From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <029a01c26873$70fcd220$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 07:20:54 -0400 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Sacramento, CA Railyard deal on a fast track Sacramento is to get UP's historic depot and 10 acres near it. Sacramento Bee...09/29/2002 Tony Bizjak Bee Staff Writer In what officials are calling a breakthrough agreement, the city of Sacramento plans to acquire the historic I Street train depot and 10 surrounding acres from Union Pacific. The value of the depot and land still is being determined, and terms of the deal have yet to be negotiated. But city and railroad officials said last week they have a conceptual agreement and are committed to making the deal. The deal is part of a package of commitments between the two that, taken together, should launch the city on the road toward constructing a major rail transportation hub downtown within the next several years. The agreements, based on several months of talks, also should put UP on a fast track for city permits and approvals to build offices, stores and housing on the southern end of its 240-acre railyard. City officials say the depot would serve as a locus for an expanded transportation hub for Amtrak passenger trains, regional commuter rail lines, a light-rail line from downtown to the airport and bus services. "Our goal would be to have an intermodal station in operation within the next three years," said Deputy City Manager Tom Lee, who has been negotiating with UP in recent months. Lee said staff will provide details on the array of agreements between the city and the railroad company to the City Council on Tuesday night. He then will ask for the go-ahead to negotiate a formal deal. "It's ambitious," Lee said of the speeded-up time frame. "But rail ridership is increasing, and we need to make sure we accommodate that growth." Although Lee predicted an intermodal station could be built in three years, Mayor Heather Fargo, a longtime advocate for such a facility, said she thinks three years is overly optimistic but that she is pleased with the move forward. "This is huge," she said. "This (will be) a very exciting Tuesday." Lee said staff will ask the council for a series of other OKs, including soliciting a consultant to help in the contentious public process of designing the intermodal facility and convening an intermodal advisory committee made up of members of Regional Transit, the Sacramento Transportation Authority, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the Regional Commuter Rail Initiative, the city and the county. City officials said discussions of a downtown basketball arena have taken a back seat in recent weeks as they focused on the intermodal station. But staff also plan to ask the council Tuesday for approval to hold more talks with UP and the Sacramento Kings about a possible second, more-detailed arena feasibility study. A previous study indicated an arena is feasible, but costly, and likely would involve substantial public money. A detailed council discussion on a second arena study is scheduled tentatively for November. Meantime, city and UP officials say the transfer of the depot and surrounding land to the city is key because it finally puts planning, financing and construction of a major public facility into public hands. In exchange, Union Pacific official Mike Casey said his company will look for the city to sign a cooperation agreement assuring that it will build the streets around the area and a rail overpass at Sixth Street in a timely manner so UP can begin developing the lower section of its railyard, adjacent to the transportation center. "This makes railyard redevelopment a reality," Casey said. "From UP's point of view, the city and the UP have reached a point we feel we are in full collaboration." Nevertheless, Casey said, his company will not agree to turn over the depot until the city gives UP all the planning approvals it needs to begin development on the surrounding acreage. That process could take two years, he said. Once the city controls the depot, Fargo said, it has a better shot at government grants to do needed remedial work. And once the city comes up with a design for the expansion, "we are ready to go to Washington and get federal funding." City officials said last week that they cannot estimate the cost of an intermodal hub until it is designed. However, a large facility could cost more than $ 100 million, one official estimated. Much of the revenue would be cobbled together from federal, state and local transportation funds, Fargo said. Debate continues over the structure's design. UP and Amtrak want to move the tracks a few hundred feet north of the depot and build a new station there, which would be connected to the historic depot by a concourse. Historic preservationists argue the depot should continue as the main station and the tracks should not be moved, or moved only enough to make room for depot expansion. Preservationist leader Kay Knepprath said she is pleased the city will take the lead on the intermodal station, but said "10 acres is not enough land to do it right." "They are not being courageous enough, not imaginative enough," she said. "This needs to be a true regional center." She said the 10 acres appear to be just enough room for UP to have its way, pushing the tracks north away from the station, with room for a new facility at the north end. UP official Casey said that is exactly what he wants to see happen. He noted that city officials have agreed that would be considered the "preferred alignment" during an upcoming environmental review of the project. A compromise agreement negotiated last year by Fargo also says the review process will analyze track alignments preferred by people who want the old depot to continue to be the central station. Casey said UP is close to choosing a development partner to build on several dozen acres around the planned transportation hub. He said his company is selling the REA building, a historic brick structure in disrepair next to the old depot. The buyers are architect Lynn Pomeroy and developer Johan Otto. City staff are set to propose Tuesday that the council approve subsidizing rehabilitation of the REA building, up to $ 2.6 million. The building probably would house shops, restaurants and offices, which would complement the intermodal station, Lee said. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <244640-220029130183121967_@_M2W058.mail2web.com> Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 14:31:21 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Pollocksville, NC From the New Bern Sun Journal=2E=2E=2E Run : 09/29/2002 After years of dreaming,depot renovation begins=20 POLLOCKSVILLE -- Years of dreaming, talking and planning the renovation of= the old Pollocksville Depot finally gave way to reality=2E "We started construction in early August and anticipate being in around th= e first of March," said Mayor Jay Bender=2E "I was at our monthly meeting wi= th contractors and architects and everyone this morning, and we're well on schedule=2E "I think we started in either '94 or '95 acquiring the property and gettin= g the initial grants and making plans, so we're real excited about it=2E" So far, an addition that will house town offices has been roughed in=2E "This will replicate, in terms of size, the old waiting rooms prior to 1939," Bender said=2E In addition to municipal offices, the renovated depot will serve as a civi= c center, with public meeting space, and a museum=2E "The museum will house exhibits that show the importance of the railroad and the importance of the river on the town," Bender said=2E Located on the banks of the Trent River, the depot is the centerpiece of a= recently improved public space that includes a new 48-foot fishing dock=2E= "The dock was a joint effort by the fishing division of the Wildlife Commission, the town and the Rotary Club=2E It runs parallel with the shoreline and it's all handicapped accessible," Bender said=2E The handicapped accessibility has already attracted groups of students fro= m the Howell Center, a residential facility for people with multiple and severe disabilities=2E "We like to go fishing when we find a spot that's good for us," said Angel= a Woehl, lead teacher for Howell's school age program=2E "It's always a challenge to find places that are wheelchair and handicappe= d accessible=2E Pollocksville is so close, we can spend more time fishing an= d less time traveling=2E"=20 Woehl said she has made three trips with small groups of students ranging in age from 9 through adult=2E "We really appreciate how it's designed," she said=2E "It's got high and l= ow rails, which allow people with disabilities to see over the rails and have= access to the fishing=2E It's got wide docks and it's super=2E" Public Works Director J=2EJ=2E Chadwick has made the group feel welcome, a= nd Bender is pleased with their response=2E "They were ecstatic," he said=2E "They said it was right down their alley=2E= We're waiting for the Wildlife Commission to come in and construct sidewalks to connect it to the parking lot, which will make it even easier= for people with movement limitations=2E"=20 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <57050-22002913020471175_@_M2W047.mail2web.com> Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 16:47:11 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Santa Clara, CA From Altamont Press Railroad Newsline=2E=2E=2E Santa Clara Tower Dedication Event On Oct12, the Santa Clara Tower will be dedicated in recognition of its 75th anniversary=2E The event is part of the City of Santa Clara=92s Sesquicentennial celebration=2E Numerous local dignitaries, former railroa= d employees, and tower operators are expected to attend the celebration, where their presence will add to the oral history of the tower complex=2E = The Tower restoration is being done by members of the South Bay Historical Railroad Society=2E The dedication ceremony begins at 11:00 at the Tower site, 1075 Railroad Ave=2E (the north end of the Caltrain station parking lot)=2E Tours of the= Tower will be conducted from 12:00 to 17:00=2E The Depot and Museum will b= e open from 10:00 to 17:00=2E There is no admission charge=2E - Chuck Catani= a Director, SBHRS - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002201c268dd$56a7e4e0$dad7d23f_@_name> Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 19:58:46 -0400 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Santa Clara, CA 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: http://www.Railfan.net/lists/listthumb.cgi?rshsdepot-09-30-02 =_iso-8859-1_Q_College_Park_Tower_SP_San_Jos=E9.jpg_= (image/jpeg, 170837 bytes) Similar to this one that was a bit south at College Park in San José? Paul - -----Original Message----- From: jdent1_@_optonline.net To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net Date: Monday, September 30, 2002 4:51 PM Subject: (rshsdepot) Santa Clara, CA From Altamont Press Railroad Newsline... Santa Clara Tower Dedication Event On Oct12, the Santa Clara Tower will be dedicated in recognition of its 75th anniversary. The event is part of the City of Santa Clara’s Sesquicentennial celebration. Numerous local dignitaries, former railroad employees, and tower operators are expected to attend the celebration, where their presence will add to the oral history of the tower complex. The Tower restoration is being done by members of the South Bay Historical Railroad Society. The dedication ceremony begins at 11:00 at the Tower site, 1075 Railroad Ave. (the north end of the Caltrain station parking lot). Tours of the Tower will be conducted from 12:00 to 17:00. The Depot and Museum will be open from 10:00 to 17:00. There is no admission charge. - Chuck Catania Director, SBHRS - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . ========== The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <011a01c268f8$9c53a220$dad7d23f_@_name> Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 23:12:52 -0400 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: (rshsdepot) Fw: Transit Interesting about rescinding the cuts in close election areas, no? Paul - -----Original Message----- From: Floyd Miñana To: Luchter, Paul Date: Saturday, September 28, 2002 2:23 AM Subject: Transit >A couple of transit items from "DAILY GRIST:" > >DE-RAILED >The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has voted to deny $1.2 >billion in funding to Amtrak and pushed through a bill that threatens >most, if not all, long-distance train service in the U.S. The >Republican-backed bill would give the rail service $760 million next >year -- about $500 million less than the $1.2 billion proposed by the >Senate and requested by Amtrak to maintain current service levels. >Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), who chairs the subcommittee on >transportation, said any more money "would reward Amtrak for their >poor management and poor performance." Amtrak said the bill would >devastate the railroad and almost certainly force major service >changes. Notably, the bill's backers voted to strike a provision >that would likely have led to closing six train lines in areas where >Republicans face tight reelection races. > >straight to the source: Washington Post, Michael Barbaro, 27 Sep 2002 > > >do good: Take action to ask your members of Congress to stand up for >Amtrak > > > > >3. >OLD YELLER >In better mass transit news, Yellowstone National Park is in the >early stages of launching a public-transportation plan designed to >cut down on air and noise pollution. Harkening back to its past, the >park has reacquired a small fleet of yellow tour buses that were >phased out of service in the 1950s. The park plans to refurbish the >buses and use them as shuttles between some of Yellowstone's most >popular destinations. Park officials envision a future of multiple >mass-transit options to help reduce the traffic snarls caused by >private vehicles. Environmentalists are giving the thumbs up to the >plan. Jon Catton, a spokesperson for the Greater Yellowstone >Coalition, said, "We're adding several million people to our >country's population each year and we're not making any more >Yellowstones." > >straight to the source: Casper Star-Tribune, Associated Press, Becky >Bohrer, 26 Sep 2002 > > > > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <005701c26904$df1869e0$2e4dffd1_@_default> Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2002 00:41:22 -0400 From: "bernie_rudberg" Subject: (rshsdepot) Nasty New Virus Worm NASTY NEW VIRUS WORM This one is real, not a hoax. It is called W32BUGBEAR_@_mm. It was just discovered today ( Monday 30 September) and the antivirus people are working on a fix. It arrives as an E-Mail note with an attachment that has 2 file extensions and ending with, . EXE , .SCR or .PIF. For example it may look like XXXXXX.exe.scr or XXXX.scr.pif. It may even come from somebody you know who has caught the virus/worm. The size of the attachment will be more than 50K bytes. DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT ! The first thing it does is disable your antivirus program such as Norton or McAfee. Next it copies itself into your system so that every time you turn on your computer it executes again. It goes into your E-Mail program and finds all the addresses and sends a copy of itself to everybody on your list. Most other programs on your computer will probably work but very slowly. This is a nasty one and so far there is no clean fix for it. If you are unfortunate enough to have this problem there is help available. The Norton Antivirus people at Symantec are probably working overtime tonight to get out the removal and fix information. Their fix will apply if you have Norton Antivirus. If you have a different antivirus program, check the web site of the manufacturer. For further information you can check the Symantec website at: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/pf/w32.bugbear_@_mm.html Good luck Bernie Rudberg ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <20021001045139.15797.qmail_@_web11805.mail.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <005701c26904$df1869e0$2e4dffd1_@_default> Date: Mon, 30 Sep 2002 21:51:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Art Marsh Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Nasty New Virus Worm The bug has a fix now Visit your favorit flavor of AV protection Art - --- bernie_rudberg wrote: > NASTY NEW VIRUS WORM > > This one is real, not a hoax. > > It is called W32BUGBEAR_@_mm. > It was just discovered today ( Monday 30 September) and the antivirus > people > are working on a fix. > > It arrives as an E-Mail note with an attachment that has 2 file > extensions > and ending with, . EXE , .SCR or .PIF. For example it may look like > XXXXXX.exe.scr or XXXX.scr.pif. It may even come from somebody you > know who > has caught the virus/worm. > The size of the attachment will be more than 50K bytes. > > DO NOT OPEN THE ATTACHMENT ! > > The first thing it does is disable your antivirus program such as > Norton or > McAfee. > Next it copies itself into your system so that every time you turn on > your > computer it executes again. It goes into your E-Mail program and > finds all > the addresses and sends a copy of itself to everybody on your list. > > Most other programs on your computer will probably work but very > slowly. > > This is a nasty one and so far there is no clean fix for it. > > If you are unfortunate enough to have this problem there is help > available. > The Norton Antivirus people at Symantec are probably working > overtime > tonight to get out the removal and fix information. Their fix will > apply if > you have Norton Antivirus. If you have a different antivirus > program, check > the web site of the manufacturer. > > For further information you can check the Symantec website at: > > http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/pf/w32.bugbear_@_mm.html > > Good luck > > Bernie Rudberg > > > > > > ================================= > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of > existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > ===== Art Marsh Fremont, CA __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #481 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <002201c268dd$56a7e4e0$dad7d23f_@_name> Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2002 08:49:19 -0400 (EDT) From: Blue Moon Network Administrator Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Santa Clara, CA I repaired the filename so the image displays now. I don't rightly know why that character set used the odd encoding for the filename, haven't seen that before. Henry On Mon, 30 Sep 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: > > > http://www.Railfan.net/lists/listthumb.cgi?rshsdepot-09-30-02 > > =_iso-8859-1_Q_College_Park_Tower_SP_San_Jos=E9.jpg_= (image/jpeg, 170837 bytes) > > Similar to this one that was a bit south at College Park in San José? > > Paul > -----Original Message----- > From: jdent1_@_optonline.net > To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net > Date: Monday, September 30, 2002 4:51 PM > Subject: (rshsdepot) Santa Clara, CA > > > >From Altamont Press Railroad Newsline... > > Santa Clara Tower Dedication Event > > On Oct12, the Santa Clara Tower will be dedicated in recognition of its > 75th anniversary. The event is part of the City of Santa Clara’s > Sesquicentennial celebration. Numerous local dignitaries, former railroad > employees, and tower operators are expected to attend the celebration, > where their presence will add to the oral history of the tower complex. The > Tower restoration is being done by members of the South Bay Historical > Railroad Society. > > The dedication ceremony begins at 11:00 at the Tower site, 1075 Railroad > Ave. (the north end of the Caltrain station parking lot). Tours of the > Tower will be conducted from 12:00 to 17:00. The Depot and Museum will be > open from 10:00 to 17:00. There is no admission charge. - Chuck Catania > Director, SBHRS > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > mail2web - Check your email from the web at > http://mail2web.com/ . > > > ========== > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > > ================================= > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > J. Henry Priebe Jr. Blue Moon Internet Corp Network Administrator www.bluemoon.net Internet Access & Web Hosting www.railfan.net Railfan Network Services ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <255470-2200210211418713_@_M2W079.mail2web.com> Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2002 10:01:08 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) No Virus Warnings Just a reminder, please do not post virus warnings to the RSHS Depot list=2E= =20 Do not open any attachments if you don't know the source=2E Do use an regularly updated anti-virus software with your email program=2E Finally, be assurred that attachments of any sort, that may contain a virus, cannot be sent via the RSHS Depot list=2E All emails with attachme= nts sent to the list have the attachments removed=2E Thanks, List Maintainer - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #482 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <157240-220021043191931839_@_M2W062.mail2web.com> Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 15:19:31 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Pine River, MN From the Pine River Journal=2E=2E=2E Last days for the Pine River Depot? Wednesday, October 02, 2002 By Christine Lupella, Journal Editor, clupella_@_pineriverjournal=2Ecom City council=92s =91fix up or tear down=92 deadline was Sept=2E 22 The Pine River Depot restoration project may end before it begins, if the Pine River City Council has its way=2E The century-old building was scheduled for demolition nearly two years ago= after years of neglect=2E The depot was abandoned when the railroad left P= ine River during the 1980s=2E The Depot was eventually sold to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), since the building sits on the Highway 371 right-of-way=2E Mn/DOT prepared to tear the building down, unt= il area residents protested the action=2E Many of those residents formed the =93Depot Delegation=94--since renamed Heritage Group North--to save the little depot=2E The building qualified f= or listing on the National Register of Historic Places, which put a temporary= hold on its demise=2E The Pine River City Council gave Heritage Group North one year to become a= non-profit organization--which it has done--as well as to raise funds to move the depot across the Paul Bunyan Trail and restore it to usable condition=2E The deadline for fundraising was September 22, 2002--nearly t= wo weeks ago=2E Council members Merril Nelson, Elaine LeFebvre and Doug Miller, and Mayor Bob Fladung talked about the Depot during their September 24 discussion meeting=2E Council member Jim Sabas was absent from the meeting=2E =93I=92m a little concerned about the Depot project=2E They=92re talking a= bout going over there and digging a basement,=94 said Nelson=2E =93I don=92t think they have the money to go through and do what they want= to do,=94 Miller said=2E Fladung said that two months ago, he was told that Heritage Group North ha= d at least $5,000 committed to the project=2E =93But pledged money isn=92t c= ash unless you have it in your hand,=94 Fladung said=2E Fladung told council members that originally, the Depot group hoped to apply for grant money that was avaailable through the state for restoratio= n projects=2E=20 However, the State Historical Society took a =93big hit=94 in budget cuts,= and those grants are no longer available=2E =93The September 22 deadline has passed,=94 Fladung said=2E =93Mn/DOT said= whatever the city directs them to do, they will do=2E=94 Miller said that one year ago, the Depot Delegation was told they had to have the money to restore and sustain the building=2E =93They=92ve had a year,=94 Miller said=2E =93It=92s not a lot of time, bu= t I would think if they had as much interest as they say they do, they should have the money=2E=94 Fladung noted that the state architect who looked at the building estimate= d the restoration cost at $240,000=2E =93At this point, the Depot Delegation has not proven that they could feasibly take care of it,=94 Miller said=2E =93I say we tell Mn/DOT to get= rid of it=2E=94 Fladung said if the Depot is moved to the proposed location across the Pau= l Bunyan Trail, there may be a setback issue=2E He said the people who own t= he adjacent property would probably dispute any variance that would have to b= e made=2E Fladung said the council needs to have a plan by the October 8 meeting=2E =93It=92s really a touchy issue,=94 Fladung said=2E Nelson said that the Pine River Chamber of Commerce supports the restoration project, with the idea that the Depot will draw =93all kinds o= f people=94 to Pine River=2E =93I don=92t see it,=94 Nelson said=2E Fladung said he would support and =93even donate=94 to building a replica = of the Depot that would meet current code and last another 100 years=2E LeFebvre said she was concerned that no one had discussed maintenance of the Depot once it was restored=2E =93I don=92t think taxpayers within the city want this,=94 LeFebvre said=2E= Fladung said he was concerned that the project would cost the city money--although Heritage Group North said it would cover all costs=2E The building would be moved to city property, which would make the city responsible for insurance=2E Fladung noted that most of the people supporting the Depot restoration do not live within city limits or pay city taxes=2E =93It=92s going to cost the people of this city a pile of money,=94 Miller= said=2E =93Most people I=92ve talked to want it gone=2E=94 The Pine River City Council meets at 7 pm Tuesday, October 8 at Pine River= City Hall=2E The Pine River Depot is the city=92s oldest building=2E=20 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <157240-220021043191711841_@_M2W060.mail2web.com> Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 15:17:11 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Marion, Ohio From the Marion (OH) Star=2E=2E=2E MARION -- Much like the railroads it formerly served, the restoration of the Marion Union Station just keeps chugging along=2E=20 Formerly tabbed a showplace and the most modern railroad station in Ohio, the building became a place of disrepair after the end of passenger servic= e in 1972=2E It was boarded up and left to deteriorate, said Gus Judy, a mem= ber of the Marion Union Station Association board=2E=20 With the organization of several members of the community to "Save the Station," the facility was purchased in 1986 for $67,000=2E The purchase w= as made possible by individual donations and the assistance of a local bank, Judy said=2E=20 Since the purchase, the organization has held fund-raisers and applied for= grants to restore the building=2E=20 "We're probably 80 percent complete in the restoration," Judy said=2E=20 To help augment expenses incurred with the ongoing renovations, the association will host its annual fall chicken barbecue 11 a=2Em=2E to 3 p=2E= m=2E Sunday at the station=2E It will be catered by Country Caterers who will barbecue 500 chicken halves=2E=20 The menu is 1/2 barbecue chicken, potato salad, hickory smoked beans and roll=2E The cost is $6=2E Carry outs will be available=2E The event will b= e held rain or shine=2E=20 In addition to the chicken barbecue, Joe Slanser said association members will give tours and demonstrations of the completely refurbished and working model of the old fashioned sempahore signaling system and a pistol= grip machine for changing signals as well as other items of interest in th= e historic building=2E=20 "We have a number of displays that are unique," Slanser said, "and this is= one of them=2E The semaphore is interlocked with another machine to preven= t someone pulling one lever when another was engaged=2E"=20 Previous fund-raising efforts have helped refurbish restrooms, remove old paint, install a new heating and cooling system, refurbish the large passenger waiting room, completely restore the telegraph room and two year= s ago move the AC tower to MUSA property and restore it to its 1960 appearance=2E The most recent project completed was a new tile roof over t= he Model Railroad building using a Community Block Development Grant and association monies to complete the $35,000 project=2E=20 The next big project the association hopes to undertake is the restoration= of a 16-foot-by-16-foot stained glass skylight above the main lobby, said Todd Miller, president of the association=2E=20 Miller said the skylight is about 20 percent intact and could take up to a= year to clean up=2E He estimates the cost to be $25,000 to repair and restore=2E=20 The association rents out the depot and also the model railroad building for meetings, receptions and banquet dinners also as a means to help with restoration expenses=2E=20 Brenda Donegan: 740-375-5150 or bdonegan_@_nncogannett=2Ecom=20 Originally published Thursday, October 3, 2002 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <99610-22002104319293999_@_M2W049.mail2web.com> Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 15:29:03 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY From Voice of America News=2E=2E=2E You Can Find Almost Anything at Lost and Found of Grand Central Station Adam Phillips New York 3 Oct 2002 06:13 UTC Interior of Grand