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Author: jbcowgill
I am one who loves to travel. I enjoy photography. I take many photos of my journeys. I also write short stories and poems.
The town of Strasburg in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania is a railroader’s heaven. You have the famous Strasburg Railroad, the oldest short line railroad in the United States. You have the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania right across the street with the large collections of locomotives and rolling stock. You have the Choo Choo Barn that holds a large model train display depicting Lancaster County. You can spend a night at the Red Caboose Motel where you stay in a real caboose. In the town itself, you have the Iron Horse restaurant. With all of that, you are probably wondering what else could be in Strasburg. One place that you cannot overlook is the National Toy Train Museum.
In case you are wondering, this is not one of those toy train museums where you have this small train display. This is a museum that has a very big collection of toy trains. From the very moment you enter the building that is built to resemble an old train depot, you are greeted by walls and walls of trains from Lionel to Bachmann to American Flyer from the early years to the present day. Yes, there is that many trains. Along with the shelves full of trains are, what everyone wants to see, the model train displays of every single scale. You can also see videos of the trains as they roll through the displays and visit the National Toy Train Library, which has a very extensive collection of books, catalogs, postcards and much more. As mentioned, this is not your normal train museum.
The National Toy Train Museum is located at 300 Paradise Lane in Ronks, Pennsylvania next to the Red Caboose Motel and Restaurant just north of Pennsylvania Route 741. They are open from 10:00am to 5:00pm on most days, and admission is only $7.00 for adults. You can get more information at www.nttmuseum.org.
If you ever want to meet people who play with trains, the National Toy Train Museum has people who have many trains to play with.
The U.S. state of Virginia is a state loaded with historic cities and towns and historic sites. From Alexandria to Williamsburg and Jamestown to Mount Vernon to Montpelier and Monticello to the historic battlefields of Richmond and Manassas. It is one of the most visited of the United States of America. Many people do not think about the state being a place of hot springs. In the western region of the state is a town called Hot Springs. Although the local Native Americas originally discovered the springs, it was later found by three men who were surveying the land during the French and Indian War. They later bought the land and moved their families here. They built and wooden hotel here in 1766. Today, the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa continues to welcome visitor from around the world. From a small homestead hotel to a massive resort with the spring and golf courses that produced golfer Samuel Snead, the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa is an amazing place to relax and enjoy.
Some of you are saying, “Wow! This place is amazing. This is one incredible place. It sure beats a night at your normal hotel. The hot springs must be very relaxing. There is a very big problem. What is the big problem? There is no railroad here. Therefore, you will not see me resorting to this place.”
So, you refuse to come here because there is no railroad here. Why would someone who loves railroad want to visit a place where there is no railroad?
As you arrive at the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa, you will see a brick structure with its iconic brick tower. You will see a great view of the surrounding mountains and golf courses. What you will not see is a railroad. You will not see a railroad bed or even a caboose. The nearest railroad line to the resort is in the town of Covington, which is nineteen miles south of here, and the nearest Amtrak station is in the town of Clifton Forge which is thirty miles away and in White Sulphur Springs in the U.S. state of West Virginia. So why would you want to visit here?
A resort that was opened in 1766 that is still open today obviously had numerous owners. In 1881, a prominent lawyer named M. E. Ingalls came to the town of Hot Springs from Cincinnati, Ohio. Why was he here? He was doing research for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. The railway was looking to bring a spur railroad line to the resort. Mr. Ingalls and other investors to include a man named J. P. Morgan, bought the resort, and the railroad line was built. The railroad brought many people to the resort. A newer hotel was built. The railroad served the resort until people began using the automobile. The railroad was discontinued, and the tracks were taken up.
Some of you are saying, “The tracks are gone, and there is no signs of the train here.”
Actually, you are wrong. The original train platform remains, and where the terminal tracks are located is now a small field. Much of the old railroad bed is on private property, but the main railroad line where the spur ran from is still in service and is now owned by CSX Transportation. The old train platform can be seen from U.S. Route 220.
