From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000001c2c939$dcf52f50$8a6a1d18_@_NYSWRRCoalCo> References: <000b01c2c008$415b9eb0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> <005501c2c00b$c9897fc0$60dcd23f@paul> Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 01:08:23 -0500 From: "Jim Guthrie" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Phillipsburg, NJ Paul asked: > 1) Is it feasible to put back the train to Phillipsburg? Or even, perish the > thought, just a little further west to link with the bigger SMSA (I haven't > used that term in years, forgive me)? Sure -- by way of the DL&W, LV or CNJ -- take your pick. The DL&W and LV are used daily by NS freights. The NS is on the ex CNJ right of way, but the CNJ exists intact all the way to the current end of passenger service (though not useable). CP actually has rights to use this line (and have it restored at NS expense) if they are prohibited from getting to Oak Island via the LV route for any reason. The ex DL&W line is subject to "study" as an expension from Hackettstown. > > 2) or would this museum operate such a train(s)? > Doubtful. Despite the big plans, my guess is that anything beyond the ex Bel Del (which would require major trackwork) going souith is problematic. Where would they go? Share tracks with NJT & NS eastward? Nah. Share tracks with NS and NJT to Scranton? Nah. Share tracks with NS anywhere? Never. Share tracks with NJT? Never. > 3) Which reminds me of a question: Why when a museum or tourist line does > operate at least seasonal service that could interconnect at one terminus > where said terminal is served by a AMTRAK train...why do they rarely even > try to have adequate connection times with the Amtrak trains? Isn't that the aim of Adirondack Scenic at Utica? I think they actually connected last year, did they not? Sometimes there are issues between railroad employees and museum volunteers on safety issues -- this was a great problem in the NH&I/CR (SEPTA) connection at Warminster years ago. I understand that a new Amtrak station plans for Leaman Place has provisions for connections to Strasburg. OK -- where else do museum/tourist trains and Amtrak meet? Cheers, Jim ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <102.2534fe84.2b6bec68_@_aol.com> Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 10:12:40 EST From: CoolGuy127_@_aol.com Subject: (rshsdepot) Connections between Amtrak and tourist trains In a message dated 1/31/03 10:05:27 AM Eastern Standard Time, jguthrie_@_pipeline.com writes: > OK -- where else do museum/tourist trains and Amtrak meet? Perhaps the best known instance is in Williams, Arizona, where passengers from Amtrak's Southwest Chief can connect to the Grand Canyon Railway. Amtrak passengers are met at the station (actually, nothing more than a cinder platform in the middle of nowhere) by a Grand Canyon Railway van, which transports them to the Frey Marcos Hotel in Williams, where they can wait for the departure of the train to the Grand Canyon. Daniel Chazin Teaneck, NJ ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <54360-22003153122841357_@_M2W077.mail2web.com> Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 17:08:41 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Amesbury, MA From the Amesbury News=2E=2E=2E Housing project moves ahead: 19th century downtown buildings to be transformed into living, commercial space=20 By David Rogers / DROGERS_@_CNC=2ECOM=20 Friday, January 31, 2003 Transforming the former Elm Street train depot into affordable housing got= one step closer Monday as the town guided prospective contractors through the building=2E Community Development Director Jennifer Raitt said about 20 contractors from as far away as Brookline and Southern New Hampshire toured 32 Elm St=2E= and the adjacent 26-28 Elm St=2E building=2E The town and the building's owner, Phil Satenstein, want to convert the upper floors of 26-28 Elm St=2E, and the train depot into five rental unit= s of low to moderate income housing=2E There will also be a floor of additio= nal commercial space for rent in the depot building=2E "I feel pretty confident that we'll get some bids that we can work with," Satenstein said=2E Raitt said she expects an acceptable bid by mid-to-late February=2E Satenstein said he would like construction to begin in two months=2E Satenstein would not comment on how much he would charge in rent=2E The project was first made public last year and has received Planning Boar= d and Massachusetts Historical Society approval=2E The appeal period for the= Planning Board's December approval ended Jan=2E 8, paving the way for this= week's walkthrough=2E Satenstein said the town first approached him about converting the buildings two years ago and considering he was paying taxes on empty space= , he was enthusiastic about the project=2E "It's a win-win situation all around," Satenstein said=2E Mayor David T=2E Hildt called the project vital to enhancing the downtown=2E= "As many people know, a lot of our downtown buildings have second and thir= d floors that have been underutilized throughout the years; so it makes sens= e to adopt a strategy of adaptive reuse of older buildings," Hildt said=2E A longtime Amesbury resident, Satenstein is also the current owner of 4-6 Water St=2E, home to Century 21 and other businesses=2E Although Satenstein will be reaping the monetary benefits of the new units= , the town is chipping in more than $500,000 to help offset renovation costs= =2E The bulk of that, $400,000, comes from the state's Housing Development Support Program=2E The rest comes courtesy of the town's involvement in th= e North Shore HOME Consortium=2E The consortium funds come with the stipulat= ion that the units remain available to low and moderate incomes for 20 years=2E= Raitt said since the project is aimed toward low and moderate income tenants, the town is able to use state money to help fund a private enterprise=2E The train depot at 32 Elm St=2E was built around 1872 by the Boston and Ma= ine Railroad who ran passenger service through Amesbury until 1936=2E It was originally located on the opposite side of the Back River, a tributary of the Powow River until it was moved to Elm Street at the turn of the 20th century=2E After stopping rail service, it was converted into a farmer's feed and supply store before it was connected to J=2ES=2E Auto Parts in the 1960s=2E= Built about 1884, the three-story 26-28 Elm Street was likely a tenement before transforming into the Powow House, a combination hotel and cafeteri= a in the 1930s=2E The building has been the current home of J=2ES=2E Auto Pa= rts since 1956=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: <265000-220031531221257115_@_M2W060.mail2web.com> Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 17:12:57 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Casa Grande, AZ 22 CG properties added to U=2ES=2E Historic Register By: Staff Reports, Casa Grande Dispatch January 30, 2003=20 =20 Another 22 Casa Grande buildings, in and near downtown, have been added to= the National Register of Historic Places=2E =20 The additions, previously unannounced, are listed in the January edition o= f the City Beat news bulletin, which said the designations were made in November=2E "With the new additions, there are now 52 individual properties in Casa Grande listed on the National Register of Historic Places and 55 propertie= s with a Casa Grande Local Historic Landmark designation," the article said=2E= It said that questions about how buildings are designated as historic structures should go to city planner Ya-chi Huang at 421-8600, ext=2E 302=2E= City Beat, an official city publication, said the newly designated properties are: (edited) 21=2E Southern Pacific Railroad Depot (201 W=2E Main St=2E) - Built in 193= 9, the property is a combination of Pueblo style and Art Deco, referred to as Pueblo Deco=2E This combination is not common and the property is consider= ed to be one of the best examples of its type in the Southwest=2E The structu= re was constructed to replace the first depot that was destroyed in June 1937= =2E =20 =A9Casa Grande Valley Newspaper 2003 =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: <265000-220031531221715213_@_M2W034.mail2web.com> Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 17:17:15 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Duluth, MN 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-01-31-03 depot_large.jpg (image/jpeg, 17578 bytes) buehler_large.jpg (image/jpeg, 27989 bytes) The Depot in debt by Bob Kelleher, Minnesota Public Radio January 30, 2003 Saturday, St=2E Louis County takes over management of a popular Duluth tourist attraction and headquarters for nine arts and history organizations=2E The St=2E Louis County Heritage and Arts Center is better known as the Duluth Depot=2E It's home to art and historical displays, performing arts spaces, and a popular railroad museum=2E But its nonprofit managers have given up their struggle with an operating deficit, leaving the Depot a ward of the county Duluth, Minn=2E =97 The Depot is the second Duluth tourist attraction to f all into government management within months=2E In October, the City of Duluth assumed control of the Great Lakes Aquarium, after aquarium managers found they needed public help=2E The St=2E Louis County Heritage and Arts Center has suffered a similar fate; falling back on St=2E Louis County, which owns th e restored Soo Line Railroad Depot Paula Davidson is executive director of the St=2E Louis County Heritage an d Arts Center, Inc=2E, a nonprofit that's run the Depot for twenty six years This week she's tying loose ends=2E Next week she's unemployed=2E Davidson says the Depot's problems are as complicated as its managing structure "It really may be time for a new model," Davidson says, "because this mode l doesn't work economically=2E" The model that hasn't worked involves public ownership, non-profit management, and an aging building=2E There's also a mix of performance and exhibit based organizations=2E Some pay rent, others don't=2E Some charge admission to events, and one, the railroad museum, gets a cut of the gate The bottom line is always money, and it's money that's run out at the Depot Gate receipts dipped during a recent renovation, just as the Great Lakes Aquarium was opening for business=2E Davidson says the new aquarium drew a way some of the Depot's coveted repeat customers According to Davidson, repeat tourists pick each year from the plethora of attractions in Duluth "Well, this year we'll do the zoo and the Irvin and Glensheen, and next year we'll do the aquarium and the Depot," Davidson says, explaining tourist's thinking=2E "And, the year the aquarium came in, I think they gathered a lot of that=2E People had to see it that summer=2E" The Depot's challenges come from both owner and tenants=2E St=2E Louis Cou nty capped the amount it would pay for utilities, according to Davidson, several thousand dollars short of the actual expense=2E Meanwhile, the Depot's most popular attraction, the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, negotiated new terms, giving the railroad museum a bigger cut of the gate Other tenants, like the Duluth Art Institute, get nothing from the gate According to Davidson, part of the Depot's problems are the same as with other nonprofit attractions and the Great Lakes Aquarium "They talk about having to have that changing exhibit," she says But, Davidson points out, it's very expensive to put in new exhibits "Remember," she says, "these folks aren't getting, except for the railroad museum, any portion of the gate=2E So they have to raise all that money elsewhere=2E" A property management company will watch over the Depot beginning Saturday , until County Commissioners determine its fate=2E Tenants, like the Duluth Art Institute, are concerned, according to Art Institute Director Samantha Gib b Ross "It's really a wait-and-see type of situation at this point for us," laments Gibb Ross=2E "Will the services be delivered, as we expect them to be delivered, in order to do the business of art?" The Art Institute pays no rent=2E There's concern new managers might charg e rent or increase fees to balance the Depot's books "It is a concern that what it costs the Art Institute to exist here, and t o have our galleries and to run our educational programs, could increase," Gibb Ross says=2E "And that of course would affect our budget, which is un der stress anyway, just like everybody else's=2E" But Ken Buehler, with the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, says change may b e for the better=2E He says the nonprofits housed in the Depot have grown beyond the need for umbrella management "Quite honestly," Buehler says, "I think that they can take care of themselves, and a different form of management here, in the building, is probably a good thing=2E" St=2E Louis County Administrator David Twa says the county will likely iss ue a request for proposals to manage the facility=2E Commissioners could sele ct either a for-profit or another non-profit organization=2E But a non-profit would have a better chance of tapping foundation grants, that may not be available to either a government agency or a for profit business Twa does not expect the Depot to close=2E Outgoing Director Paula Davidson says the public will be unaware of any change "When you walk in the door Saturday morning," Davidson says, "it will just be like walking in the door Friday morning, when we're in charge=2E So, to the public it'll be a seamless experience=2E It will be just the same as always=2E" In the meantime, St=2E Louis County Commissioners will meet February 11th to decide what to do next - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #583 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: Date: Sat, 01 Feb 2003 16:55:09 +0000 From: "Don Dorflinger" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Phillipsburg, NJ Actually, the ex-CNJ is NOT intact all the way from High Bridge to Phillipsburg. Track has been removed from just west of Bloomsbury, NJ to Greens Bridge (about 3.5 miles). Connections exist with the former-LV at both points, and were installed just in case NJ Transit ever wanted to put the passenger trains back. From Greens Bridge west to Easton, the Valley is gone, and NS freights use the old CNJ mainline through P'burg. > >Paul asked: > > > 1) Is it feasible to put back the train to Phillipsburg? Or even, perish >the > > thought, just a little further west to link with the bigger SMSA (I >haven't > > used that term in years, forgive me)? > >Sure -- by way of the DL&W, LV or CNJ -- take your pick. The DL&W and LV are >used daily by NS freights. The NS is on the ex CNJ right of way, but the CNJ >exists intact all the way to the current end of passenger service (though >not useable). CP actually has rights to use this line (and have it restored >at NS expense) if they are prohibited from getting to Oak Island via the LV >route for any reason. > >The ex DL&W line is subject to "study" as an expension from Hackettstown. Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #584 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <20030202.122132.-399971.0.ptrmgtsvc_@_juno.com> Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 13:26:53 -0500 From: "M. E Allen" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Phillipsburg, NJ / Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton Passenger trains to Phillipsburg and beyond are not quite that simple. The CNJ main was severed for I-78 and NJDOT built a connection, the "Alpha Connector", to the LV main just west of Bloomsbury to allow the one or two freight customers to be served from the west end. This ramp is a tight compound vertical and horizontal curve that would have to be substantially rebuilt for passenger service. Part of the project was the construction of a double track bridge on the LV over I-78 [even though the Valley was single track] to facilitate future service. The line between the last [eastern] customer on the west end and the end of NJT passenger service in High Bridge was abandoned by Conrail but is owned by the state and remains intact. West of the Alpha Connector in New Jersey all of the track has been lifted and the major bridges removed all the way to Greens Bridge. All of this could be rectified for through service - except that there would need to be substantial grading on both sides of I-78 for a new overpass. West of Phillipsburg - Easton the CNJ ROW is more or less intact, the biggest obstacle being a pylon supporting the a highway viaduct near Freemansburg. [About two years ago a fan tried to block PennDOT from installing the pylon claiming that it would interfere with the restoration of service. I don't think he got very far.] Probably the biggest impediment to providing service to the area is the city of Bethlehem wanting to take the Reading main through town for a park. While it will not materially effect a direct New York - Allentown service it will effectively block through service from Allentown and downtown Bethlehem to Philadelphia and prevent the north end of the Bethlehem Branch from serving as a feeder. Mike Allen On Fri, 31 Jan 2003 01:08:23 -0500 "Jim Guthrie" writes: > Paul asked: > > > 1) Is it feasible to put back the train to Phillipsburg? Or even, perish the thought, just a little further west to link with the bigger SMSA (I haven't used that term in years, forgive me)? > > Sure -- by way of the DL&W, LV or CNJ -- take your pick. The DL&W and LV are used daily by NS freights. The NS is on the ex CNJ right of way, but the CNJ exists intact all the way to the current end of passenger service (though not useable). CP actually has rights to use this line (and have it restored at NS expense) if they are prohibited from getting to Oak Island via the LV route for any reason. > The ex DL&W line is subject to "study" as an expension from Hackettstown. > > > > 2) or would this museum operate such a train(s)? > > > Doubtful. Despite the big plans, my guess is that anything beyond the ex Bel Del (which would require major trackwork) going souith is problematic. Where would they go? Share tracks with NJT & NS eastward? Nah. Share tracks with NS and NJT to Scranton? Nah. Share tracks with NS anywhere? > Never. Share tracks with NJT? Never. > > > 3) Which reminds me of a question: Why when a museum or tourist line does operate at least seasonal service that could interconnect at one terminus where said terminal is served by a AMTRAK train...why do they rarely even try to have adequate connection times with the Amtrak trains? > > Isn't that the aim of Adirondack Scenic at Utica? I think they actually connected last year, did they not? > > Sometimes there are issues between railroad employees and museum volunteers on safety issues -- this was a great problem in the NH&I/CR (SEPTA) connection at Warminster years ago. > > I understand that a new Amtrak station plans for Leaman Place has provisions for connections to Strasburg. > > OK -- where else do museum/tourist trains and Amtrak meet? > > Cheers, > Jim > > > > ================================= > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of > existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > > ________________________________________________________________ Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today Only $9.95 per month! Visit www.juno.com ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000901c2cb16$5b270c80$aba79840_@_paul> References: <20030202.122132.-399971.0.ptrmgtsvc_@_juno.com> Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 18:53:58 -0500 From: "fred fep" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Phillipsburg, NJ / Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton Oh well...my idea is intercity passenger service will never thrive unless it actually goes to more cities, far more, than Amtrak ever will or ever has I can dream can't I? Paul - ----- Original Message ----- From: "M. E Allen" To: Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 1:26 PM Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Phillipsburg, NJ / Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton > Passenger trains to Phillipsburg and beyond are not quite that simple. > > The CNJ main was severed for I-78 and NJDOT built a connection, the > "Alpha Connector", to the LV main just west of Bloomsbury to allow the > one or two freight customers to be served from the west end. This ramp is > a tight compound vertical and horizontal curve that would have to be > substantially rebuilt for passenger service. Part of the project was the > construction of a double track bridge on the LV over I-78 [even though > the Valley was single track] to facilitate future service. > > The line between the last [eastern] customer on the west end and the end > of NJT passenger service in High Bridge was abandoned by Conrail but is > owned by the state and remains intact. > > West of the Alpha Connector in New Jersey all of the track has been > lifted and the major bridges removed all the way to Greens Bridge. All of > this could be rectified for through service - except that there would > need to be substantial grading on both sides of I-78 for a new overpass. > > West of Phillipsburg - Easton the CNJ ROW is more or less intact, the > biggest obstacle being a pylon supporting the a highway viaduct near > Freemansburg. [About two years ago a fan tried to block PennDOT from > installing the pylon claiming that it would interfere with the > restoration of service. I don't think he got very far.] > > Probably the biggest impediment to providing service to the area is the > city of Bethlehem wanting to take the Reading main through town for a > park. While it will not materially effect a direct New York - Allentown > service it will effectively block through service from Allentown and > downtown Bethlehem to Philadelphia and prevent the north end of the > Bethlehem Branch from serving as a feeder. > > Mike Allen > > > On Fri, 31 Jan 2003 01:08:23 -0500 "Jim Guthrie" > writes: > > Paul asked: > > > > > 1) Is it feasible to put back the train to Phillipsburg? Or even, > perish the thought, just a little further west to link with the bigger > SMSA (I haven't used that term in years, forgive me)? > > > > Sure -- by way of the DL&W, LV or CNJ -- take your pick. The DL&W and > LV are used daily by NS freights. The NS is on the ex CNJ right of way, > but the CNJ exists intact all the way to the current end of passenger > service (though not useable). CP actually has rights to use this line > (and have it restored at NS expense) if they are prohibited from getting > to Oak Island via the LV route for any reason. > > > The ex DL&W line is subject to "study" as an expension from > Hackettstown. > > > > > > > 2) or would this museum operate such a train(s)? > > > > > Doubtful. Despite the big plans, my guess is that anything beyond the > ex Bel Del (which would require major trackwork) going souith is > problematic. Where would they go? Share tracks with NJT & NS eastward? > Nah. Share tracks with NS and NJT to Scranton? Nah. Share tracks with NS > anywhere? > > Never. Share tracks with NJT? Never. > > > > > 3) Which reminds me of a question: Why when a museum or tourist line > does operate at least seasonal service that could interconnect at one > terminus where said terminal is served by a AMTRAK train...why do they > rarely even try to have adequate connection times with the Amtrak trains? > > > > Isn't that the aim of Adirondack Scenic at Utica? I think they actually > connected last year, did they not? > > > > Sometimes there are issues between railroad employees and museum > volunteers on safety issues -- this was a great problem in the NH&I/CR > (SEPTA) connection at Warminster years ago. > > > > I understand that a new Amtrak station plans for Leaman Place has > provisions for connections to Strasburg. > > > > OK -- where else do museum/tourist trains and Amtrak meet? > > > > Cheers, > > Jim > > > > > > > > ================================= > > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of > > existing > > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > > > > > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today > Only $9.95 per month! > Visit www.juno.com > ================================= > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #585 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <410-22003213162239360_@_earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 11:22:39 -0500 From: "Kenyon Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) Champlain Flyer will permanently cease operation on March 1 An article on A2 of today's Valley News notes that the Champlain Flyer (Burlington-Charlotte VT Commuter Service) will permanently cease operation on March 1 due to very low ridership. :-( Note that I have just discovered that the Web Site for the commuter service (at www.champlainflyer.com) no longer exists. The Railroad Station Historical Society must note that the historic Burlington Union Station (www.mainstreetlanding.com) will thus lose its only train service, and that the new structures built for the service at Shelbourne and Charlotte will likewise become totally unused. Kenyon F. Karl Kenyon_Karl_@_mail.com Webmaster_@_new-england-public-transit.org http://www.new-england-public-transit.org ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <033501c2cba2$d7d81bc0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 11:39:38 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Matthews, NC Officials Scale Back Plans For Station The Charlotte Observer Renovating the historic train station in Matthews will cost double what town leaders planned, prompting them to consider a scaled-down version of the project. Most of the trimming will take place on plans for the outside of the building, including a decorative stone wall and a system of decks and ramps. Commissioners earmarked about $250,000 in tourism money last year to renovate the 1874 train depot. The board wants to restore the building to its original look as much as possible, while rewiring the inside and adding a restroom, insulation and a heating-and-cooling system. They decided to devote most of the building to a museum and visitors center to be run by the Matthews Chamber of Commerce. The chamber also will lease three offices in the building. At Monday's town meeting, the board learned that the current drawings would cost about $519,000 to build. Public Works director Ralph Messera and architect Frank Williams II said that's because the work is more extensive and building supplies are more expensive than first thought. It costs more than building a new structure. "It's a small community building that you're taking apart and putting back together," Williams said, adding that he feels its role in history makes the project worthwhile. "It's the oldest thing in Matthews, and it's where we got our name," Williams said. Railroad officials named the town's rail stop Matthews Station in honor of Central Carolina Railroad director Watson Matthews. Before that, it was known as Fullwood. The town was officially named Matthews in 1879. Alternative plans include making a concrete and brick access ramp smaller, or building it with wood instead. A stone wall planned to run along the railroad tracks also could be deleted. Changes could drop the cost to about $386,500, depending on what commissioners decide. The town could use tourism funds already earmarked for the renovation to pay for about half of the project and borrow the rest from the general fund, to be paid back over a few years from future tourism dollars. Tourism funds come from taxes on hotels/motels and prepared food and beverages sold in the town. They are meant to be used on projects that will draw visitors. Mayor Lee Myers said the town should cut back on parts of the original plan, especially items that could be added later. The important thing is to get started, he said. "If we let it sit any longer, it's just going to deteriorate." The board plans to vote on a final plan Feb. 10. Also on Monday, the board voted to add more streetlights to the public parking lot that runs along the train tracks, north of Trade Street. Running new lights will cost about $600 per year. They also discussed whether extra lights are needed in Stumptown Park and plan to ask the N.C. Department of Transportation to install a traffic light at I-485 and West John Street, just south of downtown. The actions are part of an initiative to make the downtown area feel more safe and welcoming to shoppers and diners. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <03a701c2cbc9$175756a0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 16:13:25 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Sturtevant, WI Depot plan in Sturtevant clears hurdle Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Depot plan in Sturtevant clears hurdle By HEATHER ASIYANBI Special to the Journal Sentinel Sunday, February 2, 2003 Sturtevant -- After derailing several times, the proposed $2.1 million Amtrak depot will chug toward completion by this fall, thanks to an agreement reached between the village and Canadian Pacific Railway. Jennie Trick of the Racine County Economic Development Corp. told the village's Finance Committee last week that an agreement on liability had been reached and that the village should go forward with the development of the depot. "This is such an improvement over where we were before the end of the year," Trick said. "All the legal and liability issues have been resolved." The depot is to be built in The Renaissance business park and replace the Amtrak depot on the east side of the passenger train's tracks near Highway 11. The largest portion of the construction -- and the most expensive -- involves relocating fiber optic lines that run parallel to the tracks while excavation takes place for a pedestrian tunnel under both sets of tracks. Trick said Canadian Pacific had insisted that only firms approved by the railroad and flagmen employed by the railroad undertake the task. While village officials had no quarrel with the railroad for the stipulation, they balked at having to absorb full liability. According to Trick, village attorney Tim Pruitt reviewed a revised document pertaining to the deal and was satisfied that the village would not be burdened with additional liability issues. Trick said she expects the board to approve the proposal this week and to have advertisements for bids ready by Wednesday. "Now that these obstacles are removed, we are looking at a very aggressive timeline," she said. "We haven't lost any time, really, and still look forward to the depot's completion by this fall." Neither Pruitt nor railroad officials were available for comment. ================================= 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, 03 Feb 2003 16:37:27 -0500 From: "James Kelling" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Sturtevant, WI Amtrak currently uses the old picturesque Milwaukee Road depot, which hopefully will not be demolished. >>> brwagenblast_@_comcast.net 02/03/03 04:13PM >>> Depot plan in Sturtevant clears hurdle Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Depot plan in Sturtevant clears hurdle By HEATHER ASIYANBI Special to the Journal Sentinel Sunday, February 2, 2003 Sturtevant -- After derailing several times, the proposed $2.1 million Amtrak depot will chug toward completion by this fall, thanks to an agreement reached between the village and Canadian Pacific Railway. Jennie Trick of the Racine County Economic Development Corp. told the village's Finance Committee last week that an agreement on liability had been reached and that the village should go forward with the development of the depot. "This is such an improvement over where we were before the end of the year," Trick said. "All the legal and liability issues have been resolved." The depot is to be built in The Renaissance business park and replace the Amtrak depot on the east side of the passenger train's tracks near Highway 11. The largest portion of the construction -- and the most expensive -- involves relocating fiber optic lines that run parallel to the tracks while excavation takes place for a pedestrian tunnel under both sets of tracks. Trick said Canadian Pacific had insisted that only firms approved by the railroad and flagmen employed by the railroad undertake the task. While village officials had no quarrel with the railroad for the stipulation, they balked at having to absorb full liability. According to Trick, village attorney Tim Pruitt reviewed a revised document pertaining to the deal and was satisfied that the village would not be burdened with additional liability issues. Trick said she expects the board to approve the proposal this week and to have advertisements for bids ready by Wednesday. "Now that these obstacles are removed, we are looking at a very aggressive timeline," she said. "We haven't lost any time, really, and still look forward to the depot's completion by this fall." Neither Pruitt nor railroad officials were available for comment. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <1c3.47679fa.2b704377_@_aol.com> Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 17:13:11 EST From: PifyJtrain_@_aol.com Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Sturtevant, WI Picturesque. I dont think so it looked old and decrepit ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <007001c2cbef$8490ce60$7b5b70d1_@_johndoe> Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 19:48:28 -0600 From: "Louis Van Winkle" Subject: (rshsdepot) Fw: Detroit MC Station My name is Jack Cronin; Iım a professor of film & video in the Department of Media Arts and Studies at Wayne State University. I am currently doing research for a documentary film about the importance of maintaining our sense of history, identity and memory in Detroit, specifically in relation to the cityıs older landmarks, i.e. the Book-Cadillac, The Boblo Boat, The Michigan Central Station, The Theatre District, etc. Iım exploring the significance and relevance of these structures; in terms of the personal connections people have to them, as well as their historical and contemporary meaning to the city as a whole. My documentary is concerned with the value of these buildings, both measurable and immeasurable. If you would be willing to sit down some time and talk about this matter, I would be very interested in hearing what you have to say. I would like to learn more about your efforts to save The Michigan Central Station, as well as your reasons for doing so. Please let me know if you would be willing to share your expertise and insight with me. I can be reached at this email address, or by phone at (313) 871-2530. Also, if there is anyone else you know of who might be interested in talking about this matter, please forward this letter to them. Thank You, Jack Cronin Assistant Professor Dept. of Media Arts & Studies 585 Manoogian Hall Wayne State University Detroit, MI 48201 ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #586 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <410-22003224144610270_@_earthlink.net> Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2003 09:46:10 -0500 From: "Kenyon Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) FW: House Democratic Letter Deadline; Bush Budget > [Original Message] > From: NARP > To: NARP > Date: 2/3/03 7:06:52 PM > Subject: House Democratic Letter Deadline; Bush Budget > > To NARP Members--February 3, 2003: > > As of this afternoon, the Democratic "pro-Amtrak" letter to = > appropriations conferees was scheduled to go into the mail tomorrow = > (Tuesday) morning at 10 AM. If you have a Democratic representative who = > is considering signing, please tell them as quickly as possible about = > this deadline. > > The Bush Administration's FY04 budget has $900 million for Amtrak, or = > roughly half what Amtrak says it needs. The budget states, in part: = > "One of the reasons behind Amtrak's fiscal difficulties is its continued = > operation of several routes that regularly lose hundreds of dollars each = > time a passenger steps aboard." The budget then lists the six routes = > "with the largest losses per passenger in 2001." > > NARP's statement is at , click on "releases," and then = > "2003." We expect to update the hotline shortly. > > Amtrak this afternoon released a statement from Chairman John Robert = > Smith. Since it apparently is not on their web site yet, I show the = > whole statement below. > > --Ross B. Capon, > NARP Executive Director > > AMTRAK STATEMENT ON=20 > ADMINISTRATION FY 2004 BUDGET PROPOSAL=20 > =20 > WASHINGTON - Amtrak Chairman John Robert Smith and President David L. = > Gunn today issued the following statement: > The Administration's proposal of a $900 million appropriation for FY = > 2004 begins the process of determining Amtrak's funding level for the = > next fiscal year. While this debate will soon be joined, the immediate = > priority of Amtrak's Board and management is to resolve the FY 2003 = > funding level so that we may then have a debate on the FY 2004 level. > For FY 2003, Amtrak has requested a federal grant of $1.2 billion to = > meet its basic needs and operate the nation's passenger rail system = > safely and reliably. While we are encouraged by the Senate's recent = > approval of this amount and look forward to a final appropriations bill = > that maintains this funding level, we have made clear to all parties = > involved in this decision what will happen if a lesser amount is = > approved. There can be no meaningful discussion of reform or the 2004 = > budget until the FY 2003 budget has been approved. > Amtrak has undertaken significant reforms to improve its cost-efficiency = > in the past year, including a reorganization eliminating more than 500 = > positions, adjustments to routes and schedules and the withdrawal from a = > money-losing express business. These reforms show clearly that Amtrak's = > administration is not conducting business as usual, and they will = > continue. > This year, Congress is scheduled to take up Amtrak's reauthorization. = > We agree with the Administration, as it has said today, that the Amtrak = > reauthorization process should begin as soon as possible. We urgently = > want to work with Congress and the states to build on the foundation of = > our passenger rail system to further improve and reform its service and = > cost recovery and make Amtrak a full partner in the nation's intermodal = > transportation system. > We further agree with the remarks made by DOT Deputy Secretary Jackson = > today that passenger rail is an important component of our nation's = > transportation infrastructure, and as such we believe long-distance = > trains play a significant role. Until Congress and other policymakers = > determine otherwise, as mandated by law, we will continue to operate = > this system as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. > # # # > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #587 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002e01c2cd06$6078e9f0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 06:04:38 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Summerhill, Ontario Summerhill's old station now elaborate booze temple LCBO aims to keep its customers on track with innovations like the testing tower By WALLACE IMMEN - The Globe and Mail Wednesday, February 5, 2003 - Print Edition, Page A13 With its marble walls, inlaid floors and ornate ceilings, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario's flagship store that opened yesterday in the renovated Summerhill train station truly can be called the temple of booze. The store on Yonge Street near Summerhill Avenue is by far the largest liquor store in Canada, with 2,900 square metres of space displaying 5,000 brands in a number of customer-friendly rooms. The room called Track 2 has party ideas and Track 3 has spirits, and staff members know which wine likely will go with emu. A store innovation is the "testing tower" at the base of the old station's clock tower. It has 120 products that can be bought in one-ounce glasses. "But obviously not all at the same time. We have a strong policy of social responsibility," said store manager John Begley. A panelled board room can be reserved for catered wine-and-cheese tastings, and demonstrations on cooking with wine will be held in a kitchen. Mr. Begley expects people to come from across the province to obtain products unavailable at other stores. The station will be a tourist attraction, he added. The brass ticket wickets have been retained and the ornate trim and skylights restored in the three-storey former great hall in the building that in 1916 became the Canadian Pacific Railway's main station in Toronto. The architectural firm Darling and Pearson built the exterior with rich Tyndall limestone brought in from Manitoba, similar to the stone used on the Parliament Buildings. The clock has been restored in the soaring Italian Renaissance-style tower on the west end that is capped in copper. Today will be doubly busy because in addition to the novelty of the store, it is the first day of the February Vintages release. Only a few cases of many selections are available, and for the sake of fairness, some product purchases will be limited, Mr. Begley said. The restoration's opulence amazes Mr. Begley, who could not help recalling the shift in attitude since his first job 27 years ago, when the LCBO put full emphasis on control. "It was like an episode of Seinfeld," he said of his first store in Ajax, Ont., which was typical of provincial liquor outlets in the mid-1970s. "Remember the soup Nazi? If you didn't do it right, you didn't get your purchase." Women were intimidated. They rarely came into the stores that were as purposeful and sterile as military barracks, with only a list of brands and their serial numbers on display, Mr. Begley said. One of his jobs each day was to sharpen the pencils, firmly chained to wooden counters, which customers used to fill order forms and total the prices. "You'd take it to a gentleman at a wicket. and it would be rung up on a huge, archaic cash register that didn't go over $99. Then you got a receipt and joined another queue." A prestige job was to be the guy at the counter who took the receipt. That was handed to Mr. Begley, who was a runner. He went into the dimly lit storeroom and brought back the purchase, which was wrapped in a plain, brown wrapper and handed to the customer with the surreptitiousness due a controlled substance. The choices of the day were generally reds with sugar ratings to the north of raspberry soda. Ask about vintage or what wine goes with veal, and you would get a puzzled stare. "The revolution has been amazing," said Mr. Begley, who even today sports a youthful crew cut and an unflappable smile. By the early 1980s, stores had to expand because the whiskies and fortified wines that were popular for decades went out of favour, and more people wanted wines. Staff had to be sent to wine school to learn varieties and about matching wines with food. "Service knowledge is the new philosophy," Mr. Begley said. "We want people to be comfortable, to be able to work with their dinner menu and make an educated choice." ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <003401c2cd06$b86acca0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 06:07:06 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Kingsburg, CA Kingsburg needs depot deed for restoration start By Patrick O'Donnell Recorder Staff Kingsburg cannot begin work on the $750,000 train depot restoration project until it possesses the deed to the building and City Manager Don Pauley said that the city is hopeful Union Pacific Railroad Co. will transfer ownership to the city sometime after the first quarter of this year. "We've been bugging them regularly," said Pauley. "If not, we'll send a delegation to their headquarters and ask them where it is." Fortunately, the weather has been fairly kind to the 10,000 square-foot structure this year. Its exterior structure is so rotten that in some cases the wood in the window and door frames is useless for attaching fasteners. Pauley said that if it were not for the fact that the roof is in better shape, he isn't sure the structure would have survived as long as it has. There has also been talk of covering it in plastic so as to keep it from being exposed to the elements but that has not been necessary thus far. The original structure and 50 others like it were built around 1850, but just 12 remain. Kingsburg's first depot burned down in a fire in 1902. At that time, the railroad moved in an identical depot that had been constructed in the city of Mason in Tulare County in the same time period. In 1922, another fire damaged the second depot and the building was moved south to its present site and renovated. In 1968, the depot was closed to passenger service and by 1988, it was retired altogether. After the depot was closed the Southern Pacific Railroad, which at that time had possession of the line on which the depot sits, was ready to demolish the facility. After the depot was closed the Kingsburg City Council acted to register the depot as a state and county historical landmark, but the railroad immediately scheduled the building for demolition. Fearing an immediate loss of the building, a group of Kingsburg citizens met in the depot lobby on Nov. 28, 1994, to begin negotiating for preservation of the building. The group made the railroad aware of the depot's registered historical status and requested an agreement for use of the building. Negotiations came to a halt when Southern Pacific insisted the building be moved off the site. The citizens group felt that moving the building would destroy the building's historical significance and negatively impact downtown Kingsburg. When no proposal was to move it was made, the railroad discontinued all negotiations concerning the depot and would not allow anyone access to maintain it. In 1996, S.P. sold the railroad to the Union Pacific. U.P. was a company known to be sympathetic to preservation of buildings so the city was thrilled at the transaction. In 1997, Kingsburg Mayor John Wright was able to open negotiations with the U.P. for control of the depot, and the city was granted access for maintenance in a 1998 lease. Since then, the U.P. has promised to give the depot and property as a gift deed to the city, but the process of transferring the deed has been extremely slow and consequently, no restoration efforts could be started. On Dec. 2, 1998, the city council voted to establish a Train Depot Planning Committee, whose job it would be to decide on a purposes for the depot; identify the extent to which the building should be restored; establish a means of phasing in the restoration so that the entire project did not have to be completed at once; and identify the resources, financial and other, that would be needed to complete the restoration project as well as identify the resources which would be needed to maintain the facility. The committee was given a year to conduct its research and bring its findings back to the council. It has been proposed that the restored depot could serve multiple purposes. According to proposals, it could serve as a full-time regional transportation center, with accommodations for charter tours. It was also felt the facility could function as a full-time living museum and learning center which would accommodate students in the region studying California history in a "hands on" environment with emphasis on the 1869 Transcontinental and 1872 San Joaquin Railroads. It was also decided that the building could be used for indoor and outdoor events associated with festivals including food, crafts, music and other performances. It was also felt that at some point in the future, the building might also be used as a rail transit site, for rail transportation services, a train excursion destination for passenger trains arriving on trips of historical significance and possibly as a public meeting center. The facility would also include a visitor's information center, which would accommodate a display of information about Kingsburg and the surrounding areas including opportunities in education, business and recreation. Pauley said that when the deed is secured the city could probably start work six months to a year after the completion of the federal environmental reviews but nothing can happen until the city has the deed. He said that the city's grant funds, including the Transportation Enhancement federal grant, for the project are not in jeopardy and will be secure for another two to three years. "But I'm afraid it still won't be enough, we'll just have to wait and see." The Kingsburg Recorder ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 08:11:55 -0500 From: "Camp, Mark J." Subject: RE: (rshsdepot) Fw: Detroit MC Station Jack: I would be happy to talk to you about historical railroad structures. I photographed many Detroit area depots in the late 1960s. I'm a director of the Railroad Station Historical Society at the University of Toledo. Apparently you had contacted Louis Van Winkle through his Michigan website. He forwarded it to our membership. Mark J. Camp Associate Professor Dept. of Earth Ecological and Environmental Sciences The University of Toledo > ---------- > From: Louis Van Winkle > Reply To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net > Sent: Monday, February 3, 2003 9:48 PM > To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net > Subject: (rshsdepot) Fw: Detroit MC Station > > > My name is Jack Cronin; I=B9m a professor of film & video in the Department of > Media Arts and Studies at Wayne State University. I am currently doing > research for a documentary film about the importance of maintaining our > sense of history, identity and memory in Detroit, specifically in relation > to the city=B9s older landmarks, i.e. the Book-Cadillac, The Boblo Boat, The > Michigan Central Station, The Theatre District, etc. I=B9m exploring the > significance and relevance of these structures; in terms of the personal > connections people have to them, as well as their historical and > contemporary meaning to the city as a whole. My documentary is concerned > with the value of these buildings, both measurable and immeasurable. > > If you would be willing to sit down some time and talk about this matter, I > would be very interested in hearing what you have to say. I would like to > learn more about your efforts to save The Michigan Central Station, as well > as your reasons for doing so. > > Please let me know if you would be willing to share your expertise and > insight with me. I can be reached at this email address, or by phone at > (313) 871-2530. Also, if there is anyone else you know of who might be > interested in talking about this matter, please forward this letter to them. > > > Thank You, > > Jack Cronin > Assistant Professor > Dept. of Media Arts & Studies > 585 Manoogian Hall > Wayne State University > Detroit, MI 48201 > > > > > > > > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <410-2200323518349556_@_M2W063.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:34:09 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Tyler, TX COTTON BELT DEPOT CONSTRUCTION BACK ON TRACK By: LAURA JETT KRANTZ, Staff Writer February 03, 2003=20 =20 Again stalled by paperwork in January, the Cotton Belt Depot renovation project seems to be back on track=2E After opening bids for the project in December, city of Tyler officials anticipated a recommendation to the council in January with construction beginning soon afterward=2E But Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)= representatives told the city to wait=2E The majority of the project is to be funded through a TxDOT Enhancement Grant=2E Officials said TxDOT will provide $334,368 with an $83,592 match from the city, or whatever the project costs beyond the grant amount=2E "This is not city money, so we had to play by their rules," city of Tyler Project Coordinator Bill Ward said=2E "TxDOT said we had to wait until we heard from them, and I just got a letter releasing the project, so we will= be doing that in February=2E" TxDOT Advance Project Engineer Dale Booth said the funds for the depot project come from the Surface Transportation Program, which is federally funded with specific guidelines=2E The bids and architect estimates had to= be reviewed and approved in Austin=2E "Basically, they weren't approved to award that project until Jan=2E 21," Booth said=2E The city opened five bids in December, which ranged from a base bid of $348,950 to $421,000=2E Each bid also included a bid bond and change-order= percentage, an estimated time of completion, as well as an alternate bid for companies also chosen for the park renovation=2E Bids for the park renovation ranged from $93,000 to $123,000=2E Ward said a recommendation will be made to the council in February, with construction beginning from 30 to 60 days after the bid is approved=2E Architect Mike Butler of Fitzpatrick-Butler Architects told the city council during an October meeting, there had been considerable discussion among various agencies about the future of the building=2E Work has been a= t a standstill since 2000=2E "There's a lot of paperwork that has gone behind on this," he said=2E "A l= ot of agencies have had to sign off on this=2E" The renovation would complete the first two phases of the project=2E The first phase focused on stabilizing the structure and the exterior so there was no more deterioration, Butler said=2E During the second phase, w= ork was done to restore the windows and the infrastructure of the interior of the east side of the building, including plumbing and electrical systems=2E= =20 The renovation would finish the installation of the plumbing and electrica= l fixtures, as well as the air-conditioning system on the west side of the building, and completely restore the east side of the building=2E A parkin= g lot will also be added across the railroad tracks to the east=2E=20 "When this phase is complete, somebody should be able to occupy the building," Butler said=2E The plan calls for the west side of the building to house Tyler Transit bu= s service offices and the east side of the building to be used for meeting rooms=2E=20 Laura Jett Krantz covers Tyler city government, planning and zoning, federal courts, and the Parks Board=2E She can be reached at 903=2E596=2E6= 266=2E e-mail: news_@_tylerpaper=2Ecom =20 =A9Tyler Morning Telegraph 2003 =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: <410-22003235183640826_@_M2W046.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:36:40 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Johnson City, TN From the Johnson City Press Mohon says effort to save depot would cost too much By James Watson Press Staff Writer=20 As the debate continues over the historic CSX train depot, officials at City Hall have requested another update, while momentum to save the building from demolition seems to be wavering=2E City officials have toured the building, and at least two structural engineers =97 including an independent engineer who looked at the building= at the request of the Johnson City Press =97 have given preliminary reports t= hat the depot, though in need of major repairs, is structurally sound=2E Located at the intersection of West State of Franklin Road and Buffalo Street, the building is the only remaining identifiable train depot in Johnson City=2E The Johnson City Development Authority, which works to revitalize the city=92s downtown, is hoping to save the depot because of i= ts importance to Johnson City=92s railroad history and its link between the =93Tree Streets=94 neighborhood and the downtown=2E City Commissioner Ricky Mohon, who is also a member of the JCDA, has said he was keeping an open mind about the building, but recently decided rehabilitating the depot would just be too costly=2E =93Even if the building is =91structurally sound,=92 my feeling after disc= ussion with the city building inspector and the independent engineer is that this= project is prohibitively expensive,=94 Mohon said in an e-mail to City Manager Mike West=2E =93Too many repairs will be needed to make the buildi= ng usable=2E=94 In response to Mohon=92s comments, JCDA member Craig Torbett questioned th= e commissioner=92s decision and was surprised by the statements=2E =93I don=92t think he is in a position to know how much it is going to cos= t,=94 Torbett said=2E The JCDA has been working for months to gain an understanding of the costs= involved, Torbett said, and was hoping to have until March before reportin= g to the City Commission=2E But Mohon has directed the JCDA to appear before the commission Thursday for an update on the group=92s progress with the depot=2E The JCDA was granted $20,000 by the commission in December to evaluate the= depot and address problems concerning environmental as well as title questions, and then report back before April=2E While Torbett said significant progress has been made in these areas, bringing his group back in such a short time span is complicating its efforts=2E =93This is distracting us from being able to do what we were instructed to= do,=94 he said=2E The city is facing several issues regarding the depot=2E The actual buildi= ng is owned by CSX Transportation, but the land is owned by East Tennessee Railroad=2E Complicating the scenario, a clause in the property deed with ETRY says if the land is no longer used to the benefit of the railroad, it= would revert to the heirs of the previous owner, Tipton Jobe=2E CSX has offered to hand the depot over to the city with the stipulations that the city build a fence around a section of the loading dock and acknowledge there is asbestos present=2E But ETRY is only willing to lease the land to the city for a period of 25 years with an option extending for another 25 years=2E The lease payments would be $3,000 annually for five years, increasing at a cost-of-living rate after the initial years=2E Another concern is environmental damage to the land, and the railroads wan= t the city to take responsibility for that through insurance=2E (Contact James Watson at jwatson_@_johnsoncitypress=2Ecom)=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: <265000-22003235183210967_@_M2W059.