posted
For those who have not read the March, 2011, issue of TRAINS, they have an interesting article on the "America's Finest Railroad Station".
Their no. 1 pick was Philadelphia's 30th Street Station:
Their selections were, I believe, mainly based on interior architecture, services, and other considerations. There were a number of reasons why they picked the 30th St Station. The huge concourse, the fact is isn't just a commuter-only station,Solari Board, bookstore, among others.
The other nine stations, picked by TRAINS, in no particular order:
Minus: Crammed main gates instead of the massive concourse it had prior to 1969.
WASHINGTON UNION STATION
Plus: Near Capitol and southernmost terminal for the Northeast Corridor. Much of it is restored to its 1908 form.
Minus: Too many shopping malls nearby (a minus?)
NEWARK PENN STATION
Plus: Not much different that its 1935 appearance. Loaded with NJ Transit and Amtrak trains.
Minus: Well, it is Newark
KING STREET STATION
Plus: Access to the Sounder service, as well as a terminal for both the Cascade and Empire Builder trains.
Minus: Facility too small.
SOUTH STATION, BOSTON
Plus: NEC trains and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trains serve the station. The "Great Room" that combines a modern-day structure with the 1899 structure.
Minus: Not a great station for lingering.
DENVER UNION STATION
Plus: Resembles a real old-time railroad station, with its heavy benches, mezzanine, and 1914 waiting room:
Minus: Now only long distance, but commuter and light rail trains will give it new life.
LOS ANGELES UNION STATION
Plus: Stylish architecture and Traxx restaurant, as well as being call "America's last great passenger station".
Minus: Some say the "mission revival" style doesn't depict a truly great station. (?)
PORTLAND UNION STATION
Plus: An attractively restored and maintained mid-size station. Old school waiting room and ticket window (but they did not mention the Metropolitan Lounge, why not?)
Minus: Too small a station.
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I thought the Union Station, Kansas City, should have been mentioned.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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I agree that Kansas City is worthy of a mention.
As for Washington, I believe that the issue is that the shopping mall is INSIDE Union Station!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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what a plus to have all kinds of stores and restaurants right there. My only complaint is they closed the train store I loved.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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I would add my local Train Station New Haven's Union Station. Similiar ceiling design as 30th St. larger windows. Handles both LD's and commuter lines. Minus, only restraunt is a Sabarro's downstairs, Dunkin and Subway upstairs. Because the station is outside downtown so I don't think a full restraunt is needed, they have great model trains on the waiting room benches.
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Of these ten, the 3 I probably wouldn't include are King St Station, Denver, and Newark. Regarding King St and Denver, I would wait until they are finished to pass any judgments, but I was not impressed with the interior of either that much before--though Denver is VERY impressive from the outside, and the old ceiling uncovered in King St is a vast improvement from my earlier visits. I think both will be very nice when done. OTOH, maybe I missed somethig when I was there, but I was disappointedi in Newark.
Hoboken, however, is IMO a very nice station that would be on my top 10 list, though not an Amtak station.I cannot recall the amenities either.
I like some of the smaller stations, Glenwood Springs CO (but it needs an elevator), Hudson NY, some I saw in California with the Spanish style--though I suppose they don't have enough amenities to qualify. Glenwood Springs has a nice little rr shop, though!
I also think Wilmington might be a candidate, now that it's redone . . . have to check it out.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Grand Central in NY is the grande dame of them all -- Amtrak's shifting the Lake Shore Limited (and Canadian and New England coach service)to the miserable Penn Station was a tragedy -leaving only commuter service - which will include new crowds from LIRR commuter trains once the new tunnel is completed in 2015/6.
Posts: 24 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Feb 2011
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If they really can restore the station to its 1906 grandeur, that would be great.
Another station in that badly needs renovation is the Sacramento station.
I'm sure it's a minor point, but one of my pet peeves, with Amtrak, has to do with the PA system in many Amtrak stations. I seem to frequently encouter stations with badly garbled PA announcements, so much so I have to ask a clerk what the announcemwent was all about. Maybe part of the problem is an age-related deterioration in hearing. However, I can remember it being a problem even as a young man. I seems, to me, that better acoustics with PA annoucements should be possible. It has been a problem, I think, with the King St. station as well as several others. As far as that goes, sometimes the PA announcements, while aboard the train, aren't all that intelligible.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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There should be a special posthumous award for the old Pennsylvania Station in NY. Talk about a tragedy!
Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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Razing New York's Penn Station was pure vandalism. Hopefully the plans to convert the beautiful Farley General Post Office Building (which stands over the platforms and tracks just west of the old station) will be implemented.
Posts: 24 | From: Connecticut | Registered: Feb 2011
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Before too many plaudits are posted for Old Penn especially if some "me-toos" are to come from those who have never "been there done that', all I can say is from one who was there (acknowledge that so was Mike) that "you didn't want to see it at the end'.
The "half flying saucer' that "landed in the main waiting room as the ticket cage (to replace the earlier cage so that it could become concession space) was simply an abomination (and be it assured it did not result in any better customer service). Even when PRR could not be bothered to remove the "blackout paint' over the skylights after WWII was over was an early harbinger of long distance passenger service's ultimate decline and fall (the blackout paint over the CUS Head House - Great Hall in Amspeak - was removed only as part of the reconstruction after the July 1980 fire).