As you can see, one of the finest places to relax was once served by the railroad. You can take a tour of the hotel. The tours are free, and you do not have to stay here to take the tour. You are also free to walk the grounds but be warned. You will be tempted to spend a night here.
The Omni Homestead Resort and Spa is owned by Omni Hotels that own hotels and resorts around the world. It is located at 7696 Sam Snead Highway (U.S. Route 220) in Hot Springs, Virginia. You can read more into the history of this resort to include the 1901 fire that burned down the hotel and book a room by going to https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/homestead-virginia?utm_source=yextlisting&utm_medium=organic.
Come and spend some time at the Omni Homestead Resort and Spa. Enjoy the springs. Enjoy a night in a nice room. Enjoy a great meal at one of their restaurants. Enjoy a place where the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway once brought passengers to.
The U.S. state of Indiana has the nickname of being the ‘Hoosier State’. How does the state get that name? There is no real known answer to the question, but there is a theory being that Indiana is not one of those states that comes first to many people’s mind that the word ‘Hoosier’ comes from the phrase ‘who’s there’. The definition is simply a resident of the state of Indiana. Many travel experts would tell you that there is nothing to the state of Indiana. Sadly, they are mistaken not knowing that the state is the home of one of sports hallowed grounds known by many racing fans as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which hosts the Indianapolis 500, the greatest Indy Car race in the world. The southern part of the state in the Louisville, Kentucky metropolis, and horse racing fans are fully aware of another hallowed ground known as Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, the longest continuously running sporting event in the world, and it is part of what is known as ‘The Triple Crown’. It is also a big basketball state, and South Bend is home to the University of Notre Dame, a university famous for its football team. Then you have the city of Indianapolis has the second largest number of monuments of any city in the world? (Washington D.C. is number one.) The three longest routes in the United States (U.S. 6, U.S. 20, and U.S. 30) all pass through Indiana, and the longest interstate route (Interstate 90) passes through Indiana. If that is not enough, the city of Elkhart is called the Recreational Vehicle Capital of the World. How? Many recreational vehicles are manufactured here, and it is the home of the RV Hall of Fame.
With all of this in a U.S. state that many people consider a boring state, you have the town of Santa Claus. Yes, there is a Santa Claus. That is Santa Claus, Indiana. Located in the southwestern region of the state, it is a town built around the man himself. Well, it was not originally called Santa Claus but Santa Fe, but there was another Santa Fe in the state. The name was then changed to Santa Claus, and it has kept this name since. What is here? Well, you have an amusement park called Holiday World, and then you have the Santa Claus Museum and Village. The Santa Claus Museum and Village featured some of the original structures of the original post office where you can mail a letter to Santa, a church from 1880 that has its original furnishings, and a statue of the man himself. If you believe in Santa Claus, you will enjoy the Santa Claus Museum and Village.
Some of you are saying, “This is nice. There is a Santa Claus after all. Well, there is a town called Santa Claus in Indiana. The man himself would be proud. There is a very big problem. This town and this museum and village is about Santa Claus. There is no railroad here. Therefore, I will not be going down Santa Claus Lane or visit this town.”
So, you are not going to pay a visit to the town of Santa Claus, Indiana or the Santa Claus Museum and Village because it is not a railroad site. It is not a railroad museum, and, as far as it is known, there has never been a railroad in this town. Why would you want to visit the Santa Claus Museum and Village?
As you arrive at the Santa Claus Museum and Village, you will see the museum building. You will see the original post office. You will see a church that was built in 1880. You will see a tall statue of Santa Claus. What you will not see is an old train station, a locomotive, or a caboose.
Some of you are saying, “See. There is no railroad here. Therefore, I have no reason to visit this place.”
This is called the Santa Claus Museum and Village. You see the village. Now you enter the museum. The very first thing you see is the gift shop. Of course, you have a gift shop. Then you enter into the various rooms where you see the history of the town. Then you see the model trains. Yes, the Christmas holiday has long been associated with model trains particularly around the Christmas tree, and they are on display here at the museum. From the model trains on display to the model train displays.
Are you still refusing to visit this museum? If you enjoy model trains to include the old Lionel Trains, the Santa Claus Museum and Village is a must see. You may not see the man himself, but you still will have a good time.
The Santa Claus Museum and Village is located at 69 Indiana State Route 245 just south of Indiana Route 162 and minutes from Holiday World, Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 231. Parking is on site. Admission museum is free, but they will gladly accept donations. The museum is open year round, but the hours do vary throughout the year. You can get more information about the museum and village at https://santaclausmuseum.org/.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Well, there is the Santa Claus Museum and Village in Santa Claus, Indiana. You can visit any time of the year. You will have a jolly old time.
The holiday we know as Thanksgiving is a day set aside to be thankful for what we have. Most people think about the Pilgrims who fled persecution in Europe for their faith in God who traversed the Atlantic Ocean to a place in what is now in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, and they were thankful to God for those who survived the passage. (Not everyone survived the voyage.) Once they arrived in the New World, they had to survive. They tried to use their old ways to survive, but when the Native Americans noticed their methods, they stepped in to teach the Pilgrims how to survive. The result was an abundant feast which we call the First Thanksgiving. (The actual First Thanksgiving happened in what is now the U.S. state of Virginia, but the one in Massachusetts is the one that the holiday is modeled after as it involved a feast.) United States President Abraham Lincoln set the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November. The United States of America is one of the few nations in the world that set a day aside for Thanksgiving.
Some of you are saying, “This is nice. I enjoy Thanksgiving. I enjoy the food. I enjoy watching American football. I enjoy the day off. I enjoy hearing the story of the Pilgrims. There is one big problem. This holiday, well, no holidays have an origin with the railroad.”
That is true. As we go to our feasts, some of us ride the train. We can take the time to thank the railroad workers. Let us thank the engineer for driving the train. We can thank the porters for keeping the train nice and tidy and making sure we have clean sheets and towels. We can thank the baggage handlers who handle the baggage. We can thank the ticket masters who produce our train tickets. We can thank the conductor for keeping everything running on the train. We can thank the mechanics and maintenance workers for repairing and maintaining the trains to keep them running. We can thank the track workers for keeping the railroad tracks in good working order to prevent derailments. We can thank the police and emergency workers for keeping us safe. We can thank the yard workers who put our trains together as well as moving train cars in the yards. We can thank the cleaning people for keeping the trains clean. We can thank the chefs who cook the food and the waiters who serve us.
Some of you are saying, “That is nice, but there have been times when the trains have been late.”
True, but we thank those who work hard to get the trains back on time.
We also thank those who are curators and museum workers who work at the railroad museum. We also thank those who preserve the photos and old papers from the railroad.
Now I wish all of you a HAPPY THANKSGIVING, and if you do not live in the United States of America, enjoy the day anyway. If you must work on this day, thank you for your service.
How many of you have ever heard of the small town of Grafton in the U.S. state of West Virginia? Most of you probably have never heard of this town. As you drive through the town, you see old buildings. It appears to be a small town with little significance. Then you see what looks like an old train station, but it is not your average small town train station. It looks like something that you would see in a major city.
Why is it here?
The old train station in Grafton, West Virginia was a train station and a hotel. Why would somebody build a train station and hotel in this small town? Ladies and gentlemen, this town was not your average small town.
The town of Grafton, West Virginia, originally established at the town of Grafton, Virginia in 1852 as the land was original park of the U.S. state of Virginia before West Virginia was a state, is said to be named after John Grafton. Who is John Grafton? He was a civil engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad that established the town of Grafton. The train station and upscale hotel was built in the 1850’s by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in honor of Daniel Williard, the president of the railroad, and the hotel was called the Williard Hotel in his honor. The hotel closed in the 1960’s with the decline of passenger railroad service and was a hotel for train crews. Passenger service ceased in 1971.