Central Station =20 Well over a half million people pass through New York City's Grand Central= Station every day, making it one of the busiest train stations in the world=2E Since a relatively high percentage of those people forget somethi= ng on the trains they ride, that makes the Lost and Found department at Grand= Central pretty busy too=2E=20 In a quiet corridor underneath Grand Central Station, Rich Heggman of the Metro North Lost and Found office opens a small leather case a railroad policeman has just delivered to him=2E That camera is just one of between 17,000 and 20,000 lost items that come through the door of this office every year=2E Wallets, books, diamond ring= s, cell phones, knapsacks with and without contraband - whatever people can carry on to a train, they can lose there=2E Office manager Mike Nolan and = his boss Fred Chidester examine a 60 kilogram tub of lost keys=2E NOLAN: "We have thousands of sets of keys," he said=2E "That's something w= e usually don't throw out=2E CHIDESTER: "We do collect keys=2E I'd like to know how some of these peopl= e get replacements because a lot of the cars have microchips, they are like $200, $300 keys to replace and you would think that they would come back and ask for them," he said=2E Mr=2E Nolan motions toward the back of the facility, which is lined with shelves of crates, each carefully labeled according to content, date recovered, and other relevant facts=2E "I'll sh= ow you our coat racks," said Mike Noland=2E "We probably have now have 500, o= r 600 coats=2E Most of them are blue blazers=2E There are Armani, Brooks Brothers, any old brand=2E There is anything from the cheapest coat to the= most expensive here=2E" Some lost items can seem quite creepy to the uninitiated=2E Fred Chidester= recalls dealing with one set of objects contained in dry ice that a plasti= c surgeon on his way to an area hospital had left behind on an overhead luggage rack=2E "Yes=2E It was actually two earlobes and two eyebrows, and= he had them packaged up for this reconstructive surgery and left the box and all on the train," he said=2E When asked why he thinks people forget their possessions on a train, Rick Hegmann says it may simply be because they are tired=2E "They're overworke= d," said Hegman=2E "That's the problem=2E When they tend to lose a lot of thin= gs, then you know they are overworked=2E That may be the cause=2E If they are sleeping and they are dozing off, next thing they know their stop is comin= g up and they are jumping off the train, and whatever is left behind hopefully comes back to our facility=2E It usually takes a day or two, but= it's usually here=2E" A full 60 percent of the objects that are lost on the Metro North railroad= ultimately get connected with an owner's name=2E That success rate reflect= s some real detective work checking such things as credit card slips and serial numbers searching for clues as to an item's owner=2E=20 But Mr=2E Chidester, himself a former police lieutenant, admits that, in s= ome cases, determining a true owner can be quite straightforward=2E This was t= he case recently, when two sets of dentures appeared on his desk=2E "Teeth is= [are] a funny thing," he said=2E "mtch a set of teeth? I don't know how yo= u lose teeth on a train but =85 this fellow came in, and we pick it up with = a pair of latex gloves and bring it over to him=2E He picks this thing out o= f this wrapping paper and looks at it=2E He says 'well they look like mine=2E= I think they're mine=2E' He takes this thing and just plops it into his mout= h and I'm going 'Aw! Where's the mouthwash?'" Occasionally, people leave objects on the train on purpose=2E Fred Chidest= er offers this grisly example=2E "The story goes that the husband used to go home on the train and used to give his wife the excuse that he missed the stop or he fell asleep or he was in the bar car and didn't realize that th= e train had passed his station," said Fred Chidester=2E "So when he passed away, she had him cremated and put in the urn and she left the urn on the train and said 'Well there! Now you can ride on the train with your buddie= s and your girlfriends all you want and enjoy yourself until you find a rest=2E'"=20 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <114780-220021043193612536_@_M2W041.mail2web.com> Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 15:36:12 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) New York City From the NY Times=2E=2E October 1, 2002 After a Century of Dreams, Still Envying the Sardine By RANDY KENNEDY Whatever is said about this project in the years to come, certainly no one= can say that the city acted rashly or without due deliberation=2E" =97 Go= v=2E Nelson A=2E Rockefeller, in 1972, at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Sec= ond Avenue subway, first proposed in 1920 and still unfinished today=2E As you read this, $4=2E5 billion in federal money circles high above New Y= ork City in a holding pattern=2E Anxiously awaiting its landing are public officials and business leaders who have effectively already spent this money three times over, at least in their minds, as they begin anxiously "re-imagining" the transportation landscape in Lower Manhattan=2E Arranged in no particular order of likelihood, there are plans to build a downtown station like Grand Central Terminal, to create a subterranean concourse with stores and cafes and moving sidewalks, to rebuild the South= Street Ferry station, to connect the two Rector Street subway stations, to= rebuild the Fulton Street complex, to submerge West Street into a traffic tunnel, to build new ferry terminals, and, if they can find the room, to bring the Long Island Rail Road and maybe even Metro-North into Lower Manhattan=2E With these plans in mind, and with the unmistakable background music of knives being sharpened, the Tunnel Vision column thought it might be a goo= d time to take a brief tour of the metropolitan region with the Ghost of Transit Plans Past=2E For brevity's sake, the tour will start with ambitious and unrealized transit plans made after 1904, when the subway opened, leaving out earlier= well-meaning pipe dreams, like Alfred E=2E Beach's pneumatic subway, which= would have blown trains under Manhattan like so many state lottery Ping-Pong balls=2E The tour will also exclude most plans in the Buck Rogers and Buckminster Fuller categories, like the short-lived "Aerial Transit" idea of 1955, which would have spent $1=2E5 billion on a vast network of thin elevated rails, along which small, automated, bubble-like, rubber-tired cars would have whisked commuters into and around the city=2E (Think George Jetson in= a gray flannel suit=2E) 1904 Just before he retires, William Barclay Parsons, the chief engineer o= f the first subway, proposes a plan for a grand loop system that would encircle the edges of Manhattan with a subway beltway=2E Crosstown lines, = he said almost casually, could be added as needed and "laid out at any time=2E= " 1906 With the brand-new subway already packed in Manhattan, the city's Rapid Transit Commission considers a 100-mile-an-hour monorail in Brooklyn= =2E "Board Seems Interested," announced a headline in The New York Times=2E "5-Cent Fares to Coney if the Plan Is Tried=2E" It was not=2E 1922 With the Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle almost dangerously overcrowded, a prominent transit official proposes replacing the shuttle with a series of subterranean moving sidewalks from river to river, along 42nd Street=2E One sidewalk would go three miles per hour, another alongsi= de it six miles per hour and a wide one in the middle, with benches, would zoom along at nine=2E Underground stores with "gaily decorated shop window= s" would be built=2E A writer in this newspaper, addressing the beleaguered shuttle riders of his day, asked: "Haven't you honestly envied the sardine his commodious can?" If so, the envy continued because the sidewalks remained above groun= d and stationary=2E 1930 Plans for a Second Avenue subway are moving along apace and one proposal being seriously considered is to build beneath it a "super-express" line that will eventually stretch from Van Cortlandt Park to Coney Island, with stops only every 4=2E7 miles and a 30-minute trip fr= om terminal to terminal=2E 1957 A brand-new subway line is proposed, to go where no New York subway had ever gone before: New Jersey=2E The plan has similarities to Mr=2E Parsons's loop, except that this one would be shifted considerably to the west and would straddle the Hudson=2E (Some idea of the plan's future coul= d be gleaned from the comments of a prominent railroad official at the time,= who said, when asked whether New York and New Jersey could afford such a subway: "It would take a pipeline to Fort Knox=2E" Another official called= the idea "monstrous=2E") 1965 Apparently abandoning the idea of taking the subway to the suburbs, the New York City Planning Commission proposes bringing the suburbs into the subways=2E The Long Island Rail Road is to buy so-called "supersubway"= cars that can run on the commuter rails and then switch over seamlessly to= the subway=2E One idea is to connect these super cars with =97 you guessed it =97 the proposed Second Avenue subway=2E 1974 The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announces a new "stop" on the Second Avenue subway, delaying it because of spiraling costs until "about 1986=2E" - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000801c26b49$bf3fa880$1d4ef6d1_@_name> Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 21:59:54 -0400 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) New York City This guy has a dream job doesn't he?...I think he should have added the elevated history, it was intensive and extensive, and most of the reading public are only vaguely aware if that. They, of course, were realized plans. Also they aren't "Tunnel Visions" Paul - -----Original Message----- From: jdent1_@_optonline.net To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net Date: Thursday, October 03, 2002 3:40 PM Subject: (rshsdepot) New York City From the NY Times.. October 1, 2002 After a Century of Dreams, Still Envying the Sardine By RANDY KENNEDY Whatever is said about this project in the years to come, certainly no one can say that the city acted rashly or without due deliberation." — Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller, in 1972, at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Second Avenue subway, first proposed in 1920 and still unfinished today. As you read this, $4.5 billion in federal money circles high above New York City in a holding pattern. Anxiously awaiting its landing are public officials and business leaders who have effectively already spent this money three times over, at least in their minds, as they begin anxiously "re-imagining" the transportation landscape in Lower Manhattan. Arranged in no particular order of likelihood, there are plans to build a downtown station like Grand Central Terminal, to create a subterranean concourse with stores and cafes and moving sidewalks, to rebuild the South Street Ferry station, to connect the two Rector Street subway stations, to rebuild the Fulton Street complex, to submerge West Street into a traffic tunnel, to build new ferry terminals, and, if they can find the room, to bring the Long Island Rail Road and maybe even Metro-North into Lower Manhattan. With these plans in mind, and with the unmistakable background music of knives being sharpened, the Tunnel Vision column thought it might be a good time to take a brief tour of the metropolitan region with the Ghost of Transit Plans Past. For brevity's sake, the tour will start with ambitious and unrealized transit plans made after 1904, when the subway opened, leaving out earlier well-meaning pipe dreams, like Alfred E. Beach's pneumatic subway, which would have blown trains under Manhattan like so many state lottery Ping-Pong balls. The tour will also exclude most plans in the Buck Rogers and Buckminster Fuller categories, like the short-lived "Aerial Transit" idea of 1955, which would have spent $1.5 billion on a vast network of thin elevated rails, along which small, automated, bubble-like, rubber-tired cars would have whisked commuters into and around the city. (Think George Jetson in a gray flannel suit.) 1904 Just before he retires, William Barclay Parsons, the chief engineer of the first subway, proposes a plan for a grand loop system that would encircle the edges of Manhattan with a subway beltway. Crosstown lines, he said almost casually, could be added as needed and "laid out at any time." 1906 With the brand-new subway already packed in Manhattan, the city's Rapid Transit Commission considers a 100-mile-an-hour monorail in Brooklyn. "Board Seems Interested," announced a headline in The New York Times. "5-Cent Fares to Coney if the Plan Is Tried." It was not. 1922 With the Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle almost dangerously overcrowded, a prominent transit official proposes replacing the shuttle with a series of subterranean moving sidewalks from river to river, along 42nd Street. One sidewalk would go three miles per hour, another alongside it six miles per hour and a wide one in the middle, with benches, would zoom along at nine. Underground stores with "gaily decorated shop windows" would be built. A writer in this newspaper, addressing the beleaguered shuttle riders of his day, asked: "Haven't you honestly envied the sardine his commodious can?" If so, the envy continued because the sidewalks remained above ground and stationary. 1930 Plans for a Second Avenue subway are moving along apace and one proposal being seriously considered is to build beneath it a "super-express" line that will eventually stretch from Van Cortlandt Park to Coney Island, with stops only every 4.7 miles and a 30-minute trip from terminal to terminal. 1957 A brand-new subway line is proposed, to go where no New York subway had ever gone before: New Jersey. The plan has similarities to Mr. Parsons's loop, except that this one would be shifted considerably to the west and would straddle the Hudson. (Some idea of the plan's future could be gleaned from the comments of a prominent railroad official at the time, who said, when asked whether New York and New Jersey could afford such a subway: "It would take a pipeline to Fort Knox." Another official called the idea "monstrous.") 1965 Apparently abandoning the idea of taking the subway to the suburbs, the New York City Planning Commission proposes bringing the suburbs into the subways. The Long Island Rail Road is to buy so-called "supersubway" cars that can run on the commuter rails and then switch over seamlessly to the subway. One idea is to connect these super cars with — you guessed it — the proposed Second Avenue subway. 