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:32:10 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Presentation on the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut Railroad. From the Poughkeepsie Journal=2E=2E=2E Wednesday, February 5, 2003 Rail expert to talk in Hopewell Junction Man wrote book on local trains By Anthony P=2E Musso For the Poughkeepsie Journal HOPEWELL JUNCTION -- During his 35-year career with IBM, Bernard Rudberg was published a number of times=2E=20 But the work was mostly technical in nature, instructions for field engineers to troubleshoot and repair mainframe computer systems and the like=2E And the work never carried his name=2E=20 Now retired, Rudberg will get full credit for his latest work, ''Twenty Five Years on the ND&C: A history of the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut Railroad=2E''=20 The project was no small venture=2E A compilation of four years of researc= h took Rudberg to record centers at the University of Connecticut at Storrs and the Baker Library of the Harvard Business School in Boston=2E A main source for his knowledge of the railroad -- specifically during the period= from 1879 to 1904 -- is in neighboring Beacon, at the railroad's former headquarters=2E=20 ''For the period concentrated on, I found 48 volumes of records, each made= up of 700 pages,'' Rudberg said=2E ''Those records, some 30,000 pages, are= the heart of the book=2E''=20 The passion for the railroad is not new to Rudberg, whose great-grandfathe= r began work with Sweden's railroad system in 1874 and, in 1896, became stationmaster in Polcirkeln, a town in northern Sweden where the tracks cross the Arctic Circle=2E=20 ''My family has been involved in railroads ever since that time,'' he said= =2E=20 Rudberg's enthusiasm isn't limited to his writing ability=2E Since the mid-1990s, he has championed an effort to restore the old Hopewell Depot, located just north of the hamlet of Hopewell Junction=2E He and a group of= local history buffs hope to restore the abandoned structure and turn it into a railroad museum, a lasting documentation of the area's rail history= =2E=20 Repairs required=20 Rudberg said the main structure, damaged by a fire, needs work=2E The floo= rs are rotting and the roof will need to be replaced=2E=20 ''We would like to have the building in some sort of usable condition for the planned Dutchess County Rail Trail that is supposed to end at the depot,'' Rudberg said=2E=20 Rudberg will be the guest speaker tonight at an event sponsored by the Friends of the East Fishkill Community Library=2E While Rudberg's book wil= l not be sold at the event, he will autograph copies purchased in advance at= local bookstores or from its publisher, Purple Mountain Press in Fleischmanns, Delaware County=2E=20 On display will be old photos related to the railroad and a collection of paper artifacts, including canceled checks, payroll and tax records, letters, maps and timetables, dating from 1899 to 1916=2E=20 ''People are more and more interested in their ancestors, genealogy and community,'' said Cheryl Bennin, reference librarian and adult services coordinator at the library=2E ''A few weeks ago someone called and wanted information on the railroad that runs through their backyard=2E I advised them to come to Mr=2E Rudberg's talk=2E''=20 IF YOU GO RAILROAD TALK What: Presentation on the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut Railroad=2E=20 Where: East Fishkill Library, Route 376, Hopewell Junction=2E=20 When: 7 to 9 tonight=2E=20 Information: Call (845) 221-9943=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 ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #588 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <012901c2cdd1$9c7e5860$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Thu, 06 Feb 2003 06:19:27 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Pajaro, CA Monterey eyes options for Pajaro train station By BRIAN SEALS SENTINEL STAFF WRITER Although the budget whistle is blowing in the state Capitol, Monterey County is trying to keep its Pajaro train station project on track. The county is proceeding with plans for a station in Pajaro as it tries to lure Caltrain commuter rail service from Gilroy to Salinas, via Pajaro and Castroville. Within the next couple months the county plans public hearings on two alternatives for a Pajaro Station, said Walt Allen, rail policy manager for the Transportation Agency of Monterey County. The station would be expected to draw northern Monterey County and southern Santa Cruz County commuters to the little town that sits across the Pajaro River from Watsonville. Staffers with the county say they are proceeding with plans and keeping an eye on the budget process. About $20 million was programmed into the state budget during 2000 to get the effort moving. That money isn't harmed, yet. "It is in the line of sight," Allen said. Preparation for a Pajaro station began in July 2001 with $2.4 million in track work and road widening on Railroad Avenue, burying storm drains and rebuilding two railroad spurs at the corner of Railroad and San Juan roads. "It was an open drainage ditch before; now it's just gorgeous," said Nancy Wright of the Monterey County Redevelopment Agency. Now the county and Union Pacific are mulling where to put a station. The county transportation agency is working with a consultant on whether to renovate the existing station off Salinas Road or build around an existing platform area off Lewis Road. "It seems like Union Pacific is still in the process of seeing how they would like to see the site configured," Wright said. What Union Pacific desires will hold much clout, as the commuter rail would need to garner right of way from the company to use its tracks. The effort aims to make the Highway 101 commute easier for workers who travel to Silicon Valley from areas south. Though efforts have been ongoing for the past several years, Monterey County officials say bringing the extended service to fruition is a couple years away if everything goes well. In a feasibility study, Monterey County estimated 550 people would board the train in Salinas, 100 in Castroville and another 250 riders in Pajaro should service begin. Contact Brian Seals at bseals_@_santa-cruz.com. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <003701c2cdc2$5e927040$2df3fea9_@_pavilion> References: <200302061034.h16AY0FH052237_@_net.bluemoon.net> Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 09:30:20 -0000 From: "Ron Brown" Subject: (rshsdepot) Re: RSHSDepot Digest V1 #588 Regarding the "Summerhill" station in Ontario, just in case our readers are struggling through their atlases to figure out where "Summerhill" Ontario is, the station is located within the City of Toronto. "Summerhill" in the name of the nearest street. The correct name of the station is the North Toronto CPR station. Ron Brown, Toronto. - ----- Original Message ----- From: "RSHSDepot Digest" To: Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 10:34 AM Subject: RSHSDepot Digest V1 #588 > > RSHSDepot Digest Thursday, February 6 2003 Volume 01 : Number 588 > > > Subjects: > > (rshsdepot) Summerhill, Ontario > (rshsdepot) Kingsburg, CA > RE: (rshsdepot) Fw: Detroit MC Station > (rshsdepot) Tyler, TX > (rshsdepot) Johnson City, TN > (rshsdepot) Presentation on the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut Railroad. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > From Archives_@_Railfan.net > Message-ID: <002e01c2cd06$6078e9f0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> > Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 06:04:38 -0500 > From: Bernie Wagenblast > Subject: (rshsdepot) Summerhill, Ontario > > Summerhill's old station now elaborate booze temple > > LCBO aims to keep its customers on track with innovations like the testing > tower > > > By WALLACE IMMEN - The Globe and Mail > Wednesday, February 5, 2003 - Print Edition, Page A13 > > > With its marble walls, inlaid floors and ornate ceilings, the Liquor Control > Board of Ontario's flagship store that opened yesterday in the renovated > Summerhill train station truly can be called the temple of booze. > > The store on Yonge Street near Summerhill Avenue is by far the largest > liquor store in Canada, with 2,900 square metres of space displaying 5,000 > brands in a number of customer-friendly rooms. > > The room called Track 2 has party ideas and Track 3 has spirits, and staff > members know which wine likely will go with emu. > > A store innovation is the "testing tower" at the base of the old station's > clock tower. It has 120 products that can be bought in one-ounce glasses. > "But obviously not all at the same time. We have a strong policy of social > responsibility," said store manager John Begley. > > A panelled board room can be reserved for catered wine-and-cheese tastings, > and demonstrations on cooking with wine will be held in a kitchen. > > Mr. Begley expects people to come from across the province to obtain > products unavailable at other stores. The station will be a tourist > attraction, he added. > > The brass ticket wickets have been retained and the ornate trim and > skylights restored in the three-storey former great hall in the building > that in 1916 became the Canadian Pacific Railway's main station in Toronto. > > The architectural firm Darling and Pearson built the exterior with rich > Tyndall limestone brought in from Manitoba, similar to the stone used on the > Parliament Buildings. The clock has been restored in the soaring Italian > Renaissance-style tower on the west end that is capped in copper. > > Today will be doubly busy because in addition to the novelty of the store, > it is the first day of the February Vintages release. Only a few cases of > many selections are available, and for the sake of fairness, some product > purchases will be limited, Mr. Begley said. > > The restoration's opulence amazes Mr. Begley, who could not help recalling > the shift in attitude since his first job 27 years ago, when the LCBO put > full emphasis on control. > > "It was like an episode of Seinfeld," he said of his first store in Ajax, > Ont., which was typical of provincial liquor outlets in the mid-1970s. > "Remember the soup Nazi? If you didn't do it right, you didn't get your > purchase." > > Women were intimidated. They rarely came into the stores that were as > purposeful and sterile as military barracks, with only a list of brands and > their serial numbers on display, Mr. Begley said. > > One of his jobs each day was to sharpen the pencils, firmly chained to > wooden counters, which customers used to fill order forms and total the > prices. > > "You'd take it to a gentleman at a wicket. and it would be rung up on a > huge, archaic cash register that didn't go over $99. Then you got a receipt > and joined another queue." > > A prestige job was to be the guy at the counter who took the receipt. That > was handed to Mr. Begley, who was a runner. He went into the dimly lit > storeroom and brought back the purchase, which was wrapped in a plain, brown > wrapper and handed to the customer with the surreptitiousness due a > controlled substance. > > The choices of the day were generally reds with sugar ratings to the north > of raspberry soda. Ask about vintage or what wine goes with veal, and you > would get a puzzled stare. > > "The revolution has been amazing," said Mr. Begley, who even today sports a > youthful crew cut and an unflappable smile. > > By the early 1980s, stores had to expand because the whiskies and fortified > wines that were popular for decades went out of favour, and more people > wanted wines. Staff had to be sent to wine school to learn varieties and > about matching wines with food. > > "Service knowledge is the new philosophy," Mr. Begley said. "We want people > to be comfortable, to be able to work with their dinner menu and make an > educated choice." > > ================================= > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > ------------------------------ > > > From Archives_@_Railfan.net > Message-ID: <003401c2cd06$b86acca0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> > Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 06:07:06 -0500 > From: Bernie Wagenblast > Subject: (rshsdepot) Kingsburg, CA > > Kingsburg needs depot deed for restoration start > > > By Patrick O'Donnell > Recorder Staff > > > Kingsburg cannot begin work on the $750,000 train depot restoration project > until it possesses the deed to the building and City Manager Don Pauley said > that the city is hopeful Union Pacific Railroad Co. will transfer ownership > to the city sometime after the first quarter of this year. > > > > "We've been bugging them regularly," said Pauley. "If not, we'll send a > delegation to their headquarters and ask them where it is." > > > > Fortunately, the weather has been fairly kind to the 10,000 square-foot > structure this year. Its exterior structure is so rotten that in some cases > the wood in the window and door frames is useless for attaching fasteners. > > > > Pauley said that if it were not for the fact that the roof is in better > shape, he isn't sure the structure would have survived as long as it has. > There has also been talk of covering it in plastic so as to keep it from > being exposed to the elements but that has not been necessary thus far. > > > > The original structure and 50 others like it were built around 1850, but > just 12 remain. > > > > Kingsburg's first depot burned down in a fire in 1902. At that time, the > railroad moved in an identical depot that had been constructed in the city > of Mason in Tulare County in the same time period. In 1922, another fire > damaged the second depot and the building was moved south to its present > site and renovated. In 1968, the depot was closed to passenger service and > by 1988, it was retired altogether. > > > > After the depot was closed the Southern Pacific Railroad, which at that time > had possession of the line on which the depot sits, was ready to demolish > the facility. > > > > After the depot was closed the Kingsburg City Council acted to register the > depot as a state and county historical landmark, but the railroad > immediately scheduled the building for demolition. > > > > Fearing an immediate loss of the building, a group of Kingsburg citizens met > in the depot lobby on Nov. 28, 1994, to begin negotiating for preservation > of the building. > > > > The group made the railroad aware of the depot's registered historical > status and requested an agreement for use of the building. > > > > Negotiations came to a halt when Southern Pacific insisted the building be > moved off the site. The citizens group felt that moving the building would > destroy the building's historical significance and negatively impact > downtown Kingsburg. > > > > When no proposal was to move it was made, the railroad discontinued all > negotiations concerning the depot and would not allow anyone access to > maintain it. > > > > In 1996, S.P. sold the railroad to the Union Pacific. U.P. was a company > known to be sympathetic to preservation of buildings so the city was > thrilled at the transaction. > > > > In 1997, Kingsburg Mayor John Wright was able to open negotiations with the > U.P. for control of the depot, and the city was granted access for > maintenance in a 1998 lease. > > > > Since then, the U.P. has promised to give the depot and property as a gift > deed to the city, but the process of transferring the deed has been > extremely slow and consequently, no restoration efforts could be started. > > > > On Dec. 2, 1998, the city council voted to establish a Train Depot Planning > Committee, whose job it would be to decide on a purposes for the depot; > identify the extent to which the building should be restored; establish a > means of phasing in the restoration so that the entire project did not have > to be completed at once; and identify the resources, financial and other, > that would be needed to complete the restoration project as well as identify > the resources which would be needed to maintain the facility. The committee > was given a year to conduct its research and bring its findings back to the > council. > > > > It has been proposed that the restored depot could serve multiple purposes. > According to proposals, it could serve as a full-time regional > transportation center, with accommodations for charter tours. > > > > It was also felt the facility could function as a full-time living museum > and learning center which would accommodate students in the region studying > California history in a "hands on" environment with emphasis on the 1869 > Transcontinental and 1872 San Joaquin Railroads. > > > > It was also decided that the building could be used for indoor and outdoor > events associated with festivals including food, crafts, music and other > performances. It was also felt that at some point in the future, the > building might also be used as a rail transit site, for rail transportation > services, a train excursion destination for passenger trains arriving on > trips of historical significance and possibly as a public meeting center. > > > > The facility would also include a visitor's information center, which would > accommodate a display of information about Kingsburg and the surrounding > areas including opportunities in education, business and recreation. > > > > Pauley said that when the deed is secured the city could probably start work > six months to a year after the completion of the federal environmental > reviews but nothing can happen until the city has the deed. > > > > He said that the city's grant funds, including the Transportation > Enhancement federal grant, for the project are not in jeopardy and will be > secure for another two to three years. "But I'm afraid it still won't be > enough, we'll just have to wait and see." > > The Kingsburg Recorder > > ================================= > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > ------------------------------ > > > From Archives_@_Railfan.net > Message-ID: > Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 08:11:55 -0500 > From: "Camp, Mark J." > Subject: RE: (rshsdepot) Fw: Detroit MC Station > > Jack: > I would be happy to talk to you about historical railroad structures. I > photographed many Detroit area depots in the late 1960s. I'm a director > of the Railroad Station Historical Society at the University of Toledo. > Apparently you had contacted Louis Van Winkle through his Michigan > website. He forwarded it to our membership. > Mark J. Camp > Associate Professor > Dept. of Earth Ecological and Environmental Sciences > The University of Toledo > > > ---------- > > From: Louis Van Winkle > > Reply To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net > > Sent: Monday, February 3, 2003 9:48 PM > > To: rshsdepot_@_lists.railfan.net > > Subject: (rshsdepot) Fw: Detroit MC Station > > > > > > My name is Jack Cronin; I=B9m a professor of film & video in the > Department of > > Media Arts and Studies at Wayne State University. I am currently > doing > > research for a documentary film about the importance of maintaining > our > > sense of history, identity and memory in Detroit, specifically in > relation > > to the city=B9s older landmarks, i.e. the Book-Cadillac, The Boblo > Boat, The > > Michigan Central Station, The Theatre District, etc. I=B9m exploring > the > > significance and relevance of these structures; in terms of the > personal > > connections people have to them, as well as their historical and > > contemporary meaning to the city as a whole. My documentary is > concerned > > with the value of these buildings, both measurable and immeasurable. > > > > If you would be willing to sit down some time and talk about this > matter, I > > would be very interested in hearing what you have to say. I would > like to > > learn more about your efforts to save The Michigan Central Station, as > well > > as your reasons for doing so. > > > > Please let me know if you would be willing to share your expertise and > > insight with me. I can be reached at this email address, or by phone > at > > (313) 871-2530. Also, if there is anyone else you know of who might > be > > interested in talking about this matter, please forward this letter to > them. > > > > > > Thank You, > > > > Jack Cronin > > Assistant Professor > > Dept. of Media Arts & Studies > > 585 Manoogian Hall > > Wayne State University > > Detroit, MI 48201 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of > existing > > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > > > > > ================================= > The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing > railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org > > ------------------------------ > > > From Archives_@_Railfan.net > Message-ID: <410-2200323518349556_@_M2W063.mail2web.com> > Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:34:09 -0500 > From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" > Subject: (rshsdepot) Tyler, TX > > COTTON BELT DEPOT > CONSTRUCTION BACK ON TRACK > By: LAURA JETT KRANTZ, Staff Writer February 03, 2003=20 > =20 > Again stalled by paperwork in January, the Cotton Belt Depot renovation > project seems to be back on track=2E > > After opening bids for the project in December, city of Tyler officials > anticipated a recommendation to the council in January with construction > beginning soon afterward=2E But Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)= > > representatives told the city to wait=2E > > The majority of the project is to be funded through a TxDOT Enhancement > Grant=2E Officials said TxDOT will provide $334,368 with an $83,592 match > from the city, or whatever the project costs beyond the grant amount=2E > > "This is not city money, so we had to play by their rules," city of Tyler > Project Coordinator Bill Ward said=2E "TxDOT said we had to wait until we > heard from them, and I just got a letter releasing the project, so we will= > > be doing that in February=2E" > > TxDOT Advance Project Engineer Dale Booth said the funds for the depot > project come from the Surface Transportation Program, which is federally > funded with specific guidelines=2E The bids and architect estimates had to= > be > reviewed and approved in Austin=2E > > "Basically, they weren't approved to award that project until Jan=2E 21," > Booth said=2E > > The city opened five bids in December, which ranged from a base bid of > $348,950 to $421,000=2E Each bid also included a bid bond and change-order= > > percentage, an estimated time of completion, as well as an alternate bid > for companies also chosen for the park renovation=2E Bids for the park > renovation ranged from $93,000 to $123,000=2E > > Ward said a recommendation will be made to the council in February, with > construction beginning from 30 to 60 days after the bid is approved=2E > > Architect Mike Butler of Fitzpatrick-Butler Architects told the city > council during an October meeting, there had been considerable discussion > among various agencies about the future of the building=2E Work has been a= > t a > standstill since 2000=2E > > "There's a lot of paperwork that has gone behind on this," he said=2E "A l= > ot > of agencies have had to sign off on this=2E" > > The renovation would complete the first two phases of the project=2E > > The first phase focused on stabilizing the structure and the exterior so > there was no more deterioration, Butler said=2E During the second phase, w= > ork > was done to restore the windows and the infrastructure of the interior of > the east side of the building, including plumbing and electrical systems=2E= > =20 > > The renovation would finish the installation of the plumbing and electrica= > l > fixtures, as well as the air-conditioning system on the west side of the > building, and completely restore the east side of the building=2E A parkin= > g > lot will also be added across the railroad tracks to the east=2E=20 > > "When this phase is complete, somebody should be able to occupy the > building," Butler said=2E > > The plan calls for the west side of the building to house Tyler Transit bu= > s > service offices and the east side of the building to be used for meeting > rooms=2E=20 > > Laura Jett Krantz covers Tyler city government, planning and zoning, > federal courts, and the Parks Board=2E She can be reached at 903=2E596=2E6= > 266=2E > e-mail: news_@_tylerpaper=2Ecom > > =20 > =A9Tyler Morning Telegraph 2003 =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: <410-22003235183640826_@_M2W046.mail2web.com> > Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:36:40 -0500 > From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" > Subject: (rshsdepot) Johnson City, TN > > From the Johnson City Press > > Mohon says effort to save depot would cost too much > > By James Watson > Press Staff Writer=20 > > > As the debate continues over the historic CSX train depot, officials at > City Hall have requested another update, while momentum to save the > building from demolition seems to be wavering=2E > > City officials have toured the building, and at least two structural > engineers =97 including an independent engineer who looked at the building= > at > the request of the Johnson City Press =97 have given preliminary reports t= > hat > the depot, though in need of major repairs, is structurally sound=2E > > Located at the intersection of West State of Franklin Road and Buffalo > Street, the building is the only remaining identifiable train depot in > Johnson City=2E The Johnson City Development Authority, which works to > revitalize the city=92s downtown, is hoping to save the depot because of i= > ts > importance to Johnson City=92s railroad history and its link between the > =93Tree Streets=94 neighborhood and the downtown=2E > > City Commissioner Ricky Mohon, who is also a member of the JCDA, has said > he was keeping an open mind about the building, but recently decided > rehabilitating the depot would just be too costly=2E > > =93Even if the building is =91structurally sound,=92 my feeling after disc= > ussion > with the city building inspector and the independent engineer is that this= > > project is prohibitively expensive,=94 Mohon said in an e-mail to City > Manager Mike West=2E =93Too many repairs will be needed to make the buildi= > ng > usable=2E=94 > > In response to Mohon=92s comments, JCDA member Craig Torbett questioned th= > e > commissioner=92s decision and was surprised by the statements=2E > > =93I don=92t think he is in a position to know how much it is going to cos= > t,=94 > Torbett said=2E > > The JCDA has been working for months to gain an understanding of the costs= > > involved, Torbett said, and was hoping to have until March before reportin= > g > to the City Commission=2E > > But Mohon has directed the JCDA to appear before the commission Thursday > for an update on the group=92s progress with the depot=2E > > The JCDA was granted $20,000 by the commission in December to evaluate the= > > depot and address problems concerning environmental as well as title > questions, and then report back before April=2E > > While Torbett said significant progress has been made in these areas, > bringing his group back in such a short time span is complicating its > efforts=2E > > =93This is distracting us from being able to do what we were instructed to= > > do,=94 he said=2E > > The city is facing several issues regarding the depot=2E The actual buildi= > ng > is owned by CSX Transportation, but the land is owned by East Tennessee > Railroad=2E Complicating the scenario, a clause in the property deed with > ETRY says if the land is no longer used to the benefit of the railroad, it= > > would revert to the heirs of the previous owner, Tipton Jobe=2E > > CSX has offered to hand the depot over to the city with the stipulations > that the city build a fence around a section of the loading dock and > acknowledge there is asbestos present=2E > > But ETRY is only willing to lease the land to the city for a period of 25 > years with an option extending for another 25 years=2E The lease payments > would be $3,000 annually for five years, increasing at a cost-of-living > rate after the initial years=2E > > Another concern is environmental damage to the land, and the railroads wan= > t > the city to take responsibility for that through insurance=2E > > (Contact James Watson at jwatson_@_johnsoncitypress=2Ecom)=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: <265000-22003235183210967_@_M2W059.mail2web.com> > Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:32:10 -0500 > From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" > Subject: (rshsdepot) Presentation on the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut Railroad. > > From the Poughkeepsie Journal=2E=2E=2E > > Wednesday, February 5, 2003 > > Rail expert to talk in Hopewell Junction > Man wrote book on local trains > By Anthony P=2E Musso > For the Poughkeepsie Journal > > HOPEWELL JUNCTION -- During his 35-year career with IBM, Bernard Rudberg > was published a number of times=2E=20 > But the work was mostly technical in nature, instructions for field > engineers to troubleshoot and repair mainframe computer systems and the > like=2E And the work never carried his name=2E=20 > > Now retired, Rudberg