Those Old Train Stations

You are driving through a small town.  You come upon a railroad crossing, and you stop hoping that a train is coming.  Unfortunately, there is no train, but you notice an old train depot just a block away.  You drive to it.  You park and go to take a closer look.  It is in dilapidated shape.  You walk to the platform looking down the tracks to see if a train is coming, but there is no train in sight.  You look at the old train station, and you imagine what it would have been like to catch a train from this very spot.

It was sixty years ago.  A lady is standing on the train platform watching as the steam train was approaching.  The train pulls up, and her man steps off the train.  They embrace each other and kiss.  The train pulls away, and they walk away together.

Today, you are standing on that very spot where this incident took place.  You look at the train station and wonder if the trains will ever stop here again.

In the golden age of railroading, there were train stations in every small town the railroad went through.  As the towns were no longer served by the railroad, the train stations became useless.  Many of the old train stations have been demolished.  Then there were those that have been left alone to deteriorate.  Some have been restored and have been made into museums, visitor centers, police stations, retail stores and so many other things.  There are those that have been put on the National Registry of Historic Places to save them from demolition.  Some just remain as they are a part of the town’s history.  Regardless, there is just something about an old train station.  Although they are no longer used as a station, they keep the history of the magic of the railroad alive.

The Cover Photo is from Chatham, Illinois.

The First Photo is from Dickson, Tennessee.

The Second Photo is from Felton, Delaware.

The Third Photo is from Hamlet, North Carolina.

The Fifth Photo is from Hope Springs, Florida.

The Last Photo is from Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania.