(rshsdepot) Appalachia, VA

[Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

Appalachia hopes to begin depot work in 2003

By JEFF LESTER, Senior Writer Coalfield.com

APPALACHIA - This town hopes it can soon begin refurbishing its historic
train depot, more than three years after securing the first funds for the
project. In a few weeks, town officials hope to finally overcome the
obstacle that halted progress on depot upgrades - the lack of a deed to the
property. In a Dec. 20 interview, Town Manager Vern Haefele said the town
hopes by the end of January to obtain a deed from the CSX rail system.
"We've been kind of in limbo until we get a deed," Haefele said. "Once we
get it, we can immediately begin to address the exterior work and improve
its appearance."
The town won a $150,000 grant for the project in mid-1999 from the federal
Transportation Efficiency Act of 2001 (TEA-21) program. The following year,
Appalachia was awarded another $100,000 in TEA-21 money, and will put up
$50,000 of its own money.

Town officials have been working off and on since 1999 to obtain rights to
the property, but have often complained that dealing with the railroad was
complex and confusing.

Finally, in the spring of 2002, officials got verbal assurances from CSX
that the property would be transferred. With the deed, the town will own the
building but CSX will continue to own the triangular plot of land, roughly
seven acres, Haefele said.

Haefele, who went to work for the town in July 2002, began in November to
reach out to the Virginia Department of Transportation and other officials
involved with the depot project. Haefele has been coordinating local efforts
in meetings with town engineer Bobby Lane, Lenowisco Planning District
officials Ron Flanary - a longtime railroad buff - and Duane Miller, and
Hands Across the Mountain Inc. official Sandra Riggs.

Plans call for refurbishing the roof, windows and outside trim, along with
revamping and updating the interior space.

According to architectural drawings by town engineer Bobby Lane, the
renovated depot would have three large rooms, a foyer, two small rooms and
two restrooms, each with two toilets.

The federal grant money will also help pay for work on planned walking
trails in town, improved street lighting and some streetscaping, such as new
trees, according to Haefele.

There have been discussions about tearing down an old freight station behind
the depot that is in bad shape, he said.

The depot was built in 1925 as a passenger station for all three railroads
that served the town. The Interstate stopped passenger service in 1928,
followed by the Southern in 1939 and the Louisville & Nashville in 1953. The
station's agent transferred to the freight station in the 1950s and the
depot was closed.

Town officials are still trying to answer one of the most important
questions about the depot project - what will be the building's future use?

Previously, the Lonesome Pine Model Railroaders Inc. planned to use the
structure as a headquarters and fill it with intricate model railroad
displays. But delays in getting access to the property forced the group to
seek a new home. Last spring, members began renovating the basement of the
Appalachia Cultural Arts Center. They've set up displays there, and say they
don't intend to move again.

Haefele thinks a private business might be able to use the facility,
depending on the frequency of train traffic around it. The building is
surrounded by active tracks.

There are times, both day and night, when the depot is blocked by trains on
two sides, Haefele noted. He hopes to study how often that happens in the
course of a year, thus helping to identify possible uses for the building.


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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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