Today, the railroad tracks are owned by CSX Transportation who still has a railroad yard in the town. The old train station and hotel and the Grafton Downtown Historic District are on the National Register of Historic Places, but the old train station is not open to the public. The only view of the interior is through the windows. It is located on U.S. Route 119 south of U.S. Route 50. Along with the railroad building the town, the railroad was a great contributor to the town’s history particularly during the American Civil War. The town is also the home of the Mother’s Day Shrine and is said to be the birthplace of Mother’s Day. As you drive around, you will see that this town that looks like it has little history has some much history to see… brought to you by the railroad and an old train station.
The railroad did not begin in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, but the state has many great railroad sites. The state is also famous for its railroad towns. One of these towns is Strasburg, a suburb of Lancaster. The Strasburg Railroad is the oldest continuously operating standard gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, and this railroad has been giving railroad excursions through the Amish countryside for many years, and it is one of the most popular train rides in the entire world. As many enjoy the Strasburg Railroad, it overshadows another great attraction that is just one thousand feet away.
Welcome to the Choo Choo Barn. What is the Choo Choo Barn?
Some of you are saying, “Well, duh! It is a barn, but instead of housing farm animals, it houses choo choo’s.”
Well, you are partially right. It does not house full sized choo choo’s like the ones you see at the nearby Strasburg Railroad and Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, but it is the home of a model train display.
Some of you are saying, “Yeah! I know. It is one of those model train displays where a model train goes around and around and around a small circle. It is just another boring model train display.”
If you enjoy boring model train displays, then you will be very disappointed when you visit the Choo Choo Barn. How great is the Choo Choo Barn?
You may have heard of Northlandz in the town of Flemington in the U.S. state of New Jersey, home of the largest model train display in the world, and you can still visit Northlandz today. Then you have places like Roadside America in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania and EnterTrainment Junction in the West Chester Township, a suburb of Cincinnati in the U.S. state of Ohio, two other large model train displays that are sadly defunct. All three of these train displays was the dream of one man.
How does the Choo Choo Barn compare? It began as a dad giving a gift to his son. It began in a basement of a house. Like many great train displays, it outgrew the basement. It was then relocated to an old maintenance barn, and the Choo Choo Barn came to be as it was opened to the public for millions to enjoy, and it remained under family ownership until 2023 by a man named Gary Russell.
As you enter the room, you see the 1,700 square foot model train display before you. You see a big village with handmade structures. No kits were used in this display. You are mesmerized by the many trains as they go around and around and around. You see a construction crew doing road construction. You can take a peek at the zoo. You can go to the circus You can gaze at the waterfalls. Yes, it is real water going over the falls. As you tour the display, you might want to take in a baseball game.
Through the years, the Choo Choo Barn grew from being a model train display to a gift shop to a small shopping center with model train stores. It went from being the Choo Choo Barn to Choo Choo Barn: Traintown, U.S.A. They also have the Choo Choo Barn Foundation which is a non-profit foundation which acquired the Rocky Springs Carousel. They do have future plans of moving to a new location in the Strasburg area and expanding their attraction while trying to attract younger people to the joys of model railroading.
The Choo Choo Barn: Traintown, U.S.A. is located at 226 Gap Road (Pennsylvania Route 741) in Strasburg, Pennsylvania just a short distance from the Strasburg Railroad and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. It is open every day (closed on certain holidays) from 10:00am to 5:00pm. It is suggested that you give yourself an hour to visit the model train display. It is all on one level making it easy for those in wheelchairs. Parking is on site. You can get information on admission and read more into the history of Choo Choo Barn at https://choochoobarn.com/.
The next time you are in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, ride the Strasburg Railroad. Tour the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. See the great model train display at the Choo Choo Barn. Oh, they do have animals. You will see the animals along with the many model trains.