1974 The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announces a new "stop" on the Second Avenue subway, delaying it because of spiraling costs until "about 1986." - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . =========== The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #483 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <026001c26bd5$ea5db110$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Fri, 04 Oct 2002 14:43:07 -0400 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Ellensburg, WA Depot purchase nears Grant funds have been released 10/03/02 PAT MUIR Within a month, Ellensburg city staff could be ready to make an offer to buy the Wenas Street historic train depot on behalf of Historic Ellensburg, a local preservation group. Acquiring the depot would put an end to an effort begun in 1999 and will signal the beginning of a new push to restore the building. The city and Historic Ellensburg have overcome several obstacles in getting this far, most notably the Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad' s refusal to offer a long-term lease on the depot property. In April, the railroad, which owns the property but not the building, changed directions and offered a 20-year lease, which meant state Department of Transportation could release a $260,000 federal grant to the city of Ellensburg for the project. After the purchase of the building, the lease will be signed and the city will transfer ownership of the building to Historic Ellensburg - or so the plan goes. "I don't go a day without people from the public asking me what's going on," Historic Ellensburg President Joe Bach said. "It's good to finally have something to tell them." But given the lengthy process up to this point, Historic Ellensburg members are hesitant to count their chickens, he said. "It definitely feels like there's some light at the end of the tunnel," Bach said. "But what hurdle do we have to get over next? That's always in the back of my mind." At this point, though, it seems things are headed in the right direction, said John Akers, Ellensburg's public works director and the city's point man on the depot project. After a grant-funded appraisal is complete, it won't take long before the city enters into negotiations with Dave Bean, the building's owner, Akers said. "The feds have released the project funds and the appraiser is doing his thing," he said. After paying for the costs of the appraisal and negotiation and the $20,000 lump sum for the 20-year lease on the property, there will be about $225,000 left for the purchase of the building and to begin restoration, Akers said. The first priorities are a new roof and a fence around the property, Bach said. "First we've just got to get it in a mothball state, get it sealed up," he said. Historic Ellensburg has actually already done some cleanup work on the site, Bach said. Once the depot is restored, it could be a popular attraction to train buffs, he said. "In the course of one cleanup day there, we probably had 20 people stop by, and I don't think any of them were local people," he said. "They wanted to see the depot." ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <003301c26bdb$65a97750$314dffd1_@_Computer> Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 15:22:14 -0400 From: "bernie_rudberg" Subject: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party HOPEWELL DEPOT WORK PARTY 12 OCTOBER 10:00 AM As some of you may already know, the recent weather has torn the temporary roof covering on the depot. Part of the center section is exposed to the rain and snow. As a short term fix, we have sections of tarp to cover the holes. We already have the tarps so it is a matter of getting up on the roof and doing some repair work. We plan to do the repair work on Saturday 12 October starting about 10:00 AM. We need volunteers to help out. Anybody who can help is welcome. Even if you don't climb on the roof. we need people on the ground to hold ladders etc. This is an emergency short term fix until we can do a more permanent job. Eventually the plan is to install a new layer of plywood and roofing material. This of course will take time and money. Meanwhile we will patch the holes to keep out the worst of the weather. We are also processing the paperwork for a $3000 grant application to finance the repair work. In addition we have sent letters to many local businesses asking for support and/or donations. We hope to see you on Saturday morning 12 October at the depot. Bernie Rudberg President, Hopewell Depot Restoration Inc. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <4910-220021054194615352_@_M2W059.mail2web.com> Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 15:46:15 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Dunsmuir, CA From the Redding CA Record Searchlight=2E=2E=2E =20 Dunsmuir train depot in jeopardy=20 Amtrak will pull service if station repairs not made=20 David Benda Record Searchlight=20 =20 October 04, 2002 =97 2:22 a=2Em=2E DUNSMUIR =97 Amtrak has given this historic railroad town an ultimatum: Resuscitate the passenger depot by Dec=2E 1 or lose service=2E The train carrier wants Dunsmuir to provide a heated, sheltered depot with= bathrooms and a phone, a place passengers can feel safe when catching the train=2E Amtrak currently leases a loading platform from Union Pacific, which close= d the building about a month ago when it moved its offices to a newer facility nearby=2E Over the years, the building has become dilapidated and unsafe to occupy, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said Thursday from Oakland=2E "As it stands, our passengers would be out there in the early morning in the winter and very cold temperatures," Graham said=2E "We would love to continue to provide passenger service to Dunsmuir and Siskiyou County, onl= y if the facility is renovated=2E" The southbound Los Angeles-to-Seattle Coast Starlight makes daily runs, stopping in Dunsmuir at 2:20 a=2Em=2E going south and 5:04 a=2Em=2E going = north=2E If the improvements aren't made, Amtrak could look to neighboring Mount Shasta to replace Dunsmuir as its only Siskiyou County stop, Graham said=2E= But before Dunsmuir can renovate the 60-something-year-old building, it must either buy it from Union Pacific or lease it from the rail company=2E= Although Dunsmuir City Manager Michael Powers was out of town Thursday and= unavailable for comment, Mayor Wayne Meredith said that negotiations with Union Pacific have already started=2E But the Omaha, Neb=2E-based company said that's not so=2E "There has been no official direct contact between the city (Dunsmuir) and= the railroad," Union Pacific spokesman Mike Furtney said from San Francisc= o=2E Union Pacific has heard secondhand that the city is interested in either purchasing or leasing the building, Furtney said=2E "We are certainly willing to discuss it," Furtney said=2E Furtney was surprised to hear that Amtrak wants a sheltered stop for its Dunsmuir passengers=2E "It's interesting because Amtrak hasn't used anything but the outdoor platform, at least in recent years," Furtney said=2E Dunsmuir is the only stop the Coast Starlight makes between Klamath Falls,= Ore=2E, and Redding=2E Last fiscal year, 4,268 passengers used the Dunsmui= r stop, Graham said=2E In Redding, 6,422 Amtrak passengers got on or off at its depot during the same period=2E Meredith said losing Amtrak service would be a blow to Dunsmuir, simply because the town's existence is due in large part to the railroad=2E "We do think it's very important to keep the Amtrak terminal here as long as Amtrak stays running," Meredith said=2E While Meredith understands Amtrak's concern for its passengers, he wishes the company would help fund improvements to the depot=2E "They have flat said you get no money, but you have to repair the building," Meredith said=2E But spokeswoman Graham said Amtrak's policy is not to pay communities for station improvements=2E Meredith doesn't know how much it would cost to repair the depot, and Unio= n Pacific doesn't know how much the selling price to Dunsmuir would be=2E Meanwhile, Mount Shasta City Manager Bob Christofferson said Amtrak has approached his community about possibly relocating its Coast Starlight stop=2E He acknowledged that Mount Shasta is in an awkward position=2E The city wants to do everything possible to ensure that train service continues in Dunsmuir, but it also doesn't want to see Amtrak abandon Siskiyou County=2E "If they (Dunsmuir) can't do it, I would imagine we would get notification= from Amtrak," Christofferson said=2E Mount Shasta could then construct a temporary depot on North Mount Shasta Boulevard to accommodate Amtrak passengers, Christofferson said=2E The new= facility would be adjacent to a former train depot now occupied by various= businesses=2E "Because of the uncertainty of Dunsmuir, we haven't spent any time on this= or done any planning," Christofferson said when asked how much a temporary= facility would cost=2E Christofferson noted that funds for the Mount Shasta depot could be available through the Great American Station Foundation =97 a New Mexico organization dedicated to the revitalization of railway stations=2E=20 Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or at dbenda_@_redding=2Ecom= =2E Friday, October 4, 2002=20 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002f01c26be2$9564fe40$a44576d8_@_oemcomputer> References: <003301c26bdb$65a97750$314dffd1_@_Computer> Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 16:14:01 -0400 From: "Rich Chapin" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party What state is this Hopewell in? - ----- Original Message ----- From: bernie_rudberg To: Celeste Rudberg Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 3:22 PM Subject: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party > HOPEWELL DEPOT WORK PARTY 12 OCTOBER 10:00 AM > > As some of you may already know, the recent weather has torn the temporary > roof covering on the depot. Part of the center section is exposed to the > rain and snow. As a short term fix, we have sections of tarp to cover the > holes. We already have the tarps so it is a matter of getting up on the > roof and doing some repair work. > > We plan to do the repair work on Saturday 12 October starting about 10:00 > AM. We need volunteers to help out. Anybody who can help is welcome. Even > if you don't climb on the roof. we need people on the ground to hold ladders > etc. > > This is an emergency short term fix until we can do a more permanent job. > Eventually the plan is to install a new layer of plywood and roofing > material. This of course will take time and money. Meanwhile we will > patch the holes to keep out the worst of the weather. > > We are also processing the paperwork for a $3000 grant application to > finance the repair work. In addition we have sent letters to many local > businesses asking for support and/or donations. > > We hope to see you on Saturday morning 12 October at the depot. > > Bernie Rudberg President, Hopewell Depot Restoration Inc. > > > > > > > > ================================= > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <157240-220021054201922323_@_M2W052.mail2web.com> Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 16:19:22 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party Original Message: - ----------------- What state is this Hopewell in? New York - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <004201c26be7$b3612220$9f4b0e44_@_ri.cox.net> References: <003301c26bdb$65a97750$314dffd1_@_Computer> <002f01c26be2$9564fe40$a44576d8@oemcomputer> Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 16:50:40 -0400 From: "JIMBEAR" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party Unless I'm mistaken, it's Hopewell, NY on the former NH RR Maybrook line. Jim - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rich Chapin" To: Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 4:14 PM Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party > What state is this Hopewell in? > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: bernie_rudberg > To: Celeste Rudberg > Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 3:22 PM > Subject: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <006a01c26bfe$44c98d40$504dffd1_@_Computer> References: <003301c26bdb$65a97750$314dffd1_@_Computer> <002f01c26be2$9564fe40$a44576d8@oemcomputer> <004201c26be7$b3612220$9f4b0e44@ri.cox.net> Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 19:32:08 -0400 From: "bernie_rudberg" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party Hopewell Junction is indeed on the old New Haven RR Maybrook line which was abandoned and torn up in the 1980s. Metro North Railroad owns the nearby tracks and land. Dutchess County now owns the former Maybrook ROW and calls it a utility corridor. They are planning to bury water lines under it and pave it to make a recreational rail trail. We are trying to preserve and restore the Hopewell depot as an anchor for one end of that rail trail. Bernie Rudberg President Hopewell Depot Restoration Inc. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000f01c26c07$79122b80$c6a99840_@_name> Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 20:37:59 -0400 From: "Paul S. Luchter" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Dunsmuir, CA This is a time-honored tradition of railroads....like where LIRR built its Northport depot south of Northport because the Northportians didn't want to pay for a depot. Paul - -----Original Message----- From: jdent1_@_optonline.net To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net Date: Friday, October 04, 2002 3:51 PM Subject: (rshsdepot) Dunsmuir, CA From the Redding CA Record Searchlight... Dunsmuir train depot in jeopardy Amtrak will pull service if station repairs not made David Benda Record Searchlight October 04, 2002 — 2:22 a.m. DUNSMUIR — Amtrak has given this historic railroad town an ultimatum: Resuscitate the passenger depot by Dec. 1 or lose service. The train carrier wants Dunsmuir to provide a heated, sheltered depot with bathrooms and a phone, a place passengers can feel safe when catching the train. Amtrak currently leases a loading platform from Union Pacific, which closed the building about a month ago when it moved its offices to a newer facility nearby. Over the years, the building has become dilapidated and unsafe to occupy, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said Thursday from Oakland. "As it stands, our passengers would be out there in the early morning in the winter and very cold temperatures," Graham said. "We would love to continue to provide passenger service to Dunsmuir and Siskiyou County, only if the facility is renovated." The southbound Los Angeles-to-Seattle Coast Starlight makes daily runs, stopping in Dunsmuir at 2:20 a.m. going south and 5:04 a.m. going north. If the improvements aren't made, Amtrak could look to neighboring Mount Shasta to replace Dunsmuir as its only Siskiyou County stop, Graham said. But before Dunsmuir can renovate the 60-something-year-old building, it must either buy it from Union Pacific or lease it from the rail company. Although Dunsmuir City Manager Michael Powers was out of town Thursday and unavailable for comment, Mayor Wayne Meredith said that negotiations with Union Pacific have already started. But the Omaha, Neb.-based company said that's not so. "There has been no official direct contact between the city (Dunsmuir) and the railroad," Union Pacific spokesman Mike Furtney said from San Francisco. Union Pacific has heard secondhand that the city is interested in either purchasing or leasing the building, Furtney said. "We are certainly willing to discuss it," Furtney said. Furtney was surprised to hear that Amtrak wants a sheltered stop for its Dunsmuir passengers. "It's interesting because Amtrak hasn't used anything but the outdoor platform, at least in recent years," Furtney said. Dunsmuir is the only stop the Coast Starlight makes between Klamath Falls, Ore., and Redding. Last fiscal year, 4,268 passengers used the Dunsmuir stop, Graham said. In Redding, 6,422 Amtrak passengers got on or off at its depot during the same period. Meredith said losing Amtrak service would be a blow to Dunsmuir, simply because the town's existence is due in large part to the railroad. "We do think it's very important to keep the Amtrak terminal here as long as Amtrak stays running," Meredith said. While Meredith understands Amtrak's concern for its passengers, he wishes the company would help fund improvements to the depot. "They have flat said you get no money, but you have to repair the building," Meredith said. But spokeswoman Graham said Amtrak's policy is not to pay communities for station improvements. Meredith doesn't know how much it would cost to repair the depot, and Union Pacific doesn't know how much the selling price to Dunsmuir would be. Meanwhile, Mount Shasta City Manager Bob Christofferson said Amtrak has approached his community about possibly relocating its Coast Starlight stop. He acknowledged that Mount Shasta is in an awkward position. The city wants to do everything possible to ensure that train service continues in Dunsmuir, but it also doesn't want to see Amtrak abandon Siskiyou County. "If they (Dunsmuir) can't do it, I would imagine we would get notification from Amtrak," Christofferson said. Mount Shasta could then construct a temporary depot on North Mount Shasta Boulevard to accommodate Amtrak passengers, Christofferson said. The new facility would be adjacent to a former train depot now occupied by various businesses. "Because of the uncertainty of Dunsmuir, we haven't spent any time on this or done any planning," Christofferson said when asked how much a temporary facility would cost. Christofferson noted that funds for the Mount Shasta depot could be available through the Great American Station Foundation — a New Mexico organization dedicated to the revitalization of railway stations. Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or at dbenda_@_redding.com. Friday, October 4, 2002 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . =========== The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <003301c26bdb$65a97750$314dffd1_@_Computer> Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 23:16:08 -0500 From: "Jeff Stith" Subject: RE: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party I'm looking for grants for which my organization can apply to renovate a depot in Pattonsburg, Missouri from the old Omaha Kansas City Line (defunct since 1932). Any help on where I might look for a grant that doesn't necessarily require a building to be on the National Register of Historic Places? Jeff Stith President Historic Pattonsburg, Inc. > -----Original Message----- > From: rshsdepot-owner_@_lists.railfan.net > [mailto:rshsdepot-owner_@_lists.railfan.net]On Behalf Of bernie_rudberg > Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 2:22 PM > To: Celeste Rudberg > Subject: (rshsdepot) Hopewell Depot Roof Work Party > > > HOPEWELL DEPOT WORK PARTY 12 OCTOBER 10:00 AM > > As some of you may already know, the recent weather has torn the temporary > roof covering on the depot. Part of the center section is exposed to the > rain and snow. As a short term fix, we have sections of tarp to > cover the > holes. We already have the tarps so it is a matter of getting up on the > roof and doing some repair work. > > We plan to do the repair work on Saturday 12 October starting about 10:00 > AM. We need volunteers to help out. Anybody who can help is > welcome. Even > if you don't climb on the roof. we need people on the ground to > hold ladders > etc. > > This is an emergency short term fix until we can do a more permanent job. > Eventually the plan is to install a new layer of plywood and roofing > material. This of course will take time and money. Meanwhile we will > patch the holes to keep out the worst of the weather. > > We are also processing the paperwork for a $3000 grant application to > finance the repair work. In addition we have sent letters to many local > businesses asking for support and/or donations. > > We hope to see you on Saturday morning 12 October at the depot. > > Bernie Rudberg President, Hopewell Depot Restoration Inc. > > > > > > > > ================================= > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #484 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <03cc01c26c9b$23615ff0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Sat, 05 Oct 2002 14:15:08 -0400 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Green Bay, WI What Brews At The Old Green Bay Train Depot? By Brenda Erickson News-Chronicle The aroma of something scrumptious sizzling on the grill wafts out of the kitchen at Titletown Brewery, where author Dennis Boyer once made a stop and couldn't resist coming back. Once inside, in the shadow of the kegs holding the brewery's best beers, it's easy to see what lured Boyer back. The historical theme of the restaurant and microbrewery, nestled in the old Green Bay train depot where the clock tower still stands watch, was one of the reasons Boyer paid another visit to flesh out a mention in the first edition of his book "Great Wisconsin Taverns," boosting the pub to what he considers one of the top 10 taverns in the state for the revised version. "It's a classy place," said Boyer, who has toured some 3000 taverns during business trips, enough to compile a book celebrating one of Wisconsin's most heralded traditions. "I had great experiences there," he added, reminiscing about the beer samples the bartender was eager to supply. Old beer signs and classic art decorate the walls of the former railroad depot, now a charming place where diners and drinkers can belly up to the bar or take a table outside the bustling place, which brings back an era that's virtually lost in and around Green Bay. "It's a neat old building," said owner Brent Weycker, and it's part of our success." Weycker said the station, built in 1898, was gutted by the new owners to make way for a restaurant and brewing equipment, but much of the original construction was maintained to restore the patina of the past, including fireplaces, archways and hardwood floors that still show the wear of thousands of feet including former presidents such as Taft and both Roosevelts and rockabilly legend Buddy Holly shuffling impatiently as they waited for their tickets. And trains still pass the restaurant daily, so if patrons close their eyes, they can still feel as if they're in the old train station, if only for a minute. On a traditional day, Titletown serves up six to nine beers, including the eight on tap right now. Historically-named special favorites are offered year round and include the 400 Honey Ale, Railyard Ale, Johnny "Blood" McNally Red Ale, Old Ford Howard Pale Ale and Bridge Out Stout, a dark beer that serves as a reminder that the business was able to thrive despite the Main Street bridge being out when the establishment first opened its doors. The restaurant's full menu includes appetizers, soups and salads and an array of seasonal items served as entrees, and judging from the many patrons sitting at tables, it's not only the beer that brings people back to the historic Titletown. According to Weycker, business has increased steadily over the past six years for the locally-owned brew pub, which offers a range of six to nine microbrew beers, including seasonal specials and for non-drinkers, Gramma Gladys' homemade Sno-Cap rootbeer, named after a rootbeer served at the now-lost Sno-Cap Drive-In that was too popular to let pass by the wayside. But the building itself is the restaurant's most unique and gorgeous feature. Too, by locating in Green Bay, once the home of five breweries, Titletown can pay tribute to some of Green Bay's richest history. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <02a201c26ceb$feedb1e0$0300a8c0_@_oemcomputer> Date: Sat, 05 Oct 2002 23:53:55 -0400 From: Jim Dent Subject: (rshsdepot) Fw: BOUNCE rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net: Non-member submission from ["Jim Guthrie" ] - ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jim Guthrie" > To: > Subject: LIRR Northport -- was Re: (rshsdepot) Dunsmuir, CA > Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2002 16:06:36 -0400 > > On Fri, 4 Oct 2002 20:37:59 -0400 "Paul S. Luchter" > > wrote: > > > This is a time-honored tradition of > > railroads....like where LIRR built its > > Northport depot south of Northport because the > > Northportians didn't want to > > pay for a depot. > > So, then, what was that Depot that the LIRR built that was located north of > the [current] 25A? > > "Old Northport" was still a mile from the village, but it always had 3-4 > trains a day as did the line to Port jeff after it opened in 1873. In 1899, > the trolley to Genola -- which was renamed East Northport -- opened met all > the trains, ran all the way down Main Street to the waterfront, and even > took kids to the "new" high school (a siding there even allowed for > layovers). This was far better service to Northport proper than they had > ever enjoyed. > > If you look at the local geography, you'll note that heading east from the > Northport Depot would have been needlessly expensive due to the hills, as > compared to the almost straight shot that was actually built. It should also > be remembered that A.T. Steward had also made a proposal to entend his > Bethpage Branch to meet the Smithown and Port Jefferson, which also > influenced its location. > > As for the financing, the Smithtown and Port Jefferson Railroad was one of > three built with town bonding in New York State, and unlike the better known > NY&OM, not only paid for itself, but Smithtown Township taxpayers received > a nice little dividend when the PRR paid off the bonds and consolidated the > system in the 1920. > > Cheers, > Jim Guthrie > (formerly of Smithtown) > > > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #485 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <001001c26d33$b2f81e40$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Sun, 06 Oct 2002 08:27:13 -0400 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) McGill, NV At the Throttle: Saving the McGill Depot By MARK BASSETT - Ely Daily Times There are three major projects that the Nevada Northern Railway Museum is investigating funding sources for. The projects are: the McGill Depot, the East Ely Machine Shop and Engine House Building, and of course Locomotive 40. The three projects share similar characteristics; they will cost about $500,000 a piece; they are all in need of immediate help; and they are vital to the museum. Starting with the McGill Depot, if stabilization work is not started in the immediate future we will have the McGill rubble pile. The roof has fallen in on one corner. The roof leaks throughout the structure and the foundation is sinking in a couple of places. What makes the McGill Depot unique is that it is the last remaining depot of that style left on the Nevada Northern Railway. It is the quintessential American railroad depot and is definitely worth preserving. So why preserve a depot that does not currently have a connection to the Nevada Northern Railway? Because it could have a connection and the connection could come from the Adverse or highline side. And that is just the project that we are proposing; restore the depot, lay track from Adverse to the depot, put in either a balloon track or wye at McGill for turning the trains and, wallah, you have a destination. Okay you have a destination, now what? There is a world-class foundry in McGill, oddly enough right across the street from the depot. They would be interested in displaying their work in the restored depot. Since we don't need the freight part of the building, how about putting in a small food facility? Then there is the Rexall Museum in McGill and the McGill Club that has one of the oldest back bars in Nevada. As I was talking this over with a friend she mentioned putting in a coffee shop, maybe another gallery, a couple of bed and breakfasts, all of this near the entrance to Great Basin National Park, "Now you're talking economic development." Is this possible or is it blue sky? Well, good question. A model already exists, the Durango and Silverton Railroad in Colorado. The last time I was in Durango to ride the train was two years ago in mid-week in the middle of September. They ran three trains that day to Silverton. The extra fare cars were sold out for the next 10 days! All three trains were full. My wife and I rode the train to Silverton. Took the first train out and the last train back from Silverton. While in Silverton, we explored the town and walked a good five miles and dropped about $200 on lunch, gifts and knick-knacks. Then we returned to Durango where we decided to go out to dinner on a Thursday night. Well we walked another two miles to find a restaurant we could have dinner without waiting two hours. What does all of this have to do with Ely and McGill? On the train last month I was speaking with a passenger who was wearing a Durango & Silverton shirt. Turns out she's been going to Durango for over 30 years to ride the train. Her remark to me was that Ely looks just like Durango did 30 years ago! The more we talked she related how the little depressed mining towns of Durango and Silverton did a complete economic turn around. The catalyst for the turn around was the railroad which 30 years ago was a broken down facility with old dirty