Re: (rshsdepot) Illinois Central Station, Chicago

["James Kelling" <james.kelling_@_nara.gov>]

There are photos of all the vanished Chicago stations in the two Classic =
Trains books, Chicago Eastbound and Chicago Westbound, both by Kalmbach =
Publishing.

>>> CoolGuy127_@_aol.com 06/13/03 07:01AM >>>
In a message dated 6/13/2003 12:44:22 AM Eastern Standard Time, jmb_@_msn.com=
=20
writes:

> To me, the greatest crime of them all was the demolition of Northwestern=
=20
> Station.

       Actually, I think that the greatest crime of all -- at least from =
a=20
functional point of view -- was the demolition of the train concourse at =
Chicago=20
Union Station and its replacement by an office building, with only =
minimal=20
space in the basement reserved for a train station.  Today, we suffer =
the=20
consequences, as Amtrak passengers are cramped into a stuffy waiting room =
with a low=20
ceiling, and there is no room to expand to accommodate the ever-increasing=
=20
number of commuters and long-distance travelers using Union Station -- the =
only=20
station that still serves intercity and long-distance passengers in =
Chicago. =20
At least, when Penn Station in New York was demolished -- and that was=20
certainly a tragedy from an architectural point of view -- a reasonably =
adequate=20
space in the new structure was reserved for rail passengers.

                Daniel Chazin
                Teaneck, NJ

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org=20



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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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