From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <3C5935E4.10700_@_bellsouth.net> References: <005901c1aa0f$35618760$535cf6d1_@_paul> Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 07:17:40 -0500 From: Seth Bramson Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) At Grand Canyon, No Way to Run a Railroad Paul S. Luchter wrote: >When Ochs first took over the Times in 1894 he came up with that slogan, at >the time it was the first penny post to not openly make up the news and that >was what made it big....they had a contest for a better slogan but the >winner was some complex couplet about not a paper for scandal... >Before he took over the Times it's slogan was about how it didn't soil the >linen, because its printing didn't smear.... > >Actually usually a Times article buries the truth in an article after it >continues inside, way at the end, sometimes contradicting the headline.... > >Exact slogans on request (I have to search) > >>>Thank you. (The EXACT slogan was: "All the news that's fit to print." MAD's parody was: "All the news that fits we print.!") > ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <3d.187c0a38.298ac2ef_@_aol.com> Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 10:55:27 EST From: CoolGuy127_@_aol.com Subject: (rshsdepot) Re: At Grand Canyon, No Way to Run a Railroad In a message dated 1/31/02 3:25:14 AM Eastern Standard Time, tomfassett_@_earthlink.net writes: > Ah, hiking the canyon is a whole different animal... Relatives of mine hike > the canyon at least once a year. As I said, park "insiders" who know the > ropes do have their privileges (I just don't agree with it)... Even then, > the percentage of people hiking the canyon as opposed to just visiting is > miniscule That is undoubtedly true. I know that this is slightly off-topic, but I'm one of those few who have hiked down to the bottom of the canyon. Indeed, if I recall correctly, I've hiked to the bottom seven times, including the South Kaibab, Bright Angel, Hermit and North Kaibab Trails. How many others on this list have done that? Mandatory railroad content: Unfortunately, I've never taken the train to the canyon. My first trip to the Canyon was in 1966, when the Santa Fe Railroad was still running a daily train to the canyon. We traveled by train on that trip, but the one daily train from Williams to the Grand Canyon did not connect with The Chief, which we took, so we had to take a bus for the last leg of the journey to the canyon. But I do remember seeing the Santa Fe train at the depot -- including an ancient heavyweight car which, I think, was attached just for the Williams-Grand Canyon run. On subsequent visits, I watched the trees grow where the tracks used to be. Then, in the 1990s, I had the pleasure of seeing the Grand Canyon Railroad trains arrive. In fact, on my 1997 trip, I arranged to meet neighbors of mine who were arriving by train when I was there. Maybe I'll finally have a chance to ride the Grand Canyon Railroad this summer, as I hope to attend the NRHS convention that is centered in Williams. Daniel Chazin ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 17:27:23 -0500 (EST) From: Blue Moon Network Administrator Subject: (rshsdepot) @home address changes I know there are a number of @home list members who are receiving new email addresses because @home no longer serves their area. If you drop me an email with the old address and new address and whether you are on the regular or digest list I'll be happy to change it over for you. For those who wish to take care of it on their own: To subscribe to the list, send one line in the body of an email message to majordomo_@_lists.Railfan.net with the word subscribe followed by the listname, eg: subscribe rshsdepot Or for the Digest version of the list: subscribe rshsdepot-digest To unsubscribe to a list follow the same instructions as for subscribing, but replace the word subscribe with the word unsubscribe, eg: unsubscribe rshsdepot Or for the Digest version of the list: unsubscribe rshsdepot-digest Henry J. Henry Priebe Jr. Blue Moon President & Network Administrator root_@_bluemoon.net www.bluemoon.net - Blue Moon Internet Corp V.90, X2 & K56flex www.railfan.net - The Railfan Network ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002601c1aaaf$9243cc40$4364f4d1_@_paul> Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 18:32:34 -0500 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Re: At Grand Canyon, No Way to Run a Railroad I bet hiking back up is even harder! - -----Original Message----- From: CoolGuy127_@_aol.com To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net ; Rhkratzse_@_aol.com Cc: All_Aboard_@_yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, January 31, 2002 11:10 AM Subject: (rshsdepot) Re: At Grand Canyon, No Way to Run a Railroad >In a message dated 1/31/02 3:25:14 AM Eastern Standard Time, >tomfassett_@_earthlink.net writes: > >> Ah, hiking the canyon is a whole different animal... Relatives of mine hike >> the canyon at least once a year. As I said, park "insiders" who know the >> ropes do have their privileges (I just don't agree with it)... Even then, >> the percentage of people hiking the canyon as opposed to just visiting is >> miniscule > > That is undoubtedly true. I know that this is slightly off-topic, but >I'm one of those few who have hiked down to the bottom of the canyon. >Indeed, if I recall correctly, I've hiked to the bottom seven times, >including the South Kaibab, Bright Angel, Hermit and North Kaibab Trails. >How many others on this list have done that? > > Mandatory railroad content: Unfortunately, I've never taken the train >to the canyon. My first trip to the Canyon was in 1966, when the Santa Fe >Railroad was still running a daily train to the canyon. We traveled by train >on that trip, but the one daily train from Williams to the Grand Canyon did >not connect with The Chief, which we took, so we had to take a bus for the >last leg of the journey to the canyon. But I do remember seeing the Santa Fe >train at the depot -- including an ancient heavyweight car which, I think, >was attached just for the Williams-Grand Canyon run. > > On subsequent visits, I watched the trees grow where the tracks used >to be. Then, in the 1990s, I had the pleasure of seeing the Grand Canyon >Railroad trains arrive. In fact, on my 1997 trip, I arranged to meet >neighbors of mine who were arriving by train when I was there. > > Maybe I'll finally have a chance to ride the Grand Canyon Railroad >this summer, as I hope to attend the NRHS convention that is centered in >Williams. > > Daniel Chazin > ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #274 ******************************* From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002801c1ab16$ef75f5c0$49f82444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 06:52:32 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Mount Joy, PA Mount Joy seeks state, county funding for train station project Intelligencer Journal 1-30-02 Mount Joy Borough is seeking $430,000 from the state Department of Transportation in the next two years to begin work on a new train station. Also, borough council has requested that $215,000 be added to the Lancaster County Transportation Improvement Plan for 2003 and 2004. This would allow for the release of state funds to the project, which would serve as a passenger train station, bus depot and taxi service pick-up point. The plan would relocate the station from South Market and Henry streets to the corner of South Barbara and East Donegal streets. It would include a pedestrian bridge across the tracks, a raised platform at the tracks with ramps to street level, enclosures on both platforms and an informational area with bus and train schedules, according to a feasibility study released by the borough. Ultimately, the new station would even include a retail establishment. "We'd like to have something that would cater to the passengers," said Mount Joy Borough Manager Terry Kauffman. He suggested a coffee shop or newsstand as two possibilities. The current station, which is used daily by about 40 passengers, is not accessible to disabled riders. The Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990, requires all such facilities comply or be closed by 2010. The borough and surrounding municipalities are concerned Amtrak will close the station rather than renovate it. Total cost of the plan is estimated at $2.2 million, with 80 percent coming from the state and 20 percent being funded by the borough, surrounding municipalities and Amtrak, according to the study. The station is scheduled for completion in 2006. The new station could be tied to plans for Amtrak stations in Paradise and Elizabethtown under the Lancaster County Transportation Authority. This could save money on engineering and construction costs, said Kauffman, who is also director of the authority. The borough also could oversee the construction by itself. Kauffman said, "If this is included, council will have to determine how to move the funds." ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 12:50:59 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time) From: "Mark A. Thomas" Subject: (rshsdepot) Portsmouth, OH In the latest issue of the Bulletin of the RSHS (Nov-Dec 2001, Vol 34, no. 6) on page 87, the N&W station at the top of the page is, of course, from Portsmouth, Ohio, not Virginia. It has a nice southern exposure great for photographing. - --Mark, markt_@_duke.edu ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000d01c1ab4c$c15f5880$49f82444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 13:17:47 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Everett, WA Everett Station gets ready to roll Monday By Theresa Goffredo Herald Writer EVERETT -- A year and a half after turning dirt on the new Everett Station and proclaiming it a model for future transit centers, Gov. Gary Locke returns Monday to participate in the station's grand opening ceremony. U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen and other dignitaries will join Locke. The governor's visit symbolizes the special place the station will hold as a city landmark, but also gives the governor an opportunity to spotlight the importance of mass transit as a way to ease the traffic woes of the Puget Sound region. Locke is expected to be joined by hundreds of spectators who will view for the first time the completed transit hub. The grand opening ceremony starts at 11 a.m. Monday at 3201 Smith Ave. Everett Mayor Ed Hansen will be master of ceremonies. An open house will continue until 7 p.m. Although the 64,000-square-foot brick-and-glass building with a copper-tiled roof brings beauty to Everett's otherwise plain industrial sector, the basic goal of the station is to provide commuters with a conveniently located mass transit center. "The new facility goes a long way toward smoothing out those transportation wrinkles in Everett by making it easier to use public transportation," city spokeswoman Dale Preboski said. The station will provide long-distance, commuter and local bus service, an airport shuttle, taxi service, bicycle racks and 746 parking stalls for park-and-ride commuters. Rail riders will join bus commuters this summer when Amtrak begins service. Sound Transit's commuter rail, the Sounder, is expected to arrive in late 2003. Frequent Everett Transit shuttle bus service, costing 25 cents a ride, will take travelers downtown in less than five minutes. The station also will bring a first-ever offering of upper-level university night classes, as five state colleges set up classrooms on the second floor. And for those looking for career development, WorkSource Everett will become a tenant in April. Conceptual work for the transportation center began nearly 10 years ago. The station cost $26 million to build, the money collected through a combination of state, federal, local and private funds, including $4 million in grants from the state Transportation Improvement Board. The cost of buying the land and clearing the site brought the total price tag to $44 million. On Jan. 16, the Everett City Council decided to keep management of the station local and authorized a $2 million, three-year contract with Coast Real Estate Services. Everett brothers Tom and Shawn Hoban founded Coast Real Estate in 1987. They plan to manage the station in the spirit with which it was built -- as a gateway into Everett. "Our approach to managing this facility will be with this vision in mind," Tom Hoban said. SIDEBARS: Feeling lucky? Visitors to the Monday grand opening of Everett Station will find out how lucky they are by playing the count-the-bricks contest. Visitors get to guess at the number of bricks on the exterior of the four-story building. Prizes include: Amtrak Empire Builder round-trip ticket for two from Everett or Seattle to Whitefish, Mont. Amtrak Cascades roundtrip ticket for two from Everett or Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia, with a one-night hotel stay and a $50 certificate for dinner. Two separate Amtrak Cascades round-trip packages for two from Everett or Seattle to Vancouver with a one-night hotel stay. Two tickets to a Village Theatre performance and a one-night hotel stay. Four tickets to a Pied Piper performance and one-night hotel stay for four. Two Greyhound Ameripass tickets valid for up to seven days of travel anywhere in the United States. Three separate Puget Pass monthly bus pass certificates for March. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Did you know? You may know that the grand opening of the new Everett Station starts at 11 a.m. Monday at 3201 Smith Ave. But did you know: There is more than 750,000 feet of wiring and cable inside Everett Station. It took more than 7,600 copper shingles to complete the roof. More than 3,000 light bulbs illuminate the station. More than 800 people were involved with building the station, including planning, design and construction. The precast arch in the inside center of the station weighs 34,000 pounds, or 17 tons. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002001c1ab51$eddbf300$49f82444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2002 13:54:50 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Cleburne, TX Doomed depot set to fall Monday By: Brian Wilson, Times-Review Writer January 31, 2002 Questions of fairness arise on both sides CLEBURNE-The time line of events in the fight over the future of the old train depot was released because city officials believed they were being criticized by the media without all the facts being known, City Manager Chester Nolen said. The time line, which began with the 1972 purchase of the Texas & Brazos Valley Railroad Depot by Dan Leach, was published in Monday's Times-Review. The building is expected to be demolished this coming Monday morning, and officials wanted people to realize how much the city did over the years to give owners a chance to rebuild it. The depot burned in 1986, and according to the city, owners have been given numerous chances to repair it. Businessman Dan Roberts, who bought the building in 1999, still believes there are problems with how the city has treated him. He thinks the city was unfair to him after he agreed to make repairs within 90 days. Roberts said he fixed all but the roof and was told by the former fire chief it would pass muster. He assumed everything was acceptable after not hearing from the city for months. According to Roberts, he tried to get a building permit last October, and heard for the first time there was a condemnation order on the building. Roberts doesn't understand why the process has taken so long. He believes the city should have kept him better informed. "They gave me the impression that everything was fine, no problems," he said. He said city officials told him they couldn't find him-something else he doesn't understand. "Well, Dan Roberts is not that hard to find," he said. "I'm the biggest agitator in town, aren't I?" City Manager Chester Nolen wouldn't say if he believes the city has been treated unfairly by various media accounts of the depot. "We've done what we were required to do by the Building & Standards Commission, and we'll just leave it at that," Nolen said. The building is expected to be demolished Monday morning. Opponents of that demolition have planned a rally for 10 a.m. Saturday. Roberts wants to build a railroad museum, adding on to the original structure. He said he will rebuild the depot to its original appearance and has not ruled out selling it to the corporation overseeing the expenditure of the 4B sales tax. A railroad museum is one of several projects to be built with the "quality of life" sales tax. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <00b001c1ab58$3ce1fe80$df8d6ca5_@_itochu.com> References: Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 14:40:00 -0500 From: "Jim Dent" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Portsmouth, OH I didn't even get my copy yet! Jim - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark A. Thomas" To: Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 12:50 PM Subject: (rshsdepot) Portsmouth, OH In the latest issue of the Bulletin of the RSHS (Nov-Dec 2001, Vol 34, no. 6) on page 87, the N&W station at the top of the page is, of course, from Portsmouth, Ohio, not Virginia. It has a nice southern exposure great for photographing. - --Mark, markt_@_duke.edu ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <011801c1aae8$84eacec0$823ffea9_@_pacbell.net> Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 22:20:17 -0800 From: irene reinsdorf Subject: (rshsdepot) Trolley Drawing Thought you would like to know.....The drawing from The Brooklyn Times showing a trolley car at a street with islands in the middle is not at Beverly (in reality spelled Beverley) Road but, rather at Albemarle Road. Beverley Road would be the next block south, down to the left, out of the picture. Beverley Road would mark would mark the southern boundary of the Prospect Park South development, which, incidentally still exists. The trolley car line would become the open cut of the BMT Brighton Beach Line. I grew up on this street (1701) from 1944 to 1962 and am familiar with the history of the area. The house in the background was known as the Ex-Lax House since the owner, or a company executive, lived there. It was vacant for as long as I know and after a number of arsons by out-of-the-neighborhood toughs, it was torn down about 1954. From what I understand, the land was tied up and remains a fenced-off vacant lot to this day. Thank you for posting the picture. I found it to be quite meaningful. Keith A. Reinsdorf mailto:irene4re_@_pacbell.net ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <018001c1ab6c$ec02aae0$df8d6ca5_@_itochu.com> Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 17:08:04 -0500 From: "Jim Dent" Subject: (rshsdepot) Mountain View CA - New Southern Pacific Depot From Altamont Press Newsline... New Southern Pacific Depot Construction began Jan28, on the first new Southern Pacific plan Number 18 depot building to be erected since the design was phased out over 100 years ago. The historic replica is the final element of the intermodal transit center in Mountain View CA, on the Caltrain regional rail line between San Francisco and San Jose. Valley Transit Authority buses, light rail, industry shuttles, and the Caltrain regional rail successor to Southern Pacific's commute service converge at a key node of Silicon Valley commerce. After years of debate over conceptual sketches, planning, and final accumulation of funding from multiple government agencies, a "historically accurate Southern Pacific Victorian depot building" was adopted as the centerpiece of the plaza at the foot of Mountain View's central downtown artery, Castro Street. The site is approximately 300 feet north of the location of the original Number 18 depot, which fronted the Southern Pacific tracks between 1888 and 1959. Several erstwhile pseudo railroad designs were presented to the city, but emphatic vocal community sentiment from city council, historical society, and individual citizens for recreating the two story building led the architecture committee to this design. Among the most apt comments as the design was accepted was the observation that this building is ideally suited to its function as a train station. -Francis Wong ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 19:42:50 -0500 From: "Kenyon F. Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) FW: Time for U.S. Commitment to Rail What follows must be an incredibly 'high-stakes' game of 'chicken'. Even worse, I fully expect that Warrington will loose this game, just because Congress has always been 'a day late and a dollar short' with its appropriations. :-( Kenyon F. Karl Webmaster_@_new-england-public-transit.org http://www.new-england-public-transit.org - -----Original Message----- From: NARP [mailto:narp_@_narprail.org] Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 4:47 PM To: NARP Subject: Time for U.S. Commitment to Rail To all NARP members, February 1, 2002-- The following is a news release from NARP. - --Ross B. Capon, Executive Director For Immediate Release Friday, February 1, 2002 - #02-03 Today, Amtrak President & CEO George D. Warrington announced the layoff of 1,000 employees (700 agreement; 300 non-agreement), reduced staffing hours at 73 stations, and a number of other actions aimed at enabling Amtrak to make it to September 30, the end of the fiscal year. He said Amtrak needs a $1.2 billion appropriation for FY 2003 in order to avoid "substantial route cuts" on October 1. He told a news conference that a $521 million appropriation would mean only the Northeast Corridor "would have an opportunity to run." He indicated plans to post the legally required six months' advance notice of discontinuance on March 28 for all long-distance trains, to prepare for the possibility that Congress would not provide the needed funds. The National Association of Railroad Passengers strongly believes that the existing system is "skeletal," (to use Warrington's own words) and should be continued in its entirety. We believe that the general public - -- particularly since September 11 -- agrees with the importance of maintaining and improving our national passenger rail network, especially through cooperative federal/state investment in short-distance corridors around the nation. In December, for example, passenger-miles on Amtrak rose 3.8% while domestic aviation fell 13.2%. (On Amtrak's sleeping cars, passenger-miles rose 7% and revenues rose 13%.) The federal government this year will spend $33 billion on highways, $13 billion on aviation, but only $570 million on intercity passenger rail. Moreover, the federal government offers 80% matches to encourage states to focus their investments on highways and aviation. Federal matches to support state investments for intercity passenger rail are virtually non-existent. This "anti-rail" funding bias has helped put Amtrak in its present situation. At best, Amtrak's clear statement today may be a step toward ending the anti-rail bias in federal funding policy. It is painful to see valued employees laid off in a business that should be growing, but we understand Amtrak's decision not to seek a supplemental appropriation. Such an effort would be time-consuming, with no assurance of success, and would be a distraction from the central issue before the public: the long-term future of a connected, intercity passenger rail network. Two things should be clear regarding elimination of the long-distance network: * It would be a decision "for all time" and virtually impossible to reverse in a later, more enlightened era, and * The result would increase the cost of operating state-supported short-distance trains, which no longer would share facility costs -- or connecting passenger revenues -- with long-distance trains. # # # ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <008601c1ab90$54800180$d74d9a40_@_paul> Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 21:21:29 -0500 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Trolley Drawing Huh, I don't remember this picture, here or in the Times Paul - -----Original Message----- From: irene reinsdorf To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net Date: Friday, February 01, 2002 3:05 PM Subject: (rshsdepot) Trolley Drawing >Thought you would like to know.....The drawing from The Brooklyn Times showing a trolley car at a street with islands in the middle is not at Beverly (in reality spelled Beverley) Road but, rather at Albemarle Road. Beverley Road would be the next block south, down to the left, out of the picture. Beverley Road would mark would mark the southern boundary of the Prospect Park South development, which, incidentally still exists. The trolley car line would become the open cut of the BMT Brighton Beach Line. I grew up on this street (1701) from 1944 to 1962 and am familiar with the history of the area. The house in the background was known as the Ex-Lax House since the owner, or a company executive, lived there. It was vacant for as long as I know and after a number of arsons by out-of-the-neighborhood toughs, it was torn down about 1954. From what I understand, the land was tied up and remains a fenced-off vacant lot to this day. > >Thank you for posting the picture. I found it to be quite meaningful. > >Keith A. Reinsdorf >mailto:irene4re_@_pacbell.net > ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <005a01c1aba1$0b3fcee0$2014fe3f_@_oemcomputer> References: <008601c1ab90$54800180$d74d9a40_@_paul> Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2002 23:14:57 -0500 From: "Steven Delibert" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Trolley Drawing whew! thanks, Paul. I thought it was me, again . . . - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul S. Luchter" To: Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 9:21 PM Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Trolley Drawing > Huh, I don't remember this picture, here or in the Times > Paul > -----Original Message----- > From: irene reinsdorf > To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net > Date: Friday, February 01, 2002 3:05 PM > Subject: (rshsdepot) Trolley Drawing > > > >Thought you would like to know.....The drawing from The Brooklyn Times > showing a trolley car at a street with islands in the middle is not at > Beverly (in reality spelled Beverley) Road but, rather at Albemarle Road. > Beverley Road would be the next block south, down to the left, out of the > picture. Beverley Road would mark would mark the southern boundary of the > Prospect Park South development, which, incidentally still exists. The > trolley car line would become the open cut of the BMT Brighton Beach Line. I > grew up on this street (1701) from 1944 to 1962 and am familiar with the > history of the area. The house in the background was known as the Ex-Lax > House since the owner, or a company executive, lived there. It was vacant > for as long as I know and after a number of arsons by > out-of-the-neighborhood toughs, it was torn down about 1954. From what I > understand, the land was tied up and remains a fenced-off vacant lot to this > day. > > > >Thank you for posting the picture. I found it to be quite meaningful. > > > >Keith A. Reinsdorf > >mailto:irene4re_@_pacbell.net > > > ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002c01c1abc8$12da7480$311f0142_@_sprint> Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2002 02:00:32 -0700 From: "Tom Fassett" Subject: (rshsdepot) historical railroad map of Arizona To all: I have been working on a set of historical railroad maps for Arizona. My ultimate goal is a map every 10 years but right now I am shooting for every 50 years. I have gone to some length to get the lines correct for the exact years denoted on the map. For the 1900 map I used over 200 archival bits of information (Geological Survey maps, antique maps, newspaper articles, tax claims, RR land grant filings, state surveys, etc) so I am fairly confident that the information is correct. Many lines changed right around 1900 (Atlantic & Pacific to ATSF in the 1890s, Gila Valley, Globe and Northern to Arizona Eastern in the early 1900s, etc) so I targeted the specific year of 1900 for the first map. I have the 1950 map about halfway complete, and will finish with the 2000 map. In the meanwhile, I would appreciate some feedback as to the accuracy of the inclusions on the map before I continue. My goal is to be as accurate as possible and would welcome any biographical proof to support or call into question the data detailed on the map. I am in no way a railroad history scholar and this information does not come easy for me so any input is appreciated. I am planning to do another state soon and will either do Texas or Kansas, depending on how much historical information I can wring out of all of you... :- ) As I live in Arizona it is easy for me to visit the state archives or Arizona State University archives--other states ain't so easy... Here is the Arizona index: http://railmap.railspot.com/maps/USA/AZ/arizona.html Let me know what you think. Take care, Tom ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #275 ******************************* From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <3C5BE9CA.6C3A49AB_@_attglobal.net> Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2002 06:29:47 -0700 From: metcalf_@_attglobal.net Subject: (rshsdepot) Arizona historical railroads The Atlantic & Pacific line from Isleta NM to Topock CA didn't exactly become ATSF in 1893. It was jointly owned by the SLSF and the ATSF. In 1893 what happened was that operations were conveyed to an ATSF subsidiary, the Santa Fe Pacific. The right-of-way and the land grants became the property of the New Mexico and Arizona Land Co, a subsidiary of the SLSF. Of course, by an irony of history, the SLSF and the ATSF are once again united in the BNSF. Norm Metcalf, Boulder CO ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000701c1abf4$86b89c20$61befe3f_@_oemcomputer> References: Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2002 14:18:43 -0000 From: "Gene Paoli" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) FW: Time for U.S. Commitment to Rail Since about 1926 the US political machine has been hard at work trying to eliminate passenger service and I still don't understand why? Aside from the obvious fact that there is little friction with only up to a dimes worth of wheel touching the track for a miles long train, and the unbelievable fuel savings of only generating amperage as required for drawbar pulling power, there seems little reason why America would shun the railroads. Although they pay taxes, provide many public services, enjoy a passenger per seat mile percentage next to none, and usually provide first class service, the average US citizen looks the other way. The Northeast corridor has been subsidizing the rest of the AMTRAK system for years now and even this most important aspect of transportation in the US is on the chopping block. I'm sorry to say, it will take a 911 to wake up our sleeping giant and then it will be too late.... Is it really up to only rail enthusiasts to scream bloody murder? Turning over AMTRAK to Private concerns will only make matters worse and doing nothing at all, well, we all know the answer to that. If we have not seen the light by now, we never will. Gene Paoli stationman_@_prodigy.net - ----- Original Message ----- From: Kenyon F. Karl To: Peter Griffin Cc: Norman. N. Miller ; John Rogers ; Jack Sutton ; Ed Janeway ; Bill Mosher ; Mainstlnd ; Malcolm Taylor ; Paul Chapman Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 12:42 AM Subject: (rshsdepot) FW: Time for U.S. Commitment to Rail > What follows must be an incredibly 