will get full credit for his latest work, ''Twenty > Five Years on the ND&C: A history of the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut > Railroad=2E''=20 > > The project was no small venture=2E A compilation of four years of researc= > h > took Rudberg to record centers at the University of Connecticut at Storrs > and the Baker Library of the Harvard Business School in Boston=2E A main > source for his knowledge of the railroad -- specifically during the period= > > from 1879 to 1904 -- is in neighboring Beacon, at the railroad's former > headquarters=2E=20 > > ''For the period concentrated on, I found 48 volumes of records, each made= > > up of 700 pages,'' Rudberg said=2E ''Those records, some 30,000 pages, are= > > the heart of the book=2E''=20 > > The passion for the railroad is not new to Rudberg, whose great-grandfathe= > r > began work with Sweden's railroad system in 1874 and, in 1896, became > stationmaster in Polcirkeln, a town in northern Sweden where the tracks > cross the Arctic Circle=2E=20 > > ''My family has been involved in railroads ever since that time,'' he said= > =2E=20 > > Rudberg's enthusiasm isn't limited to his writing ability=2E Since the > mid-1990s, he has championed an effort to restore the old Hopewell Depot, > located just north of the hamlet of Hopewell Junction=2E He and a group of= > > local history buffs hope to restore the abandoned structure and turn it > into a railroad museum, a lasting documentation of the area's rail history= > =2E=20 > > Repairs required=20 > > Rudberg said the main structure, damaged by a fire, needs work=2E The floo= > rs > are rotting and the roof will need to be replaced=2E=20 > > ''We would like to have the building in some sort of usable condition for > the planned Dutchess County Rail Trail that is supposed to end at the > depot,'' Rudberg said=2E=20 > > Rudberg will be the guest speaker tonight at an event sponsored by the > Friends of the East Fishkill Community Library=2E While Rudberg's book wil= > l > not be sold at the event, he will autograph copies purchased in advance at= > > local bookstores or from its publisher, Purple Mountain Press in > Fleischmanns, Delaware County=2E=20 > > On display will be old photos related to the railroad and a collection of > paper artifacts, including canceled checks, payroll and tax records, > letters, maps and timetables, dating from 1899 to 1916=2E=20 > > ''People are more and more interested in their ancestors, genealogy and > community,'' said Cheryl Bennin, reference librarian and adult services > coordinator at the library=2E ''A few weeks ago someone called and wanted > information on the railroad that runs through their backyard=2E I advised > them to come to Mr=2E Rudberg's talk=2E''=20 > > IF YOU GO > RAILROAD TALK > What: Presentation on the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut Railroad=2E=20 > > Where: East Fishkill Library, Route 376, Hopewell Junction=2E=20 > > When: 7 to 9 tonight=2E=20 > > Information: Call (845) 221-9943=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 > > ------------------------------ > > End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #588 > ******************************* > > ================================= > 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: <281450-2200324621225251_@_M2W085.mail2web.com> Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 16:22:52 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Sayre, PA Railroad museum returning to Sayre borough=20 By: WARREN HOWELER 02/05/2003=20 SAYRE - After spending the last six years in storage at the Bradford Count= y Historical Society, Sayre's railroad museum collection is headed back to the borough, according to Sayre Historical Society President Henry Farley=2E= =20 Farley said the Bradford County Historical Society's Board of Directors voted Monday to return Sayre's railroad museum collection to the borough=2E= =20 "The Sayre Historical Society sent a letter to the Bradford County Historical Society thanking Bradford County for hosting the collection, saving it from the auction block and now that there's a permanent home in Sayre, it was time to bring it back," he said=2E "But in order to plan how= to go forward with exhibits and the interior of the train station, that collection really needs to be in Sayre=2E So we probably will be doing everything we can to expedite the move as soon as possible=2E"=20 It has been the outcry from people who have railroad ancestry that Sayre's= railroad museum be brought back to the borough, said Farley=2E=20 "Once people realized that that collection left Sayre, they were horrified," he said=2E "At the same time, they were very thankful that Bradford County was preserving the collection, but the aim has been to get= it back here=2E"=20 The history of Sayre centers on the railroad, Farley noted=2E=20 "The Bradford County Historical Society's (issue of) The Settler for February, which is being released as we speak, is the birth of Sayre from 1870 to 1888," he said=2E "It is a newspaper's chronology of the birth of = the town and every bit of it is railroad=2E So the railroad collection is just= paramount in what we're all (about), and it will be a major part of the museum when it is completed=2E"=20 The borough's railroad museum - which has not been in Sayre since 1997 - will be put on display in the Lehigh Valley Train Station, which the Sayre= Historical Society is leasing from the Borough of Sayre=2E=20 However, when the borough's railroad museum will be exhibited is still up in the air because of the impending renovations that will be undertaken at= the train station, according to Farley=2E=20 "We don't know when the exterior part of the work is going to be done=2E W= e (are) hoping for this summer," he said=2E "We met with the architect that = has done the exterior work (drawings)=2E Last week, the Sayre Historical Socie= ty met with her and gave her ideas of how we would like to proceed inside, an= d she is going to do those plans for us and that's just actually the structure itself=2E"=20 When the railroad museum is returned to the borough, the Sayre Historical Society will immediately engage a consultant that deals with historical displays, Farley stated=2E=20 "Then that person will come and do a (plan) for us," he said=2E "Then we'l= l know what we've got to do to fund-raise to actually pull this off, and that's where we're at right now=2E We want the architect to give us a fill= for how much money we're going to need for interior work and then we're going to need the actual plan from the design person as to how much the exhibits are going to cost to construct=2E"=20 =A9Daily and Sunday Review 2003=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 ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #589 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <01aa01c2ceab$8de7e6b0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2003 08:19:33 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Mansfield, MA UPGRADE OF RAIL STATION SET TO BEGIN WORK WON'T IMPROVE PARKING PROBLEMS The Boston Globe February 6, 2003, Thursday ,THIRD EDITION The busy commuter rail station in downtown Mansfield is about to get a $1.5 million makeover. A joint project involving two regional transportation agencies and the town of Mansfield involves replacing the station building that has served as a passenger waiting area since 1954. The new structure will be about twice as large as the old one, with space for a food vendor, a community meeting room, and possibly a dry cleaning service. The train platforms are to be raised to make the trains handicapped accessible, and some parking areas and surrounding streets will be reconfigured. Work is scheduled to start this month. The town, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and the Greater Attleboro-Taunton Regional Transportation Authority planned the construction, which is being funded by state and federal transportation agencies. For MBTA commuter rail users, the bad news is that the severe parking crunch that has plagued the station area for years will be no better when the work is completed, about the end of this year. Officials have been trying to devise a plan to expand parking, but it is not ready to be implemented yet. "In this phase there will be no additional parking," said Carol Gill, capital program manager for the Greater Attleboro Taunton Transportation agency. According to the MBTA's most recent count, about 1,700 people use the station daily, up from 1,450 a decade ago. There are legal parking spaces for about half the riders. Although some commuters walk to the station and others are dropped off, most compete for the limited spaces, and the lots are usually full by 7 a.m. GATRA has tried to ease the parking problems by running shuttle buses from Norton and Mansfield to the station. The agency recently began subsidizing a local taxi service, which offers $2 rides to the station for Mansfield residents. The station has long been viewed as a mixed blessing in Mansfield. It provides residents with fast, convenient service to Boston and Providence. It also brings hundreds of out-of-towners into the center of town every weekday. "There are two schools of thought on the station," said Selectman Michael McCue. "It brings in people from outside of town who frequent downtown businesses. Of course the opposite view is all of the traffic problems it creates." In the past, the town has debated moving the station, but the decision has always been to keep it where it is and try to improve it. An antique clock, formerly located in Mansfield Town Hall will be moved to the station. Town officials hope that the meeting room will be used for community functions. "We hope the public uses the building for more than just a train station," said Mansfield Selectman David McCarter. "We think the station will give people a positive image of the town." McCarter said the town and the transportation agencies will continue to try to resolve the parking and traffic problems. Other towns can help, too, according to McCarter, who would like officials in neighboring Foxborough to open up County Street as an access road to new station parking lots in Mansfield. "Mansfield has had a train station since the 1800s," McCarter said. "We have to learn how to deal with it. It's not going to go away." ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <198950-22003257154423669_@_M2W028.mail2web.com> Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 10:44:23 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Amtrak and Grand Central Terminal, NY I had an interesting experience on my way into work this morning=2E While= my office building is directly next to Grand Central Terminal in New York Cit= y I don't normally walk through GCT=2E But when it is snowing, like it is t= his morning, I take the No=2E 7 subway into GCT to avoid going outside, then w= alk through GCT to my building=2E=20 As I was walking through the main concourse I heard the usual train boarding announcements, and then this one; "Amtrak train no=2E 251 to Albany-Rensselaer, first stop Croton Harmon, is boarding on Track 21=2E A= ll aboard=2E=2E=2E" I paused, waiting for a correction, then turned around a= nd walked over to track 21, to see what was up=2E Sure enough, three Amfleet coaches were awaiting passengers on track 21=2E= I couldn't see the locomotive, and I didn't want to venture down the platform, but I did ask a green-jacketed GCT ticket agent, "When did Amtra= k start leaving from Grand Central again?" His response, "This morning, since they knocked the bridge at Spuyten Duyvil out of whack=2E" The Spuyten Duyvil center pin swing bridge is on the connection, rebuilt b= y Amtrak, that allows trains on Metro North's Hudson Line to access Penn Station=2E For a little while at least, Grand Central Terminal is once again serving long distance passenger trains=2E Jim Dent - -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 #590 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000901c2cfcb$88fba8a0$34d4ffcc_@_lner4472> Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2003 18:40:58 -0500 From: "Alexander D. Mitchell IV" Subject: (rshsdepot) RR Station becomes Canada's largest liquor store Canada's largest liquor store opens in a former railroad station in Toronto: http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/PEstory/TGAM/20030205/ULC BOM/national/national/nationalTorontoHeadline_temp/1/1/4/ ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #591 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <004501c2d040$bb0eaa20$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2003 08:39:54 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Penn Station-New York N.Y. terminal a traffic minefield No room for error at Penn Station BY JOE MALINCONICO Star-Ledger Staff Nick Churus dreads the mornings his Midtown Direct train is running late. When the train arrives in Manhattan on time at 7:15 a.m., it pulls into track 11 at New York Penn Station and allows Churus and hundreds of other riders to plod their way from the platform to the main terminal in a slow, orderly herd. But when Churus' train hits the station after 7:20 a.m., things get ugly. That is because an Amtrak train normally starts loading its passengers at the same time on adjacent track 12. The not-so-pleasant result is a collision of commuters on narrow stairways and a 20-foot-wide platform. Sometimes, a third train also is boarding riders. "So on one train platform, there are one inbound and two outbound trains with people all over the place, walking in opposite directions, bumping into each other, and on occasion, I've seen tempers elevated," said Churus, who rides from the Maplewood station. "It's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt." The scene typifies NJ Transit rail commuters' complaints about the way the railroads maneuver trains at New York Penn Station. Riders say the system seems poorly planned and often produces either helter-skelter stampedes with last-minute announcements of track assignments for departures or platform gridlock when too many trains are using the same boarding and unloading areas. "Commuting is frustrating enough as it is," said Harvey Davidson, who travels to Manhattan on NJ Transit. "These kind of things just make it worse." Transportation officials said directing traffic through the busiest railroad station in the nation is much more complicated than commuters appreciate, with 982 trains per weekday from three railroads using 21 tracks and only six tunnels under the Hudson and East rivers. Running the station is like putting together a moving jigsaw puzzle, railroad officials said, forcing them to fit departures and arrivals through the station's web of tracks. The varying sizes of trains -- with eight, 10, 12 passenger cars -- and the different lengths of the platforms -- which range from 650 feet to 1,190 feet -- complicate the task. Railroad officials said the toughest thing about the Penn Station puzzle is that the timing on fitting pieces together often changes, suddenly and unexpectedly, every time a train gets delayed or breaks down. "The dispatchers know in their minds where they want to put a train," said Kevin O'Connor, NJ Transit's general superintendent for N.Y. Penn Station. "Unfortunately, this place rarely works the same way two days in a row." During peak periods, trains pass through the inbound and the outbound tunnels under the Hudson River every three minutes. From 6 to 10 a.m., those trains carry 44,000 New Jersey commuters into Manhattan. "Why is there not consistency here? Because this is not a perfect operation," said Walter Ernst, general superintendent for Amtrak's New York Division. "We're operating this place at capacity at peak periods. There's no margin when something goes wrong." Amtrak owns and operates the station, and the Long Island Rail Road runs more trains through the station than the other two railroads. In fact, the LIRR now shares many of the responsibilities for operating the station with Amtrak as a result of the $50 million it invested for improvements in the 1980s. NJ Transit basically has been Amtrak's tenant. That arrangement has left state officials frequently shrugging their shoulders, saying they had little sway over decisions made by the national railroad, even when they inconvenienced New Jersey commuters. George Warrington, the former head of Amtrak who took over as NJ Transit's executive director last spring, has said he wants to carve a bigger role for the New Jersey agency when it comes to the operation of New York Penn Station. "The facility is too important for us and for our customers for us to behave like a tenant," said Warrington. Originally built about 90 years ago, the basic rail infrastructure at New York Penn Station has remained pretty much the same over the decades, even as train traffic increased dramatically. As a result, railroad officials say, they find it difficult to run things they way they would like. For example, NJ Transit's policy is to announce which track the trains are departing from 10 minutes before they leave. Officials and riders agree that does not always happen. "It would help if people were informed 10 minutes ahead of time instead of three," said Douglas Bowen, vice president of the New Jersey Association of Railroad Passengers During evening rush hours, even with a 10-minute notice, commuters endure an aggravating cattle call, as hundreds of riders grind their way shoulder-to-shoulder through a handful of stairs and escalators leading down to the platforms. With less warning, the loadings becomes more frantic. No one wants to get left behind to wait for another train. Veterans tell horror stories of frazzled commuters trying to run down escalators that are moving up. More than a decade ago, NJ Transit decided it needed new ways to get passengers to and from train platforms. That decision produced a new 7th Avenue Concourse, which opened last September, providing seven new stairways and escalators. "While the new concourse has helped somewhat, there is no and never has been a silver bullet," Warrington said. Warrington called the lingering problems "unacceptable." NJ Transit riders are somewhat envious of their counterparts on the LIRR, which assigns its trains to the same tracks at N.Y. Penn Station on a regular basis. But railroad officials said there are several key factors that allow the LIRR to do that, while NJ Transit cannot. First of all, the LIRR spent money years ago to make its platforms at N.Y. Penn Station the same length, and its trains have roughly the same number of cars. Therefore, any train can fit at any platform. Moreover, officials said, LIRR trains are less prone to the delays because their routes are shorter than those covered by the NJ Transit trains. NJ Transit acknowledges the difficulties faced by its riders. In fact, officials said, the state agency is working with Amtrak to get workers stationed at the N.Y. Penn's Terminal Operations Center, which would give them better access to updates about train traffic so they can then relay the information to commuters more quickly. Within months, officials said, they will be able to announce track assignments for some departing trains sooner than the current practice. "We see room to shave the margins, but when you have a system that's so complex, the amount of progress you can expect is limited," said Bowen, from the passenger advocacy group. "Any expectations you have should be realistic." ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #592 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <001701c2d0f0$50e8d5c0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 05:36:48 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Hattiesburg, MS Hattiesburg seeks input on train depot By JOANNA HOLBERT, Writer for THE JOURNAL The Times of South Mississippi Seeking input on the revitalization of the Hattiesburg Train Depot, Mayor Johnny DuPree took Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith and chairman of the Amtrak Board Gil Carmichael on a tour of the Hattiesburg Depot project and surrounding downtown developments last week. "Gil Carmichael is here to help us look at a way of reforming Amtrak in Hattiesburg," said DuPree. "He will help us by providing insight on this project." Carmichael's ideas for the depot include several forms of transportation including train, Greyhound Bus Services and public transportation. "This project is designed to bring people into downtown," he said, "and the way to do that is by restoring the depot as the heart of the city's public transportation." Carmichael was Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration under the first Bush presidency and most recently was chairman of the Amtrak Reform Council. During his time as administrator of the railroad administration, Carmichael restored train stations in 130 cities in the country. "What we try to do is restore the train stations and make them the transport center of the city," said Carmichael. "Hattiesburg has a beautiful building and it is going to be really elegant when it is finished." Hattiesburg and Meridian are the only two designated stops in Mississippi along the High Speed Rail Corridor. In November, Smith and Carmichael hosted a group of Hattiesburg city officials and community leaders to tour Meridian's depot restoration project. "Hattiesburg is farther ahead of the game than Meridian was," he said, "because the Meridian Depot had been torn down, and we had to go in and rebuild the station according to pictures of what it used to look like." "This project is designed to bring people into downtown," DuPree said, "and the way to do that is by restoring the depot as the heart of the city's public transportation. "Mayor Smith and Mr. Carmichael, like many of us in Hattiesburg, share a strong commitment to the future of intermodal transportation. I appreciate their guidance and interest in helping Hattiesburg's project be as successful as Meridian's." The tour included stops at the depot as well as one of the new downtown loft apartments and the Walnut Square development. Earlier last week, the City of Hattiesburg brought in 30 students from Mississippi State University to provide insight into the restoration process of downtown Hattiesburg, particularly the Mobile Street area. Officials with the City of Hattiesburg as well as the Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association agree the restoration of the downtown area is critical to the development of the city. "The downtown area is the heart of a community, if it suffers then the community suffers," said Bernice Linton, executive director of the downtown association. "The first place developers look when looking at a community it the downtown area, and for a while Hattiesburg missed out, but that is all changing," said Linton. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #593 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.20030211114121.00d56698_@_mymail.emcyber.com> Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 11:41:21 -0500 From: "Bruce Mowbray" Subject: (rshsdepot) Thieves Hit Strasburg Railroad Unfortunately, here is a situation we all need to be aware of... > > "Last night, thieves forcibly broke in at the > Strasburg Rail Road's > engine house, and took the following items: > > The number plates from engines #31, #90, #475. > Classification lights from engines #31, and #89. > 1 new classification light. > 6 rear end marker lamps, 4 kerosene, and 2 converted > to battery > operation. 1 photograph of engine #89 on the Green > Mountain. Side view > with specifications. 1 Strasburg Rail Road rule > book. Red loose leaf > format. 1 Small (about =BD normal size) locomotive > brass bell and yoke. 1 > ICC steam locomotive defect chart. > > They also forced open (and destroyed in the process) > a steel door to the > back shop, but we haven't spotted anything missing > from in there yet. It > appears that there were two perpetrators in that > they left many > footprints and tire tracks in the snow. Pennsylvania > State Police are > investigating. They seemed to have a specific > "shopping list" in that > they took only railfan collectibles, and only > specific ones at that. We > at the Strasburg Rail Road ask for the help of the > community to return > our property to us, and to bring these criminals to > justice. If anyone > has any information, please call the Strasburg Rail > Road at > 717-687-8421. By the way, anyone know of a source > for reproduction > number plates? Seems like there was someone in > Virginia, but I don't > know for sure. " > kelly_@_strasburgrailroad.com ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <293580-22003221121410392_@_M2W029.mail2web.com> Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 16:41:00 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Richmond, IN From the Palladium-Item=2E=2E=2E Sunday, February 9, 2003 Depot area's rebuilding is vital to city A critical mass is building in the old Depot District=2E Incrementally, it= 's coming back to life, one building, one home, one storefront at a time=2E F= or ultimate and long-term success, the direct and indirect involvement of elements as diverse as the city and the Richmond Community Schools also will be required=2E=20 Richmond's Depot District, an area of large, multistory brick buildings, was a center of commerce in the last part of the 19th century and the firs= t part of the 20th century=2E=20 The district declined=2E The brick-pillared former Pennsylvania Railroad depot, for which the district is named, was abandoned and left to decay=2E= Only the intervention of the city, the Urban Enterprise Association and dedicated volunteers interested in railroad heritage and classical architecture has kept the Depot from being demolished=2E=20 Even so, the city, the UEA and the volunteers are only rescuers and caretakers=2E To date, despite good efforts that are continuing, none of t= hem has been able to restore the 101-year-old structure=2E=20 Other districts in the city have been redeveloped and have become more robust=2E The South Fourth Street area and the "uptown" business district come to mind=2E But what sets the Depot District apart is the combination = of business and residential development=2E=20 Vital city neighborhoods have the combination of strong businesses and residential comfort=2E Together, the Depot District businesses are a varie= d mix attractive to the residents and visitors: restaurants, a bar, art galleries, wholesalers and some retail stores=2E=20 The large old hulk that was the Atlas underwear building has been turned into attractive apartments and studios=2E Other people are taking on the t= ask of repairing some of the area's large and beautiful old residences=2E=20 The Depot District is far from realizing its potential=2E There is a great= deal of work to be done=2E But a great deal has been done during the last = 15 years=2E=20 The city and UEA must continue to be alert for ways to help=2E Would impro= ved public parking be helpful? Are the sidewalks in good shape? Could the city's tree commission help make the area more attractive? Are green space= s and recreational facilities adequate? Is policing adequate to reasonably ensure safety for the residents and businesses?