Train Stations Then and Now

Like L.A., San Diego and Albuquerque were built in Spanish Mission-style, others in Gothic or Greek Revival or Richardsonian Romanesque. Train Stations Then and Now shows the huge variety of building styles of railroad terminals across the USA, featuring the best surviving examples and the finest to fall under the wrecking ball.

Once they were the hub of the transport network driving the American economy forward. Today the grand structures created by the railroad barons have suffered a variety of fates. Many famous examples have been demolished in the name of 'progess'. The notorious razing of Pennsylvania Station in New York brought howls of protest from the archictectural conservation lobby, but Chicago also lost the Chicago and Northwestern Terminal.

Atlanta had a grand Passenger Depot until it was reconfigured by General Sherman in 1864. Savannah demolished its own impressive Union Station in 1904, but nearby the Central of Georgia station lives on as the city's visitor center and museum. Houston ripped up the rails at their Union Station and the platforms have been replaced by the Houston Astros' Minute Maid Park. However the terminal building is still selling tickets - but now they're for the game.

Many Union stations continue as intended. Los Angeles' Union Station dates from the 1930s and still displays its Art Deco detailing inside with Spanish Mission touches outside. Las Vegas, the destination for many an LA train had a similar 1930s depot. Today the Plaza casino sits on the site.

Like L.A., San Diego and Albuquerque were built in Spanish Mission-style, others in Gothic or Greek Revival or Richardsonian Romanesque. Train Stations Then and Now shows the huge variety of building styles of railroad terminals across the USA, featuring the best surviving examples and the finest to fall under the wrecking ball.