steam locomotives and rickety cars. I should also point out that Durango is, believe it or not, even more isolated than Ely is! Ely is closer to major metropolitan areas than Durango. We have the opportunity, if we can marshal our resources, one of which is a depot with no rail connection and a leaky roof. The museum is pursuing grants to build the track into the McGill Depot from Adverse and stabilize the depot. After the depot is stabilized, then we will restore it. This is not a project that will happen over night, but it is a project that is worth doing. There is a little mystery surrounding the depot. We're just in the preliminary stage of doing research on it, but an interesting story has popped up. It is believed by some that the McGill Depot was built at Currie, then moved to East Ely and then moved to McGill. I find this hard to believe. If you have information on the McGill Depot, I'd like to hear from you. Mark Bassett is the Executive Director of the White Pine Historical Foundation operators of the Nevada Northern Railway Museum. He can be reached at the museum (775) 289-2085 or e-mail: nnry_@_mwpower.net ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <007001c26d86$32218ce0$d023c118_@_NYSWRRCoalCo> Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2002 18:17:44 -0400 From: "Jim Guthrie" Subject: (rshsdepot) LIRR Northport (Test) > On Fri, 4 Oct 2002 20:37:59 -0400 "Paul S. Luchter" > > wrote: > > > This is a time-honored tradition of > > railroads....like where LIRR built its > > Northport depot south of Northport because the > > Northportians didn't want to > > pay for a depot. > > So, then, what was that Depot that the LIRR built that was located north of > the [current] 25A? > > "Old Northport" was still a mile from the village, but it always had 3-4 > trains a day as did the line to Port jeff after it opened in 1873. In 1899, > the trolley to Genola -- which was renamed East Northport -- opened met all > the trains, ran all the way down Main Street to the waterfront, and even > took kids to the "new" high school (a siding there even allowed for > layovers). This was far better service to Northport proper than they had > ever enjoyed. > > If you look at the local geography, you'll note that heading east from the > Northport Depot would have been needlessly expensive due to the hills, as > compared to the almost straight shot that was actually built. It should also > be remembered that A.T. Steward had also made a proposal to entend his > Bethpage Branch to meet the Smithown and Port Jefferson, which also > influenced its location. > > As for the financing, the Smithtown and Port Jefferson Railroad was one of > three built with town bonding in New York State, and unlike the better known > NY&OM, not only paid for itself, but Smithtown Township taxpayers received > a nice little dividend when the PRR paid off the bonds and consolidated the > system in the 1920. > > Cheers, > Jim Guthrie > (formerly of Smithtown) > > > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #486 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 06:19:32 -0400 From: "Michael Bosak" Subject: (rshsdepot) DL Laurel Line, Scranton Just took the trolley ride through the tunnel from the museum. It was gr eat! I enjoyed going through the tunnel quite a it. It is certainly the highlight of the trip. The trolley museum is separate from Steamtown and worth seeing. And what can I say about Steamtown, but if you haven't gon e, you really need to. MikeGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer do wnload : http://explorer.msn.com ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <265000-220021017204345852_@_M2W074.mail2web.com> Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 16:43:45 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Halletsville, Texas From Railway Preservation News=2E=2E=2E The original brief is at http://www=2Erypn=2Eorg/Briefs/october2002/021005= =2Ehtm Be sure to vist it to see the photos, definetly worth a look! San Antonio & Aransas Pass Depot in Halletsville, Texas I took my father to the doctor on Monday, October 1st, and on the way home= we stopped at Schultze's Family Restaurant (his favorite local hangout her= e in Rosenberg)=2E Occasionally, the restaurant has some of the local area newspapers for patrons to read, and among these I found a copy of the Victoria Advocate=2E Scanning through the paper, I saw an obituary for Jerome M=2E Haas of Hallettsville, along with his photograph=2E I had met Mr=2E Haas a few tim= es in Hallettsville, and once in Wallis=2E Mr=2E Haas had owned the old SA&AP de= pot in Hallettsville (after that portion of the line was abandoned in 1959), and was kind enough to take me through it in the spring of 1993, at which time I took these photos=2E =20 Hallettsville depot as it appeared in March 1993=2E You are looking at tow= ard the east, and the western end and southern side of the building=2E Three photos by Ken Stavinoha=2E=20 It's is fortunate that I was able to photograph the building when I did, for 5 years later it was gone=2E Mr=2E Haas had spent a lot of time at the= depot as a young man, and really loved the building=2E He told me about th= e last time the building had been painted (in the 1940's), the old paint was= burned off with torches rather than scraped off=2E He couldn't believe it=20= didn't burn down during this process=2E =20 This was the door to the express/baggage area=2E As the depot was original= ly built, this door was in the small baggage extension=2E It was later moved = to the current spot, where the door with the Western Union sign appears in th= e early photo postcard, and apparently the baggage extension was eliminated=2E= =20 At the time I photographed it, he had been trying to sell it for a very modest price, but there were no takers=2E No one wanted the building where= it was, and it could not be moved in one piece out of it's location=2E Mr=2E = Haas was already into his lengthy fight with cancer, and just did not have the financial resources to keep up the building=2E Mother nature came along an= d just about finished the depot off, and the city made Mr=2E Haas demolish t= he rest=2E =20 This photo says so much about the forlorn state of the building=2E The condition of this window explains why the rest were boarded up=2E In the heyday of the depot, one would have seen produce warehouses when looking out this window=2E=20 I had not talked with Mr=2E Haas in a few years, and would not have known about his death except for the chance(?) encounter with a newspaper printe= d 90 miles from Rosenberg=2E So, I felt compelled to tell the story of Mr=2E= Haas and his beloved depot=2E Perhaps they are reunited in that great railroad = in the sky=2E RIP Mr=2E Haas, and thanks for the memories=2E (Ken Stavinoha)=20 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <157240-220021017205117711_@_M2W055.mail2web.com> Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 16:51:17 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Cherokee (?) I don't know if this is Nebraska, Iowa or MN=2E 10/07/2002 Cherokee Finishes Train Depot Renovation=20 After ten years and hundreds of thousands of dollars, they're in the final= stage of renovating a historic train depot in Cherokee=2E Members of Depot= Renovation, Inc=2E, are fixing up the second floor of the train depot, the= last phase of the renovation=2E Jim Adamson with the depot renovation said= , =93We're building a handicap accessible bathroom, and the upstairs will be= rented out to tenants=2E Illinois Central Railroad built the depot in 1896=2E The community of Cherokee grew up around it=2E Trains stopped at the depot with passengers = and freight for almost one hundred years=2E In 1990, Adamson and several other= community members formed Depot Renovation, Inc=2E By then, the depot was n= o longer in use, and there was talk of tearing the building down and buildin= g a parking lot=2E But Adamson and the group raised enough money to buy the depot themselves=2E The renovations have cost over three hundred thousand dollars, much of tha= t provided by state and local grants=2E But Adamson says it's worth it, so people like Marjorie Rowen, who worked in the depot almost sixty years ago= , can come back, and reminisce=2E The project should be complete by the end = of the year=2E Christian Walk =A9 2002 KTIV=2E All Rights Reserved=2E=20 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <4910-22002101720541196_@_M2W054.mail2web.com> Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 16:54:11 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Grand Island, NE Riding the rails into history Former hobo shares his experiences at Historical Society's Hobo Hoedown in= G=2EI=2E=20 =20 =20 Independent/Scott Kingsley=20 =20 By Sarah Schulz=20 sschulz_@_theindependent=2Ecom=20 John Seery's worst experience riding the rails came when a railroad employee smacked his fingers with a baton, causing him to fall headfirst into coal cinders=2E His best experiences centered on working in exchange for a meal=2E Seery, 93, shared his stories with a group gathered at Plum Street Station= Sunday evening for the Hobo Hoedown=2E The event was the Hall County Historical Society's effort to raise money t= o help keep the depot in operation, said Kay Hulme, treasurer for the societ= y and chairwoman for the Hobo Hoedown organizing committee=2E Seery said he began riding the rails when he was 14=2E He recalled one of = his first rides when he crawled on top of a boxcar and fell asleep=2E The train went through a tunnel and the coal smoke from the locomotive filled the small space=2E "I came out the other end gagging and a spittin'," he said with a laugh=2E= He also told about roasting corn cobs in a tin can and trading a half-empt= y bottle of whisky for another hobo's hat=2E "Every time I hear a train whistle it brings back memories," he said and smiled=2E "But at my age, and with this cane, I can't catch it=2E" Seery said he joined the U=2ES=2E Navy in 1928 when he was almost 18 and s= erved for 20 years=2E He was also in the reserves for 10 years=2E He said he met his wife of 63 years in California where she was caring for= a sick relative=2E He rode a train to Grand Island to see her when she'd returned home, and it was snowing when he arrived=2E "I told her she better not expect me to live in this God-forsaken place," he said=2E "I've been here since 1950=2E I've had a wonderful life in Gran= d Island=2E" After Seery spoke, others in attendance briefly shared memories about the station when it was a passenger depot "There's a lot of good stories," said John Amick, a member of the Hall County Historical Society=2E Amick attended Sunday's event wearing a conductor's uniform that belonged to Hulme's father=2E Hulme said she grew up in Ravenna, a railroad town, and thought the idea o= f the Hobo Hoedown fit perfectly with the Plum Street Station=2E The idea for the event was credited to society president Pat Mader, who is= recovering from a stroke and attended Sunday's fund-raiser=2E The depot was decorated with hobo symbols and their meanings, such as directions, where a phone was available, dangerous areas, where to avoid dishonest people, where to eat and where to get work=2E Hobo Hoedown committee member Carolyn Loschen grew up in Gibbon three houses north of the railroad tracks=2E She remembers seeing some of the markings on boxcars and on buildings near the tracks=2E She said her mother would sometimes give hobos a sack lunch with a sandwic= h and maybe a cookie=2E Hulme shared some hobo trivia with the group=2E She said a hobo was someon= e who traveled around the country and worked in exchange for food or money=2E= They separated themselves from bums and tramps because a hobo liked to travel and would work, a tramp traveled but didn't work, and a bum didn't travel or work, she said=2E Today the speed of trains makes it hard to hop a ride, but in the early 1880s through the 1940s hobos were common, Hulme said=2E In the 1880s railroads were being built quickly and since times were difficult many men, women and children took to the rails in search of work= , she said=2E The hobos often stayed in camps near railroads and used nicknames like Oklahoma Slim and Boxcar Willie, she said=2E Theft was kept at a minimum a= nd hobos had an unspoken agreement not to harm other hobos, she said=2E The evening event ended with entertainment from the "Bum Brigade" and an audience sing-along to hobo songs=2E - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <191690-2200210172056361_@_M2W074.mail2web.com> Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 16:56:36 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Carona, KS Depot keeps rail heritage alive=20 Local group spared Carona depot from destruction=20 By NIKKI PATRICK=20 Morning Sun Family Living Editor=20 =20 C=2E Cottrell/The Morning Sun=20 CARONA -- In the old days, the Carona railroad depot was the center of the= community=2E By 1959, the depot and an adjacent shed were moved to a field for agricultural use and the future seemed to hold nothing but a long, slow period of decay=2E That changed in 1996 when members of the Heart of the Heartlands acquired the structure and moved it back to its original location=2E The Carona depot would have been destroyed by termites within two years had it not been saved, Heart of the Heartlands President Larry Spahn said=2E= =20 "We're very fortunate to have saved the depot," said Larry Spahn, Heart of= the Heartlands president=2E "The termites had started on it, and in two ye= ars it would have been gone=2E" Spahn said members talked with area residents during the restoration project to learn as much as possible about the depot=2E "All the news was at this depot," Spahn said=2E "All the mail came in by train, and so did all the newspapers=2E" During the war years, troop trains would stop at the depot, he said, and area children would go down to the depot and talk with the soldiers=2E "One woman told me that a soldier had given her a piece of hardtack -- and= she still had it," Spahn said=2E Sometimes the depot was the scene of tragedy=2E "A woman told me that a neighbor's daughter, a young woman who had gone away, died of influenza," Spahn said=2E "They brought her body back home by train, and all people gather here to meet it=2E The woman remembered the girl's father standing here and wailing=2E She said she'd never heard a sound like that before, a= nd never wanted to again=2E She didn't really like talking about it, but felt= that it needed to be said=2E" As nearly as possible, members restored the depot to its original appearance, with yellow siding and brown trim=2E Various area railroad fan= s donated or loaned items for display=2E Their work brought them a 1996 Governor's Award for Community Service