'high-stakes' game of 'chicken'. Even > worse, I fully expect that Warrington will loose this game, just because > Congress has always been 'a day late and a dollar short' with its > appropriations. :-( > > Kenyon F. Karl > Webmaster_@_new-england-public-transit.org > http://www.new-england-public-transit.org > > -----Original Message----- > From: NARP [mailto:narp_@_narprail.org] > Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 4:47 PM > To: NARP > Subject: Time for U.S. Commitment to Rail > > > To all NARP members, February 1, 2002-- > > The following is a news release from NARP. > > --Ross B. Capon, Executive Director > > For Immediate Release > Friday, February 1, 2002 - #02-03 > > Today, Amtrak President & CEO George D. Warrington announced the layoff > of 1,000 employees (700 agreement; 300 non-agreement), reduced staffing > hours at 73 stations, and a number of other actions aimed at enabling > Amtrak to make it to September 30, the end of the fiscal year. > > He said Amtrak needs a $1.2 billion appropriation for FY 2003 in order > to avoid "substantial route cuts" on October 1. He told a news > conference that a $521 million appropriation would mean only the > Northeast Corridor "would have an opportunity to run." He indicated > plans to post the legally required six months' advance notice of > discontinuance on March 28 for all long-distance trains, to prepare for > the possibility that Congress would not provide the needed funds. > > The National Association of Railroad Passengers strongly believes that > the existing system is "skeletal," (to use Warrington's own words) and > should be continued in its entirety. We believe that the general public > -- particularly since September 11 -- agrees with the importance of > maintaining and improving our national passenger rail network, > especially through cooperative federal/state investment in > short-distance corridors around the nation. In December, for example, > passenger-miles on Amtrak rose 3.8% while domestic aviation fell 13.2%. > (On Amtrak's sleeping cars, passenger-miles rose 7% and revenues rose > 13%.) > > The federal government this year will spend $33 billion on highways, $13 > billion on aviation, but only $570 million on intercity passenger rail. > Moreover, the federal government offers 80% matches to encourage states > to focus their investments on highways and aviation. Federal matches to > support state investments for intercity passenger rail are virtually > non-existent. > > This "anti-rail" funding bias has helped put Amtrak in its present > situation. At best, Amtrak's clear statement today may be a step toward > ending the anti-rail bias in federal funding policy. It is painful to > see valued employees laid off in a business that should be growing, but > we understand Amtrak's decision not to seek a supplemental > appropriation. Such an effort would be time-consuming, with no assurance > of success, and would be a distraction from the central issue before the > public: the long-term future of a connected, intercity passenger rail > network. > > Two things should be clear regarding elimination of the long-distance > network: > > * It would be a decision "for all time" and virtually impossible to > reverse in a later, more enlightened era, and > > * The result would increase the cost of operating state-supported > short-distance trains, which no longer would share facility costs -- or > connecting passenger revenues -- with long-distance trains. > > # # # > > ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #276 ******************************* From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <006601c1ad33$ba096600$5a4f9a40_@_paul> Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2002 23:23:38 -0500 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: (rshsdepot) Manhattan belt way freight subway & H&M extension to Communipaw... I found two more projects never done, from 1908, unfortunately there were no maps so I didn't make copies (That decade's NY Times was low on use of graphics, I might look up other papers from then for maps) One project was for a belt line freight subway around Manhattan... The second I have a hard time understanding why it didn't happen. McAdoo I think, announced that the H&M being built to lower Manhattan, to Church Street, would have an extension from Exchange Place to the CNJ terminal in Communipaw, it said tunneling would soon start...What happened to this plan, it sounded certain it was going to happen??? Paul ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #277 ******************************* From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <001301c1ad6e$406bd0e0$49f82444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2002 06:22:37 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Panama City, FL Railroad's arrival transformed Panama City (Editor's note: This is the first of two articles on the Bay Line Railroad and its depot in Panama City.) Photos: http://www.geocities.com/~ronkohlin/bayline/panamacitydepot-2.jpg http://www.geocities.com/~ronkohlin/bayline/panamacitydepot-3.jpg http://www.asab.info/pcstatn.html (1993) MARLENE WOMACK Contributing Writer - The News Herald Through the years, the Bay Line Depot has seen it all: excursionists coming to Panama City to visit Lands End, Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt arriving for a winter stay in St. Andrews, George C. Patton's troops parading and demonstrating equipment in Panama City, servicemen leaving during World War II and hurricanes washing away tracks. Now the building stands vacant and alone as preservationists attempt to save this old landmark, deeply woven in Bay County history. THE ATLANTA & ST. ANDREWS BAY RAILWAY Railroads had been chartered and promised to residents living along St. Andrew Bay since the 1880s. The Louisville & Nashville was completed from Pensacola to River Junction (Chattahoochee) in 1883. After having east-west travel available across the state, people looked forward to a railroad running south from the L&N that would provide passenger service and a faster way for shipping fish, naval stores and other products. A.B. Steele, owner of Georgia's Enterprise Lumber Co., visited St. Andrew Bay in 1904 and was impressed with the potential this section held as a seaport, especially with the Panama Canal under construction at that time. Steele's timber holdings in Pitts and Worth, Ga., were exhausted, and he attempted to purchase large tracts in this area but could not make the transactions. In need of new forest land, he began investing in timber south of Dothan, Ala., and extended his lumber company into that area. On June 23, 1905, he signed a contract to build a 30-mile railway between Dothan and Cottondale. At the same time, Steele continued trying to buy property to the south so he could extend his railroad to the bay. He also planned to eventually bring the rail line north to Atlanta. Two years after his first visit to the bay, Steele found landowners more receptive to his plans. Although shown property at Long Point, Dyers Point and other locations, Steele selected Harrison, which G.M. West of the Gulf Coast Development Co. was busy promoting with R.L. McKenzie and A.J. Gay. On Feb. 16, 1906, Steele signed a contract with them, incorporated under the laws of Alabama, to build the Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay Railway with Harrison as its terminal. Steele drew a straight line from Chicago to the Panama Canal and noticed that it passed directly over Harrison, so he renamed the town Panama City for the connection he hoped exporters would use to the canal. THE RAILROAD REACHES PANAMA CITY After a number of obstacles that involved the L&N not wanting the A.& St.A.B.R.W. to pass over its tracks, the financial panic of 1907 and severe bouts with heavy rain, Steele finally brought the first passenger train into Panama City over his 82 mile line on June 29, 1908. Blaring whistles and horns from mills and boats announced the arrival of 250 travelers who alighted from the cars to a wooden platform. From that point, they plodded their way through the deep sand to awaiting wagons and boats. Others trudged to wooden boardwalks that led to nearby hotels around Harrison Avenue. But financial problems plagued Steele. In order to complete his railroad, he borrowed funds from his friend, Asa Candler, Coca-Cola's founder, in Atlanta. When Steele died, Candler permitted Steele's son and daughter, Ben and Mrs. Alice S. Powers, to purchase the railroad from him. But when they encountered more financial difficulties, they sold it to Minor C. Keith, a successful railroad builder in Costa Rica. Mid-July found workmen filling in sand and driving rows of pilings for a 50-foot-wide dock that would permit trains to stop at the depot then pull over the water to load and unload shipments from awaiting boats and larger vessels. When completed, the depot was typical of its day with separate waiting rooms and ticket windows for blacks and whites. It also contained a baggage express room, storage area and offices. THE PINES HOTEL In 1910, the A.& St. A.B.R.W. constructed the building that would become part of the Pines Hotel, south of what is now Sixth Street and Beach Drive, facing the bay. At first, railroad officials used this $59,000 structure as a clubhouse, naming it "The Pines" for the large stand of pines that had once stood in this location. Then in 1919, the railroad enlarged and remodeled the small hotel, installing lights, heat and plumbing at a cost of about $70,000. By the time renovations were completed, The Pines ranked as Panama City's largest hotel. It looked similar to the big hotels that lined Florida's East Coast and featured 48 rooms; wide, spacious porches with rocking chairs; and gorgeous views of the bay, especially at dawn and dusk. The modernized hotel also drew raves with its large, cool dining room and screened verandah, a tile-floored kitchen containing big refrigerators, a fountain with goldfish in the courtyard and a bandstand surrounded by shrubs, trees and carefully tended lawns. A walkway led to the beach and dock. The Pines specialized in seafood and was "the place to go" in the early 1920s. In its advertisements, the hotel promoted the healing powers of the resinous pines and the advantages of inhaling pure sea air. Travelers rode the train south, then spent their vacations at The Pines. The hotel also played host to Christmas balls, dances, banquets, parties and meetings until the construction of the Cove and Dixie Sherman hotels in the late 1920s. Both The Pines and the old depot stood on property now covered by oil tanks. The ownership of the hotel was questioned in 1921, however, since remodeling costs appeared to be draining railroad funds. In a hearing, it was stated that the railroad received the land specifically for construction of terminal tracks, shops, docks, etc. - but not a hotel. In reply, representatives of the A. & St.A.B.R.W. explained that it was not the railroad but the St. Andrews Bay Lumber Co., headed by W.C. Sherman, that refurbished The Pines. Keith, owner of the railroad, had business connections with Sherman, who headed the lumber company. THE DEPOT FIRE Most large buildings were constructed of wood in the early 1900s. Fires were not unusual in Panama City and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast. Many blazes started with sparks from chimneys, flues and locomotive smokestacks. Others remained a mystery. A few even whispered that some of these fires of unknown origins were started for the insurance proceeds. About 9 p.m. on Jan. 7, 1924, a fisherman at Bryan's fish house, below the depot, discovered fire coming from the second story at the south end of the building. He ran to his boss who turned in the alarm. The flames in the dry, pitch-pine building advanced quickly, breaking through the roof. Soon, fire engulfed the whole length of the structure, giving off tremendous heat. By the time firefighters arrived, the entire inside of the depot was a mass of flames. The firemen immediately encountered problems because the 6-inch main in the street would not supply enough water. More time was lost when the hose had to be cut so the engine could haul away rail cars standing south of the platform that were in danger of catching fire. In the meantime, curious crowds gathered as huge flames shot high in the air, illuminating the sky for miles. Once the fire truck was able to park on the cleared dock and pump directly from the bay, two powerful 80-foot-long streams of salt water poured from the hoses and helped extinguish the blaze. (Next week: Rebuilding the Depot and the Pine Hotel fire.) ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <001901c1ad71$0a3f12e0$49f82444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2002 06:42:34 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Bay City, MI NOTE: There are two articles copied below. Photos: http://www.downtownbaycity.com/award/award7.jpg http://www.judnick.com/images/Michigan_BayCity_PereMarquetteStation_small.jp g (small postcard image) Sleeping beauty Pere Marquette needs renovator's kiss to awaken from decades of disuse Sunday, February 3, 2002 By Rob Clark Times Business Editor Walking through the former Pere Marquette Railroad Depot in Bay City, one can't help but wonder what the building looked like during its heyday. And it's hard not to imagine how beautiful the building could be again. Everywhere you look, there are remnants of charming touches that make the structure unique: Like the few spindles that remain on the giant curved balustrade leading to the second floor; the double row of ornamental molding that lines the ceiling; or the Chromalox thermostats that were manufactured by the Edwin L. Wiegand Co., an electric heating business founded in 1917. And then reality sets in as a thick coat of paint chips and bird droppings crunch beneath your feet and you navigate around dozens of bird carcasses scattered throughout the building. With the windows boarded up, only minimal light shines on the signs of deterioration, like gaping gashes in the walls where pipes have been exposed, a giant mound of paving bricks that once served as a chimney and stained panels filling up nonoriginal drop ceilings. It has been decades since the building was last occupied by businesses and organizations like the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, Bay City Realty & Construction Co., United Steelworkers AFL/CIO and the Soil Conservation Service. A directory of their office locations remains stenciled into a wall on the second floor of the building and some of their record books are still piled around. Cosmetically speaking, time has taken its toll on the historic building. But structurally, the building is in good shape, according to Randy L. Case, an architect for Architecture + Design of Battle Creek. Case prepared a renovation estimate in 1997 for Clara's Restaurant Group of Lansing, which had planned to restore the depot to its original brilliance and open a restaurant. Clara's still owns the building, but is now trying to sell it for $395,000. "The building is very sound, especially the outer shell," Case said. "One of the things we did was look at areas of the building that needed to be shored up and then got those areas stabilized." Built in 1904, the depot was last used in 1969 by the Greyhound Bus Co. In June 1980 it was placed on the State Register of Historic Sites and in April 1982 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The construction of the 12,000-square-foot depot building reflects the dominant role railroads played as Bay City evolved from a lumber-based economy to an industrial-based economy at the turn of the century. The Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad came to Bay City in 1867 after purchasing the local Bay City and East Saginaw Railroad Co. from its local founders: land speculator and merchant