=20 For an urban neighborhood like this to come back to life also requires quality schools=2E It's important that the improvement programs under way = in Richmond Community Schools succeed=2E Every school in the district needs t= o be successful so that people will want to move back into the city=2E=20 More than anything government can do, the gradual yet consistent private redevelopment in the Depot District might one day result in the restoratio= n of the former depot=2E The train station might yet become a useful centerpiece for a neighborhood on the rebound=2E=20 But whether or not the Depot is saved, it is encouraging to see the incremental business and residential development=2E It shows that many gro= ups and individuals are working together, each doing a little, building on wha= t the others have done=2E=20 Because the Depot District shows what can be donewhen all these people contribute, it is vital that the city pay attention and try to duplicate the successes as the city builds a sustainable future=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 ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #594 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <410-220032312224217130_@_earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 17:42:17 -0500 From: "Kenyon Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) Champlain Flyer on National Television There is an article in today's Rutland Herald (rutlandherald.nybor.com) noting that the Champlain Flyer (Burlington-Charlotte VT Commuter Train) will be filmed for a 'Fleecing of America' segment of NBC's Nightly News program, a series devoted to exposing wasteful government spending programs. :-( ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <410-22003231223452360_@_earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 18:04:52 -0500 From: "Kenyon Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) Photographer's Rights document..... Taking pictures of railroad trains is usually regarded as a rather strange but nevertheless harmless activity. The major exception is during wartime when picture taking could easily be the first step towards sabotage. Long forgotten restrictions on taking pictures of railroads was again revived as we began a 'War on Terrorism' immediately following 9/11/01. Sierra Club Folks may likewise find this information useful when taking pictures of environmental 'smoking guns'! :-( NERAIL Digest - 11 Feb 2003 to 12 Feb 2003 - Special issue (#2003-154) Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 09:56:31 -0500 From: Scotty Subject: Photographer's Rights document..... The link to this article was posted to the NERails list. Realizing that it has some very useful information regarding how we go about photographing our favorite subjects, I have reprinted it here for all to see.......... The Photographer's Right About this Guide - Confrontations that impair the constitutional right to make images are becoming more common. To fight the abuse of your right to free expression, you need to know your rights to take photographs and the remedies available if your rights are infringed. The General Rule - The general rule in the United States is that anyone may take photographs of whatever they want when they are in a public place or places where they have permission to take photographs. Absent a specific legal prohibition such as a statute or ordinance, you are legally entitled to take photographs. Examples of places that are traditionally considered public are streets, sidewalks, and public parks. Property owners may legally prohibit photography on their premises but have no right to prohibit others from photographing their property from other locations. Whether you need permission from property own- ers to take photographs while on their premises depends on the circumstances. In most places, you may reasonably assume that taking photographs is allowed and that you do not need explicit permission. However, this is a judgment call and you should request permission when the circumstances suggest that the owner is likely to object. In any case, when a property owner tells you not to take photographs while on the premises, you are legally obligated to honor the request. Some Exceptions to the Rule - There are some exceptions to the general rule. A significant one is that commanders of military installations can prohibit photographs of specific areas when they deem it necessary to protect national security. The U.S. Department of Energy can also prohibit photography of designated nuclear facilities although the publicly visible areas of nuclear facilities are usually not designated as such. Members of the public have a very limited scope of privacy rights when they are in public places. Basically, anyone can be photographed without their consent except when they have secluded themselves in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy such as dressing rooms, restrooms, medical facilities, and inside their homes. Permissible Subjects - Despite misconceptions to the contrary, the following subjects can almost always be photographed lawfully from public places: accident and fire scenes children celebrities bridges and other infrastructure residential and commercial buildings industrial facilities and public utilities transportation facilities (e.g., airports) Superfund sites criminal activities law enforcement officers Who Is Likely to Violate Your Rights - Most confrontations are started by security guards and employees of organizations who fear photography. The most common reason given is security but often such persons have no articulated reason. Security is rarely a legitimate reason for restricting photography. Taking a photograph is not a terrorist act nor can a business legitimately assert that taking a photograph of a subject in public view infringes on its trade secrets. On occasion, law enforcement officers may object to photography but most understand that people have the right to take photographs and do not interfere with photographers. They do have the right to keep you away from areas where you may impede their activities or endanger safety. However, they do not have the legal right to prohibit you from taking photographs from other locations. They Have Limited Rights to Bother, Question, or Detain You - Although anyone has the right to approach a person in a public place and ask questions, persistent and unwanted conduct done without a legitimate purpose is a crime in many states if it causes serious annoyance. You are under no obligation to answer such questions in any state and do not have to disclose your identity or the purpose of your photography. If the conduct goes beyond mere questioning, all states have laws that make coercion and harassment criminal offenses. The specific elements vary among the states but in general it is unlawful for anyone to instill a fear that they may injure you, damage or take your property, or falsely accuse you of a crime just because you are taking photographs. Private parties have very limited - rights to detain you against your will and may be subject to criminal and civil charges should they attempt to do so. Although the laws in most states authorize citizen's arrests, such authority is very narrow. In general, citizen's arrests can be made only for felonies or crimes committed in the person's presence. Failure to abide by these requirements usually means that the person is liable for a tort such as false imprisonment. They Have No Right to Confiscate Your Film - Sometimes agents acting for entities such as owners of industrial plants and shopping malls may ask you to hand over your film. Absent a court order, private parties have no right to confiscate your film. Taking your film directly or indirectly by threatening to use force or call a law enforcement agency can constitute criminal offenses such as theft and coercion. It can likewise constitute a civil tort such as conversion. Law enforcement officers may have the authority to seize film when making an arrest but otherwise must obtain a court order. Your Legal Remedies If Harassed If someone has threatened, intimidated, or detained you because you were taking photographs, they may be liable for crimes such as kidnapping, coercion, and theft. In such cases, you should report them to the police. You may also have civil remedies against such persons and their employers. The torts for which you may be entitled to compensation include assault, conversion, false imprisonment, and violation of your constitutional rights. Other Remedies If Harassed - If you are disinclined to take legal action, there are still things you can do that contribute to protecting the right to take photographs. (1) Call the local newspaper and see if they are interested in running a story. Many newspapers feel that civil liberties are worthy of serious coverage. (2) Write to or call the supervisor of the person involved, or the legal or public relations department of the entity, and complain about the event. (3) Make the event publicly known on an Internet forum that deals with photography or civil rights issues. How to Handle Confrontations - Most confrontations can be defused by being courteous and respectful. If the party becomes pushy, combative, or unreasonably hostile, consider calling the police. Above all, use good judgment and don't allow an event to escalate into violence. In the event you are threatened with detention or asked to surrender your film, asking the following questions can help ensure that you will have the evidence to enforce your legal rights: 1. What is the person's name? 2. Who is their employer? 3. Are you free to leave? If not, how do they intend to stop you if you decide to leave? What legal basis do they assert for the detention? 4. Likewise, if they demand your film, what legal basis do they assert for the confiscation? Disclaimer - This is a general education guide about the right to take photographs and is necessarily limited in scope. For example, it does not cover important issues such as publication and copyright. For more information about the laws that affect photography, I refer you to my book, Legal Handbook for Photographers (Amherst Media, 2002). This guide is not intended to be legal advice nor does it create an attorney client relationship. Readers should seek the advice of a competent attorney when they need legal advice regarding a specific situation. published by: Bert P. Krages II Attorney at Law 6665 S.W. Hampton Street, Suite 200 Portland, Oregon 97223 www.krages.com İ 2003 Bert P. Krages II Your Rights and Remedies When Stopped or Confronted for Photography February 2003 **************************************************************************** **** NERAIL_@_LISTSERV.AOL.COM The Original place on the internet to discuss everything about New England Railroading and Railfanning! archive now available at: http://listserv.aol.com/archives/nerail.html Post pictures at: http://photos.nerail.org/ LIST FOR NORTHEAST RAILROAD PICTURES NERAILPIC-subscribe_@_yahoogroups.com SUBSCRIBE SEND EMAIL TO NERAILPIC-subscribe_@_yahoogroups.com **************************************************************************** **** Kenyon F. Karl Kenyon_Karl_@_mail.com 17 Ephriam Page Rd. Wentworth NH 03282-3224 Tel: 603-764-8526 FAX: 630-214-3919 Webmaster_@_new-england-public-transit.org http://www.new-england-public-transit.org Webmaster_@_new-england-rail-trails.org http://new-england-rail-trails.org Webmaster - New Hampshire Railroad Revitalization Assn. http://www.trainweb.org/nhrra Webmaster - Sierra Club - NERCC - High Speed Rail Task Force http://www.sierraclub.org/rcc/northeast/transit/hsr/index.htm Webmaster_@_wentworth-NH.org http://www.wentworth-NH.org ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <002101c2d2f3$19447d40$146ef6d1_@_paul> References: <410-220032312224217130_@_earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 19:01:44 -0500 From: "fred fep" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Champlain Flyer on National Television Will they also put in how much money is spent propping up every little airfield, how money goes to fix little known roads..why don't they leave railroads alone, it is like kicking a sick puppy...do they explain how many car trips by single drivers wasting gasoline is actually a bigger economic silliness than the train no matter how many people it carried...no matter how many it is economically better than all those cars... - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kenyon Karl" To: "Barbara J Smith" ; "Blossom Hoag" ; "Catherine.corkery" ; "Charlie Miller" ; "chop hardenbergh" ; "Craig Della Pena" ; "George Denzer" ; "Jack Sutton" ; "John Weeks" ; "John.Rogers" ; "Jon Miner" ; "Leo King" ; "mainstlnd" ; "Malcolm T Taylor" ; "Matthew Mitchell" ; "Nancy Girard" ; "Nancy W Reed" ; "neha bhatt" ; "Paul Chapman" ; "Peter.Griffin" ; "Ray Burton" ; "Robert.Z.Norman" ; "Scott Whitney" ; "Stephen Piper" ; "Wayne Davis" ; "Rick Katzenberg" Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 5:42 PM Subject: (rshsdepot) Champlain Flyer on National Television > There is an article in today's Rutland Herald (rutlandherald.nybor.com) > noting that the Champlain Flyer (Burlington-Charlotte VT Commuter Train) > will be filmed for a 'Fleecing of America' segment of NBC's Nightly News > program, a series devoted to exposing wasteful government spending > programs. :-( > > > > > ================================= > 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 #595 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <265000-220032413195618304_@_M2W029.mail2web.com> Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 14:56:18 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Green Forest, AR From the Star-Tribune=2E=2E=2E Railroad depot sale gets project rolling By Anna Mathews, CCN staff writer GREEN FOREST -- The railroad depot renovation project is finally under way= after nearly a year of talks and discussions=2E Last Thursday, a deal was struck between the City of Green Forest and resident Robert Smalley, who sold the depot to the town=2E The final papers were signed when members of the Community Improvement Committee met for their regular monthly meeting at City Hall=2E They had proposed purchasing the depot, relocating the building to the 12-acre parcel of land the city purchased across from the ballfields, and renovating the structure into an historical display and meeting hall=2E Smalley, who owned the depot, agreed to sell the building for $5,000=2E It= had been appraised at $12,000=2E City council members previously approved the use of $10,000 in city funds for the depot project=2E Committee chairman Stanley Norris said the remaining $5,000 will be used t= o move the depot, establish utilities, build a footing, reroof the structure= , insulate, and construct a front porch and handicap-access ramp=2E The community's support will be necessary to make that happen, he said=2E "We're hoping the $10,000 will cover the purchase, the move, and getting i= t set up," he explained=2E Norris sought two bids for the move=2E A company in Bentonville will be do= ing the work for $3,000=2E The other bid was nearly double=2E "We've got it bought and we're moving forward," Norris stated=2E "We're go= ing to wait for good weather to get it moved, probably early summer=2E "We're going to be in there right away, though," he continued, "to line ou= t the location of bathrooms and a small kitchen=2E We want this to be a plac= e where the community can meet and have it handicap-accessible=2E" He said volunteers will be lining out where the utilities will go and getting them established at the new location, so the site will be ready when the depot is moved=2E "It's going to take a community effort to do this," Norris noted=2E "It's going to take time, money, electricians, and plumbers=2E It will be a community project=2E" People have already come forward with donations, but many more are needed,= said Norris=2E People wishing to donate money can contact Norris until a b= ank account is established for that purpose=2E Norris has set a target date of late summer to have the building open and operating=2E "We need the community's support," Norris reiterated, "now that we've got the project started=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 ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #596 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <025901c2d41e$461e8d70$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 06:43:20 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Port Arthur, TX Port Arthur, Texas, Group Looks to Rebuild Railway Depot as Sailors' Center The Beaumont Enterprise Feb. 14--PORT ARTHUR, Texas--A local group is proposing to rebuild the razed Kansas City Southern Railway depot as a center for sailors on Procter Street. "Our intention is to build the new seaman's center on the site and in the model of the train station," said the Rev. Sinclair Oubre, executive director of the Port Arthur International Seaman's Center and diocese director of the Catholic ministry for sailors. Oubre said the non-profit group plans to break ground in early 2004. So far, they have raised $440,000 for the facility. As many as 22,000 seafarers come through south Jefferson County every year, Oubre said. "We have been operating out of a mobile home out by the Port of Port Arthur," said Mike Eaves, vice president of the Port Arthur International Seaman's Center and an attorney for Benckenstein and Oxford firm in Beaumont. The center has a small store, telephones, a library of donated books and magazines, a kitchen and a room with a television and couches. It serves sailors on the ships coming into the Port of Port Arthur. "We also provide a van service to take the sailors around town, like the mall or Wal-Mart," Eaves said. The new 7,482-square-foot center will also have rooms for sailors to stay in, a chapel and a banquet room, Oubre said. "It's not just meant to serve Port Arthur, but all of the seafarers who come to this area," Eaves said. The Port Arthur International Seamen's Center will be presenting their plans at 5 p.m. today at 2607 Rosedale Drive in Port Arthur. The original train depot was demolished more than 30 years ago. "Right now we are in the process of having the city of Port Arthur approve our building plans," Eaves said. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <410-220032514171416830_@_earthlink.net> Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 12:14:16 -0500 From: "Kenyon Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) FW: [northeastcorridor] Digest Number 439 There are immediate financial implications in the following because 'mail' (and the like such as UPS) has been regarded by David Gunn as a rather profitable sideline for Amtrak that does not unduly delay overnight passenger trains. Note that, I strongly suspect that trains 10 & 13 appear to not carry passengers at all (since they use rails owned and operated by Amtrak & Commuter Rail Agencies). I hope that there are no long range implications in this news since the politics of Amtrak must require that they aggessively 'milk' every significant source of funds available to make up for the inevitable deficits of handling passengers. :-( > [Original Message] > From: > To: > Date: 2/14/03 3:31:19 AM > Subject: [northeastcorridor] Digest Number 439 > > There is 1 message in this issue. > > Topics in this digest: > > 1. Amtrak Embargoes ALL MHC Cars > From: Gene Poon > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > ________________________________________________________________________ > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 21:18:59 -0800 > From: Gene Poon > Subject: Amtrak Embargoes ALL MHC Cars > > Effective 11FEB03, Amtrak imposed a 60mph speed limit on all of its 135 > active Material Handling Cars, both the 1400 and 1500 classes. The cars > already were restricted to 60mph on CSX and Norfolk Southern. > > Obviously the continued operation of these cars in Amtrak trains would > adversely impact schedule reliability. So, Amtrak is withdrawing all of > the 1400 and 1500 class cars from service. The last ones were to > operate on 12FEB03 on Northeast Corridor mail trains, #10 and #13. > > Current plans are to handle mail in Baggage Cars on the Northeast > Corridor, and in Roadrailers and Express Boxcars off the NEC. This > might take a while, since Amtrak has been taking Express Boxcars out of > service and storing them. Until enough Roadrailers, baggage and express > cars can be assigned for mail duty, Mail Trains 10 and 13 will not > operate. The mail lines on the Twilight Shoreliner, Trains 66 and 67, > are also blanked. The mail will be handled by truck instead. > > -Gene Poon > > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ > ________________________________________________________________________ > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000501c2d471$8a684f40$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 16:39:23 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Tucson, AZ City may get $4M for depot project Citizen Staff Report Feb. 14, 2003 Tucson may get $4 million in federal funding this year for the Downtown Intermodal Center, being developed at the site of the old train depot off Toole Avenue. The funding would come from a $397 billion spending bill being advanced by Republican congressional leaders. The downtown center is at the site of the Southern Pacific railroad station. The restoration project is planned to provide a new home for Amtrak, for shuttle and trolley services, a transportation museum, restaurants, shops and office space. More than $24.5 million would come to the state for transportation-related projects, Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz., a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said yesterday. That would include $12 million for a 20-mile Phoenix-area light-rail system. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <410-220032514215939690_@_earthlink.net> Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 16:59:39 -0500 From: "Kenyon Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) FW: Omnibus Bill Heads to President's Desk > [Original Message] > From: NARP > To: NARP > Date: 2/14/03 2:52:13 PM > Subject: Omnibus Bill Heads to President's Desk > > To NARP Members--February 14, 2003: > > Late yesterday, Congress finished work on the Fiscal 2003 omnibus = > appropriations bill and sent it to President Bush, who has indicated he = > will sign it. In case there was any question, my second message = > yesterday meant "no lobbying" on that bill was worth your time, because = > the language had been finalized.=20 > > As I indicated, Amtrak gets $1.05 billion for Amtrak, broken down as = > follows: $522 million for operating expenses; $295 million for Northeast = > Corridor capital expenses; $233 million for general capital = > improvements. Also, Amtrak does not have to repay during fiscal 2003 the = > $100 million loan it got from the federal government last summer. > > The good news is that, with both the House and Senate under Republican = > control, Amtrak was given a funding level that is not a "shutdown = > budget," and that provides a decent "baseline" from which to debate FY04 = > funding. Gunn never called $1.05 billion a shutdown level, although = > Associated Press reported February 4 that he did make such a comment = > about $800 million (in New Haven, speaking to about 50 people in a = > lecture series organized by Yale University's Industrial Environmental = > Management Program). > > The bad news is that the bill continues the tradition of giving Amtrak = > "just enough" to get by. The $1.2 billion was picked by Gunn's = > predecessor, and Gunn has said he would have picked a higher number. The = > bill also includes language that, in theory, could be used by the DOT = > Secretary to kill individual long-distance trains. This language was the = > price for getting the $1.05 billion. However, the Administration did not = > seek this language and seems unlikely to use it to get rid of specific = > routes. (For those with the patience to deal with a huge pdf document, = > the language is on the House Rules Committee web site. In a few days, = > the language should be more easily accessible at = > .) > > Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), quoted in today's Fort Worth = > Star-Telegram, said: "This budget will help ensure that Amtrak continues = > to operate for another year as a national railroad system. We must also = > continue to pursue long-term reform and better service." = > http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/nation/5180737.htm > > For next year--FY 2004--Amtrak's request is $1.8 billion. The increased = > funding level will allow Amtrak to further stabilize the national = > system, repair wrecked and damaged cars and start the massive backlog of = > capital work needed to maintain commercially viable speeds on the = > Northeast Corridor over the next few years. > > Thank you again for your work in helping achieve a reasonably good = > outcome. As always, check our hotline updated Friday afternoons and as = > necessary at .=20 > > --Ross B. Capon > NARP Executive Director ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #597 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000501c2d601$40811d30$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 16:20:38 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Bridgeport, CT Train station, high-speed ferry get U.S. boost By SUSAN SILVERS ssilvers_@_ctpost.com Connecticut Post BRIDGEPORT Two local transportation projects will be staying on track or afloat with the help of a massive congressional spending bill passed Thursday. The bill includes $2.5 million toward replacing the city's train station and $1 million to help develop high-speed ferry service to Stamford and lower New York, according to U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4. "It's very critical we get an appropriation every year," said city Planning and Economic Development Director Michael Freimuth, who has been shepherding the intermodal transportation center. The downtown center, which has been on the drawing boards for years, is designed to meld train, bus, ferry and taxis services. Freimuth said it still is expected to take at least several years to put together funding for the estimated $45 million to complete the facilities. Thus far, the city has acquired more than $30 million in aid, which has gone toward early phases of the center. The funds cover a $19 million parking garage near the Harbor Yard sports complex, with the remainder earmarked primarily to build a new bus terminal. That bus project is now being designed. The new rail station is envisioned as an over-the-track structure, which will eliminate a tunnel under the tracks that some people consider intimidating. But Freimuth noted the construction will be extremely costly, since work will have to be scheduled so as not to interfere with scheduled trains. He said the newly allocated funds may go toward preliminary relocation of utilities and planning, although he cautioned that the new rail station itself is at least several years away. Meanwhile, Port Authority Director Joseph Riccio said the federal money for the ferry project will be used for engineering. He said his agency is in negotiation for property to build a new dock. The ferry service would be operated by NY Fast Ferry, which already operates regular routes between New Jersey and New York. Locally, it is hoped a high-speed ferry could remove as many as 1,500 cars commuting daily from Interstate 95 between here and Stamford, he said. From Stamford, the service would proceed to New York City, and could be an attractive alternative for commuters who don't like the hassle of dealing with a subway after their train ride, Riccio said. "We have been looking for transportation alternatives to I-95 and the Merritt," Shays said. "The Bridgeport high-speed ferry will provide relief to commuters in our area, many of whom won't use Metro-North because of the length of their commute to downtown Manhattan." However, the ferry won't be operating any time soon, either. Riccio said preparations for the service would take at least 18 months, including dredging and other expenses that would cost $6 million overall. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #598 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <007501c2d67a$dd636cb0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 06:51:10 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Salisbury, NC Rowan's railway history boosted Smithsonian to include Salisbury, Spencer in exhibit debuting this fall HOWIE PAUL HARTNETT Staff Writer - The Charlotte Observer Hardly a soul who traveled the Southern Railway during the first part of the 20th century didn't stop in Salisbury or pass through Spencer. The two Rowan County towns were the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport of their day -- serving as the gateway among north, south and all points in between. Despite this storied lineage, few people outside of locals and transportation buffs know the area's history. But that's about to change. The two towns are part of an upcoming exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. "America on the Move" will debut in November as part of a massive overhaul of the museum's displays. The exhibition will cover nearly 26,000 square feet of the museum's first floor, replacing the old Road Transportation, Railroad and Civil Engineering Halls. The new show will have 13 period settings featuring more than 300 objects. Among them are the steam-powered locomotive "Jupiter" built in 1876 for the Santa Cruz Railroad, a section of Route 66 pavement laid in 1932 in Oklahoma, a 1975 California Highway Patrol Kawasaki motorcycle and the "1401" locomotive. Built in 1926, the 200-ton steam behemoth pulled passenger trains at up to 80 mph on the Southern Railway's Charlotte Division, between Salisbury and Greenville, S.C. The 1401 earned acclaim in 1945 when it pulled President Franklin Roosevelt's funeral train on part of its journey to Washington. The Smithsonian has housed the 1401 since 1962 when it was donated by the railway. In fact, the east end of the museum was built around the 90-foot-long engine. Having the 1401 made the choice to highlight Salisbury and Spencer easy for museum historians. The area's history and the 1401's association with it gave the Smithsonian a great opportunity to talk about how the train worked in that era, said Janet Davidson, a project historian. "Making exhibits is a funny process of choice and luck," she said. "(Plus), one of the things we wanted to have was a geographical range of places." Visitors will start the chronological exhibit in Santa Cruz, Calif., in 1876. On their journey to 1999, they will stop in D.C., Wyoming, New York, Maine, Oregon and Illinois among other places. Not all the details of the Salisbury setting are complete yet, but museum officials say it will include a facade of the old train station and a scene from Spencer Shops -- where trains were serviced and repaired. "They're still calling us," said Larry Neal, a manager at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer, where the 1401 was maintained. "We're sending some of our artifacts to them." Mostly, state museum officials sent steam engine shop tools for the Spencer Shops part. Inside the station, visitors will see photographs of the area in the 1920s and '30s and learn how important rail was to everyday living. "We talk about how you would get a package at the train station," Davidson said. "For many people in this country it's astounding to think that people used to travel by rail." Also in the station visitors will hear what it was like to ride the rails from two different perspectives -- that of a textile salesman and a black woman. A mannequin of early 20th century educator Charlotte Hawkins Brown will tell visitors of the time she was thrown off a train by young white men. "What that allows us to do is not have to editorialize on Jim Crow (segregation) laws," curator of transportation Bill Withuhn said. "We just let her tell her story herself." A voice for Brown hasn't been cast yet, but everything will be in place when the exhibition opens its doors Nov. 19. The opening will culminate three years of work on the exhibit and a 20-year campaign by Withuhn to update the transportation wing. The $22 million exhibition is expected to have a 20-year life. That's a lot of publicity that local officials hope will translate into tourism. "It really is exciting to our city and county," Salisbury Mayor Susan Kluttz said. "The railroad has been such an important part of the city." The timing of the exhibit couldn't be better, Kluttz said. The city is in the midst of redeveloping its downtown to capitalize on the city's history and tourism. So far, the area around the train depot has seen nearly $20 million in redevelopment. Officials hope the Smithsonian exhibit, hopefully, will keep up that momentum, Kluttz said. "We really see tourism as being something that will be a boost to our economy," she said. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <00a301c2d6b6$d9639810$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 14:00:33 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) B&O Railroad Museum - Baltimore, MD Structures Collapse Under the Weight of the Snow WJZ-TV - Baltimore The falling powder may seem light and fluffy, but it's heavy enough to cause some serious damage. Almost an entire side of the B&O Railroad Museum's roof caved in on itself under the weight of the snow. There's no word yet on if, or how long the museum will be closed, but it's certain to cost a pretty penny in repairs. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <001801c2d6c2$d62d7ce0$ac7ef2d0_@_lner4472> Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 15:26:15 -0500 From: "Alexander D. Mitchell IV" Subject: (rshsdepot) Collapse of Roundhouse Roof at the B&O Museum Thew heavy snow blanketing the Northeast this weekend (record snowfall, or near-so, with scattered sleet still falling) has caused the partial collapse of the roof of the roundhouse of the B&O Railroad Museum in downtown Baltimore this morning, causing major damage to the building and contents. On-the-scene report and photos, with continuing updates, at: http://64.226.170.141/cgi-bin/Interchange.pl?read=3D21293 Alexander D. Mitchell IV ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <00a301c2d6b6$d9639810$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 15:35:02 -0500 (EST) From: "J. Henry Priebe Jr." Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) B&O Railroad Museum - Baltimore, MD Here's some early photos of the damage: http://www.csxfan.railfan.net/B&Odamage.htm Henry On Mon, 17 Feb 2003, Bernie Wagenblast wrote: > Structures Collapse Under the Weight of the Snow > WJZ-TV - Baltimore > > The falling powder may seem light and fluffy, but it's heavy enough to > cause some serious damage. > > Almost an entire side of the B&O Railroad Museum's roof caved in on > itself under the weight of the snow. There's no word yet on if, or how long > the museum will be closed, but it's certain to cost a pretty penny in > repairs. > > > > ================================= > 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 ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #599 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <004401c2d819$6818c130$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 08:18:34 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Venice, FL Depot restoration on track By MICHAEL WERNER michael.werner_@_heraldtribune.com Sarasota Herald-Tribune VENICE -- One thing still runs on schedule at the historic Venice Train Depot: Restoration work is progressing according to plan, despite rain delays. The work, which began in October, is about 35 percent complete, said Dick Warblow, director of operations for Howell Construction Group Inc. Crews have erected a new decorative tower, added new bathrooms, and replaced rotted and weather-damaged wood in the floor and roof. The past few months' heavy rains delayed roof restoration, said Don Nevis, a Sarasota County construction project administrator. Despite the slowdown, work is on schedule and on budget. It should be finished by Sept. 26, as scheduled. Crews still must pave an entry and exit for the buses, build retention ponds, add clay tiles to the roof, landscape the exterior and paint the walls before then. "A tremendous amount of work is still to be done," Nevis said. When finished, Sarasota County Area Transit intends to use the depot as its South County bus transfer station. Five bus routes will operate from the depot's 3.25-acre site: two will travel to North Port, one will serve Englewood and another will serve Sarasota. The SCAT-About -- Venice's on-demand bus service -- also will use the depot as its hub. During its colorful past, the Venice Depot served as a destination for railway workers, cadets going to the Kentucky Military Institute campus in town, fighter pilots training at the local Army Air Base and hordes of circus performers and animals. Passenger service stopped in 1971 and the depot fell into disrepair; grass grew over the tracks and graffiti grew on the walls. In 1999, the county used city, state and federal grants to buy the land and depot for $327,000. The $2.3 million project is Howell's first with the county. The company has performed similar restorations at the Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach and Wyndham Casa Marina Resort in Key West. "It's going just the way they expected it to go," Warblow said. "But it's always more difficult to reconstruct anything that was previously built than to build anything from scratch." ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <20030219110735.K66816-100000_@_net.bluemoon.net> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 11:10:22 -0500 (EST) From: Will Semanchuk-Enser Subject: (rshsdepot) (totalcsx) Johnson City TN (fwd) Will Semanchuk-Enser Blue Moon Internet Corp General Manager www.bluemoon.net Internet Access & Web Hosting www.railfan.net Railfan Network Services - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 11:03:10 -0500 From: Clayton Notgrass Subject: (totalcsx) Another old fixture http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/ArticleDetail.asp?Cat=LOCALNEWS&ID=20190 Article on the former Clinchfield station in Johnson City. Not sure how long this link will last. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <2920-22003231920444518_@_M2W075.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 15:04:44 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Salisbury and Spencer, NC From the Charlotte Observer=2E=2E=2E Rowan's railway history boosted Smithsonian to include Salisbury, Spencer in exhibit debuting this fall HOWIE PAUL HARTNETT Staff Writer Hardly a soul who traveled the Southern Railway during the first part of the 20th century didn't stop in Salisbury or pass through Spencer=2E The two Rowan County towns were the Charlotte/Douglas International Airpor= t of their day -- serving as the gateway among north, south and all points i= n between=2E Despite this storied lineage, few people outside of locals and transportation buffs know the area's history=2E But that's about to change=2E The two towns are part of an upcoming exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D=2EC=2E "America on th= e Move" will debut in November as part of a massive overhaul of the museum's= displays=2E The exhibition will cover nearly 26,000 square feet of the museum's first floor, replacing the old Road Transportation, Railroad and Civil Engineering Halls=2E The new show will have 13 period settings featuring m= ore than 300 objects=2E Among them are the steam-powered locomotive "Jupiter" built in 1876 for th= e Santa Cruz Railroad, a section of Route 66 pavement laid in 1932 in Oklahoma, a 1975 California Highway Patrol Kawasaki motorcycle and the "1401" locomotive=2E Built in 1926, the 200-ton steam behemoth pulled passenger trains at up to= 80 mph on the Southern Railway's Charlotte Division, between Salisbury and= Greenville, S=2EC=2E The 1401 earned acclaim in 1945 when it pulled Presid= ent Franklin Roosevelt's funeral train on part of its journey to Washington=2E= The Smithsonian has housed the 1401 since 1962 when it was donated by the railway=2E In fact, the east end of the museum was built around the 90-foot-long engine=2E Having the 1401 made the choice to highlight Salisbury and Spencer easy fo= r museum historians=2E The area's history and the 1401's association with it= gave the Smithsonian a great opportunity to talk about how the train worke= d in that era, said Janet Davidson, a project historian=2E "Making exhibits is a funny process of choice and luck," she said=2E "(Plu= s), one of the things we wanted to have was a geographical range of places=2E"= Visitors will start the chronological exhibit in Santa Cruz, Calif=2E, in 1876=2E On their journey to 1999, they will stop in D=2EC=2E, Wyoming, New= York, Maine, Oregon and Illinois among other places=2E Not all the details of the Salisbury setting are complete yet, but museum officials say it will include a facade of the old train station and a scen= e from Spencer Shops -- where trains were serviced and repaired=2E "They're still calling us," said Larry Neal, a manager at the N=2EC=2E Transportation Museum in Spencer, where the 1401 was maintained=2E "We're sending some of our artifacts to them=2E" Mostly, state museum officials sent steam engine shop tools for the Spence= r Shops part=2E Inside the station, visitors will see photographs of the area in the 1920s= and '30s and learn how important rail was to everyday living=2E "We talk about how you would get a package at the train station," Davidson= said=2E "For many people in this country it's astounding to think that peo= ple used to travel by rail=2E" Also in the station visitors will hear what it was like to ride the rails from two different perspectives -- that of a textile salesman and a black woman=2E A mannequin of early 20th century educator Charlotte Hawkins Brown will tell visitors of the time she was thrown off a train by young white men=2E= "What that allows us to do is not have to editorialize on Jim Crow (segregation) laws," curator of transportation Bill Withuhn said=2E "We ju= st let her tell her story herself=2E" A voice for Brown hasn't been cast yet, but everything will be in place when the exhibition opens its doors Nov=2E 19=2E The opening will culminate three years of work on the exhibit and a 20-yea= r campaign by Withuhn to update the transportation wing=2E The $22 million exhibition is expected to have a 20-year life=2E That's a = lot of publicity that local officials hope will translate into tourism=2E "It really is exciting to our city and county," Salisbury Mayor Susan Kluttz said=2E "The railroad has been such an important part of the city=2E= " The timing of the exhibit couldn't be better, Kluttz said=2E The city is i= n the midst of redeveloping its downtown to capitalize on the city's history= and tourism=2E So far, the area around the train depot has seen nearly $20= million in redevelopment=2E Officials hope the Smithsonian exhibit, hopefully, will keep up that momentum, Kluttz said=2E "We really see tourism as being something that will be a boost to our economy," she said=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: <168270-22003231920648403_@_M2W065.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 15:06:48 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Raleigh, NC From the Raleigh News and Observer=2E=2E=2E Monday, February 17, 2003 5:17AM EST On track for a new project=20 By STEVE CANNON, Staff Writer The wheels are starting to turn at the N=2EC=2E Railroad's renovation of t= he old Southern Railway depot building in downtown Raleigh=2E=20 Last week, workers began re-laying the stone pavers in the parking lot of the 83-year-old depot, which the railroad wants to turn into a southern anchor for the warehouse district, with space for restaurants, shops and offices=2E The project has no signed tenants, but construction crews are expected to start renovating the 17,000-square-foot building on Davie Street between Dawson and Harrington streets in a few weeks=2E Although the project has been slow to attract tenants, the warehouse district on the west side of downtown has added several businesses, including 40,000 square feet of renovated office space, a wine bar and a sushi restaurant=2E Work on the depot was delayed while the railroad chose a developer to manage the project and usher it through the city approval process=2E Gregg= Sandreuter, whose company, Hamilton Merritt, was the lead developer for Powerhouse Square on West Street in 1999, is in charge of the depot's renovation=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: <16690-22003231920124661_@_M2W051.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 15:01:24 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Bremen, IN From the South Bend Tribune=2E=2E=2E February 19, 2003=20 Depot restoration getting on track By JOSHUA STOWE Tribune Staff Writer =20 BREMEN -- R=2ET=2E Henke wants to move Bremen's Baltimore & Ohio Railroad = Depot - -- all 350 tons of it -- and his wish could come true as early as next summer=2E Henke is a member of Historic Bremen Inc=2E, a not-for-profit group dedica= ted to preserving and celebrating Bremen's history=2E The group has applied fo= r an Indiana Department of Transportation grant for more than $468,000 to move the depot from its North Center Street location to a 3 1/2-acre, town-owned plot next to Indiana 106=2E "The idea is to make it look like it did in 1930," said Henke, who in December completed the grant application on behalf of Historic Bremen Inc=2E= "It is solid brick, 12-inch-thick walls=2E It is in good condition for a building that has sat idle=2E" If Historic Bremen Inc=2E gets the grant, InDOT will pay 80 percent of the= costs, or $375,162=2E In return, the group must pay the remaining 20 perce= nt, or $93,790=2E Henke said his group won't find out whether it gets the gran= t until late summer or early fall=2E Having worked closely with InDOT on the application, he's confident the moving and restoration project will succeed=2E "We do know this is the kind of project these grants are given for," he said, adding that CSX, the company that owns the depot, has also been helpful=2E "The railroad has indicated they will give us the train depot i= f we move it, so that's a very positive thing=2E" In addition to moving the depot, Historic Bremen Inc=2E plans to build a depot museum on the lot alongside Indiana 106=2E Town Manager Duwaine Elli= ott said Bremen will offer the organization a long-term lease on the lot if th= e grant goes through=2E "They've done an excellent job so far in getting organized and starting out," said Elliott, noting how the museum and depot would give Bremen an aesthetically pleasing gateway=2E "I think it would be an exciting area to= put it in=2E I think it would be a plus for Bremen=2E" If Historic Bremen Inc=2E does get the grant, it could move the depot duri= ng the summer of 2004 and could finish renovation work within another six months=2E Right now, group members are starting to plan how to raise money to help match the InDOT grant=2E Henke said the state will count the property valu= e of the town-owned plot toward the $93,790 that the group must raise=2E The= state has appraised the property at $42,000=2E Historic Bremen Inc=2E is hoping to raise the rest of the money through fund-raising, donations, and five bridge loans of $10,000 each=2E Henke said the group would like to get the loans from local people at the interest rate of a two-year certificate of deposit=2E The group has gotten= one such loan so far, but it needs four more=2E "It would be easy for people to instead of buying a CD give a loan to Historic Bremen Inc=2E," he said=2E "Really what it is now is just a promi= se to give the loan=2E The loans won't happen for about a year=2E The money is n= eeded when the contract is signed to do the work=2E" Henke sees the depot preservation project as the first several that Historic Bremen Inc=2E could undertake=2E "I think that the organization will be working on preserving other projects," he said=2E "That's part of our mission=2E" Henke and his wife, Ginny Henke, have been regular members of Historic Bremen Inc=2E since the group started in 2001=2E The couple moved to Breme= n from Schenectady, N=2EY=2E, three years ago=2E "Both my wife and I have been involved in the community and in community projects and so forth," Henke said=2E "I do this really out of a drive to = see it happen=2E I've written a lot of grants before, so this is not something= foreign to me=2E" Elliott said he's been pleased by the civic involvement the organization fosters=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: <191690-22003231920213916_@_M2W074.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 15:21:03 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Waukesha, WI and Waukesha County Depots 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-02-19-03 WilliamsSt.jpg (image/jpeg, 18092 bytes) WilliamsSt2.jpg (image/jpeg, 16886 bytes) Caption: WilliamsSt - Formally known as the Williams Street Station, this former depot will open it=92s doors as L'Estacion Mexican restaurant on Tuesday Caption WilliamSt2 - Sitting in "Whiterock" dinning car, Marco "Tony" Marquez, owner of Jalisco=92s on Whiterock Avenue and El Jardin in Janesville, will open L'Estacion at the site of the former Williams Street station on Tuesday This article, from the Milwaukee Freeman Newspapers, the last part lists the 13 remaining depots in Waukesha County Effort to preserve train depots has plenty of steam in Waukesha County By KATHY MANGOLD - GM Today Staff February 15, 2003 WAUKESHA - In a newspaper article dating back 30 years, a writer advised anyone interested in Waukesha County=92s train depots to "make their last inspections soon=2E" "The next visitors will be archaeologists," he predicted At that time, the prognosis was bleak for the structures that had outlaste d the railroads=2E In the 1960s and =9170s, railroads consolidated, cut back passenger service and discontinued many lines The depots, once the hub of a community=92s comings and goings, stood sile nt Railroad companies, unable to maintain the structures, allowed the buildings to deteriorate=2E Many were torn down; the rest, "vacant and in various stages of decay and disrepair, wait with shame to die unmourned," according to a 1977 photo essay Things have come a long way The county boasts 13 stations still in existence - and for the most part, still in use=2E Some are occupied by businesses, others have been converte d into homes=2E Most of them have been turned into restaurants or museums "Quite a few depots have survived in the southeastern Wisconsin region," said Rob McGonigal, editor of Classic Trains magazine, published in the town of Brookfield by Kalmbach Publishing All around the United States, depots have become popular sites for restaurants, he said=2E "The size is right and you=92ve got a ready-made t heme=2E" The Main Street Depot in Oconomowoc is a classic example of a handsome old depot that=92s found a new life=2E After the Milwaukee Road pulled its passenger service in the mid-1970s, it was vacant for years, then used as a taxi service and youth center, among other things Today the depot is a popular restaurant and on the National Register of Historic Places Better yet, there=92s an active line that passes right by the restaurant - an extra thrill for train buffs, McGonigal said "Once the trains are gone, the depots lose their meaning," he said Small-town train depots have been bright spots for historic preservationists for two reasons, McGonigal said=2E First, they are modest in size and fairly easy to resurrect and renovate=2E "A handful of dedicated people in a community can save a depot," he said Second, the buildings are loaded with meaning, even if the trains are long gone "Depots were right up there with churches and schools as a central buildin g in a community=92s life," he said=2E "We=92ve still got that cultural memo ry=2E" That strong link to the past is fueling an effort in Brookfield to restore its train depot - even though the station is still technically in use The Elmbrook Historical Society has asked the station=92s current owners, Canadian Pacific, if the society could coordinate an effort to repaint the depot "They were happy we were going to do it," said Marion Bruhn, president and curator of the society=2E "They said they didn=92t have the resources to d o it=2E" Bruhn said a community organization has volunteered to do the project; the painting will start in spring "It=92s going to be lovely when it=92s painted," she said It=92s no secret that the society wants the exterior to look good; eventua lly they would like to see the entire station restored if and when the train line vacates the building "As it stands right now it=92s missing a cupola," said Donna Gager, a memb er of the Elmbrook Historical Society=2E "We=92d hope to replace it=2E" She is determined that the station be another example of Waukesha County stations brought back to life "It=92s still a charming building and has a lot going for it," she said =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Mexican restaurant opens Tuesday in Waukesha depot WAUKESHA - One look will tell you: This isn=92t your great-grandfather=92s train station anymore The Waukesha train depot on Williams Street may indeed be a historic landmark, but that hasn=92t stopped its new owner, Marco "Tony" Marquez, f rom giving the depot-turned-restaurant a playful face lift Marquez will be relocating his restaurant, Jalisco=92s, from its Whiterock Avenue location to the depot=2E He is renaming it "La Estaci=97n," incorporating both its history as a train station and its future as a Mexican restaurant=2E The new restaurant will open Tuesday "It=92s taken a completely different direction," he said The newly painted exterior, trimmed in turquoise, red and orange, gives some hint of what=92s within=2E The walls and woodwork inside are brightly trimmed; books of South American art and by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sit on a counter cluttered with blueprints and plans=2E Marquez said the vibra nt color schemes chosen for the restaurant were inspired by such art The former owners of The Waukesha Depot restaurant left photographs and artwork of the depot; Marquez plans to incorporate some of them into the decorating scheme The large train station clock still hangs above the bar and little has bee n done structurally, but Marquez said that otherwise the renovation has been extensive=2E Polished marble floors replace two layers of carpeting=2E The kitchen and the two boxcars used for dining have been completely gutted an d refurbished=2E There will be all-new furniture throughout the facility Marquez has owned Jalisco=92s for 10 years and has spent the past few year s looking for new and larger quarters "I never thought about buying this place," he said=2E His real estate agen t proposed the idea and called the owners=2E Within a few days, the deal was sealed "I was inspired to do something great," he said=2E "This here is beautiful =2E" The station was built before the turn of the century, during Waukesha=92s heyday as a resort destination=2E The city was well-situated for that purpose, said Sue Baker, director of the Waukesha County Historical Society=2E Passengers from as far away as New Orleans could make the trip to the city and its natural springs without ever having to transfer trains The Williams Street station was one of three stations in the city=2E It=92 s where Chicago & North Western=92s route "The 400" would stop; it got its n ame because that=92s how many minutes it took to get from Chicago to Minneapol is While earlier restaurants at this site opted for a traditional decor that replicated the era of the Iron Horse, Marquez said that isn=92t the atmosphere he is setting out to create In addition to the eye-popping trim, the walls are covered with faux marbling by Milwaukee-based artist Juan Flores that is more than it seems: Look closely and you=92ll see they=92re really outlines of human figures "This will be a festive place, one that people will want to come back to " It might seem ambitious to go from the intimate setting of the current Jalisco=92s to a restaurant capable of serving 250 patrons at once=2E Yet the 31-year-old Marquez does not seem fazed=2E He also owns another large restaurant, El Jard=92n, in Janesville=2E The capacity at that restaurant is 200 La Estaci=97n will serve many of the same dishes as Jalisco=92s, but will include more upscale entrees, seafood and homemade desserts=2E The wine li st will include varieties from Chile, Argentina, Spain, South Africa and Mexico=2E There also will be margaritas on the menu - which were noticeabl y absent at Jalisco=92s, only licensed to serve beer "Once we=92re open people will see all the work we=92ve put into it," said Marquez, who has spent six months in renovation "It=92s amazingly beautiful=2E" =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D Train stations still offer sentimental journeys WAUKESHA - It was the place where journeys would start, travels would end or maybe it was just a stop along the way Train stations were romantic and rugged all at once, where goodbye kisses hung in the air thick as coal smoke=2E No wonder we continue to be fascina ted by all that a train depot represents Here in Waukesha County, an estimated 13 depots remain from the railroad era, a reminder of the former shape of our communities, when railroads hauled our goods to market and deposited tourists at our doorstep Here is a listing of the depots, according to information compiled from th e Waukesha County Historical Society, local historical groups and train enthusiast Chuck Porter of Oconomowoc Waukesha: Two depots still stand in downtown Waukesha; the Williams Street Station has been a restaurant in recent years and will reopen Tuesday as L a Estaci=97n, a Mexican restaurant=2E Another station on Pleasant Street, be hind the post office, is owned by Canadian National but is up for sale "From a historical standpoint, I hope someone buys it and does something neat with it," said Sue Baker, director of the Waukesha County Historical Society Although a third station that was on Madison Street has been torn down, historians marvel at that old depot because of its structure: Trains actually passed through the building=2E It was torn down to make room for Waukesha State Bank parking Oconomowoc: The Main Street Depot restaurant on Collins Street was built i n 1896 by the Milwaukee Road=2E Last year, owners Peggy and Paul Bielik purchased a Victorian-era car that will be converted into a small banquet facility Another former station, this one built for the Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Co=2E, is now a residence Menomonee Falls: Once used to haul freight to and from the city=92s sugar beet factory, the Milwaukee Road depot was moved in 1973 to Old Falls Village and now serves as the facility=92s welcome center and general stor e Brookfield: The depot built in 1867 is now owned by Canadian Pacific and i s primarily used for storage=2E The Elmbrook Historical Society is coordinat ing an effort to repaint the building, which has fallen into disrepair Sussex: At one time, there were four train stations in this community - in part because of the Mammoth Springs Canning Co=2E The only survivor, a Chicago & North Western line, was moved to downtown in the late 1970s and has been an ice cream parlor, gift shop and other uses=2E The village purchased it recently and is turning it into a museum to showcase the history of Sussex, Lisbon and Lannon Genesee Depot: The former Milwaukee Road depot now houses a restaurant called the Genesee Cafe Butler: Although it didn=92t have a full-fledged depot, this community was the site of a Chicago Northwest passenger shelter Hartland: A group of model railroaders is considering acquiring a freight house, Porter said North Prairie: The depot on Main Street is now a restaurant=2E A business occupies the freight depot next door Nashotah: The onetime Milwaukee Road depot houses a cabinet-making facility, Porter said=2E This bungalow-style facility is something of a rarity because the architecture was popular for homes but rarely adapted for train stations, said Rob McGonigal, editor of Classic Trains magazine in the town of Brookfield Okauchee: Little is known about this former Milwaukee Road depot, which is now said to be a private residence - - Kathy Mangold - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web=2Ecom/ ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <410-2200324203756890_@_earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 22:07:56 -0500 From: "Kenyon Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) FWD: New England RRs clinic document VRSandRutland List - Digest Number 488 Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 03:00:22 -0000 From: "mikemcnh " Subject: New England RRs clinic document I have updated my handout that I use for a slide presentation about Northern New England RRs. I am giving the clinic again at an NMRA Meet this weekend. For those that are interested, I have posted the handout in 5 parts to my Yahoo files group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mikefiles/files/ There are 5 PDF files totaling 44 pages. It covers the railroads of VT, NH and ME circa 1980. The document is intended for those that know little about the railroads up north, but I hope that a knowledgeable group such as this will still find it interesting. Enjoy! Mike McNamara Delran, NJ (24" deep in the snow!) ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <39237533.1045697657_@_user-152-16-70-212.adsl.duke.edu> References: <168270-22003231920648403_@_M2W065.mail2web.com> In-Reply-To: <168270-22003231920648403_@_M2W065.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 23:34:17 -0500 From: "Mark A. Thomas" Subject: Re: (rshsdepot) Raleigh, NC I somehow missed this in my paper (already recycled), but they have to be talking about the *freight* station across the tracks from the 1940's Southern Passenger depot now used by Amtrak. The age sounds right. The nearby Union passenger station dates from the 1890s and is already restored and being used for offices. --Mark Thomas - --On Wednesday, February 19, 2003 3:06 PM -0500 "jdent1_@_optonline.net" wrote: > From the Raleigh News and Observer... > > Monday, February 17, 2003 5:17AM EST > > The wheels are starting to turn at the N.C. Railroad's renovation > of the old Southern Railway depot building in downtown Raleigh. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <006b01c2d8b2$118d33c0$3504fea9_@_dsrthinkpad> In-Reply-To: <410-2200324203756890_@_earthlink.net> Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 02:31:17 -0500 From: "David S. Rose" Subject: RE: (rshsdepot) FWD: New England RRs clinic document Mike, Thanks for the pointer. That is a very interesting presentation! It's of special interest to me because I'm the custodian of a 1918 Bangor & Aroostock wooden caboose that was still in service on the B&ARR in 1980, believe it or not! It was retired from service a few years later, and now, after restoration, lives anew with a gaggle of other New England cabooses on live rail in New Hampshire, on trackage formerly owned by the Goodwin (now used by two tourist lines, the Hobo and the Winepesaukee railroads.) I have taken the liberty of adding a folder to your Yahoo group into which I've put a few photos of the caboose. So if you ever see a model of an antique wooden caboose, go ahead and stick it on your road; it may well have been in operation during your timeframe! - -David - -----Original Message----- Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 03:00:22 -0000 From: "mikemcnh " Subject: New England RRs clinic document I have updated my handout that I use for a slide presentation about Northern New England RRs. I am giving the clinic again at an NMRA Meet this weekend. For those that are interested, I have posted the handout in 5 parts to my Yahoo files group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mikefiles/files/ There are 5 PDF files totaling 44 pages. It covers the railroads of VT, NH and ME circa 1980. The document is intended for those that know little about the railroads up north, but I hope that a knowledgeable group such as this will still find it interesting. Enjoy! Mike McNamara Delran, NJ (24" deep in the snow!) ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #600 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <003301c2d8de$a196d030$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 07:50:22 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Brewster, NY Brewster train station building to close By MICHAEL RISINIT THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: February 20, 2003) Riders at Metro-North's Brewster train station could find the station building closed as early as tomorrow while renovations transform the interior into Carried Away, a takeout eatery. The work is expected to take about six weeks. When it is finished, riders will find snacks, sandwiches, salads, and a selection of hot meals seven days a week. In the meantime, ticket sales and waiting seats for commuters will be shifted to a trailer just south of the building. "When we're done it's still going to be a waiting area," said Carried Away's co-owner Tom Opdyke, a Southeast resident and Main Street businessman. "You're still going to be able to get tickets and eat breakfast, lunch and dinner." Opdyke, who owned and operated the Bagel Depot across from the Main Street station for about four years, is working with Christine Traystman, a New Fairfield, Conn., resident who will do most of the meal preparation. Refurbishing the 3,100-square-foot Tudor-style structure, which was built in 1931, will cost about $200,000, Opdyke said. The work includes painting, relocating the ticket seller's booth to the opposite side of the waiting area, and cleaning the exterior's brickwork. A kitchen, counter space and drink coolers will be installed in the ticket seller's former space. An outdoor dining area will be built behind the station, between the building and the tracks. Opdyke and Traystman signed a 20-year lease for the property and tomorrow is the projected start date for the work, Metro-North spokeswoman Patricia Raley said yesterday. Snow cleanup and some minor paperwork could delay that by a day or two, she said. In addition to the Brewster station's transformation, the railroad is seeking tenants to open businesses in other stations, including Hastings-on-Hudson, Port Chester, Pelham, Tarrytown and Tuckahoe. There has been some interest in those locations, Raley said. New businesses would rehabilitate faded stations and keep station buildings open longer. Metro-North first introduced eateries at the Peekskill station in 1994 and the Mount Kisco and Hartsdale stations in 2000. The Brewster station serves about 1,000 commuters each weekday. Final details concerning a parking improvement project - 55 spaces, lighting and sidewalks - announced in 2000 by state Sen. Vincent Leibell III, R-Patterson, are being worked out, officials said. Once the station is closed, the new ticket trailer will be open for sales from 5:55 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., the same hours as in the station building. Carried Away will be opened from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <00e701c2d923$33499be0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 16:01:12 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Leesburg, GA Lee depot idea not easy work An old train depot is eyed as a launching pad for the renovation of downtown Leesburg. VALERIE BENTON STAFF WRITER - THE ALBANY HERALD LEESBURG - Lee County officials are trying to get back on track plans to renovate downtown Leesburg, starting with a historic train depot. Lee County Commissioners Lewis Harris and Jackie Sizemore asked Tax Assessor Lee Stanley on Wednesday to apply to have the old train depot on U.S. Highway 19 across from Leesburg City Hall placed on the National Historic Register. "It means a lot to us," Sizemore said. "It's an old building." Harris and Sizemore hope to win the historic designation for the 3,000-square-foot structure, then pursue county funding to restore it. They say they believe the train depot, built in 1896, can capitalize on increased traffic when U.S. Highway 19 North is four-laned. That project wouldn't happen until at least 2005. The commissioners said they would like to see the renovated depot called Wooten's Station, after the village founded in 1857 that became Leesburg 17 years later. Wooten's Station was a stopover for the Southwestern Railroad and a drop location for mail and other products. Along with Leesburg Mayor Bob Boney, Harris, Sizemore and Stanley say they think the proposed highway - and a fixed up train depot - can ignite commercial growth in the downtown area. But they acknowledge there are obstacles. First, the highway project is stalled while Georgia Department of Transportation officials seek money to build it. Meg Pirkle, DOT assistant pre-construction director, said funding is the main holdup for the project, which is scheduled for right-of-way acquisition in 2004. An environmental study on the project is continuing, she said, and should wind up this year. Second, the train depot project has failed in the past to get off the ground. In 2001, Leesburg applied for a $500,000 grant from the former Gov. Roy Barnes' office but was denied. Harris and Sizemore say they believe the project can succeed as a county effort. Once the historic designation is awarded, the county could complete an environmental study and architectural drawing, the commissioners said. Then funding, whether through grants or the county's general fund, could be sought. Renovation plans for the depot include a 1,500-square-foot meeting room, museum, kitchen, bathrooms and deck. Harris, who represents Leesburg, said he hopes renovating the depot will be the first step in turning around downtown Leesburg. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #601 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000e01c2d99c$8ee9fca0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 06:29:55 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Barstow, CA Harvey House options explored By KELLY DONOVAN/Staff Writer - The Desert Dispatch BARSTOW -- A Barstow city councilman suggested Tuesday that the city's staff and police department should consider moving to the Harvey House to save money. Councilman Lance Milanez brought up the subject at Tuesday's council meeting, although it was not on the agenda. He said he'd like staff to study whether this is feasible, and other council members agreed. "I would like staff to do that ... just so we know what our alternatives are," Milanez said. He also said the city should explore the possibility of selling or leasing the Harvey House to another organization. The city had been hoping to lease space in the historic train station to the National Park Service, but the federal government rejected the city's bid. Although the city is protesting the federal government's decision, council members agreed to start exploring other options for the Harvey House. "We spent close to a $1 million putting improvements into the Harvey House for offices at one time," Milanez said. "It's my understanding that the majority of that building is ready to occupy." Before determining if such an arrangement is viable, the councilman said the council needs to know how much it would cost to move the entire city and police department staff to the Harvey House. Milanez also said the council needs to get an estimate on how much money the sale or lease of Barstow City Hall on Mountain View Street could generate. "We do need (staff) to do some preliminary background," he said. "Without the estimates we'd just be guessing again." In the 1990s, the council considered moving city offices to the Harvey House, but the move never happened. Councilwoman Helen Runyon opposed the arrangement then, and she said Tuesday that she's still against it. Councilman Paul Luellig agreed that the city needs to explore the possibility of moving city offices to the Harvey House. He also said city staff members worked hard to prepare the bid for National Park Service office space, and said he's disappointed the government rejected it. According to city correspondence, the basis of the rejection was the government's security concerns about the Harvey House -- primarily because of its proximity to train tracks. After thanking staff for their work on the bid, Luellig said he thinks it's unfortunate to see the Harvey House not being fully used, considering the millions of federal dollars that funded its restoration. He urged residents to write their members of Congress to protest what he said was an unfair decision. "The bottom line is ... it's that NPS didn't want to go down there, and they finally found an out," he said. " I think we need to tell our elected representatives it was an unfair out." The head of the National Park Service's local office disputed Luellig's statement that "NPS didn't want to go down there." "That's absolutely not true that the Park Service didn't want to go there," said Mary Martin, superintendent of the Mojave National Preserve. "It's not the Park Service that makes the decision on security. We didn't judge the bid." She said a separate agency, the Federal Protective Service, considered the building unsafe, and the federal General Services Administration rejected it on that basis. Also, Martin said her agency modified its requirements for office space so the Harvey House could be included in the bid proposals. Kelly Donovan can be reached at kelly_donovan_@_link.freedom.com or 256-4122. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000501c2d99a$8376d7f0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 06:15:17 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Union Station - Denver, CO On the wrong track Editorial The Denver Post February 20, 2003 The Union Station development project is fresh proof, if any is needed, that timing is important. The project, which anticipates that Denver's historic Union Station will become a multimodal transit hub and a key factor in the future development of the Platte Valley, is experiencing cost overruns. That might not be a big deal in boom times when the participating city and state agencies are flush with cash. But it is a problem now, at a time when the state's faltering economy has sent state and local revenues into a nose dive. The contract to draw up a master redevelopment plan was originally pegged at just under $ 4 million, but now the group of consultants says it will cost $ 5.56 million. This concerns us for a couple of reasons. The first is that the project involves a lot of different interests - and history teaches that when everyone is responsible, no one is really responsible. The second is that $ 5.56 million is a lot to spend on a plan or a concept, especially when future construction funds may or may not be available. RTD's share of this construction project, we note, will depend upon voter approval of an almost $ 5 billion transit proposal. This region has plenty of past experience with elaborate plans that had to be later revised because unexpected events intervened. RTD insists it knew the increased costs were coming and claims that the other affected state agencies did so as well. Maybe so, but a cost increase of nearly 40 percent in the early stages of a development project is, at the minimum, a warning sign of potential problems to come. For our part, we'd feel a lot better if we knew the various agencies affected had a clear financial-management plan in place to ensure that taxpayers wouldn't have any more nasty surprises in the months ahead. On the record so far, such controls are clearly lacking. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <009101c2d9ef$29fd6a40$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 16:21:13 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Berkeley, CA Renovations Get on Track For Berkeley Amtrak Station By EMMA SCHWARTZ Daily Cal Staff Writer Friday, February 21, 2003 The Berkeley City Council approved renovations to the desolate West Berkeley Amtrak stop Tuesday, setting aside plans for a full-service train station indefinitely. The upgrade will add a platform and better lighting to the dim outdoor waiting stop under the I-80 freeway overpass. State and federal grants, and the city's Redevelopment Agency will fund the $1.7 million project. "It's something that is long overdue," said Councilmember Miriam Hawley. "It feels neglected, and you wonder if it is really a train station." Renovations will bring the station in compliance with federal disability guidelines. It is not possible for disabled patrons to use the station now, said Councilmember Dona Spring. Construction is set to begin by September, although a few agreements with Caltrans and Union Pacific need final approval. City officials said they hope the upgrade will attract more visitors from as far as Sacramento and San Jose to Berkeley's upscale Fourth Street shopping district. City officials said the station is one of the most run-down in California. The stop is one of only a few along the Capital Corridor train line that do not have an indoor waiting station. About 200 people use the stop daily, but riders cannot purchase tickets in advance. Amtrak plans to install an electronic timetable there this summer. Passengers at Berkeley's only train stop complain they feel unsafe. People vandalize the stop on a regular basis, said Mike Albanese, project manager for Amtrak. "I wish they'd have a real station where you can buy tickets," said UC Davis English professor John Boe, who uses Amtrak four times a week. "I'm all for renovation, but Berkeley has the worst train station on the line." Although the stop sits next to the closed-down Southern Pacific Railroad building, the city is still looking for approximately $2 to $3 million to purchase the building and adjacent restaurant. Last year, the City Council and former Mayor Shirley Dean made a push to purchase the old building. With this year's city budget crisis, finding the funds will be difficult, said Iris Starr, city redevelopment coordinator. Amtrak officials will not service a station because there are not enough riders to merit the investment, Starr said. City officials said they will continue negotiations with the old station's owner. "The train project is a real push while we still have capital money to do it," Starr said. City officials may set up some businesses inside the building to cover the costs. The plan went through a long hearing and environmental review because the project is near an Ohlone Indian archeological site. As a compromise, builders will only dig two feet underground, supervised by an archeologist. Despite the piecemeal renovations, city officials have grand plans for the area. The West Berkeley Project Area Commission plans to build a promenade connecting Fourth Street and the pedestrian overpass to the Marina through the West Berkeley Amtrak stop. "It will be difficult to make an area under a freeway a pleasant place," said John McBride, who sits on the commission. Emma Schwartz covers city government. E-mail her at citygov_@_dailycal.org. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #602 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000501c2dab8$e91dd800$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 16:25:23 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Mobile, AL Architectural gem that served trains reborn in Mobile By GARRY MITCHELL Associated Press Writer The ornate GM&O terminal - an architectural antique near Mobile's riverfront - served rail passengers in its thriving days as a railroad hub. Now an investment of nearly $19 million in public and private money is bringing it back to life as a bus terminal that includes business and retail offices, but no longer trains. The Spanish Colonial Revival building, with an eye-catching red mission tile roof, was constructed in 1907. It is expected to have tenants opening for business in May or June. Its rebirth cheers 75-year-old Charlie Dowdle, who locked up the building for the last time in 1986 when it closed and fell into decline. Dowdle stepped back inside Wednesday with a half-dozen former railroad co-workers. They had a surprise around every corner, with big doors replaced by glass and elevators where restrooms once were located. In the rear of the L-shaped building, there's new landscaping and a reminder of bygone days - an aging green Southern railroad passenger car. Dowdle was building manager and director of the railroad freight audit for the entire Illinois-Central system, from Mobile to Omaha and Chicago and all the stations in between. "Back years ago, the Rebel passenger train was really something in it's heyday," Dowdle recalled. Passengers also could take the two-car "Doodle Bug" in the early 1940s up to Jackson, Miss., he said. There was no air conditioning. "Back in the 1940s, you could open the windows and the cinders would come in," said Frances Ashcraft, who worked 36 years for the railroad. Ben Schmerbauch, 60, said something was going on all the time in the GM&O when he worked there. "It was like a soap opera with a lot of jokes and pranks," Schmerbauch said. Some workers brought an overnight bag to work and took a free train ride to St. Louis or Chicago for a long weekend, said Bill Van Loock, 74. He said employees could ride free but while working they got no coffee breaks. "We were not allowed to leave our desk," he said. Some former passengers still live near the terminal, like 92-year-old Callie Aldridge. Aldridge said she took the train to St. Louis for church conventions back in the 1940s. "It was a beautiful building," said Aldridge, whose apartment gives her a view of the restored GM&O -- the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio passenger terminal. It stirs fond memories, too, for Maxine Williams, who remembers coming to Mobile from Youngstown, Ohio, on the train as a child. She also can see the terminal from her porch and has watched the renovations. "I tell my children about taking the train," she said. In time, the railroad leases changed and passenger trains were eliminated at the terminal in 1958. The city this year had explored the possibility of routing Amtrak's Florida-bound Sunset Limited - the port's only passenger service - through the GM&O terminal, but the track patterns would not allow it. Dowdle said he hated to see the terminal close when he retired after about 42 years on the job. "I'd say 300 people worked in that building. Could have been more," Dowdle recalled. "I hated to see it close down because people lost their jobs." They were given choices of moving to Chicago or Jackson, Miss., or accepting a buyout from the railroad. Some of those former GM&O workers still have an annual reunion in Mobile, Dowdle said. While their numbers decline annually, at last count, there were 56 attending, he said. "My husband and I worked in this building for a combined 67 years," said Madeline Ralls, who retired in 1984. She admired the terminal's renovations. "This is my little corner," she said, finding the spot where she worked 30 years. The terminal cost $400,000 when it was constructed nearly 100 years ago. It now sits across from the new Mobile Register building at the entrance to the Alabama State Docks and beside an interstate ramp at the intersection of Beauregard and Water Street. The $19 million to restore it included an $11 million federal grant, $2.2 million in city funds and $5.6 million from Carbone Properties of Cleveland, Ohio, the developers with a 50-year lease on the city-owned building. Their renovation project began after a private investor's attempt to convert it into a casino failed. "We are very proud of the project, the work done to date, and the nearly completed project," said Carbone spokesman James Haas. He said the three-story building has 54,500 square feet of space. Some of the new tenants include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Metro Transit, the port city's bus system. The second and third floors will be office space and the first floor will be a mix of office, food and retail. The main building and site will be complete by March 15, Haas said. He anticipates tenants will open in May or June. The GM&O's reopening comes as work has begun about a mile away on the state's tallest building, the 37-story RSA office tower and hotel, also on Water Street. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #603 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <004e01c2db39$567aea70$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 07:44:42 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Harmon Cove, NJ Harmon Cove Station will close Bus shuttle service to new station will start in July Al Sullivan - The Secaucus Reporter Reporter senior staff writer February 23, 2003 In anticipation of the Harmon Cove train station closing this coming July, the Town Council voted Feb. 11 to hire George Jensen as its transportation coordinator. He will handle scheduling and other issues involving shuttling passengers from Harmon Cove and other areas to the new $450 million Secaucus Transfer train station. Jensen will receive $49,000 a year and will serve in a capacity similar to supervisor in the Department of Public Works. Second Ward Councilman John Bueckner voted against the appointment, saying that he had problems with the position. "I'm not against the person, but I'm not certain that the position is warranted," he said. In a later interview, Mayor Dennis Elwell said the position will be vital in the upcoming months with the anticipation of the closing of the Harmon Cove train station. Over the last year, NJ Transit has made use of its right-of-way through town-owned property to redirect trains coming into Harmon Cove. Tracks will turn south along the Hackensack River and will connect with the Main Line, which goes through the south end of Secaucus. The Main Line will stop at the new Secaucus Transfer Station, commonly known as Allied Junction. "We were notified by NJ Transit that we will have to provide transportation for those using the Harmon Cove train station as of July," Elwell said. While a definite date has not been set for the closing of the station, those currently using the Harmon Cove Station will be able to get their trains at the Secaucus Transfer Station in September, when the transfer station begins limited operations. In fact, said Elwell, "The transfer station will be open to Harmon Cove and Secaucus residents only." The Transfer Station will phase in other commuter lines starting in early 2004. The Harmon Cove development has 2,000 residents, many of whom will be affected by the change. In public hearings held during the early 1990s on Allied Junction - the commercial portion of the Secaucus Transfer Station - the issue of the station's closing was among the most frequently asked questions. According to Mayor Dennis Elwell, then-Allied President William McCann told residents of Harmon Cove that the station would stay open. But plans originally presented by New Jersey Transit in the 1980s had showed the Harmon Cove station closing once the transfer station came on line. "We researched the issue and at no point can we find NJ Transit promising to keep the Harmon Cove station open," Elwell said. Early last year, the town of Secaucus received two new shuttle buses from NJ Transit to handle the responsibility to make certain that those currently using the Harmon Cove train station can access the Transfer station. This was done in conjunction with another program in which the town received a free shuttle bus. While Secaucus is responsible for maintaining the free bus and must maintain a route around town that will allow Secaucus residents to access the transfer station, the questions of who will pay the salaries, benefits and repairs on the Harmon Cove shuttle buses remains unresolved. Although the town has no way to determine now what train schedules will be like when the change comes, the hiring of Jensen this week is part of the plan of operations. "We needed someone who can set up scheduling and make certain that there are drivers for each bus and that repairs are made," Elwell said. The current shuttle bus service around town is operated by Department of Public Works Superintendent Mike Gonnelli. "But Mike has many other responsibilities and we wanted someone who can be responsible for this," Elwell said. "But we did not want to make this a Department head. So George will be in Gonnelli's department." Major project Shuttle schedules will have to be tied to the train schedule at the Transfer Station. The Transfer Station, located in the south of Secaucus next to the Turnpike, has been touted as an important step toward easing traffic congestion on roadways throughout Northern New Jersey, allowing passengers easier access to central Manhattan by rail, as well as making connections between some of the more important rail lines between Trenton and New York City. Transit officials estimate that travel time to Manhattan's Penn Station will be six minutes, as opposed to 15 to 20 minutes via the Path Station from Hoboken or from the various ferries, and the connection could generate as many as 16,000 riders daily. The project links many of the rail lines servicing northern New Jersey, including NJ Transit's Main and Bergen County lines as well as Amtrak's Northeast Corridor line. This center would form a hub that is expected to make it easier for commuters to use trains from a wider area and possibly eliminate auto traffic from local highways and congestion caused in other rail terminals in Hoboken and Newark. "George will keep the schedule for Harmon Cove, file forms required and take responsibility for the community bus we currently operate," Elwell said. The vehicles will be maintained by the DPW. "George owned a small trucking firm for 35 years and so he knows the forms," Elwell said. "He is also a former police officer so he also knows what to do in the event of an accident." What's the fare? Another unanswered question will be the cost for Secaucus and Harmon Cove riders once at the new train station. NJ Transit has already announced that travelers from other trains getting off at Secaucus will have to pay and additional fee, similar to an arrangement currently done at the Newark Airport train station. This fee will help pay for the massive federal and state loans made to help construct the $450 million station. NJ Transit officials, however, said the fare to Penn Station in Midtown could ultimately be less than commuters now pay to reach Manhattan via Hoboken - a trip that also involves buying PATH or ferry tickets. A one-way ticket to Penn Station from Secaucus could cost up to $2.50; a one-way PATH ticket is $1.50 and a one-way ferry ticket, $3. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000501c2db3a$a47d5ae0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 07:54:03 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) South Pasadena, CA SoPas dedicates nostalgic Gold Line Mission Station Gold Line rail station dedicated SOUTH PASADENA -- In a setting fit for a Norman Rockwell painting, 300 residents gathered Saturday in the historic town square, ringed by vintage buildings, to celebrate the city's new old-fashioned rail depot. The Mission Station, a stop on the Los Angeles-to-Pasadena Metro Gold Line, is the first of 13 to be dedicated. The light- rail system is scheduled to begin running in July. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which will operate the Gold Line, parked a train next to the station platform so visitors could climb aboard. Hollywood resident Barri Clark brought her elderly mother, Geneva Lawrence, a 40- year South Pasadena resident. "This is wonderful. I wish they had this when I was working downtown,' Lawrence said, recalling her long-ago bus commute to a department store job in Los Angeles. Clark, meanwhile, already had a plan for visiting her mom in South Pasadena and leaving the car at home: board the Metro Red Line subway in Hollywood and transfer to the Gold Line at Union Station. "It's going to benefit everyone who's trying to make their way to downtown and back,' Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes, chairman of the Gold Line board of directors, said during the morning ceremony. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, whose district includes South Pasadena, told the audience the light-rail system will "relieve congestion on our highways' and said he would push for the Gold Line to be extended east to Claremont. "It's a little like going back to the future,' Antonovich said. "This is the smart way to do transportation.' Habib F. Balian, chief administrative officer of the Blue Line Construction Authority, reminded the crowd that the light-rail project was built "on time and on budget.' Using a $665,000 MTA grant and $166,000 in county transportation bond funds, city officials wanted to create a Gold Line station that would complement the historic commercial neighborhood. The depot's neighbors include the Meridian Iron Works Museum, a 116-year-old structure that holds a local history collection; the former Mission Arroyo Hotel, an 80-year-old red brick landmark; and the recently refurbished, turn-of-the-century Meridian Watering Trough. A committee headed by City Council members Dorothy Cohen and David Saeta spent two years picking out architectural and aesthetic design features. The money paid for enhancements like brick paving stones in the station's plaza, retro-style street lamps, decorative metal benches and brass railings leading up the station platform. The city also kicked in $35,000 for an old-fashioned clock tower that was installed near the Meridian Watering Trough. And then there's the 10-foot-tall bronze statue of a man, bolted atop two granite blocks, who appears to be walking from the station toward the Mission-Meridian intersection. The Construction Authority's public art program covered the sculpture's $100,000 cost. Artist Michael Stutz said he pitched his idea to rail and city officials with the man walking upright and upside down. "We laugh now, but only one vote (kept us) from ending up like that,' he joked. - -- Mary Schubert can be reached at (626) 578-6300, Ext. 4456, or by e-mail at mary.schubert_@_sgvn.com. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #604 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <001001c2dd41$64aa72a0$f953f6d1_@_paul> Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 21:47:23 -0500 From: "fred fep" Subject: (rshsdepot) Fw: PLEASURE RAILWAY AT HOBOKEN Answers? Paul - ----- Original Message ----- From: Lorne Shields To: I95BERNIEW_@_ol.com ; donnielee46@hotmail.com ; luckyshow_@_mindspring.com Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 10:56 AM Subject: PLEASURE RAILWAY AT HOBOKEN http://www.railfan.net/lists/rshsdepot-digest/200112/msg00074.html Greetings, I found your names while trying to research the PLEASURE RAILWAY AT HOBOKEN Print. I am a member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors. A "facsimile" of the image is on a hand painted dial from a Connecticut Clock. I am trying to find out two things. 1) When was the print done. You have dated this 1833. Might I ask how someone dated the print? We do know who published the print (Kellogg) but not when. That information came from the Connecticut Historical Society. 2) Was the "railroad" Manumotive or Mechanical motive? I have attached some links as well for you to see. First image is the print. It was taken with the Glass on and is stained but is not as bad as it appears. http://members.rogers.com/vintage-antique2/5hoboken1.jpg Second image is what appears to be a Manumotive vehicle. http://members.rogers.com/vintage-antique2/5hoboken2.jpg The article about the Clock in the NAWCC Bulletin. http://members.rogers.com/vintage-antique2/5hobokenX1.jpg Any help or direction to help solve the mysteries will be appreciated. Kind regards, Lorne Shields Phone: 905-886-6911 Fax: 905-886-7748 ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #605 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <000c01c2dd91$b9abddc0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 07:22:27 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Henderson, KY Plans to replicate depot draw praise By FRANK BOYETT, Gleaner staff February 26, 2003 A proposal to replicate the Union Station railroad depot on the downtown riverfront received an enthusiastic reception Tuesday from the Henderson City Commission. Dr. John Logan laid out the proposal, and every member of the commission expressed support. Mayor Henry Lackey said construction of the 5,000-square-foot building will begin "as soon as possible," with perhaps "getting dirt turned this summer." In a nutshell, Logan proposed that the city carefully raze the century-old railroad station and mark the structural components -- such as the stone facade and the cupola -- that could be re-used in building a replica on the site of the old police station at First and Water streets. That would cost an estimated $638,000. "A reasonable facsimile of the depot is as close as we can come to saving it," Logan said. Funding would come from a $360,000 federal grant the city has already received for the depot's restoration, as well as the proceeds of selling the visitor center of the Henderson Tourist Commission at 2961 U.S. 41-North. That property was bought by the Henderson Tourism Development Corp. for $80,000 in late 1987, and shortly thereafter a log cabin was built to house the visitor center and tourism offices. Logan said that property should bring at least $100,000, and the money would be funneled into the depot project. "Significant labor and materials will be donated for the project," Logan said. "With effort, we believe a low-key public campaign can raise a portion of the project expense. There may also be a need for a contribution from both the city and county to complete the project." One of the benefits the project would provide, he said, is "saving as much of the depot as is possible." The depot was scheduled for demolition 25 years ago until a community uproar caused title to eventually be turned over to the Henderson County Historical and Genealogical Society, which since then has attempted to restore the building. The historical society turned title over to the city several years ago, so it could be restored with federal grants. Since then, however, it's been determined structural damage has made restoration prohibitively expensive. The new building would be located adjacent to the northwest corner of the tennis courts, nearer to the river than was the old police station. The replicated depot would tie in well with the city's riverfront redevelopment efforts, Logan said, serving as a tourist visitor center as well as offices for the tourist commission and the historical society. Space for public display of significant historical artifacts would also be provided, he said, which would be "an added attraction for riverfront development. "We think you can really sell Henderson from where it should be sold -- on the banks" of the Ohio River, he said. The city commissioners expressed strong support for the idea, with several of them noting that 25 years of attempts to restore the depot have all failed. "This culminates 25 years of effort and is certainly something I can support," said Commissioner Bob Hall. "I think that this solution is the best that it gets," said William "Buzzy" Newman. Commissioner Russell Sights called it "an excellent alternative. I don't think we have any alternative at saving the depot at its present location." Commissioner Michele Deep said she liked the idea of "something beautiful to look at instead of another large parking lot." The parking lot planned at the location will still be built, but will be between the proposed building and Water Street. An ad hoc committee of the Henderson Tourism Development Corp. (the non-profit corporation that owns the building housing the visitor center) has developed the idea thus far, but city staff will continue that work. Two potential roadblocks they will look at first are the stability of the soil at that site and possible restrictions on the use of the $360,000 federal grant. ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <197180-220032326185533833_@_M2W087.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 13:55:33 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Train Depots Glimpse Golden Age of rail travel at restored stations From the AAA Magazine=85 Train Depots Glimpse Golden Age of rail travel at restored stations=20 Published: Mar/Apr 2003 Perhaps no other building has risen as quickly in importance and grandeur and fallen as abruptly into disrepair and neglect as the railway station=2E= In their heyday, train stations were vital urban structures, and builders made each one more ornate than the last=2E But the advent of the automobil= e and airplane signaled their demise, with thousands of them closing in the 1950s and 60s=2E Yet in the past two decades, a new appreciation for these magnificent buildings has helped guarantee their survival=2E Some have new life as shopping and entertainment centers=2E The three largest in the area that h= ave been restored showcase the magnificent architecture and inspiring spaces that once housed the great Iron Horses of rail travel=92s Golden Age=2E The first station The present Union Station in Indianapolis stands on the site of the first Union Station in the United States=2E Celebrating its 150th anniversary th= is year, the depot first opened in 1853 when four railroad companies that had= been serving passengers with individual terminals opened the first =93unio= n=94 station=2E It was demolished in 1886 to make way for the present brick-and-granite Romanesque Revival masterpiece=2E At its apex, 500,000 passengers traveled through the depot monthly, making= it one of the nation=92s busiest passenger transfer points=2E Nearly 200 t= rains rumbled through it daily=2E Though the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places= in 1974, it was just a ghost of its former self=2E So when it was threaten= ed with demolition, preservationists pushed for its restoration 20 years ago=2E= The old train shed became the Crowne Plaza at Union Station, which feature= s a number of Pullman rail cars converted into hotel suites=2E The palatial Grand Hall is still a landmark facility, with two identical 20-foot-diameter, hand-crafted stained glass wheel windows=2E Romanesque arches, Revival-style columns and large corridors are grand reminders of the beauty that once welcomed rail travelers=2E For more details, call the Crowne Plaza at (317) 631-2221=2E St=2E Louis treasure As more rail lines began heading west, St=2E Louis became a natural locati= on for a major depot=2E In 1889, the Terminal Railroad Association was formed= to consolidate the many railway entries and exits in the St=2E Louis area=2E = St=2E Louis architect Theodore C=2E Link modeled St=2E Louis Union Station after= Carcassone, a walled medieval city in France=2E When it opened in 1894, the centerpiece was the enormous Grand Hall, which= featured a 65-foot barrel-vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows and Romanesque arches=2E It was a striking waiting area for passengers, of whi= ch there were many=2E Through the 1940s, it was one of the world=92s busiest = train stations, teeming with more than 100,000 people a day=2E However, usage declined, and the last train departed in 1978=2E But the National Historic Landmark did not remain dormant long=2E After an= extensive restoration process, it was re-opened in 1985=2E Today it featur= es more than 90 shops, restaurants, a lake, a movie theater and the Hyatt Regency Hotel, which uses the spectacular Grand Hall as its lobby=2E The station has evolved into one of the city=92s most popular attractions=2E= People gather to ride paddleboats in the lake, enjoy free concerts and din= e outdoors under the massive train shed=2E Call (314) 421-6655 for details, = or visit the Web site www=2Estlouisunionstation=2Ecom=2E Kansas City conversion The latest station to find new life was Union Station in Kansas City=2E It= re-opened about three years ago after a massive $250 million renovation that restored its former grandeur, which was first unveiled in 1914=2E Dur= ing its first life, thousands of trains pulled through the station, with traffic peaking in 1917 when nearly 80,000 trains passed through the depot= =2E Half of all the personnel deployed in World War II rode trains through the= station=2E With the decline of rail travel, the station lapsed into decades of deterioration, and in 1985, the last train departed=2E To save the gem, voters approved an historic sales tax in 1996 that included counties in Kansas and Missouri=2E After about two years of painstaking work, the station shined again when the restoration was completed in late 1999=2E The station=92s cavernous Gr= and Hall now gleams elegantly=2E Its 95-foot ceilings are adorned with acorn rosettes and three 3,000-pound chandeliers=2E Within the station are several restaurants and three theaters=2E But the highlight is Science City, a hands-on science center that immerses visitor= s in fun and interesting activities=2E There=92s a crime lab, astronaut trai= ning center, television station and more=2E For details, call (816) 460-2020, o= r visit the Web site www=2Eunionstation=2Eorg=2E These romantic and remarkable architectural wonders not only provide a lin= k to the glorious history of American rail travel, but they are serving new purposes for a new age=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: <269620-22003232619052151_@_M2W047.mail2web.com> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 14:00:52 -0500 From: "jdent1_@_optonline.net" Subject: (rshsdepot) Culpeper , VA From the Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star=2E=2E=2E Financing to finish work on Culpeper depot OK'd=20 By DONNIE JOHNSTON The Commonwealth Transportation Board has approved a $402,994 enhancement grant contract that will complete renovation of the Culpeper railroad depo= t=2E The contract, already finalized with the town of Culpeper, went to C=2EL=2E= Lewis & Co=2E of Lynchburg and work could start as early as Monday, said T= own Engineer and Director of Planning Chuck Stephenson=2E "We're ready to go," Stephenson said=2E The project would probably take ab= out 90 days to complete=2E The 3,200-square-foot area, which at one time was the train station's freight depot, will be turned into a community meeting room complete with = a catering kitchen and rest rooms=2E Stephenson said movable partitions would allow the facility to be used for= small meetings or conferences that could accommodate more than 100 people=2E= Renovation of the 6,000-square-foot depot began in 1998 with the aid of a $700,000 grant=2E The first phase of the renovation project was completed = in early 2000=2E Culpeper Chamber of Commerce offices and a tourist informati= on center opened in March of that year=2E "The new meeting room should encourage people to come downtown," said Dian= e Logan, executive director of Culpeper Renaissance, the organization chiefl= y responsible for restoring the east end of Davis Street and the depot=2E "I= t should help attract tourists=2E" Logan said that there is also a possibility the Windmore Foundation for th= e Arts, which has long been searching for a downtown presence, might also move into the soon-to-be renovated section of the depot=2E A transportation board grant application was filed last January and design= work was completed last fall, Stephenson said=2E The Culpeper depot was built about 1905=2E Amtrak still picks up passenger= s there, but there is no ticket office=2E Date published: 2/22/2003=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: <410-22003242725848740_@_earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 21:58:48 -0500 From: "Kenyon Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) Help MBTA Look Ahead [source: CLF-News: February 26, 2003] Upcoming Events March 5 & 6: Public Hearings on the MBTA’s 25-Year Capital Plan Hearings on the Draft Program for Mass Transportation Help MBTA Look Ahead Do you use public transit? Do you care about public transit in your community? Did you know that the Program for Mass Transportation (PMT), a 25-year transit planning process, is happening now? Please join us at CLF's Massachusetts Advocacy Center in Boston for a brief presentation about the PMT process, followed by a discussion. Click here for details, directions, and RSVP information. [details probably available on the CLF Web Site at www.clf.org] ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <410-22003242743038310_@_earthlink.net> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 23:30:38 -0500 From: "Kenyon Karl" Subject: (rshsdepot) FW: Reconnecting America I have not forwarded the attachment mentioned in the forwarded message because of its rather substantial size, and the fact that folks on the mailing lists would never get the attachment, and finally because it is available in the What's New section of their web site at . A quick reading suggests that this Congressional Testimony is similar but with important updates to the Full Report also located at their Web Site. Nevertheless, links are provided to the Web Site, the Full Report, and the Congressional Testimony in the Organizations and Reports Section of the Sierra Club High Speed Rail Task Force Web Site. I have to assume that Hank Dittmar had compelling reasons why his report had to be twisted so that it 'appealed' to the financially and politically powerful supporters of airports and airlines. Nevertheless, I have great difficulty with the notion that existing airports can serve as terminals for high-speed railroad trains, and thus repay the incredible public and private investment made therein: * Primarily due to the 150 year history of the railroad system, High Speed Rail provides far superior service to the historic downtown business districts of major cities. * By also stopping at carefully selected commuter rail stations, High Speed Rail also provides better service to suburban office locations. * Since High Speed Rail shares its downtown terminals with SOME Commuter Rail services, High Speed Rail must be marketed in conjunction with connecting Commuter Rail, to take full advantage of reasonably frequent and comfortable Commuter Rail service to so many points in the suburban areas currently favored by so many business people for office and residential purposes. * Whatever proximity may exist between airports and railroads are usually due to the 'accidents of history', thus surviving airports must 'labor' to quickly connect themselves to the railroad network, and failing airports are likely to totally reject the idea out-of-hand. Nevertheless, I concur with 'Reconnecting America' that High Speed Rail must make a special effort to create connections to airports. Unfortunately, those connections are only necessary to the SMALL NUMBER of MAJOR AIRPORTS that must survive to serve transcontinental and international flights. Indeed, High Speed Rail must be promoted as a replacement to existing short-hop air flights that currently provides 'feeder service' to these surviving transcontinental and international flights. Accordingly, I strongly suggest that the Airport and High Speed Rail Committees of the Sierra Club (and like minded organizations) work together to identify the 'short list' of surviving airports and the transportation improvements required to properly connect those airports to High Speed Rail. Unfortunately, I suspect that lots of small and mid-sized airports must face conversion to totally other uses as the only practical means of recouping the existing major investments in the public and private 'infrastructure' that surrounds the airport. Indeed, since airports feature very large parcels of land that is 'ruined' as far as the natural environment is concerned, Sierra Club (and like minded organizations) ought to carefully consider whether they ought to instead promote the idea that small and mid-sized airports should instead be converted into 'suburban office parks' and the like. The former Pease Air Force Base near Portsmouth NH (now 'Pease Tradeport') MIGHT serve as an example of such a real estate redevelopment. Note that I view advocacy of High Speed Rail as a 'positive answer' to airline and highway pollution and the multiple environmental impacts of further airport and highway expansion. Accordingly, I suggest that the Sierra Club (and like minded organizations) must consider advocating 'airport conversion plans' as another 'positive answer' to the 'airline dilemma' that currently faces the political leadership on this country. :-( Kenyon F. Karl Kenyon_Karl_@_mail.com Webmaster - Sierra Club - NERCC - High Speed Rail Task Force http://www.sierraclub.org/rcc/northeast/transit/hsr/index.htm > [Original Message] > From: April Jones > To: Reconnecting America > Date: 2/24/03 4:14:05 PM > Subject: Reconnecting America > > February 24, 2003 > > Dear Colleague: > > After the release of our Missed Connections report and subsequent coverage > in the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, you wrote to request updates > on the Reconnecting America project. > > We're happy to report that we are making progress with the project. We are > working on an analysis of the opportunities inherent in improving our rail > network, a report which parallels the analysis of the air travel system that > we released in December 2002. We hope to release that report within the > next 60 days. > > We're also want to let you know that this Wednesday, February 26, at 2:00pm > eastern, the House Aviation and Railroads Subcommittees are holding a rare > joint hearing entitled "Planes, Trains and Intermodalism, Improving Links > Between Air and Rail." Reconnecting America Co-Director Hank Dittmar has > been invited to testify, and his testimony will be available at our web site > http://www.reconnectingamerica.org under the "what's new" tab on the 26th. > > In addition, you can hear a live broadcast of the hearing at the House > Transportation and Infrastructure Committee web site at this web address: > http://www.house.gov/transportation/audio/index.html > > Thanks for your interest in Reconnecting America. > > The Reconnecting America Team > ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #606 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org From Archives_@_Railfan.net Message-ID: <004e01c2de5c$e7d049e0$9865fea9_@_Wagenblast> Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 07:36:52 -0500 From: Bernie Wagenblast Subject: (rshsdepot) Depots find new station in life Depots find new station in life All aboard: Communities join re-use trend By Kimberly E. Mock kmock_@_onlineathens.com The Norfolk Southern railroad depot on Hoyt Street in the northern edge of downtown Athens used to host passengers awaiting a train bound for the tiny north Georgia mountain town of Lula. Now, as headquarters for the Athens Area Community Council on Aging, it hosts dinners, dances, craft classes and other activities for area seniors. Like many depots in towns throughout Northeast Georgia, the Hoyt Street passenger station has undergone a metamorphosis in recent years, transforming from an abandoned regional transportation hub into a new center of civic life. According to Amy Kissane, executive director of the Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation, the adaptive re-use of depots is popular. A depot's typical construction - large rooms and sweeping doorways - combined with its central location in a community, makes it ideal for a variety of uses. In Northeast Georgia, railroad depots are used for everything from private businesses and homes to civic club meeting spots and town halls. ''(Re-use) is kind of a natural course for most buildings, but depots often lend themselves more to modern adaptive uses than other (historical) structures,'' Kissane said. In Winder, the depot is leased as office space to the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce, while depots in Farmington and Greensboro have private businesses as tenants. In Comer, the depot serves as a public education facility, offering adult education courses and community computer workshops. The railroad's historical value within a community also makes re-use of depots popular in the region, according to Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center preservation planner Burke Walker. ''In some of the smaller towns and cities around Athens, the reason some of those towns exist is because of the railroad,'' said Walker. ''Communities are very proud of their depots and see the re-use (of the building) as a good use of the building and as a source of pride for the community.'' Walker also said the availability of federal funding for depot restoration provides an incentive for re-use. Currently, the city of Winterville is using more than $200,000 in federal funds to restore the century-old Georgia Railroad depot that sits at the center of town. Renovations should be complete in June 2003. City Clerk Gael Williams said Winterville hopes a refurbished depot will give the small municipality more facilities for meetings and civic events. Since 1998, cities and counties across Georgia have had access to federal funds to improve historical transportation facilities through the state's federally-funded Transportation Enhancement Program. According to Kissane, changing the use of a depot doesn't diminish its importance to the community. ''It's important to remember that just because a building isn't being used for its original intent, that doesn't mean the building is obsolete,'' Kissane said. ''Railroad depots are a link to our past. . . There may not be any visible reminder of a community's past than through a railroad depot or line.'' Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Thursday, February 27, 2003. Click here to return to story: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/022703/new_20030227068.shtml ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org ------------------------------ End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #607 ******************************* ================================= The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org