Indianapolis, IN: 1852+1888 Union Station, The World's First

(INtransport; 3D Satellite, Satellite1 (5 photos), Satellite2 (17 photos))

Street View

Jeffrey Bossaer shared a post by Lawrence Bowman of three images.

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Shorpy
Circa 1906. "Union Station, Indianapolis." If we step on it (but not in it) we just have time to make the 3:25 to Terre Haute. 8x10 glass negative.
Angel Lara posted
Union station downtown Indianapolis I believe it's in the 1800s late.

Mike Ehrenwald: Noticed the trolley tunnel that went under the railroad tracks before the tracks were elevated. You could hardly get from the south side of town to the north side of town so many trains.

Tim Shanahan shared

Mark Niceley: Built in 1888, replacing the Original Indy Union Station building in 1853, the first union station in the USA. Tracks were elevated after the Great War, in 1919. Built to handle 200 trains a day. Indy now sees, six passenger trains a week!!

James Sullivan posted
The great hall in Union station Indy.
Richard Ralston If I'm not mistaken, there was a time (40s I believe) when Union Station was the busiest train station in the US.
Glenn Carter Over 200 trains a day.
John Jones Wasn't Indianapolis was the first city to have a "union" station ? Beautiful building with so much history.
Mark Niceley Yes. First Union Station was built in 1853. Quickly outgrown, it was replaced in 1888, with the Station that still stands. Trains were on ground level till the end of World War I, when the tracks were elevated. There was a tunnel under the tracks on Illinois Street, that was filled in, after the tracks were raised. If you look at the outside of the train shed structure, you will see eyelets for the trolley overhead, so line poles weren't required. Trolleys are long gone, but the eyelets remain!!

Bernie Wagenblast posted eight photos with the comment: "Union, Station – Indianapolis, Indiana."

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Will Hazen posted five photos with the comment:

Indianapolis Union Station. The first union station in the world and a place that gave Thomas Edison one of his first jobs as a young man. Built between 1886-1888 and the second station on the site, Indianapolis Union now is primarily occupied by the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Banquet Center, a unique experience that allows guests to stay in vintage Pullman cars located in the historic train sheds or have their wedding in the former waiting room. Amtrak also stops here twice a day, with the Cardinal and Hoosier State. Also pictured is the Iowa Pacific Train set parked in the shed, along with the former IU Interlocking Tower, now used for storage by CSX, who owns the tracks through Union Station.

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3D Satellite, looking East

Lucas Oil Stadium is the big building in the background. The IU Interlocking Tower is south of the Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

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Fred Pajak posted
It's at least a train moving by Indianapolis Union Tower
Peter ZimmermannPeter and 3 others manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Railroading: History, Operations, Photography. "Clear....IU"

historicindianapolis.com has an article on the station. The first Union Depot and tracks connecting six railroads opened on September 28, 1853.

1852 Indianapolis cropped from Library of Congress TIFF
["e" is the Union Depot that replaced the depots that each railroad had built]

To learn about the belt railroad for the Union Stockyards, the building of the Union Station to serve the 15 railroads that were swamping the Union Depot, the tunneling of Pogue's Run, and the elevation of the belt railroad and the Union Station's track platform, read part two.

HistoryIn (source)
Indianapolis Depots Map, from SD King Map of Indiana, 1852. Courtesy of the Library of Congress (annotated by Erin Greb Cartography).