from= the Kansas State Historical Society=2E But saving the depot was just the beginning=2E More and more items of railroad history, from signals to train cars, have been accumulated at the= depot site=2E "We've been getting more railroad signals," Spahn said=2E "One of our memb= ers moved to Texas decided that we would be good caretakers of the signals he had collected=2E" Old railroad signals, Spahn said, are disappearing fast=2E "We've got one of the last operating semaphores in southeast Kansas," he said=2E "The signals controlled the trains=2E The arms would be up with a = green light for 'go,' or if there was another train in the next block, the light= would be red=2E If there was another train farther away, the light would b= e yellow=2E" One of the signals, formerly used by the Santa Fe Railroad, has its motor in a box on top of its tall post=2E A Frisco model, however, has the motor= in a box at the base of the pole=2E Then there's the wig-wag=2E "They called it that because the arms would mo= ve back and forth," explained John Chambers, another Heart of the Heartlands member=2E "They also called these automatic flagmen=2E The one we have protected the railroad crossing at Baxter Springs=2E" Probably the oldest and rarest piece of rolling stock at the depot, according to Spahn, is a blue 1932 Plymouth 0-6-0 engine=2E It was one of = the first internal combustion engines used by the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, and ushered in a new era of machine transportation=2E Previously, railroad= s had been steam-powered=2E "But they went ahead and made this look like a steam engine," said Ron Morgan, Heart of the Heartlands member=2E "They even put a stack on it, though it didn't function for that purpose, and a bell=2E" The blue engine was last used at Mackie-Clemens Mine No=2E 22 in the 1970s= =2E "We rescued it in 1999," Spahn said=2E "It was two weeks away from being s= old for salvage=2E" One of the more recent acquisitions is an old refrigerator car=2E "This wasn't cool by a refrigeration unit -- they iced it with real ice and used= it to transport fresh fruit, vegetables and meat across the country," Spah= n said=2E Newest of all is a Railway Express Agency car=2E "That was the counterpart= of our United Parcel Service," Spahn said=2E "The REA car would meet the trai= n, pick up merchandise that people had ordered, and deliver it to their homes= =2E" The car is still being restored, he said=2E Tires have been put on it, and= Morgan spent the summer putting a new coat of green paint on it=2E More growth is planned at the depot=2E "We're hoping to construct a 70-by-36-foot building here," Spahn said=2E "It would provide more display= space, and we'd also have our Heart of the Heartlands meetings there=2E We= 've applied for a grant, but the state's money is tight now, so we don't know=2E= " Heart of the Heartlands occasionally sponsors excursion train rides=2E One= is planned for Oct=2E 19 from the Carona Depot to the Santa Fe Depot in Cherryvale=2E Participants will have a noon lunch catered by Chicken Annie= 's, and leave on the return at 2:30 p=2Em=2E Cost will be $30 per person, with= reservations and advanced payment required=2E Those wishing to make reservations may contact Spahn at 2845 N=2EE=2E Wild Canary Lane, Weir, KS= 66781, or call (620) 396-8594 after 5:30 p=2Em=2E One-hour Halloween rides are planned at 1 p=2Em=2E and 3 p=2Em=2E on Oct=2E= 26=2E Tickets will be available at the Carona Depot on the day of the ride=2E Co= st will be $5 per person, with children on laps riding free=2E Proceeds will help the Heart of the Heartlands with its projects, but fund-raising is only one reason for the rides=2E The organization seeks to= preserve the area's railroad heritage, educate the public and share the enjoyment of rail travel=2E Aiding the organization with its work is Watco Cos=2E Inc=2E "If it wasn't= for Watco and the Webb family, we wouldn't be here," Spahn said=2E He noted that some might wonder why he and his fellow railroad fans spend so much time and effort trying to save the remnants of the past=2E Part of it is the importance of the railroads to the area's development an= d the daily lives of those who settled southeast Kansas=2E "Those immigrants who came here must have had a lot of courage," Spahn said=2E "How bad could things have been in Europe for them to come to a ne= w country where they didn't know anybody, didn't even know the language? The= y didn't realize they were making history -- they were just trying to make a= living=2E" There's also something harder to put into words, the attraction that the open road or the rails have always held=2E Spahn stood outside the old depot and looked at the tracks rolling past=2E= "You know, if you look one way, it looks like we don't have much track lef= t here," he said=2E "But if you turn and look the other way, those rails go = all the way to the horizon=2E" Family Living Editor Nikki Patrick can be reached at npatrick_@_morningsun=2Enet or 231-2600, Ext=2E 233=2E - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <2920-22002101720597566_@_M2W075.mail2web.com> Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 16:59:07 -0400 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Tunnel Hill, GA History, hauntings among treasures in Tunnel Hill =20 By: Connie Scott, For The Daily Citizen October 06, 2002=20 =20 TUNNEL HILL - The Western and Atlantic Tunnel is the city's claim to fame,= but what many folks don't know is that there's much more to see in Tunnel Hill than just a couple of tunnels=2E=20 Battlegrounds, unspoiled cannon and riffle pits, festivals and re-enactments, Confederate cemeteries and a restored antebellum mansion ar= e just a few hot spots the town has to offer=2E The first train passed through Tunnel Hill's Western Atlantic Tunnel in 1850=2E The tunnel, 1,477 feet long, was the first railroad tunnel built south of the Mason-Dixon line and was the last section of track to be laid= on the Western and Atlantic Railway's mainline, which ran from what is now= known as Atlanta to the Tennessee River=2E It was the first railroad to successfully link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River=2E The North and South fought over control of the tunnel during the Civil War= =2E In later years, troops passed through the tunnel on their way to wars in other countries=2E In 1916 a circus clown riding atop a train was nearly decapitated at the tunnel's entrance when he sat up at the wrong time, creating a somewhat spooky town legend=2E As time went by, builders began making trains too large to pass through th= e tunnel=2E The railways stopped using it, a second tunnel was built beside = the first, and rail traffic was re-routed=2E By the early 1990s kudzu had taken over and Tunnel Hill's namesake was all= but forgotten=2E It wasn't until the railroad started shoveling dirt in th= at the townspeople got a wake-up call=2E Kenneth Holcomb and other Tunnel Hillians stepped forward, saved the tunne= l and set about restoration=2E Today, the tunnel has been restored and is be= ing enjoyed by new generations=2E Though the tracks have been removed and an iron gate guards its entrance, the tunnel still stands=2E It is opened for tours during the town's annual= Civil War re-enactments, and plans are currently underway to build a park and have the tunnel open full time=2E Just a hop and a skip from the two tunnels is property owned by Kenneth an= d Barbara Holcomb=2E It is on this land that some of the bloodiest battles o= f the Civil War occurred=2E Some believe the battlefields are haunted=2E According to re-enactor Kenne= th Sumner of Woodstock, the place abounds with paranormal activity=2E Prompte= d by interviews with Sumner that ran in the Whitfield-Murray Advertiser in October of 1999 and an article that ran in Fate magazine in August of this= year, the Georgia branch of The Foundation for Paranormal Research conducted investigations in Tunnel Hill=2E The findings can be viewed by logging onto its Web site (www=2Eparanormalresearchonline=2Ecom/investiga_tunnelhill=2Ehtml)=2E Ghosts or no ghosts, each year, in an effort to remember those who suffere= d there, the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation hosts a re-enactment recreating= battle scenes=2E In addition to the battle, campsites representing the Nor= th and the South are set up for visitors to get a feel for what life was like= for soldiers in 1864=2E Food, crafts and novelty items are sold; church services are held on the Sunday of the re-enactment; and a ladies tea is hosted=2E "The re-enactment is our flagship," said Marvin Sowder, vice president of the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation and president of the Whitfield-Murray Historic Foundation=2E "The re-enactment is held on Saturday and Sunday ea= ch year, but on Fridays we open it up to area schools=2E They get a living history demonstration=2E They get to see cavalry men on horses, ladies spinning thread, cannons loaded and fired, and they hear the history of th= e tunnel and the events that happened there=2E" On top of the mountain behind the battlefields, there are still cannon and= rifle pits in pristine condition=2E The embankments were built by Confeder= ate troops to keep the Union troops back=2E Gen=2E Joseph E=2E Johnston, whose= statue stands on West Crawford Street in downtown Dalton, had both sides of the mountain manned with soldiers to protect Dalton, as well as to defend the Army and the railroad=2E Union Gen=2E William T=2E Sherman planned on taking out Dalton, said Boyd Whitfield, president of the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation, who believes Johnston's efforts went a long way in keeping the Union general from doing= so=2E Though the Yankees were kept out of Dalton, they did manage to take over one of Tunnel Hill's finer homes, the Clisby Austin House=2E Built in 1848 by Clisby Austin, the house - a mansion in its day - sits within sight distance of the tunnel=2E Clisby Austin came to Tunnel Hill in the early 1840s as a merchant when th= e tunnel was being developed, said Kenneth Holcomb, who currently owns the house=2E He moved to East Tennessee when the war broke out because he was = a Union sympathizer=2E His son, James Austin, stayed behind and ran a hotel = and a salon in Tunnel Hill=2E James Austin served in the Tunnel Guards, a Georgia home guard unit=2E Unl= ike his father, his loyalties were Southern in nature=2E For a while, the Confederates used the Clisby Austin House for a hospital=2E= After they fell back, and the Union Army moved in, Sherman made the house his headquarters=2E It is said he planned the final legs of the Atlanta campaign under the roof of the house=2E After the war, the Austins returned to their home=2E Since then it has changed hands many times=2E Today, the Clisby Austin is occupied by Delore= s Holcomb=2E The Austin family cemetery is located on a hill across from the home=2E Although Rebecca Austin, the mother of Clisby Austin, has the only remaining headstone, as many as 17 others may be buried there=2E Heading north out of Tunnel Hill, on Tunnel Hill-Varnell Road, is the Old Foster Cemetery=2E According to Sowder, two members of the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation were walking in the Old Foster Cemetery back in April of 1995 when they happened upon row after row of bumps and depressions=2E "Do you see what I see?" Teresa Sheram asked Carolyn Watkins=2E One hundred thirty-years after the Civil War, the one-time burial place of= 90 soldiers was rediscovered=2E A suggestion was made to open several of the grave sites to see who was buried there=2E After meeting legal requirements, an archeological dig was= set in motion=2E Surprisingly, no bodies were found=2E Coffin handles, porcelain buttons, square nails and a rubber button that had been carved into a ring were found, but no soldiers=2E In August of the same year the mystery was solved through information discovered in Georgia State archives=2E A scrapbook detailed the removal o= f the Confederate dead from the battlefields of Chickamauga, Ringgold and th= e Tunnel Hill cemetery=2E Ninety bodies were unearthed, explained Whitfield, and were put in coffins= and sent to Marietta=2E The soldiers with headstones were left behind=2E O= nly the unknowns were taken=2E Those wishing to visit the ones left behind should have no trouble finding= the cemetery=2E The Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation recently put a granite= marker up, making the site easy to spot=2E The old train depot, built in 1850, still stands in downtown Tunnel Hill=2E= During the Civil War, Union soldiers attempted to destroy it=2E According = to Sowder, they burnt the roof and the platform but were unable to knock down= the foot-thick walls=2E Owned by ConAgra, today the building is not in use= =2E This year marked the beginning of a new tradition in Tunnel Hill=2E The fi= rst annual Celtic and Heritage Festival was held last month, and plans for nex= t year's follow-up festival are in the works=2E According to Whitfield, the day was a success=2E Celtic crafters set up booths, bagpipers piped, musicians played folks songs and Highland dancers= entertained as visitors enjoyed food from the old country=2E The Celtic celebration was just part of what the festival was about=2E At = the other end of the spectrum was the American Indian observance=2E Various individuals, decked out in full Indian regalia, attended and set up booths= displaying their wares=2E "It is a good event promoting the two cultures coming together," stated Nancy Crowe, who was in attendance=2E The Scottish along with the Irish we= re the first white settlers in the area and they intermarried with the Cherokees, according to historians=2E Highway 41 in Tunnel Hill is part of the Trail of Tears, pointed out Whitfield=2E That was the road that actually came through Cherokee territo= ry=2E=20 =20 =A9Daily Citizen 2002 =20 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ =2E ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <2920-22002101720597566_@_M2W075.mail2web.com> Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 20:24:03 -0400 From: "Geoff Brown" Subject: RE: (rshsdepot) Tunnel Hill, GA Where in Georgia is this place? We Yankees don't get this kind of material in school. Nearby towns, highways (sorry about that!) or present-day railroads would help place this very interesting story in some kind of context for those of us from north of Tennessee. Thanks and regards! Geoff Brown - -----Original Message----- From: rshsdepot-owner_@_lists.railfan.net [mailto:rshsdepot-owner_@_lists.railfan.net]On Behalf Of jdent1_@_optonline.net Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 4:59 PM To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net