Many people who live in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area are very familiar with a place called Fort Belvoir. It is a United States Army military base located in the U.S. state of Virginia on the Potomac River near Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, the first President of the United States of America. The military base was built on the site of the Belvoir Mansion. (The mansion was destroyed many years ago.) The base is not open to public visitors and is under very tight security, but U.S. Route 1 goes through the base as it leaves Washington D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia and continues south into Virginia and the U.S. states south. As you pass by Fort Belvoir, you pass by a place that employs many people who work for the United States Army.
Some of you are saying, “That is nice. I have never heard of Fort Belvoir. I am a great supporter of the United States Armed Forces. Sadly, this is not a railroad site. Therefore, there is nothing really special about this base.”
Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to learn something about a Washington D.C. area United States Military base.
As mentioned, Fort Belvoir is a base for the United States Army in the southern region of the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area. It was erected on the site of an old mansion of the same name in a region where there were many plantations of which many are still standing. (Nearby Woodlawn and Mount Vernon are two of those mansions.) As you drive along U.S. Route 1, you see the fences that protect the base from unwanted visitors. What you will not notice is anything that has anything to do with the railroad. Most people are unaware of the fact that the railroad was a big part of Fort Belvoir.
Before it was called Fort Belvoir, it was called Camp A. A. Humphreys named after General Andrew Atkinson Humphreys. The camp was erected in 1918 to train soldiers to fight during World War I. The soldiers were taught to build roads, bridges, trenches, and… railroads. Twenty miles of a narrow gauge railroad was built in the camp. Sadly, it was a short lived railroad as the tracks were taken up in 1920, and the locomotives were bought by mining companies who used them to transport coal around the mines. (It is unknown if any of these locomotives exist today.)
The base was renamed Fort Belvoir in the 1930’s. About four miles west of the base was a major railroad line that was owned by the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad. The Fort Belvoir Military Railroad was born connecting the base to a major railroad line. (The main railroad line is owned by CSX Transportation today.) The railroad supplied the base with supplies and even had passenger service. Passenger service ceased after the Korean War, but the railroad continued to run until 1993.
Today, the railroad bridge that crossed U.S. Route 1 is long gone and replaced with a street bridge. Although much of the old railroad bed remains, it is either part of the military base or is on private property and is not open for the public to be walked upon, but sections of the old railroad bed called be viewed from the old Backlick Road and from Virginia Route 286. (Please note that much of the original Backlick Road has been rerouted or dismantled by Virginia Route 286 and the interchange with Interstate 95.) One of the original bridges can be viewed from Backlick Road between U.S. Route 1 and Virginia Route 286. (It must be viewed from Backlick Road as it is behind a fence.) You can also drive under one of the original railroad bridges on Cinder Bed Road north of Backlick Road and Virginia Route 286.
The next time you are driving along U.S. Route 1 or along Interstate 95 and see signs for Fort Belvoir, do not think of it as another military base. Think of it as a military base with a railroad past.
The small town of Batesville in the southeast region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is not a famous town as it is centrally located between the major cities of Indianapolis, Indiana, Cincinnati in the U.S. state of Ohio, and Louisville in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its historic district is on the National Register of Historic Places. As you drive through the town, it looks like any other small town. It has its town hall town parks. It is truly what small town America is about.
Some of you are saying, “It is nice to visit a small town. I enjoy small town America. However, there is a problem with this town. What is the problem? This is not a railroad town. Therefore, I will not be stopping by to visit.”
So, the reason that you will not visit the town of Batesville, Indiana is because it is not a railroad town. As you drive through the town and historic district, you do not see any railroad tracks or old train station of rail trails. The only railroad line in the town runs through the south side, but there is no railroad yard or train station here. Trains mainly just pass through. Why visit this town?
You enter into the historic district of the town. You see the old buildings. You see the town hall. You see the Sherman Inn, and German style hotel and restaurant. What you do not see is railroad tracks nor do you see any sign of the railroad ever being here. Then you come upon Depot Square. Wait a minute. Where are the railroad tracks? You see an old railroad crossing sign. Where are the railroad tracks? You see no signs of railroad tracks.