If no initiative for renovation and preservation were to move forth such as fortunately the case with Grand Central (it too was getting seedy through the '70's), then it was simply a case of 'good riddance". But had a preservation movement been active from, say, early '60's on (remember some hold that Park Ave North of GCT was also desecrated by infusion of 'ice cube' office towers during the '50's), and the PRR chose to redevelop the property, then I too would call that corporate vandalism.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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King Street Station is going to be nice once it's finished, but work is progressing at an incredibly slow pace. It seems like the city hired someone's uncle to come in on weekends and nights to putter around for a couple of hours at station renovation. There's also going to be a lot of work going on around the station that will give the Pioneer Square neighborhood a more residential flavor. The giant stadium parking lot that you see as you exit/enter KSS will be developed into a residential neighborhood with 10 story buildings replacing the asphalt parking lot. A new streetcar line is also being built that will connect KSS with the First Hill and Capitol Hill neighborhoods.
In Portland, the giant Post Office facility near Union Station is moving and that area is going to be re-developed. There was some talk of building a baseball stadium there, but I think the current plan is to expand the Pearl District to Union Station, which will greatly improve the area around the station. Also, Portland's light rail system now directly serves Union Station, so airport to train station trips with luggage will be very easy.
And don't forget Tacoma! The new Freighthouse Square Station won't be as grand as the old Union Station, but it will be a very good retro station that's well connected to a streetcar line and the rest of the local transit system.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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King St Station is already improved in that they removed the crud covering the lovely ceiling and also fixed up some floorwork, so I think in the end it will be nice. Top 10, I'm not sure.
Oh, also, isn't Cincinnati supposed to be quite nice? (I've never seen it)
When/if the MN station moves back to the old St Paul Station, that should be nice too
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Cincinnati is a lovely building but Amtrak occupies not much more than a closet inside. No amenities to speak of, especially as the Cardinal passes through during the small hours.
-------------------- Geoff M. Posts: 2426 | From: Apple Valley, CA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Do I correctly assume that the Cincinnati Station still houses the Natural History Museum and Historical Society? I haven't been to Cinci for several years now.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Thanks, Mike -- I figured the Museum was still there. If anyone has never been to the Cincinnati Museum, it is WELL WORTH visiting!! Of course, it is not open during the "0-dark 30" hours the Cardinal passes through, but you do have to walk through the museum to get into and out of the AMTRAK station-- to my recollection, I believe there is a roped off "walkway" to get into and out of the station, and security guards are employed overnight to make sure nothing in the museum gets messed with.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Old Train Stations are great spaces for housing museums. Richmonds Old Union Station is now a science museum. Another item that doomed the origional Penn Station was that the area never "Developed" Real Estate wise as Grand Central had.
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Mr. Norman said,"the half flying saucer". UGH! It clashed terribly with the surrounding environment. That was my first impression of that structure when I first saw Pennsylvania Station. The station itself was an amazing piece of architecture. I was so dissappointed that I didn't visit the station interior previous to the Jetsons look.
Posts: 498 | From: New Hope, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Sojourner pressed my button when Cincinnati was mentioned. That is my favorite terminal by far. Aside from being an art deco masterpiece, the mix of railroads and trains using it back in the day made it a wonderful train watching spot. A better assortment of north and south railroads than Richmond or Washington and many classic trains.
Consider that the following all had observation cars on the rear, a mark of a real streamlienr: SRY-Royal Palm, B&O-National Ltd., PRR-Cincinnati Ltd., NYC Ohio State Special and James Whitcomb Rilery, N&W-Powhattan Arrow. While the L&N was my sentimental favorite, it had observation cars on its trains only in the heavyweight era as did the C&O.
The museums are well done and worth a visit. But don't forget Tower A perched atop the terminal where the original switch control board is still in place and home of the Cinci RR Club -open, I believe, on Saturday. Tours of the terminal are also available and worth the time.
Actually I think the Amtrak waiting room is pretty nice and maintains the feel of that era. So much better than an Amshack.
Now if only Amtrak (not to mention Ohio) could just get trains there at a convenient time of day.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Mike Smith: What the hey??? Houston didn't get a mention????
I'm shocked!
I think Houston will get a nod when the category changes to top 10 stations with ice cream vending machines or perhaps top 10 stations that should have been bus terminals.....
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Not mentioned in the TRAINS article, and one could technically say the structure in reference is the adjacent 30th St Post Office, but time for a "Would You Believe It?" moment (TRAINS actually once had a "Department" titled such):
quote:Originally posted by notelvis: I think Houston will get a nod when the category changes to top 10 stations with ice cream vending machines or perhaps top 10 stations that should have been bus terminals.....
Unfortunately, the vending machine dispensing Blue Bell ice cream which once was my hometown station's one saving grace is now history. You can still purchase a soda, candy bar or bag of chips but no more Blue Bell. **sigh**
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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Very interesting old film clip, Mr. Norman, thanks for posting it!
Speaking of early air mail deliveries, my neck of the woods claims to have been the site of the first air mail delivery, back in 1911, between Petaluma, Calif. and Santa Rosa, Calif:
The mail consisted of 3 letters, 50 newspapers, and a sack of coffee. Wiseman had to land his biplance short of Santa Rosa. The mail delivery took 2 days to cover the 15 miles between Petaluma and Santa Rosa. If they would have chucked the mail aboard the old Northwestern Pacific RR train, it probably would have taken 30 minutes or less.
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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What I noticed is that in many of these grand old stations and in pictures of them in there hey-days is the space allocated for the LD trains was much larger more grander with many more retail outlets.(there seem to be very few pictures of the original LIRR area available) When LD travel moved to airports the main areas like Grand Central and Chicago Union became allocated to commuter lines the Penn Station was never able to make this move. I guess at the time NY didn't think train travel would last much longer when they reconfigured the station. Two things limit the sucess of dining and retail areas at stations is that for the most case commuter lines run pretty much on schedule and without check in and baggage loading you don't have to arrive and security procedures with trains.
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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