A.S. Munger, Circuit Court Judge and former Lieutenant Gov. James Birney and James Fraser, manager of the Saginaw Bay Lumber Co. As the city diversified in the wake of the decline of the lumber industry, the railroad played a significant role in keeping Bay City's new products available to its markets. The construction of the new depot represented the success of that effort. The depot is a rectangular, two-story, red brick building with limestone trim and a foundation of random ashlar fieldstone. Brick piers capped with limestone separate the second-story windows on the extended entry bay and a limestone bandcourse separates the first and second floor levels. Dormers project out from the hipped roof and the first floor displays arched doors and windows and a three-sided bay. The fact that the depot's structure is sound is an important factor, according to Bryan Lijewski, architectural coordinator for the State Historic Preservation Office in Lansing. "There are different degrees of deterioration," Lijewski said. "You have to look past what you immediately see and look closely at the structure. You must determine if the structure has major deficiencies or if the problems are more cosmetic in nature. "Thirty-two years is a long time to sit vacant, but a building could sit for five years and have more major problems," Lijewski said. "Extreme deterioration is caused by leaky roofs, sinking foundations and excessive water damage. This could happen over a 32-year span, but it could also happen in one year." Case said the depot property shows no signs of such deterioration. "There was one area of concern on the second floor that was added over the first floor. It had a few spots where it wasn't solid, but that could be easily fixed and has little to do with the structure," Case said. "A building could be mothballed for many years and do just fine if the foundations and footings are solid and that's the case with this building." Even with a solid foundation, renovating the depot would mean a substantial investment. Case's grand total for the proposed Clara's renovations came in at more than $1.8 million in 1997. Gordon L. Hollister, owner of Hollister Realtors, 701 E. Vermont St., the company marketing the property, said he thinks it will cost the next owner between $1.4 million and $2.8 million to renovate the building. "It really depends on how the building is used and how much you want to do in terms of renovations, but that's a pretty good ballpark figure," Hollister said. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Old railroad depot tracks little interest Sunday, February 3, 2002 By Rob Clark Times Business Editor The former Pere Marquette Railroad Depot in downtown Bay City has a rich history, but its future is in question. Waning interest in the deteriorating property and a sale price well above the assessed value could stand in the way of the historic building ever being a viable part of the city again. "There really isn't anything that Bay City needs that would fit into that building," said Thomas L. Starkweather, vice president of the Bay City Economic Development Corp. "We have adequate office space; plenty of shopping space; ample restaurants; and enough apartments." In recent years, it has been suggested that the depot be used as a home for the local bus company, county governmental offices, a restaurant, retail space, a museum and even the central headquarters of the Bay County Library System. The 98-year-old depot is owned by Clara's Restaurant Group of Lansing, which is offering the property for $395,000. The property was assessed at $139,000 last year, giving it a cash value of about $278,000, according to the Bay City Assessor's Office. Annual taxes are about $8,900, according to the Bay County Treasurer's Office. "I think a key issue is ensuring that the sale price is more realistic. It is overpriced right now. It isn't worth close to $395,000," said Thomas L. Hickner, Bay County executive. "That is potentially a barrier to getting something done." Clara's owner Ross Simpson, who bought the building for about $200,000 in 1997, said he's not willing to do much negotiating on the sale price. At one time, Clara's had planned to convert the depot into a restaurant. A $1.8 million renovation of the building was drawn up, but never came to fruition because Clara's suffered a tremendous financial loss when a delicatessen the company opened in Battle Creek went belly up. "We are retrenching after our deli failure and we could use the cash," said Simpson. "We want to sell the depot, but would still be interested in leasing the property if another developer came in and put up the money for renovations." Clara's has no plans to develop the property, Simpson added. There are at least two private developers from Michigan who have expressed interest in buying the building since it went on the market last year, according to Matthew M. Kowalski, a real-estate agent for Hollister Realtors, 701 E. Vermont St., Bay City. Kowalski, who is working to sell the depot, would not name the prospects. "Someone needs to take this building over before it gets too far gone," Kowalski said. "Right now, it's structurally sound, but it won't last forever." One organization that is not interested in the property is the Bay County Library System. Its sights are set on building a $15 million, three-story Central Library across from the Bay County Building in downtown Bay City. "We aren't going to build on the train depot site," said Linda R. Heemstra, director of the Bay County Library System. "The library board has made a definite commitment to the property across from the County Building ... and has asked the (Bay County) Building Authority to proceed with seeking purchase agreements and a purchase offer on those properties. "That's about as strong a commitment as we can make," Heemstra said. It's been more than 32 years since the Greyhound Bus Co. left the former depot, which sits on 412 acres of land roughly bordered by Boutell Place, Fifth, Adams and Third streets. The building has been vacant since. The depot was built in 1904. During its heyday, more than 10 trains a week rolled into the station, transporting passengers as far north as Canada and as far south as Toledo. It had fallen into disrepair by 1953 and was damaged by fire in 1980, the same year it was placed on the State Register of Historic Sites. In April 1982 the depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This status, however, does nothing to protect the building from demolition, said Bryan Lijewski, architectural coordinator for the State Historic Preservation Office in Lansing. "Someone could purchase the building and knock it down using their own money. We'd hate to see that, but there's nothing we could do about it," Lijewski said. Lijewski said a federal tax incentive program would allow a new owner to rehabilitate the building and claim a 20 percent federal tax credit. That's the same program the owners of Hereford & Hops Restaurant and Brewpub took advantage of in renovating their historic site on Midland Street in Bay City. "This program exists to serve as incentive for owners of historic buildings not to knock them down," Lijewski said. County Executive Hickner believes the building is best suited for offices. He'd like to see a group of county, city, economic development and downtown development leaders formed to discuss the future of the depot. Hickner foresees a future in which different entities would fund a three-phase renovation project - to fix up the building's exterior, interior and surrounding land. He thinks it would cost between $1.6 million and $2 million. "Knocking it down is an option, but they just aren't making buildings like this anymore," Hickner said. "I'm not a big fan of tearing down historic buildings." Neither is Bay City Manager James M. Palenick. He said he'd be happy to be a part of a discussion about the depot, but thinks nothing can be accomplished unless the sale price comes down. "I don't think most people would like to see the building knocked down, but, at the end of the day, if you can't make ends meet, that may be what you have to talk about," Palenick said. "You have to get the depot back into use to save it, but it has a price that is too high and unrealistic. There is no incentive for a developer to buy it." ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002101c1ad72$921f8220$49f82444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2002 06:53:32 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Kiosk restorations highlight MBTA's history Photo available with original story: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/034/metro/Kiosk_restorations_highlight_MBT A_s_history+.shtml Kiosk restorations highlight MBTA's history By Mac Daniel, Globe Staff, 2/3/2002 Boston Globe And now a short pause from the mayhem of mass transit and local roads for a little transit history. We live in and around a town so full of the past that we tend to overlook it. So late last month, after four of Boston's historic but overlooked transit gems got quiet facelifts, we thought it was worth a little history lesson. When Boston opened the nation's first subway on Sept. 1, 1897, the Park Street and Boylston Street ''kiosks'' or ''headhouses'' were its above-ground symbols, portals to this wonderful new underground world that changed the way city residents got around. One hundred and four years later, the MBTA has just completed a yearlong restoration effort to the four kiosks - subtle repairs and new copper-clad skylights to channel more natural light down below. Gone is the bird-pooped wire glass, the graffiti and wooden eyesores, such as the plywood covering broken windows and doors. The project cost $1.92 million, 80 percent funded by a federal grant. Paint was removed from the interior's Deer Isle granite. Wooden window-frames were replaced or added. These were never grand structures. The original eight kiosks, four of which were razed over the years, were designed to blend into the natural background of Boston Common. Some had no doors. But after residents in the 1960s complained that two of Park Street station's boxy headhouses were boring, they were removed. According to a narrative history from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, ''The austere, neo-classical structures were criticized by the public for their mausoleum-like appearance.'' They were designed by the famous Boston architectural firm of Wheelwright & Haven and built by the Norcross Brothers, who were also responsible for erecting the New York Public Library, the Rhode Island State House, South Station, and the Custom House Tower. The kiosks have since been designated as National Historic landmarks, City of Boston landmarks, and National Civil Engineering landmarks. Down below, the present is catching up with the past as construction continues at Park Street to raise the east and westbound platforms eight inches to accommodate new low-floor Green Line trains. The project also will add upgraded warning strips along the edge of the platform while ensuring that fare lines are accessible to all. Work began on Jan. 7 and is expected to continue until November. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002701c1ad73$524b5ec0$49f82444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2002 06:58:54 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Down at the 21st-century train depot Down at the 21st-century train depot Glass and light have become new aesthetic of terminal design By F.n. D'alessio ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO, Feb. 4 - Train stations, in old black-and-white movies, had a gloomy - and sometimes gritty - glamour. But things are changing down at the depot, and a new exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago aspires to show how the 19th-century world of trains and railroad stations is being transformed in the 21st. In old movies, the vast waiting rooms upstairs always seemed dimly lighted, and their vaulted ceilings dwarfed the passengers, making them as anonymous as ants. A deeper darkness reigned downstairs at the platforms, with their steel pillars and swirls of steam. The stations were perfect sets for tearful farewells and furtive romances. But it's hard to imagine trysts at the stations depicted at the Art Institute, unless they involve folks like Han Solo and Princess Leia. Many of the featured stations - all designed since 1990 - are places of glass and light. They are as streamlined as the high-speed trains they are designed to accommodate. The exhibit, "Modern Trains and Splendid Stations: Architecture and Design for the 21st Century," features sketches, photographs and models of both the stations and the trains. It was designed and installed by David Childs and Marilyn Taylor of the New York office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, who are the lead designers of the new Penn Station project in New York. EUROPEAN, ASIAN INFLUENCES The exhibit is supported by Amtrak and features a large-scale model of the Acela Express, the passenger rail agency's new train. But a stroll through the exhibit hall quickly convinces the visitor that Europe and Asia may have more to say than America about the future of passenger rail. Nineteen European train stations are depicted, and eight from Japan, China and Singapore, while only four American projects are on display. There are also models or pictures of 13 European high-speed trains, including an experimental German Maglev (magnetic levitation) prototype that floats above the track on an electromagnetic "cushion." Besides the Acela, the only American train on display is the Spanish-designed Amtrak Cascades, which sports "tail fins" reminiscent of a 1956 Buick. Writer and passenger rail advocate F.K. Plous, who attended the exhibit's opening, noted that not even the Acela can make much of a claim at being truly American. "The locomotive has a French-built power unit and the coaches are based on a 25-year-old Canadian design," Plous said. "It's pretty clear, going through this exhibit, that overseas railroad and station technology has moved into areas that most Americans are not even aware of. Maybe for the first time in recent history, America is not a technological leader." MILLIONS OF TRAVELERS The new trains require specially constructed tracks to travel at optimum speed, which presents a knotty design challenge for architects when they integrate all existing transportation lines into their terminal designs. For example, Meinhard von Gerkan's design for Berlin's Lehrter Station puts the high-speed and local trains on elevated tracks, while it funnels cars, pedestrians and buses through at street level and allows access to a subway station below ground. The station is covered by a 1,400-foot-long glass barrel vault that cuts through two rectangular buildings housing retail space, service facilities and a hotel. A multilevel glassed-in concourse cuts through at another angle, forming a gigantic "X." The station is designed to accommodate 30 million travelers and commuters a year when it opens in 2006. The planned Arnhem Central Station in the Netherlands, another multiuse facility, is meant to handle more than 22 million people yearly, beginning in 2007. Its designers are using a series of organically inspired curves and folds to channel those crowds to their destinations. Santiago Calatrava's Orient Station in Lisbon, Portugal, completed in 1998, serves high-speed and local trains, a subway, trams and buses. From a distance, its glass-and-steel platform canopies are said to resemble a palm grove. But Germany's Frankfurt Airport ICE Railway Station, built in 2000, looks a bit like a mechanical millipede. INCORPORATING EXISTING STRUCTURES Two of the depicted projects, Childs' and Taylor's Penn Station and Ingenhoven, Overdiek and Partners' design for the Stuttgart Main Station in Germany, incorporate existing structures. Both are scheduled for completion in 2008, and both offer window views of the platforms from directly overhead. In Stuttgart, a glass dome will adjoin the old station hall and a new park will be built over the platform, with ground-level "portholes" looking down. The New York project will include the shell of the existing Farley Post Office and a 150-foot-high glass and nickel skylight over the main entrance and ticket booths. The underground platforms will be visible through windows in the concourse floor. Some of the design is meant to echo Stanford White's monumental old Penn Station, which was demolished in the 1960s and used as landfill in New Jersey. The exhibit will be on display through July 28. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <006901c1ad87$ff19b6b0$df8d6ca5_@_itochu.com> Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2002 09:26:55 -0500 From: "Jim Dent" Subject: (rshsdepot) New Book About DL&W's Syracuse Division From the NYS&W list... - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Robb" To: Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2002 9:47 PM Subject: NYSW List - New Book About DL&W's Syracuse Division Picked up a copy of the just-released "Scenes Along The Rails - The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Syracuse Division" at the Springfield train show today. It's written by John W. Hudson, II and Suzanne C. Hudson. (Depot Square Publishing) I haven't had a chance to read all of it (obviously) but anyone interested in the NYSW's present-day Northern Division should enjoy the numerous black & white historic photos of the line and its structures as well as the generous and informative captions and several pages of the line's history. I hope they do another one about the Utica side! Eric (I have No connection with the authors or publisher. Just thought folks might be interested.) ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <002701c1ad73$524b5ec0$49f82444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2002 12:04:52 -0600 (CST) From: Andy Ingraham Dwyer Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Down at the 21st-century train depot On Mon, 4 Feb 2002, Bernie Wagenblast wrote: > The exhibit, "Modern Trains and Splendid Stations: Architecture and > Design for the 21st Century," features sketches, photographs and models of > both the stations and the trains. It was designed and installed by David > Childs and Marilyn Taylor of the New York office of Skidmore, Owings & > Merrill, who are the lead designers of the new Penn Station project in New > York. [...] > The exhibit will be on display through July 28. For those of you who might not make it to Chicago to view the exhibit, there is a coffee table book of the same name that covers much of the same material. It's as glossy and glassy as you'd expect. - -Andy - -- My .sig is an honor student at Crestview Elementary. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <007a01c1adbf$9bcf56e0$49f82444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2002 16:05:00 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Portland, ME Revived railroad carries memories for black Mainers By C. KALIMAH REDD, Portland Press Herald Writer Charles "Eddie" Cummings was a stickler for time. To him, 6:04 meant something. If you were late for your shift at Portland's Union Station, you were sent home. Leslie "Tate" Cummings was a people person. He used his gregarious personality to run a business selling coffee, muffins and doughnuts to workers at the railroad offices. Eugene "Gene" Cummings was the politician. He sometimes aided Portland police, serving as the eyes and ears for the station. Memories of these men - now deceased - swirled in the mind of Leonard Cummings, a son of Eugene, the morning of Dec. 14 when he boarded the inaugural run of the Downeaster - the first passenger railroad service to travel between Portland and Boston in 37 years. All three men, who were African-American, were employed by the Maine Central Railroad at Union Station in the early 20th century as luggage handlers or "redcaps." Cummings, 67, worried that the rich history of these men and other black people who gave much of their lives to working in Maine's railroad system would be overlooked in the excitement of the railroad's return. "That's why I had to go," Cummings said. "Maine has a black history that has to be told." As many as a dozen workers carried bags, cleaned bathrooms or cooked for passengers traveling into and out of Union Station before it was torn down the morning of Aug. 31, 1961. Many of these people, like the Cummings brothers, were related and settled in the Portland area from Massachusetts or Canada. Portland was considered a safe and affordable place to raise a family. Many of the railroad employees at Union Station lived on nearby A Street. When the station was completed in 1888, the nation was caught up in a period of rapid change. As part of the Industrial Revolution, a national railway system was emerging and knitting the country together. To service these trains and stations, railways commissioned a legion of recently freed slaves, who had skills in manual labor in fields or factories, or domestic skills such as cleaning, cooking and serving. One railway known as the Pullman Sleeping Car Co. began to employ exclusively blacks. The system was said to retain the racial infrastructure in a manner that was acceptable to the general public. The Maine Central Railroad and other rail services in Maine reflected this national trend. About six redcaps, a term used to describe their apple-red hats, worked the Boston-Maine Flying Yankee and Hemlock services. Work as a redcap was one of the few job opportunities for blacks in Portland, where steady employment was very limited. But there was virtually no chance for advancement. Eddie Cummings rose no higher than the rank of redcap captain even after 50 years of service. "Although he could have been whatever he wanted, he made the best of it with what was available for him," Cummings said. Professional career opportunities around Portland were virtually nonexistent. Cummings recalled a relative who was a pharmacist coming to Portland to look for work. No one would hire him, so he too became a redcap. "It was somewhat left to black people that (service railroad jobs) were their position," said Gerald Talbot, prominent local black historian, "but for black people to hold that position and to be respectable and cordial and kind. To be personable and to be the best they could be, they brought dignity to it." Indeed. Wayne Davis, head of the Trainriders/Northeast, said as a child traveling along the train system, he remembers the redcaps as "most attentive, polite and well-spoken." "I can bet there are a lot of people who entrusted their kids to these car attendants," he said. Though the redcaps worked for tips and were not salaried until 1938, Portland redcaps managed to earn a living with the income from their railroad work and other side businesses. The majority owned their own homes and trucks. Eddie Cummings put six of his seven children through college. Nationally, African-Americans working in the train industry formed the first black labor union in 1925, shortly before the number of black porters peaked at 20,224. Known as the Brotherhood of Pullman Sleeping Car Porters, the group was led by A. Philip Randolph. The union made several demands, including an end to tipping, a raise in salary to $150 a month, fair pay for overtime, a work reduction from 400 to 240 hours a month, and scheduled time to sleep - four hours the first night of their weeks and six hours the following nights. When the redcaps who worked for companies other than Pullman formed their own union in 1938 with help from the Pullman porters organization, they achieved salaries and shift schedules for the first time. Tim Wilson, who directs the Seeds of Peace Camp in Otisfield, compared the brotherhood porters to the underground railroad because of the national network of opportunity the porters provided for newly freed slaves in the South. "They would go back and say, 'There is a new hotel being built in New York,' " Wilson said. "They would get relatives and made sure that they got there." Wilson's grandfather, Andrew Mobley, worked as a porter and was one of the original members of the Pullman porters union. He traveled the country on a route from Charleston, S.C., to Baltimore to Washington. Occasionally, he would ride to Pittsburgh to visit Wilson and his family. There, Mobley would carry him atop his tall shoulders and give him horse rides on his spit-shined black boots. He worked from 1898 to 1948. The service these porters and redcaps provided was extraordinary. Over the years, Eddie Cummings met and served thousands of celebrity travelers. "They would call ahead and say, 'Eddie, take care of me,' " Leonard Cummings said. Among them were President Herbert Hoover, Eleanor Roosevelt, pianist Ignace Paderewski and diva Ernestine Schumann-Heink. His friends included politician Edmund Muskie and heavyweight champion Gene Tunney. After the closing of Union Station, Eddie Cummings and the rest of the redcaps turned to the nation's newest mode of transportation and become skycaps, handling luggage at Portland International Jetport. Cummings said many young people know little about the contributions of these individuals. His wife, Mary Jane, said the legacy of the redcaps needs to be preserved. "It's our responsibility to tell this story and to remind young people of what our parents went through and how we got to where we are now," she said. ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #278 ******************************* From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000701c1ae78$a02e9340$16fc2444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2002 14:08:44 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Everett, WA Editorial from The Daily Herald Everett Station shows city history and future Maybe King County Executive Ron Sims was stroking Everett's ego Monday at the Everett Station's ribbon-cutting ceremony when he told the large crowd, "It's quite an enviable facility that I would love to see in King County." Whatever his motive, he was right on the mark. It is an outstanding place. And its significance and impact reaches far beyond mere transportation -- as if that wouldn't be enough in our growing area. The station combines transportation needs with higher education and workforce training. The three-pronged facility is setting an example throughout the state and country of how to build partnerships in financing and use of such structures. Finally, trains, buses, shuttles and bicycles, and the people who use them, all have one place to congregate. The buses were already passing through Monday as people toured the building. And Amtrak is expected to have its intercity rail service soon. Now, if we could just get Sounder Commuter Rail here, we'd be set. We look forward to watching Sims, who is also the Sound Transit board chair, work on getting Sounder here no later than Fall 2003 and possibly earlier. Sims is a picture of determination when he says he wants to see things accomplished quickly, so we'll expect to see that come to fruition. The station is also an example of combining naturally the past, present and future. The modern architecture perfectly houses historical murals and new artwork that serve as history and geography lessons of our area. Indeed, the floor of the station, called the Waterways Map, depicts the bay area, estuary rivers and streams of our landscape. You don't need to have travel plans to visit this landmark. It's a destination point in its own right. All the transportation, education, government and financing partners in this project deserve praise for their cooperation. Faith in the ability of our officials, elected or otherwise, to accomplish major projects on time and on budget is pretty weak right now. So, the Everett Station will also stand out as a standard for other projects throughout our state. If you've lived in the area for a long time, you might find yourself visiting the station with a twinge of surprise, possibly disbelief. No matter how loyal you are, you can't help but think to yourself, "I can't believe Everett has something this fantastic." Our area is full of exciting projects right now -- some private and some through the city. Whether it's a new events center, an overpass or creative new housing options, we're finally making some long-needed improvements to keep and bring people here. It appears Everett is finally reaching its potential. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <005601c1ae93$30f877a0$16fc2444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2002 17:19:33 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Poplar Bluff, MO Some progress in effort to save train station POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (AP) -- An effort to save an old train station in this southeast town is slowly making progress. The old Union Pacific Railroad Depot in downtown Poplar Bluff has sat unused for several years except for a room that serves as a waiting room for Amtrak passengers. The waiting area had been unsafe and unsightly until about a year ago, when the Committee to Save and Restore the Poplar Bluff Historic Train Depot began volunteering to clean and maintain it with the help of Union Pacific employees and Amtrak. "We're beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel," said Dennis Glaze, chairman of the committee. Glaze said that as soon as the committee receives a 501-3 tax designation, Union Pacific will deed to the committee the depot, its land and the historic steps behind the depot that lead to Main Street ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <008d01c1aeb1$794cb840$4bddd23f_@_paul> Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 20:54:43 -0500 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: (rshsdepot) Subway School NY Times Metro section, December 11, 2001 Tunnel Vision column by Randy Kennedy "Unexpected Denizens of a Subway Station" The following are not the kinds of things you typically find at a subway station: A poster warning that pinkeye might be going around. A nice woman handing out apple juice. A group of Brooklynites sitting on the ground in a circle, singing, "The more we get together, the happier we will be!" But if you go to the Prospect Park station on the Q line in Brooklyn, and if you choose the wrong door, you may find these things just about any weekday morning, along with even more unusual sights. For example, if you had been there yesterday morning, you could have seen a Brooklynite named Colin Hamingson staring thoughtfully out a window at a subway train, and then, in a kind of experimental gesture, licking the window. "I like the subway," he said. It is highly unlikely that you will walk through the wrong door at the station. The people behind it have put an electronic lock on it, and a second door behind it with a second lock, because as much as they do not want random people wandering in, they want even less to have the people inside wandering out and onto the subway. That is because many of the people inside are just learning how to say "subway." Some wear diapers. None of them have Metrocards. They are charges of the Maple Street School, a 25-year old nursery school that moved in September into an old retail space that is part of the station. making it probably the only subway-station nursery school in the country. In the process, the school placed two of the biggest worries of many New Yorkers--commuting and child care--in close proximity in a daring effort to ease both. The above-ground subway station is on the other side of a thick wall and so it is not easy, once inside the school, to tell you that you are still, technically, in the subway. There are reminders, though. In a fire stairway, there is a patch of the original tile work from the