St. Paul, MN: 1881+1920 Union Depot (SPUD)

(3D Satellite)

Dan Hennelly posted

The Saint Paul Union Depot was completed in 1923 after six years of construction. It replaced an earlier station completed in 1881 that burned down in 1913. Construction cost $15 million and was the largest construction project in Saint Paul during the 20th century. The station had 10 platforms and 21 tracks. When it opened it served the Burlington Route, Chicago and Northwestern Railway, Chicago Great Western Railway, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, Great Northern Railway, Milwaukee Road, Northern Pacific Railway, Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway, and the Soo Line. During the 1920’s, there were 282 train movements daily, but traffic declined during the Depression. Passenger traffic increased during World War II as troops from nearby Fort Snelling transited through the station along with soldiers from other Midwest bases. Traffic declined during the 1950’s and 1960’s as the automobile replaced the train as the most popular means of travel. Burlington’s afternoon Zephyr was the last passenger train to leave the Depot on April 30, 1971. Amtrak opted to consolidate its Twin City operations in Minneapolis.

The depot was the third largest mail handling station, behind New York and Chicago, handling twenty million pieces of mail annually. It was connected by a tunnel to the downtown Saint Paul Central Station. After the station closed, the U. S. Postal Service used the concourse and waiting room for mail handling and storage. The tracks underneath the station were removed and paved over to handle semi-trailer trucks and provide employee parking. In 2010, the Postal Service moved its operations to its bulk processing facility in Eagan, Minnesota.

The closure of the Postal Service’s operations enabled the Depot to be renovated to serve as an intermodal transport hub. In addition to serving two Amtrak trains, it is also a stop on the Green Line light rail system and rapid transit bus lines serving Minneapolis and St. Paul, and intercity buses including Greyhound. Jefferson Lines, and Megabus. The two Amtrak trains are the Empire Builder and the Borealis connecting Chicago to Seattle and Portland. In addition, it houses shops and restaurants and is a popular wedding venue.

1951 St Paul East Quad @ 1:24,000

Marty Bernard posted two photos with the comment:

Maroon Monday, St. Paul Union Depot

This is CRI&P F7A 111 on the west leads to SPUD on June 8, 1964. The second photo is the Google satellite picture. The maroon rectangle is about where the F7A was and the green arrow about where I took the picture. In both pictures the depot concourse is upper right. The depot has undergone a major renovation, it's beautiful. The Empire Builder has returned to the depot. The satellite shot is probably well out of date.

Marty Bernard shared

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mnopedia
The first depot opened in 1881. Construction started on a replacement that included elevated tracks in 1917, and it opened in phases between 1920 and 1924. The nine owning railroads were "the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Rock Island, Minneapolis & St. Louis, Milwaukee, Omaha, Burlington, Soo Line, and Chicago Great Western." [I wonder if this is the Union Station with the most owners.] "After New York and Chicago, St Paul Union Depot was the largest railway mail transfer facility in the country."

Minnesota On Our Minds posted

Aerial view, Union Depot and downtown St. Paul, 03/1959.

Photographer: Erickson, Gordon A.

mnhs

Ted Hazelton shared
Ted Hazelton shared

 

Minnesota On Our Minds posted
Burlington’s Zephyr‘s gather at St. Paul Union Depot on Sept. 29, 1948.
Greg Smith: Morning light. Train on the right more than likely the Blackhawk overnight Train from Chicago. Train on the left has newer dome cars so is probably the Morning Zephyr going g to Chicago.
[Some comments discuss why arriving and departing trains are facing the same direction.]
Tom Lyman shared
Bill Rizzo: Does anyone know when the last original Zephyr was retired from regular service?
Sean Britt: Bill Rizzo Silver Charger would have been the last of the shovel noses in service. Retired in 1966.
The ones built for the twin cities and Denver Zephyrs like the one in the picture were converted to cabless boosters in the mid 50’s and retired a few years after.

Greg Smith commented on the above post
 Line going off the top of the picture is west to Minneapolis via GN, line to the right is joint CB&Q Milwaukee Road east to Hastings MN where they split and continue east to Chicago, Line to the left is Milwaukee Road west to Minneapolis.

John Harker posted two photos with the comment: "Milwaukee Road train #100 the Afternoon Hiawatha left the Minneapolis station at 12:30 PM, traveled over the short line and is seen in these two images approaching and arriving at St Paul Union Depot (SPUD) at 12:55 PM in October 1954.  I assume these views were taken from the Robert Street bridge looking toward SPUD.  The consist for #100 with its all maroon and orange livery was pretty much standard now with a super dome and a “rapids series” skytop parlor observation.  This train was powered by passenger diesels FP7 90-A, F7B 90-B and FP7 90-C.  I scanned and edited these images from an original red-bordered Kodak Kodachrome slide and a remounted or duplicate with no photographer listed.  John Harker collection"

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Michael Stamey posted

Peter DeBruin: Note Soo Line passenger GP in the upper left background.

Edward Kwiatkowski shared

Michael Mazzitello Sr.: St. Paul union depot roundhouse

Comments on Michael's post

One of three photos posted by Marty Bernard

A Great Northern Transfer Run in St. Paul, MN on June 17, 1964.

The power was GN 147 an NW2, EMD builder number 2477. She became BN 484, was retired 4/29/1982, sold to Diesel Supply Co. 7/23/1982, then went to Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Ry.

Beginning to pull forward through a double-slip switch. St. Paul Union Depot is at the very top of the photo.
James Salak: Wow ! That is just sooo neat ! I tried to make a double slip switch on my model RR.... didn't turn out as well as this one.... lol !
Jim Vlcek: The tower building, just to the right of the train, lasted into the 1990s (although unused).
Kevin Foley: I think this location was known as Chestnut Street and that may have been the "Tower" that controlled it. I am not 100 per cent sure on this.
Fred Hyde: Kevin Foley Robert Street. Chestnut Street about 1/3 mile west.

Marty Bernard posted
5. View of the St. Paul railroad yard showing Great Northern train, Saint Paul Union Depot, circa 1931. Photographs and captions from the Minnesota Historical Society.

1951/53 St Paul East @ 24,000