOVED THE WHOLE STATION BACK A FEW FEET! This was not the easy way out (by knocking down part of the building), they moved the WHOLE (200'+ LONG) BUILDING IN ONE PIECE!

The only difference between the old and now is that Amtrak only uses 1/2 of the building (But it's still large, not like the 10 or 20 feet in other stations.) The other half of the building is a railroad museum.

As an aside (and I may be prejudiced), but I think KIN also has the best station grounds in the US!
 
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Though I have not been in it much, I liked 30th Street Philly. Why? It struck me as being large enough to be fun, but small enough to find your way around easily.
 
Chicago, and NYP I would rate in the same category both being good from location standpoint and options of things to do. Washington DC also a bit above these two. LA very nostalgic. Worcester MA totally redone to former glory now serves as a transportation center.

Disappointments-

Atlanta

New Orleans certainly these cities can do better.
 
Bill Haithcoat said:
Crescent ATN & TCL said:
The station in Meridian Mississippi is very nice for a smaller station, it serves the Crescent and Greyhound. The funny thing about this station is the overly excessive number of platforms for 2 trains a day.
Click to expand...
I am not intimately acquainted with the Meridian station. I do know it has been beautifully re-done.

But about the number of tracks....if this is on the old original property,and I guess it is, just re-done, not new-- of course there used to be a lot more trains.

In my lifeltime,earliest 50's, there would have been six trains a day on the then-Southern Railway. From mid-50's forward, four trains a day. Then the Illinois Central had at least two trains a day. The Gulf Mobile and Ohio may have used that station, not sure. And of course I may be leaving some railroad out completely. I am just fishing here---could the Kansas CIty Southern have used that station????

George Harris can probably fine tune this.
Click to expand...
GM&O did use this station. In 1950 there was the Gulf Coast Rebel through between St. Louis and Mobile and a motor car that ran north from Meridian. No passenger trains on the old GM&N line to Union MS, at least post 1940 or thereabouts, or on the M&B, which I believe never ran passenger trains. KCS was no closer than Shreveport at that time. They are there now courtesy of taking over Mid-South which had the ex-ICRR line to Shreveport and the GM&O's ex M&O line. Chances are some of the platform space was for set out mail and express cars, maybe even engine changes in steam days. Also, the ICRR trains originated and terminated there, so equipment had to be serviced. There was up until the mid 50's an Atlanta to Shreveport pullman transferred from Southern to ICRR in the middle of the night. Did GM&O's Gulf Transport buses stop here or at Greyhound's station?
 
I add my vote for the KIRKWOOD, MO station.

It has not changed for over 40 years. It is now run by volunteers. Amtrak trains run across state to KC and back twice a day.

The inside is the same as it was in the 60's. The outside is kept up again by volunteers who add flowers in the summer.
 
Lamy, NM is pretty good with a good history in that area. It's like a paradise in open space. It's a popular place for artists to come and paint on the canvas.

ABQ has a meaningless station, even with the new one.
 
dedhd said:
Chicago, and NYP I would rate in the same category both being good from location standpoint and options of things to do.
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New York Pennsylvania Station was demolished 40 years ago. If you are referring to the remains of its basement that currently serves as Amtrak's New York station... I wouldn't call that very glorious. Effective, and well positioned yes. And if you know the station, its easy to get around. If you don't know the station, leave breadcrumbs. Because trust me, its a-maze-ing.

Newark Penn is a pretty nice station- I spent a good part of today there train watching. They still have quite a few keystones laying around, and the lobby benches are solid wood with the old fashioned heaters.

I'd say the finest station still in use, that I've seen, is Grand Central Terminal in New York City. 7
 
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darjel said:
okay, something to do on a cold rainy night in upstate ny;but BEST TRAIN STATIONS EVER IN THE HISTORY OF ALL MANKIND IN THE USA (CAVEAT:MUST BE IN CURRENT USAGE)

I'm coming up with: wash union, chicago union, cinncy, 30th st. philly, portland or, los angeles

i'm leaning to washington ( for the classicists) or la (for art deco, i'd go for cinncy for art deco -but it's barely used)
Click to expand...
Cincy is the only above-mentioned stations I haven't been through yet, but if it's use is minimal (at least, as a train or transit hub) then it probably wouldn't make my list. I haven't been to Portland's station in 10 years, but I remember it as a pretty station in a pretty city. I really like both Chicago's Union Station & Philly's 30th St. Station as examples of their eras, and have very fond memories of seeing each of them for the first time on my [first] NA Rail Pass vacation in 1998. DC's Union Station strikes me as having a great location and a great new lease on life since its remodeling/mall-ification - the mezzanine is genius - while still keeping its transit chops up to par. But my favorite of the US's stations is LA's Union Station - even if it doesn't live up to its initial ambitions (clear in the old out-of-operation-but-still-restored ticketing wing now reserved for special events/filming) - which has shown tremendous growth of usage by the city's, and the southland's, commuter hordes. The station is ground zero for transit in the region, as a hub for Amtrak SoCal coast services, Metrolink commuter rail, MTA Metro's subway [Red] and light rail [Gold] lines, and the numerous MTA & other local agency commuter, express & local bus lines. Add convenient freeway access to both the Harbor & Hollywood freeways, across-the-street access to LA's historic heart, and "Old Mexico" shopping on Olvera St, and this Mission Moderne station's transit function seems the most continental to me.

Still an LA boy at heart,

TSurfer
 
Also like West Palm Beach, FL...charming older style station with descent use (4 Amtrak trains/day and countless Tri-Rail commuter trains).
 
I had a chance earlier this month to explore the KSC Union Station when heading west on the SWC. They did a very impressive job with restoration. Even in dim light, you could tell it was a beautiful station. Too bad I only had about 10 minutes to look around. Even has original Fred Harvey signs.

Another station that gets my vote is San Diego. Very impressive on the outside.

Dan
 
I agree as well to KCY - not only a great station, but the whole area of the KCY/National WWI Museum/Crown Center is a great place to spend the day.
 
the_traveler said:
Although it's not a huge station (still 2 stories), I'm going to say Kingston, RI. When it was first built in the mid to late 1800's (by the NH :unsure: ), it was also used by the Narragansett Pier Railroad for the ~10 mile run to the coast.
When Amtrak electricfied the main line all the way to BOS from NHV, it was determined that the station was too close to the tracks. So they MOVED THE WHOLE STATION BACK A FEW FEET! This was not the easy way out (by knocking down part of the building), they moved the WHOLE (200'+ LONG) BUILDING IN ONE PIECE!

The only difference between the old and now is that Amtrak only uses 1/2 of the building (But it's still large, not like the 10 or 20 feet in other stations.) The other half of the building is a railroad museum.

As an aside (and I may be prejudiced), but I think KIN also has the best station grounds in the US!
Click to expand...
This is what the plan for the Sacramento, CA station is. They're going to be moving the old brick building something like 300 feet to the other side of the tracks. It's a historical building made of all bricks. It really is pretty impressive when you step inside of it!
 
I already mentioned NWK. It is damned impressive, one of my favourite train watching spots. I don't think they platforms need any work though. Hope they don't screw them up.
 
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