station, circa 1905. Sometimes you can hear the roar of the train, even over the roar of 40 toddlers. As in the subway, there is a smattering of graffiti, though in the school it is in crayon. But undoubtedly the best connection to the subway is in the upstairs rear of the school, where a small window allows one to gaze right down onto the open-air subway tracks. For an urban child of a certain age, this window is better than television and almost as good as chocolate. "Of the littlest kids are crying, it's one of the things we do," said Wendy Cole, the school's director and a teacher. "We put them up there on the table so they can look out. I have one little girl it works like magic for. She's transfixed." So were Colin Hamingson, 3, and his friends, Cameron Gipson, 3, and Marko Read, 4, yesterday morning. They were side by side at the window, like a panel of experts, closely studying a motionless Franklin Avenue Shuttle train on a storage track. Marko Read, speaking for the group, reported, "It's broke, I think." The parents who run the Maple Street School as a cooperative had always hoped they could move their school closer to the subway. They never expected it to be quite this close. Ultimately, they chose the site because it was close to Prospect Park and because the appendage to the station had 2,800 relatively inexpensive square feet in which to relocate their school, which has migrated over the years from Midwood Street to Lincoln Road to Maple Street to Nostrand Avenue, outgrowing each location. Had the parents known what lay ahead in turning part of an almost century-old subway station into a school, they probably would not have done it, said Kendall Christiansen, board chairman of the school. The space abandoned for five years, looked like the subway had run through it. "As I like to say, it was well ventilated and hydrated," Mr. Christiansen said. There were traces of toxic solvent, left as a kind of parting gift by a former tenant, a dry cleaner. There was the mighty bureaucracy of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to negotiate. There were the grants to cobble together, the locks to install to calm parents worried about their children riding the Q train prematurely. Four years and $850,000 later, the parents can be forgiven for feeling as if their school will never quite be finished. The other day, Mr. Christiansen was conducting a tour when Sarah Prud'homme, a mother of two, entered. "There's this guy outside," she reported, "some kind of a roofer, who says he wants to get paid. Despite the renovation blues, though, the parents seem to be exceedingly proud of their pioneering subway school. The children, for their part, take it much more in stride. "Of course I go to school in a subway," Ayla Safran, who said she was 4=BE. declared. "That's where people go to school." ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <001a01c1aeb5$60460640$LocalHost_@_paul> Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 21:22:59 -0500 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: (rshsdepot) Subway Station with picture NOTE: This message had contained at least one image attachment. To view or download the image(s), click on or cut and paste the following URL into your web browser and click/select the index or matching subject link. http://www.railfan.net/lists/mplist.cgi?rshsdepot-photo part1 (image/jpeg, 338170 bytes) NY Times Metro section, December 11, 2001 =20 Tunnel Vision column by Randy Kennedy =20 "Unexpected Denizens of a Subway Station" =20 The following are not the kinds of things you typically find at a subway station: =20 A poster warning that pinkeye might be going around. =20 A nice woman handing out apple juice. A group of Brooklynites sitting on the ground in a circle, singing, "The more we get together, the happier we will be!" =20 But if you go to the Prospect Park station on the Q line in Brooklyn, and if you choose the wrong door, you may find these things just about any weekday morning, along with even more unusual sights. =20 For example, if you had been there yesterday morning, you could have seen a Brooklynite named Colin Hamingson staring thoughtfully out a window at a subway train, and then, in a kind of experimental gesture, licking the window. =20 "I like the subway," he said. =20 It is highly unlikely that you will walk through the wrong door at the station. The people behind it have put an electronic lock on it, and a second door behind it with a second lock, because as much as they do not want random people wandering in, they want even less to have the people inside wandering out and onto the subway. =20 That is because many of the people inside are just learning how to say "subway." Some wear diapers. None of them have Metrocards. =20 They are charges of the Maple Street School, a 25-year old nursery school that moved in September into an old retail space that is part of the station. making it probably the only subway-station nursery school in the country. =20 In the process, the school placed two of the biggest worries of many New Yorkers--commuting and child care--in close proximity in a daring effort to ease both. =20 The above-ground subway station is on the other side of a thick wall and so it is not easy, once inside the school, to tell you that you are still, technically, in the subway. =20 There are reminders, though. In a fire stairway, there is a patch of the original tile work from the station, circa 1905. Sometimes you can hear the roar of the train, even over the roar of 40 toddlers. As in the subway, there is a smattering of graffiti, though in the school it is in crayon. =20 But undoubtedly the best connection to the subway is in the upstairs rear of the school, where a small window allows one to gaze right down onto the open-air subway tracks. =20 For an urban child of a certain age, this window is better than television and almost as good as chocolate. =20 "Of the littlest kids are crying, it's one of the things we do," said Wendy Cole, the school's director and a teacher. "We put them up there on the table so they can look out. I have one little girl it works like magic for. She's transfixed." =20 So were Colin Hamingson, 3, and his friends, Cameron Gipson, 3, and Marko Read, 4, yesterday morning. They were side by side at the window, like a panel of experts, closely studying a motionless Franklin Avenue Shuttle train on a storage track. Marko Read, speaking for the group, reported, "It's broke, I think." =20 The parents who run the Maple Street School as a cooperative had always hoped they could move their school closer to the subway. They never expected it to be quite this close. =20 Ultimately, they chose the site because it was close to Prospect Park and because the appendage to the station had 2,800 relatively inexpensive square feet in which to relocate their school, which has migrated over the years from Midwood Street to Lincoln Road to Maple Street to Nostrand Avenue, outgrowing each location. =20 Had the parents known what lay ahead in turning part of an almost century-old subway station into a school, they probably would not have done it, said Kendall Christiansen, board chairman of the school. =20 The space abandoned for five years, looked like the subway had run through it. "As I like to say, it was well ventilated and hydrated," Mr. Christiansen said. =20 There were traces of toxic solvent, left as a kind of parting gift by a former tenant, a dry cleaner. There was the mighty bureaucracy of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to negotiate. There were the grants to cobble together, the locks to install to calm parents worried about their children riding the Q train prematurely. =20 Four years and $850,000 later, the parents can be forgiven for feeling as if their school will never quite be finished. =20 The other day, Mr. Christiansen was conducting a tour when Sarah Prud'homme, a mother of two, entered. "There's this guy outside," she reported, "some kind of a roofer, who says he wants to get paid. =20 Despite the renovation blues, though, the parents seem to be exceedingly proud of their pioneering subway school. The children, for their part, take it much more in stride. =20 "Of course I go to school in a subway," Ayla Safran, who said she was 4=BE. declared. =20 "That's where people go to school." [accompanying picture: "Colin Hamingson, 3, finds hypnotic charm in the trains that pass below his schoolroom window at the Prospect Park subway station."] - ------=_NextPart_001_0016_01C1AE8B.76172500 ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #279 ******************************* From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <001a01c1aeb5$60460640$LocalHost_@_paul> Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 12:16:36 -0500 (EST) From: Blue Moon Network Administrator Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Subway Station with picture On Tue, 5 Feb 2002, Paul S. Luchter wrote: > NOTE: This message had contained at least one image attachment. > To view or download the image(s), click on or cut and paste the following URL into your web browser and click/select the index or matching subject link. > > http://www.railfan.net/lists/mplist.cgi?rshsdepot-photo > > part1 (image/jpeg, 338170 bytes) > > NY Times Metro section, December 11, 2001 > =20 > Tunnel Vision column > by Randy Kennedy > =20 There was no filename extension on the file so it didn't show up in the photo index. I manually renamed it so it is there now. Some mailers allow people to attach images which have no filename I guess. I don't know how or why really as I've never reproduced that situation on my own, but it would be best if images are attached as somename.jpg or somename.gif so they appear in the index without manual fiddling. I modified the extractor program to add .jpg to any image attachment named just "part1", but any additional images which might be attached as part2 or part3 won't be renamed at the moment :( I believe I also got rid of the obnoxious ISO 8859-1 extraneous =20's which keep appearing. Henry J. Henry Priebe Jr. Blue Moon President & Network Administrator root_@_bluemoon.net www.bluemoon.net - Blue Moon Internet Corp V.90, X2 & K56flex www.railfan.net - The Railfan Network ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <3C616B28.1DBBDF6C_@_Qwest.net> References: <000701c1ae78$a02e9340$16fc2444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Wed, 06 Feb 2002 09:43:04 -0800 From: Bob Harbison Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Everett, WA Bernie Wagenblast wrote: > Editorial from The Daily Herald > Everett Station shows city history and future... Here are some photos from the grand opening of the station: http://www.railroadpix.com/rrphotos/Stations_and_Depots/ - -- Bob Harbison - RailroadData.com Webmaster Bob_@_RailroadInfo.Com http://www.RailroadData.com - Links to over 4,500 RR Websites! http://www.RailroadBookstore.com - Railroad Books at up to 30% off List http://www.RailroadPix.com - Railroad and Model RR photo gallery http://www.RailroadInfo.com - Railroad news and information. http://www.railroadpix.com/mstsfiles/index.html - Train Simulator Files ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <010101c1af55$a7e37ff0$df8d6ca5_@_itochu.com> Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 16:31:36 -0500 From: "Jim Dent" Subject: (rshsdepot) Ogden Union Station A Union Pacific news release... Union Pacific Donates Vintage Locomotive to Utah State Railroad Museum OGDEN Feb. 5, 2002 – Union Pacific Railroad today donated a vintage Southern Pacific locomotive to the Utah State Railroad Museum at Ogden Union Station. The railroad also announced that it has renewed the lease for the historic station property to the museum for a dollar a year. Union Pacific Western Region Vice President Jeff Verhaal and Ogden Mayor Matthew R. Godfrey participated in a donation ceremony which also featured Union Pacific's two Winter Olympic Torch Relay locomotives which helped relay the Olympic flame across much of the United States to Utah. Bob Geier, Director of the Utah State Railroad Museum, said the city was extremely pleased with the locomotive donation and new lease agreement. "This significant reduction to our lease expense will greatly help and benefit the museum's ability to develop new displays and enable us to become a world class attraction," said Geier. Ogden Union Station was donated to Ogden City in the late 1970s. It has grown into a significant museum and community center complex featuring the Utah State Railroad Museum. "Union Pacific and Ogden have had a longstanding partnership," Verhaal said. "We are happy we are able to enhance our support of the museum." Verhaal added that Union Pacific has a history of support for the Utah State Railroad Museum and other Ogden non-profit organizations through Foundation and Corporate grants. In the past five years grants have totaled more than $130,000. The locomotive donated to the museum is the first SD45 model Electro-Motive Division of General Motors diesel-electric delivered to Southern Pacific in 1966. The model became the signature locomotive on SP with 356 units, the largest SD45 fleet in the country. The locomotives were a common sight in Ogden, a historic gateway between UP and SP. UP acquired SP in 1996. Union Pacific's two Olympic locomotives, their unique Torch Relay run completed, will join the railroad's fleet of more than 7,000 locomotives. Since the end of the steam era in the 1950s, Union Pacific has donated more than 80 steam and diesel-electric locomotives, hundreds of cabooses, scores of stations and depots and other railroad memorabilia for historic preservation. Union Pacific Corporation is one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, is the largest railroad in North America, covering 23 states across the western two-thirds of the United States. A strong focus on quality and a strategically advantageous route structure enable the company to serve customers in critical and fast growing markets. It is a leading carrier of low-sulfur coal used in electrical power generation and has broad coverage of the large chemical-producing areas along the Gulf Coast. With competitive long-haul routes between all major West Coast ports and eastern gateways, and as the only railroad to serve all six gateways to Mexico, Union Pacific has the premier rail franchise in North America. The Corporation, incorporated in the State of Utah, also owns Overnite Transportation, a nationwide less-than-truckload carrier, and Fenix, a group of affiliated technology companies. ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #280 ******************************* From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002d01c1afcf$9ef79000$16fc2444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 07:04:39 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station Photo links: http://www.ping.be/cosmopolitan/img/chicago/kveus084s.jpg (exterior shot) http://www.flatland.org/erewhon/travel/us/il/union-station.jpg (waiting room) Mixed-use proposal for rail station Plan would award landmark status By Thomas A. Corfman Chicago Tribune staff reporter Published February 7, 2002 The Chicago Landmarks Commission on Thursday is expected to consider an ambitious proposal for a mixed-use redevelopment of Union Station that would include construction of a multistory addition on top of the historic but underused railroad station. The addition, which would bring the structure to 26 stories, is intended to fit with the existing eight-story structure, while completing Daniel Burnham's original plan for a tall tower on the site. The station, built in 1925, occupies the block bounded by Jackson Boulevard and Canal, Clinton and Adams Streets. The proposal, to be presented by Amtrak and Chicago-based developer Prime Group Realty Trust, would more than double the size of the building to 1.1 million square feet, while giving it official landmark status. The key aspects of the plan: - - At the top of the building, 150 condo units would be built, with private parking and a separate residential entrance along Canal. - - The middle floors would contain 480,000 square feet of high-tech office space, with features such as underfloor ventilation and windows that can be opened and closed. - - The building's existing floors would be renovated for a 300-room hotel and conference center, to be operated by Harrison Conference Centers, part of Hilton Hotels Corp. - - More than 60,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space that can be reached from the street and passenger waiting area, called the Great Hall, would be added. The design by Chicago architect Lucien Lagrange features a massive, enclosed atrium at the center of the building that rises up to the structure's top floor. Although this isn't the first proposal for Union Station, the project last year became a top priority of former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. Thompson, who was then chairman of Amtrak's board of directors. After Thompson was named secretary of health and human services, Michael Dukakis, as acting chairman, took up the cause. Presentation of the plan to the Landmarks Commission is just one key step in the long-delayed redevelopment project. The Daley administration first proposed landmark status for Union Station in 2000. And Amtrak and Prime Group have been negotiating terms of the proposal with the Department of Planning since April. "The cooperation thus far with the city has been excellent regarding this project," said Richard Curto, chief executive of Prime Group, who confirmed details of the plan. Planning Commissioner Alicia Berg would not comment on the proposal until it had been formally presented to the commission, a spokesman said. The proposal brings together two entities that have had their share of woe in recent months. While cash-strapped Amtrak is struggling to avoid eliminating train routes, Prime Group has been clouded by the financial uncertainty surrounding its chairman, Michael Reschke, who is fighting off a foreclosure sale of his stake in the company. Even if the proposal eventually gains landmark approval, the project still faces substantial obstacles, including the securing of financing. And building on top of an existing structure can raise special challenges, including more costly construction. "The whole plan looks good on paper, until the financial people have to evaluate the budgets," said Steven Fifield, president and CEO of Chicago-based Fifield Cos., which is developing buildings west of the Loop. But Curto said taking advantage of the existing foundation would reduce costs and speed construction. The project could be completed by fall 2004. Sales of the condos will help raise cash for the project, he added. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <003601c1afd1$5c121880$16fc2444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 07:17:06 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Baird, TX Photo: http://www.bairdtexas.com/court_h2.gif State funding rescuing area historical sites By Larry Zelisko Reporter-News Staff Writer Rebuilding a brick street, restoring a depot and raising a museum are among area projects approved by the Texas Department of Transportation to receive federal funds. Through the Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program, $143 million was approved for 107 projects in Texas, including five in the Big Country. Area projects receiving funding are: Baird - 1911 Texas & Pacific Railroad Depot restoration. Total cost, $1,480,630. Federal funding will provide $1,142,573, with Callahan County responsible for the remaining 20 percent. n Breckenridge - Walker Street rehabilitation. Total cost, $1,428,216. Federal funding, $1,142,573, with the city responsible for the rest. n Brownwood - Great State of Texas Historical Transportation Complex. Total cost, $2,818,290. Federal funding, $2,254,632, with the city responsible for the rest. n Comanche - Old Cora Pedestrian Information Center. Total cost, $119,854. Federal funding, $95,883, with Comanche County responsible for the rest. n Fort Griffin State Park - Crossroads Exhibit Hall and lecture room. Total cost, $96,000. Federal funding, $76,800, with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department responsible for the rest. Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Cross said the program funds "nontraditional" transportation projects such as bicycle and pedestrian trails, landscaping and scenic beautification, and historical preservation. Without federal funding, the projects wouldn't get off the drawing boards, area officials said. "There's no way in the world" the city of Baird, Callahan County or the Baird Foundation could fund a restoration of the depot, said Baird Chamber of Commerce manager Tommie Jones. "To preserve an old structure like this, we were really determined, almost desperate, to get this funding," Jones said. "This building is a real asset. It can be a showcase for Baird." Even in its condition now, without heating or air conditioning, more than 1,000 visitors signed the guest book last year, Jones estimated. "People pull off the interstate to come to Baird," she said. "They see our billboards and are attracted by our antique stores. They're interested in heritage tourism and they see the architecture of the depot and they are drawn to it like a magnet." Plans are to restore the depot for use as a visitors center and museum, said Bill Leach, enhancement program coordinator for the Abilene District of the highway department. For Breckenridge, this was the second time to apply for funding to rebuild the city's main downtown street, which is also U.S. Highway 180, said City Manager Gary Ernest. Without the federal assistance, the project would not be possible, he added. The project will preserve the four blocks of brick street downtown, add new curbs, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping. With the replacement of sewer and water lines, Ernest said, total cost of the project could be about $3 million. The street was built in 1923 with bricks from nearby Thurber, said Michael Belvin, who is in charge of enhancement projects for the Brownwood office of the highway department. Only minor repairs have been made to the street since then, he added. Bricks will be removed, cleaned and reused if they are in good repair. Brick pavers will be used to replace broken bricks. In Brownwood, $2.8 million is budgeted to build the Great State of Texas Historical Transportation Complex. The museum will be built across the street from the Santa Fe Depot and the Harvey House, which will be undergoing renovation through enhancement program funding awarded in 2000. The complex will feature the Martin and Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum, said Brownwood city manager Gary Butts. Lehnis, a retired Santa Fe Railroad employee, donated his collection of memorabilia to the city, including a Pullman car, a depot and a caboose. The museum at first will be a working museum where people can watch artifacts being restored. Eventually, it will evolve into a full-fledged transportation museum, not just a railroad museum, Belvin said. The city is responsible for raising 20 percent of the total cost. For all the projects, a nominating agency is responsible for raising at least 20 percent of the total cost in order to receive funding. The complex fits the city's master plan for downtown renovation, centering on the depot and working outward, Butts said. In Comanche, the Old Cora courthouse, a log building billed as the oldest courthouse in Texas, will be refurbished so it can be used as a visitors center on the square. At Fort Griffin State Park, the existing visitors center will be expanded. Leach said the transportation enhancement program is a popular one with local entities. Money from the program was used for exterior restorations of the Jones and Shackelford courthouses. Two years ago funding was provided for 11 projects in the Big Country: n $2.7 million for the Texas Forts Trail visitors center in Abilene n $1 million to complete the restoration of the depot and Harvey House in Brownwood n $555,840 for parking and a visitors kiosk at Fort Phantom Hill n $505,344 for a walking path in Albany n $119,328 for a visitors center in Ranger n $383,136 for sidewalk improvements in Ballinger n $874,877 for a pedestrian parkway in Dublin n $165,542 for restoration of a gristmill in Dublin n $1.8 million for a bike path in Stephenville n $115,200 for improvements at the Hangar 25 Museum in Big Spring n $1.2 million for a visitors center in Thurber Those projects are progressing. In most cases, final plans have been presented to the Department of Transportation for approval. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <002d01c1afcf$9ef79000$16fc2444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2002 10:42:16 -0500 From: Rob Davis Subject: Burnham's plan Re: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station If it would complete Burnham's plan, why is Lucien Lagrange's design required? Rob On 2/7/02 7:04 AM, "Bernie Wagenblast" wrote: > Photo links: > http://www.ping.be/cosmopolitan/img/chicago/kveus084s.jpg (exterior shot) > http://www.flatland.org/erewhon/travel/us/il/union-station.jpg (waiting > room) > > > Mixed-use proposal for rail station > Plan would award landmark status > > By Thomas A. Corfman > Chicago Tribune staff reporter > Published February 7, 2002 > > The Chicago Landmarks Commission on Thursday is expected to consider an > ambitious proposal for a mixed-use redevelopment of Union Station that would > include construction of a multistory addition on top of the historic but > underused railroad station. > > The addition, which would bring the structure to 26 stories, is intended to > fit with the existing eight-story structure, while completing Daniel > Burnham's original plan for a tall tower on the site. The station, built in > 1925, occupies the block bounded by Jackson Boulevard and Canal, Clinton and > Adams Streets. > > The proposal, to be presented by Amtrak and Chicago-based developer Prime > Group Realty Trust, would more than double the size of the building to 1.1 > million square feet, while giving it official landmark status. > > The key aspects of the plan: > > - At the top of the building, 150 condo units would be built, with private > parking and a separate residential entrance along Canal. > > - The middle floors would contain 480,000 square feet of high-tech office > space, with features such as underfloor ventilation and windows that can be > opened and closed. > > - The building's existing floors would be renovated for a 300-room hotel and > conference center, to be operated by Harrison Conference Centers, part of > Hilton Hotels Corp. > > - More than 60,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space that can be > reached from the street and passenger waiting area, called the Great Hall, > would be added. > > The design by Chicago architect Lucien Lagrange features a massive, enclosed > atrium at the center of the building that rises up to the structure's top > floor. > > Although this isn't the first proposal for Union Station, the project last > year became a top priority of former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. Thompson, who > was then chairman of Amtrak's board of directors. After Thompson was named > secretary of health and human services, Michael Dukakis, as acting chairman, > took up the cause. > > Presentation of the plan to the Landmarks Commission is just one key step in > the long-delayed redevelopment project. > > The Daley administration first proposed landmark status for Union Station in > 2000. And Amtrak and Prime Group have been negotiating terms of the proposal > with the Department of Planning since April. > > "The cooperation thus far with the city has been excellent regarding this > project," said Richard Curto, chief executive of Prime Group, who confirmed > details of the plan. > > Planning Commissioner Alicia Berg would not comment on the proposal until it > had been formally presented to the commission, a spokesman said. > > The proposal brings together two entities that have had their share of woe > in recent months. While cash-strapped Amtrak is struggling to avoid > eliminating train routes, Prime Group has been clouded by the financial > uncertainty surrounding its chairman, Michael Reschke, who is fighting off a > foreclosure sale of his stake in the company. > > Even if the proposal eventually gains landmark approval, the project still > faces substantial obstacles, including the securing of financing. And > building on top of an existing structure can raise special challenges, > including more costly construction. > > "The whole plan looks good on paper, until the financial people have to > evaluate the budgets," said Steven Fifield, president and CEO of > Chicago-based Fifield Cos., which is developing buildings west of the Loop. > > But Curto said taking advantage of the existing foundation would reduce > costs and speed construction. The project could be completed by fall 2004. > > Sales of the condos will help raise cash for the project, he added. > > ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 10:50:05 EST From: I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com Subject: Re: Burnham's plan Re: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station In a message dated 2/7/02 10:38:34 AM Eastern Standard Time, superc_@_monmouth.com writes: > If it would complete Burnham's plan, why is Lucien Lagrange's design > required? My guess is that they only mean completing Burnham's plan in a general way, which would be the addition of a tower on the site. I don't know if Burnham drew up detailed plans for a tower, but if he did chances are his 1925 plans wouldn't have met with the desires of today. Among the things being proposed that wouldn't have been suggested in the original plan are the parking facilities, high-tech offices and modern HVAC. Bernie ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <00a801c1b01f$2e799800$df8d6ca5_@_itochu.com> Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 16:34:11 -0500 From: "Jim Dent" Subject: (rshsdepot) Sherman, TX From the Altamont Press Newsline... BNSF Interlocking Tower 16 moving to historic district After 99 years of service, a Sherman, TX landmark is getting a new home. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway's Interlocking Tower 16 will move to Grapevine, TX, as part of a collection of historic railroad structures. Tower 16, the 16th such tower authorized by the Texas Railroad Commission, entered service with the Southern Pacific in 1903. Located near Sherman's Union Passenger Station (1903-1943), the tower and its operators served as traffic cops at the junction, where the SP tracks crossed those of the Texas & Pacific. The tower was staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year. When it was taken out of service late last year, Tower 16 was the last working staffed interlocking tower in Texas, and one of only a handful in the United States. The mechanical and electrical equipment in the tower is original, circa 1903, and unusual for its time in the use of electro-magnetic relays to control distant switches, reports the SHERMAN HERALD DEMOCRAT. When BNSF replaced the interlocking system with a modern one, rail historians and preservation buffs scrambled to find a home for Tower 16. In Grapevine it will take its place with the rebuilt and restored 1901 St. Louis and Southwestern (Cotton Belt) depot, an 1888 Cotton Belt section foreman's house and a period turntable. -BNSF TODAY, Larry W. Grant For more info and a picture: http://www.railspot.com/interlockers/016.htm ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <00ae01c1b01f$b7827720$df8d6ca5_@_itochu.com> Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 16:38:01 -0500 From: "Jim Dent" Subject: (rshsdepot) Hugo, CO From Railway Preservation News... Hope for Hugo Roundhouse? The February 3, 2002 edition of the Denver Post notes that Colorado Preservation, Inc. (a non-profit private organization) has named the former Union Pacific roundhouse at Hugo, Colorado as one of Colorado’s seven most endangered historic structures. The article also reports that the Town of Hugo is considering restoration of the building as a rail museum and county offices. A previous attempt to save and restore the building failed when the private owner refused entrance after initially OK’ing the project. For a complete RyPN Article on the structure, see this link http://www.rypn.org/Articles/Hugo/ ). The roundhouse is now one of only five remaining in Colorado. Dilapidated, and with a collapsed roof, it is located in a large open field and was once surrounded by wye for turning locomotives longer than the 80-foot turntable could handle. After sale by the railroad, it housed a farm implement dealer and hardware store before being abandoned. Ironically, an identical-design UP roundhouse at Sterling, Colorado was razed within the last two years. In better condition, the Sterling roundhouse could have provided much material for the Hugo restoration, but apparently nothing was saved from the demolition. The former Hugo depot also still exists, moved a short distance away some years ago to become a museum that never reached fruition. (Bob Yarger) ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000b01c1b03a$502b6ee0$02ac9840_@_paul> Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 19:48:18 -0500 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station and while they're at it they can tear down across the street and rebuild the other Greek style half they tore down in the 60s... after Amtrak gives up all routes into Chicago I guess the Bulls can play basketball games inside - -----Original Message----- From: Bernie Wagenblast To: RSHS Depot Date: Thursday, February 07, 2002 7:11 AM Subject: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station Photo links: http://www.ping.be/cosmopolitan/img/chicago/kveus084s.jpg (exterior shot) http://www.flatland.org/erewhon/travel/us/il/union-station.jpg (waiting room) Mixed-use proposal for rail station Plan would award landmark status By Thomas A. Corfman Chicago Tribune staff reporter Published February 7, 2002 The Chicago Landmarks Commission on Thursday is expected to consider an ambitious proposal for a mixed-use redevelopment of Union Station that would include construction of a multistory addition on top of the historic but underused railroad station. The addition, which would bring the structure to 26 stories, is intended to fit with the existing eight-story structure, while completing Daniel Burnham's original plan for a tall tower on the site. The station, built in 1925, occupies the block bounded by Jackson Boulevard and Canal, Clinton and Adams Streets. The proposal, to be presented by Amtrak and Chicago-based developer Prime Group Realty Trust, would more than double the size of the building to 1.1 million square feet, while giving it official landmark status. The key aspects of the plan: - - At the top of the building, 150 condo units would be built, with private parking and a separate residential entrance along Canal. - - The middle floors would contain 480,000 square feet of high-tech office space, with features such as underfloor ventilation and windows that can be opened and closed. - - The building's existing floors would be renovated for a 300-room hotel and conference center, to be operated by Harrison Conference Centers, part of Hilton Hotels Corp. - - More than 60,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space that can be reached from the street and passenger waiting area, called the Great Hall, would be added. The design by Chicago architect Lucien Lagrange features a massive, enclosed atrium at the center of the building that rises up to the structure's top floor. Although this isn't the first proposal for Union Station, the project last year became a top priority of former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. Thompson, who was then chairman of Amtrak's board of directors. After Thompson was named secretary of health and human services, Michael Dukakis, as acting chairman, took up the cause. Presentation of the plan to the Landmarks Commission is just one key step in the long-delayed redevelopment project. The Daley administration first proposed landmark status for Union Station in 2000. And Amtrak and Prime Group have been negotiating terms of the proposal with the Department of Planning since April. "The cooperation thus far with the city has been excellent regarding this project," said Richard Curto, chief executive of Prime Group, who confirmed details of the plan. Planning Commissioner Alicia Berg would not comment on the proposal until it had been formally presented to the commission, a spokesman said. The proposal brings together two entities that have had their share of woe in recent months. While cash-strapped Amtrak is struggling to avoid eliminating train routes, Prime Group has been clouded by the financial uncertainty surrounding its chairman, Michael Reschke, who is fighting off a foreclosure sale of his stake in the company. Even if the proposal eventually gains landmark approval, the project still faces substantial obstacles, including the securing of financing. And building on top of an existing structure can raise special challenges, including more costly construction. "The whole plan looks good on paper, until the financial people have to evaluate the budgets," said Steven Fifield, president and CEO of Chicago-based Fifield Cos., which is developing buildings west of the Loop. But Curto said taking advantage of the existing foundation would reduce costs and speed construction. The project could be completed by fall 2004. Sales of the condos will help raise cash for the project, he added. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002701c1b01c$4dc7d800$c0d0ffd1_@_oemcomputer> References: Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 21:13:30 -0000 From: "Gene Paoli" Subject: Re: Burnham's plan Re: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station What is left of this station is the result of pre-planning for air rights. The design is Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and differs from Burnham's original design just as thier design for Philadelphia's 30th st station. Burnham's design was baroque in both cases and his successor's design more contemporary. All this aside, designs after 1910 or so, primarily PRR involved designs, all had air rights as a design priority. If there was one thing the railroads did right after the turn of the century, it was thier approach to real estate. Keeping thier real estate buisiness strictly as a dividend generating entity, it was, in some cases the only, black ink generating part of the corporations. As proof of this thinking, roads like the PRR and Reading RR real estate corporations still exist today although they have nothing to do with railroads anymore with the sole exception of NY's two major stations and thier air rights.......While i mourn this line of thinking and action, it did keep major roads like the PRR, NYC, etc. out of bankrupcy untill the 60's. The destruction and demolition of several of our most beloved stations was, on the table so to speak, as eary as the 20's although they did not fall untill the 50's and on. In many cases, it was not the local preservationist effort to save at fault, but the RR real estate corporations zeal to sell the air rights to generate black ink. Gene Paoli stationman_@_prodigy.net - ----- Original Message ----- From: To: ; Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 3:50 PM Subject: Re: Burnham's plan Re: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station > In a message dated 2/7/02 10:38:34 AM Eastern Standard Time, > superc_@_monmouth.com writes: > > > If it would complete Burnham's plan, why is Lucien Lagrange's design > > required? > > My guess is that they only mean completing Burnham's plan in a general way, > which would be the addition of a tower on the site. > > I don't know if Burnham drew up detailed plans for a tower, but if he did > chances are his 1925 plans wouldn't have met with the desires of today. > Among the things being proposed that wouldn't have been suggested in the > original plan are the parking facilities, high-tech offices and modern HVAC. > > Bernie ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #281 ******************************* From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 06:54:23 -0500 From: "Michael Bosak" Subject: Re: Burnham's plan Re: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station ...and open plan (Office) concepts, accessibility for the disabled, etc. It would be nice, however, if they maintained at least some of Burhham's concept with the style of the exterior, rather than some reflective glas s 'thing'. - ----- Original Message ----- From: I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 10:52 AM To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net; superc@monmouth.com Subject: Re: Burnham's plan Re: (rshsdepot) Chicago, IL - Union Station In a message dated 2/7/02 10:38:34 AM Eastern Standard Time, superc_@_monmouth.com writes: > If it would complete Burnham's plan, why is Lucien Lagrange's design > required? My guess is that they only mean completing Burnham's plan in a general wa y, which would be the addition of a tower on the site. I don't know if Burnham drew up detailed plans for a tower, but if he did chances are his 1925 plans wouldn't have met with the desires of today. Among the things being proposed that wouldn't have been suggested in the original plan are the parking facilities, high-tech offices and modern HV AC. BernieGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explore r.msn.com ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <016f01c1b0de$650c0780$16fc2444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Fri, 08 Feb 2002 15:22:55 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Union Station - Chicago, IL - UPDATE Link to graphic of renovation plans: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-020207unionstation-graphic.graphi c Union Station high-rise gets panel endorsement February 8, 2002 BY DAVID ROEDER BUSINESS REPORTER Chicago Sun-Times A city commission Thursday recommended landmark status for Union Station, Chicago's last train terminal to recall the grandeur of early 20th century rail travel, and endorsed a plan to add 18 stories to the building. The Commission on Chicago Landmarks agreed that the proposal from the station's owner, Amtrak, and development partner Prime Group Realty Trust would preserve the station's architectural heritage and fulfill the intent of its original designers, the firm of Daniel Burnham. The square-block building on the southwest edge of downtown originally was supposed to include a high-rise, but the railroads that owned it in the 1920s scrapped that part of the construction. Amtrak and Prime Group proposed adding the high-rise in the middle of the eight-story structure while preserving the Great Hall waiting room with its ornate skylight. The high-rise, although massive in appearance, will have a hollow core and won't block sunlight to the Great Hall. The design feature results in each floor being about 40,000 square feet, a size the developer believes is best suited to today's market. The plan calls for the tower to hold about 150 luxury condominiums, a 300-room hotel to be operated by a division of Hilton Hotels Corp., about 480,000 square feet of office space, and new stores and restaurants. Commission members and city officials lauded the design for its faithfulness to Union Station's Neo-classical roots, especially its thick limestone columns. The masonry addition would be the work of Lucien Lagrange, known for his Park Tower hotel and condominium skyscraper at 800 N. Michigan and for historic renovations. City Planning Commissioner Alicia Berg praised the development team for a plan that respects the "monumental building'' while bringing it more commerce. "Union Station must be preserved and protected as a tribute to the critical role the railroads played in Chicago's development,'' she said. Still, the project, costing perhaps $200 million, faces enormous financial hurdles. The market for new hotels downtown is dormant, demand for office space is sluggish, and lenders are viewing condo projects with suspicions about an overbuilt market. Prime Group President Richard Curto said he hopes work at Union Station can start later this year and that the project will be timed for the next upturn in the economy. He said financing details must wait until the plan gets final city approval. The landmark commission's vote is a recommendation to the City Council, which has the final say on the project. In addition, the Chicago Plan Commission must weigh in on the plans. Curto said the project can be completed faster and cheaper than most high-rises because no excavation is required. Union Station's foundation and supports were designed for a high-rise. He said he hopes for completion by late 2004. LANDMARKS IN THE LIFE OF UNION STATION 1913-25: Constructed for consortium of railroads. 1969: Train shed and concourse east of station torn down for riverfront office building. 1989: Developers propose twin 24-story towers atop station. Souring economy kills plan. 1992: Station rehabbed in two-year, $32 million project. 2002: City agency backs landmark designation and a proposed 18-story addition for condominiums, offices, hotel rooms and retail space. ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <00e801c1b0e1$626e23c0$7e01a8c0_@_0018982498> References: <016f01c1b0de$650c0780$16fc2444_@_union01.nj.comcast.net> Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2002 12:44:19 -0800 From: "Eric Miller" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Union Station - Chicago, IL - UPDATE why is the story from the sun times but the graphic from the tribune? it won't open. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bernie Wagenblast" To: "RSHS Depot" Sent: Friday, February 08, 2002 12:22 PM Subject: (rshsdepot) Union Station - Chicago, IL - UPDATE > Link to graphic of renovation plans: > http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-020207unionstation-graphic.graphi > c > > Union Station high-rise gets panel endorsement > > February 8, 2002 > > BY DAVID ROEDER BUSINESS REPORTER > Chicago Sun-Times > > A city commission Thursday recommended landmark status for Union Station, > Chicago's last train terminal to recall the grandeur of early 20th century > rail travel, and endorsed a plan to add 18 stories to the building. > > The Commission on Chicago Landmarks agreed that the proposal from the > station's owner, Amtrak, and development partner Prime Group Realty Trust > would preserve the station's architectural heritage and fulfill the intent > of its original designers, the firm of Daniel Burnham. The square-block > building on the southwest edge of downtown originally was supposed to > include a high-rise, but the railroads that owned it in the 1920s scrapped > that part of the construction. > > Amtrak and Prime Group proposed adding the high-rise in the middle of the > eight-story structure while preserving the Great Hall waiting room with its > ornate skylight. The high-rise, although massive in appearance, will have a > hollow core and won't block sunlight to the Great Hall. > > The design feature results in each floor being about 40,000 square feet, a > size the developer believes is best suited to today's market. The plan calls > for the tower to hold about 150 luxury condominiums, a 300-room hotel to be > operated by a division of Hilton Hotels Corp., about 480,000