You walk towards the town center, and you see doors. Doors? They are just doors that are just there, but they have pictures on them. What are they pictures of? They are pictures of the old town. Then you see pictures of the railroad. You look behind the door, but you just see a street or a lot.
In the early years, a railroad line ran along what is now E. Pearl Street. There was also a freight depot and a passenger depot. Along these tracks was once a Buick car dealership where, in 1910, Buicks were brought to the dealership by train.
Some of you are saying, “Alright! Batesville was a railroad town, but it is no longer a railroad town.”
True, but there is more to the story. How much more? Let us start at the beginning.
Before there was the town of Batesville, Indiana, it was just empty land. The early settlers came and settled the land. A man named Teunis Amack brought land from the government hoping to make it into a farm, but he later sold it to a man named George H. Dunn. Who is George H. Dunn? He was the owner of the John Callahan Trust Company. Why did Teunis Amack sell the land? George H. Dunn was also the president of the Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railroad. The land was bought to be used for a railroad line. The railroad line was built, and the town of Batesville, Indiana was built around the railroad. The first train arrived on November 1, 1853, and passed through the center of the town. The last passenger train served the town in 1906. Through the years, the tracks were removed, and the train depot was demolished.
Now you have a reason to visit the town of Batesville, Indiana. The trains may be gone, but the ghosts of the trains remain.
The U.S. state of West Virginia is a state known for its natural beauty and its mountains. The state has many state parks. One of those state parks is Valley Falls State Park near the city of Fairmont. The park is mainly famous for its waterfalls, but it has many hiking trails as well. A visit to Valley Falls State Park is a place you will cherish.
Some of you are saying, “Wow! This must be a beautiful place. I enjoy seeing waterfalls. There is a big problem. This park has no connection with the railroad. Therefore, this park is not a place I will fall for visiting.”
Why visit Valley Falls State Park? It has very beautiful waterfalls. There is beauty surrounding you. Why visit Valley Falls State Park?
You enter the park, and you drive down to the main parking lot. You park your car, and you make your way to the waterfalls, but you cross a bridge. What are you crossing? You are crossing a railroad line.
Some of you are saying, “Yeah, but there are many railroad lines that pass through parks and towns but have no history with the parks or towns.”
You do have a point. So, what is special about Valley Falls State Park?
Well, you arrive at the waterfalls, and you are amazed at its beauty. As you walk around, you notice some ruins. What was here?
What you are seeing is the ruins of a sawmill and a grist mill. The water was used to power these mills. The property was acquired by a trader in the 1830’s, and he built the mills on the site. A town was erected around the mills, and it was named Valley Falls after, of course, the waterfalls. Although the mills were the centerpiece of the town, something that arrived in 1853 caused the town to boom. What came to the town?
In 1853, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built between the town of Grafton to the east and the city of Wheeling located in what is called the Northern Panhandle of the state, and the railroad passed right past the mills. Sadly, in 1886, the town was destroyed by fire and floods. The town was never rebuilt although the grist mill itself remained in operation until 1905.
Today, you can see the waterfalls, but you can also see the same railroad line that served the town, but, today, CSX trains pass by the falls. How great would it be to enjoy the waterfalls and be rewarded by a passing train?
Valley Falls State Park is located at 720 Valley Falls Road southeast of the city of Fairmont, West Virginia off of West Virginia Route 310. The park is open year round from 7:00am to sunset, but please note that the park will close due to snow and ice. (If you are adventurous, they do allow you to walk through the park on snowy and icy days. You just have to park at the entrance and hike in.) Please note that the walk to the falls is on uneven terrain, which may be difficult for wheelchairs, but much of the falls are viewable from the parking area. Please also note that the railroad line is an active line. (No trespassing on the railroad tracks.)
Valley Falls State Park was once the site of a bustling town made possible by the railroad. Today, the only thing that is bustling is the waterfall and the surrounding natural beauty. Visit Valley Falls State Park. You may find it hard to leave.
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.
John Cowgill: Stories of the Railroad 