Subject: (rshsdepot) Tunnel Hill, GA History, hauntings among treasures in Tunnel Hill By: Connie Scott, For The Daily Citizen October 06, 2002 TUNNEL HILL - The Western and Atlantic Tunnel is the city's claim to fame, but what many folks don't know is that there's much more to see in Tunnel Hill than just a couple of tunnels. Battlegrounds, unspoiled cannon and riffle pits, festivals and re-enactments, Confederate cemeteries and a restored antebellum mansion are just a few hot spots the town has to offer. The first train passed through Tunnel Hill's Western Atlantic Tunnel in 1850. The tunnel, 1,477 feet long, was the first railroad tunnel built south of the Mason-Dixon line and was the last section of track to be laid on the Western and Atlantic Railway's mainline, which ran from what is now known as Atlanta to the Tennessee River. It was the first railroad to successfully link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. The North and South fought over control of the tunnel during the Civil War. In later years, troops passed through the tunnel on their way to wars in other countries. In 1916 a circus clown riding atop a train was nearly decapitated at the tunnel's entrance when he sat up at the wrong time, creating a somewhat spooky town legend. As time went by, builders began making trains too large to pass through the tunnel. The railways stopped using it, a second tunnel was built beside the first, and rail traffic was re-routed. By the early 1990s kudzu had taken over and Tunnel Hill's namesake was all but forgotten. It wasn't until the railroad started shoveling dirt in that the townspeople got a wake-up call. Kenneth Holcomb and other Tunnel Hillians stepped forward, saved the tunnel and set about restoration. Today, the tunnel has been restored and is being enjoyed by new generations. Though the tracks have been removed and an iron gate guards its entrance, the tunnel still stands. It is opened for tours during the town's annual Civil War re-enactments, and plans are currently underway to build a park and have the tunnel open full time. Just a hop and a skip from the two tunnels is property owned by Kenneth and Barbara Holcomb. It is on this land that some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War occurred. Some believe the battlefields are haunted. According to re-enactor Kenneth Sumner of Woodstock, the place abounds with paranormal activity. Prompted by interviews with Sumner that ran in the Whitfield-Murray Advertiser in October of 1999 and an article that ran in Fate magazine in August of this year, the Georgia branch of The Foundation for Paranormal Research conducted investigations in Tunnel Hill. The findings can be viewed by logging onto its Web site (www.paranormalresearchonline.com/investiga_tunnelhill.html). Ghosts or no ghosts, each year, in an effort to remember those who suffered there, the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation hosts a re-enactment recreating battle scenes. In addition to the battle, campsites representing the North and the South are set up for visitors to get a feel for what life was like for soldiers in 1864. Food, crafts and novelty items are sold; church services are held on the Sunday of the re-enactment; and a ladies tea is hosted. "The re-enactment is our flagship," said Marvin Sowder, vice president of the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation and president of the Whitfield-Murray Historic Foundation. "The re-enactment is held on Saturday and Sunday each year, but on Fridays we open it up to area schools. They get a living history demonstration. They get to see cavalry men on horses, ladies spinning thread, cannons loaded and fired, and they hear the history of the tunnel and the events that happened there." On top of the mountain behind the battlefields, there are still cannon and rifle pits in pristine condition. The embankments were built by Confederate troops to keep the Union troops back. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, whose statue stands on West Crawford Street in downtown Dalton, had both sides of the mountain manned with soldiers to protect Dalton, as well as to defend the Army and the railroad. Union Gen. William T. Sherman planned on taking out Dalton, said Boyd Whitfield, president of the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation, who believes Johnston's efforts went a long way in keeping the Union general from doing so. Though the Yankees were kept out of Dalton, they did manage to take over one of Tunnel Hill's finer homes, the Clisby Austin House. Built in 1848 by Clisby Austin, the house - a mansion in its day - sits within sight distance of the tunnel. Clisby Austin came to Tunnel Hill in the early 1840s as a merchant when the tunnel was being developed, said Kenneth Holcomb, who currently owns the house. He moved to East Tennessee when the war broke out because he was a Union sympathizer. His son, James Austin, stayed behind and ran a hotel and a salon in Tunnel Hill. James Austin served in the Tunnel Guards, a Georgia home guard unit. Unlike his father, his loyalties were Southern in nature. For a while, the Confederates used the Clisby Austin House for a hospital. After they fell back, and the Union Army moved in, Sherman made the house his headquarters. It is said he planned the final legs of the Atlanta campaign under the roof of the house. After the war, the Austins returned to their home. Since then it has changed hands many times. Today, the Clisby Austin is occupied by Delores Holcomb. The Austin family cemetery is located on a hill across from the home. Although Rebecca Austin, the mother of Clisby Austin, has the only remaining headstone, as many as 17 others may be buried there. Heading north out of Tunnel Hill, on Tunnel Hill-Varnell Road, is the Old Foster Cemetery. According to Sowder, two members of the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation were walking in the Old Foster Cemetery back in April of 1995 when they happened upon row after row of bumps and depressions. "Do you see what I see?" Teresa Sheram asked Carolyn Watkins. One hundred thirty-years after the Civil War, the one-time burial place of 90 soldiers was rediscovered. A suggestion was made to open several of the grave sites to see who was buried there. After meeting legal requirements, an archeological dig was set in motion. Surprisingly, no bodies were found. Coffin handles, porcelain buttons, square nails and a rubber button that had been carved into a ring were found, but no soldiers. In August of the same year the mystery was solved through information discovered in Georgia State archives. A scrapbook detailed the removal of the Confederate dead from the battlefields of Chickamauga, Ringgold and the Tunnel Hill cemetery. Ninety bodies were unearthed, explained Whitfield, and were put in coffins and sent to Marietta. The soldiers with headstones were left behind. Only the unknowns were taken. Those wishing to visit the ones left behind should have no trouble finding the cemetery. The Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation recently put a granite marker up, making the site easy to spot. The old train depot, built in 1850, still stands in downtown Tunnel Hill. During the Civil War, Union soldiers attempted to destroy it. According to Sowder, they burnt the roof and the platform but were unable to knock down the foot-thick walls. Owned by ConAgra, today the building is not in use. This year marked the beginning of a new tradition in Tunnel Hill. The first annual Celtic and Heritage Festival was held last month, and plans for next year's follow-up festival are in the works. According to Whitfield, the day was a success. Celtic crafters set up booths, bagpipers piped, musicians played folks songs and Highland dancers entertained as visitors enjoyed food from the old country. The Celtic celebration was just part of what the festival was about. At the other end of the spectrum was the American Indian observance. Various individuals, decked out in full Indian regalia, attended and set up booths displaying their wares. "It is a good event promoting the two cultures coming together," stated Nancy Crowe, who was in attendance. The Scottish along with the Irish were the first white settlers in the area and they intermarried with the Cherokees, according to historians. Highway 41 in Tunnel Hill is part of the Trail of Tears, pointed out Whitfield. That was the road that actually came through Cherokee territory. ©Daily Citizen 2002 - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: References: Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 23:55:55 -0500 From: "Kenton & Penni Dickerson" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Tunnel Hill, GA Tunnel Hill is about 10 miles northwest of Dalton, GA. on US Hwy 41. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Geoff Brown" To: ; Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 7:24 PM Subject: RE: (rshsdepot) Tunnel Hill, GA > Where in Georgia is this place? We Yankees don't get this kind of > material in school. Nearby towns, highways (sorry about that!) or > present-day railroads would help place this very interesting story in > some kind of context for those of us from north of Tennessee. > > Thanks and regards! > > Geoff Brown > > > -----Original Message----- > From: rshsdepot-owner_@_lists.railfan.net > [mailto:rshsdepot-owner_@_lists.railfan.net]On Behalf Of > jdent1_@_optonline.net > Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 4:59 PM > To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net > Subject: (rshsdepot) Tunnel Hill, GA > > > History, hauntings among treasures in Tunnel Hill > > By: Connie Scott, For The Daily Citizen October 06, 2002 > > TUNNEL HILL - The Western and Atlantic Tunnel is the city's claim to > fame, > but what many folks don't know is that there's much more to see in > Tunnel > Hill than just a couple of tunnels. > Battlegrounds, unspoiled cannon and riffle pits, festivals and > re-enactments, Confederate cemeteries and a restored antebellum > mansion are > just a few hot spots the town has to offer. > The first train passed through Tunnel Hill's Western Atlantic Tunnel > in > 1850. The tunnel, 1,477 feet long, was the first railroad tunnel > built > south of the Mason-Dixon line and was the last section of track to be > laid > on the Western and Atlantic Railway's mainline, which ran from what > is now > known as Atlanta to the Tennessee River. It was the first railroad to > successfully link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. > The North and South fought over control of the tunnel during the > Civil War. > In later years, troops passed through the tunnel on their way to wars > in > other countries. > In 1916 a circus clown riding atop a train was nearly decapitated at > the > tunnel's entrance when he sat up at the wrong time, creating a > somewhat > spooky town legend. > As time went by, builders began making trains too large to pass > through the > tunnel. The railways stopped using it, a second tunnel was built > beside the > first, and rail traffic was re-routed. > By the early 1990s kudzu had taken over and Tunnel Hill's namesake > was all > but forgotten. It wasn't until the railroad started shoveling dirt in > that > the townspeople got a wake-up call. > Kenneth Holcomb and other Tunnel Hillians stepped forward, saved the > tunnel > and set about restoration. Today, the tunnel has been restored and is > being > enjoyed by new generations. > Though the tracks have been removed and an iron gate guards its > entrance, > the tunnel still stands. It is opened for tours during the town's > annual > Civil War re-enactments, and plans are currently underway to build a > park > and have the tunnel open full time. > Just a hop and a skip from the two tunnels is property owned by > Kenneth and > Barbara Holcomb. It is on this land that some of the bloodiest > battles of > the Civil War occurred. > Some believe the battlefields are haunted. According to re-enactor > Kenneth > Sumner of Woodstock, the place abounds with paranormal activity. > Prompted > by interviews with Sumner that ran in the Whitfield-Murray Advertiser > in > October of 1999 and an article that ran in Fate magazine in August of > this > year, the Georgia branch of The Foundation for Paranormal Research > conducted investigations in Tunnel Hill. The findings can be viewed > by > logging onto its Web site > (www.paranormalresearchonline.com/investiga_tunnelhill.html). > Ghosts or no ghosts, each year, in an effort to remember those who > suffered > there, the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation hosts a re-enactment > recreating > battle scenes. In addition to the battle, campsites representing the > North > and the South are set up for visitors to get a feel for what life was > like > for soldiers in 1864. > Food, crafts and novelty items are sold; church services are held on > the > Sunday of the re-enactment; and a ladies tea is hosted. > "The re-enactment is our flagship," said Marvin Sowder, vice > president of > the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation and president of the > Whitfield-Murray > Historic Foundation. "The re-enactment is held on Saturday and Sunday > each > year, but on Fridays we open it up to area schools. They get a living > history demonstration. They get to see cavalry men on horses, ladies > spinning thread, cannons loaded and fired, and they hear the history > of the > tunnel and the events that happened there." > On top of the mountain behind the battlefields, there are still > cannon and > rifle pits in pristine condition. The embankments were built by > Confederate > troops to keep the Union troops back. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, whose > statue > stands on West Crawford Street in downtown Dalton, had both sides of > the > mountain manned with soldiers to protect Dalton, as well as to defend > the > Army and the railroad. > Union Gen. William T. Sherman planned on taking out Dalton, said Boyd > Whitfield, president of the Tunnel Hill Historic Foundation, who > believes > Johnston's efforts went a long way in keeping the Union general from > doing > so. > Though the Yankees were kept out of Dalton, they did manage to take > over > one of Tunnel Hill's finer homes, the Clisby Austin House. > Built in 1848 by Clisby Austin, the house - a mansion in its day - > sits > within sight distance of the tunnel. > Clisby Austin came to Tunnel Hill in the early 1840s as a merchant > when the > tunnel was being developed, said Kenneth Holcomb, who currently owns > the > house. He moved to East Tennessee when the war broke out because he > was a > Union sympathizer. His son, James Austin, stayed behind and ran a > hotel and > a salon in Tunnel Hill. > James Aus