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3D Satellite)
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William A. Shaffer posted
Cincinnati Union Terminal. (Circa 1930s)
What an iconic terminal. I have heard rumors that it might be once again opening up for passengers.
(Photo by Floyd Richards - Collection of William A. Shaffer)
Sue Callahan Impressive structure. Hope it returns to passenger travel.
[She may have her hope: Amtrak to bring staff back to Cincinnati Union Terminal for overnight train. It has passenger travel (Cardinal), but it is was the busiest of 15 stations that lost station staff in 2018.] |
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Corlandra Jones posted
CINCINNATI UNION TERMINAL
Jim Kelling shared |
The station temporarily lost passenger service to a temporary structure when the Union Terminal building was renovated in 2018. [
GreatAmericanStations]
2 of 3 photos
posted by Joseph Tuch Santucci with the comment: "This morning [Sep 10, 2023] at Cincinnati Union Terminal"
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Jason Leverton posted
The interior of Cincinnati Union Terminal. |
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Amtrak posted
Cincinnati Union Terminal is out here doing the most.
J.B. Rail Photog shared |
It looks like the museum that is now using the building is a natural history museum in the "largest half-dome in the western hemisphere." Actually, the building houses three museums. And you can visit the original control tower. [
CincyMuseum]
One of the museums is the Duke Energy Children's Museum. In addition to the usual ball pit and water play areas and other exhibits, it has an exhibit about dental care.
Amtrak uses the former C&O route to the East and the former B&O+Erie route to Chicago. Of course, both of these routes are now operated by CSX.
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CincyMuseum
"The Rotunda's interior dome spans 180 feet, with a height of 106 feet." |
A fraction of its platform space.
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CincyMuseum
"The station was designed to accommodate 17,000 passengers and 216 trains a day." |
I find it interesting that the depots in Chicago are called stations when, in fact, they are terminals. No passenger train runs through Chicago. Yet this depot is called a terminal when, in fact, it is a station. Even in its heyday, very few passenger trains, if any, would have terminated here, which is wrong. Please read JohnP's comment.
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One of 18 photos shared by Albert R Brecken
Cincinnati Union Terminal Tower A on April 8, 2012.
Photo by Don Wetmore |
Rick Shilling
posted two images with the comment: "Back view of Union Terminal, Cincinnati, Ohio shows 8 platforms and 16 tracks servicing 7 Railroads: B&O,C&O,L&N,NYC,N&W,PRR and SR."
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A different exposure of the above.
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Jon Talton posted
Cincinnati Union Terminal, one of the finest pieces of Art Deco architecture in America. Opening in 1933, CUT was served by the New York Central, Pennsylvania, Baltimore and Ohio, Chesapeake and Ohio, Louisville and Nashville, Norfolk and Western, and Southern railroads. Amtrak pulled out in 1972 in favor of a nearby "Amshack," but returned with the Cardinal in 1991. Today, Union Terminal has been lovingly restored as the Cincinnati Museum Center.
Eric Godfrey: Restored but unfortunately truncated – as the photo shows, the impressive concourse (from which I boarded C & O's "George Washington" many times as a teenager) was lopped off. I think its murals went to CVG (the Cincinnati airport). As a young person I found the whole station awe-inspiring, and still remember the boarding announcement echoing through the vast spaces of the concourse.
Arthur House: The photo shows the demolition of the concourse portion of the structure.
[Jack Finke provided the three interior photos below as comments.]
Rod Davis shared
Randall Hampton shared
Randall Hampton shared
Deacon Glide shared |
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Rick Shilling posted
1952 EUnits of C&O,PRR,NYC and L&N idle on ready tracks by Union Terminal Roundhouse, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Thomas Wentzel shared |
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Rich Shilling posted
1930's Union Terminal Railroad Roundhouse, North of Western Hills Viaduct, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1. Roundhouse and Turntable under construction. 2. Completed Union Terminal Roundhouse & Turntable. 3. Roundhouse under water from great 1937 flood. |
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Rick commented on his post
Yellow dot by Viaduct is a Turntable that is still there. It was built to primarily serve passenger Locomotives at Cincinnati Union Terminal. The red dot a little NE of yellow dot was location of Cincinnati Union Terminal Roundhouse which is all gone. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Rick's post |
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Pagtrick Fuchs commented on the fifth photo
The building was designed with a pretty extensive lane system under to guide in taxis, busses, and I believe even trolleys to drop off and pick up passengers. |
Re: Even in its heyday, very few passenger trains, if any, would have terminated here.
ReplyDeleteActually, (almost) all of the trains would have terminated here. The NYC, PRR, L&N, Southern, C&O, B&O, and N&W all originated/terminated their trains here. None of these railroads had a route "through" the station.
However, there was a train called the "New Royal Palm" (started after WW2) that was a Detroit - Miami train operated by the NYC & Sou; but (as far as I know) that train was the only through train. The train was overnight from Detroit to Cincinnati. Sleepers from Chicago, St Louis, Cleveland, and Buffalo arrived on connecting NYC trains, and the combined cars then went off to Florida via Atlanta. And, technically, this (to me) wasn't really a "through train" because unlike (say) the City of Miami (IC) or South Wind (PRR), the diners and lounges didn't "go though". The train really originated in Cincinnati but the sleepers (and an observation car) started in Detroit on the NYC.
This was one of the first new streamliners dropped on the Midwest - Florida run.
http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track2/newroyalpalm195103.html
https://www.american-rails.com/56.html
Note that: The "New Royal Palm" and the "Royal Palm" were different trains, but ran on the same route, during the same time. I guess Southern liked the name so much they couldn't stop using it. Or their marketing department wasn't that creative (who knows...). The Royal Palm was pre WW2 and out-lived the "New" Royal Palm; mostly hauling express.
There were, however, a boat-load of sleeping cars that connected through Cincinnati. The NYC and PRR ran sleepers with the C&O and N&W (respectively) to/from Chicago and the Norfolk area. Sleepers from the north and east (NYC, PRR, & B&O) were scheduled on connecting trains to the south (via the L&N and Sou to: New Orleans, Florida, Memphis, Atlanta, Birmingham and lots of places in-between).
Thanks so much for the correction and information. Even though I get a lot of spam comments, good information like this one is why I keep the comments turned on.
DeleteI made a mistake. The B&O's Philadelphia - Washington - Cumberland - St Louis line went through Cincinnati. They had through trains at one time from Jersey City (via the Central Railroad of New Jersey) all the way to St. Louis. The most famous train was the National Limited.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.classicstreamliners.com/npt-national-limited--b-o-.html
There was a secondary "named train" called the Diplomat which also went through Cincinnati from/to the same end-points.
The Diplomat didn't make it to Amtrak, but the National Limited did. It was dropped by Amtrak. But, Amtrak used the National Limited name for their New York City to St Louis train on the old PRR railroad route. Amtrak's National Limited continued further to Kansas City. It was dropped in 1979.
(Not sure how I forgot the B&O went through Cincinnati!)