Train stations are interesting
crossroads of people and artifacts of travel methods past. For many decades
trains travel opened up destinations to vast amounts of people. In an era of
unreliable automobiles and non-existent air travel, locomotives took people to
faraway places and opened new possibilities and horizons. These journeys often
started, or ended, in grand edifices that symbolized the importance of the
undertaking. These structures have fallen on hard times and many have
disappeared. Yet, those that remain give us a glimpse to the romantic world of
train travel.
I remember my first trip on
Amtrak, Louisville to Fort Lauderdale, but I do not remember the station in
Louisville very well. But vaguely I remember my parents talking about the
beauty of the train station and what a shame it was rarely used any more.
Today, train stations have become a fascination. I am only sorry that we, as a
country, do not get to utilize them much anymore. While there has been a
decline in railroads, at least some of the old railroad stations have survived.
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| Grand Central (March 2014) |
Grand Central Station in New
York is iconic. One of my
favorite
photographs is of the station in 1954 with sunlight pouring into the
station highlighting the smoke/smog and creating streams of light that shine
upon the people congregating on the main floor. Once someone wrote that we have
come to love and revere Grand Central Station because of the destruction of
old
Penn Station. Recently, we watched an
American
Experience documentary on Penn Station, which chronicled the engineering
feat and architectural glory of the former station. The station itself, which
was private property, was destroyed as the result of a business decision. Most
people lament the loss of the great landmark.
Today
what serves as Penn Station, adjacent to Madison Square Garden, is an
inelegant structure that many revile.
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| 30th Street Station (April 2014) |
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| The Angel of Resurrection (1952) |
On the other hand, 30th Street Station
in Philadelphia is a gorgeous structure. Built between 1927 and 1933, it was
one of the last great train stations to be built. Despite its beautiful Art
Deco décor, perhaps the most distinctive feature of the station is the memorial
to those from the Pennsylvania Railroad who died during World War II, which is
stunning. Prominently displayed at the 29th Street exit the sculpture is
impossible to miss. Named “The Angel of Resurrection” (1952), by Walker
Hancock, it depicts the Archangel Michael lifting a deceased soldier from the
frames of war. As prominent as Hancock’s piece is, another work in the station is
interesting as well. “Spirit of Transportation” (1895), by Karl Bitter, was
originally placed at the Broad Street Station but moved to 30th Street in
1933. One detail that is worthy of note
is on the extreme right side of the sculpture a young boy holds a toy airship,
foretelling the development and utilization of air transportation eight years
prior to the successful flight of the Wright Brothers.
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| Union Station (April 2014) |
For as often as I had visited
Chicago, it was only recently that I toured Union Station. My recent visit
coincided with the home opener of Wrigley Field on its 100th anniversary. Cubs
fans poured into the station from surrounding suburbs and made their way to
alternative transportation, usually CTA “L” Trains, to complete their trip.
Rather than the bustling of Grand Station or the utilization of the waiting
space in 30th Street, Union Station looks empty. There are eight wooden
benches, four on either end of the great hall, with the center remarkably open.
The light-colored marble floors and the incredibly high sky lights gives the
impression of lightness and magnitude. With so few people, the space looks even
more massive. I read that the station is anticipating a threefold increase in
the coming years. It seems that the station is well suited to accommodate the
increased passengers.
While many stations create a
nostalgic feeling of early twentieth century, Union Station Chicago has a
slightly more recent nostalgia, perhaps from the mid-twentieth century. For
example, the
Metro Deli is an old-style bar
complete with vintage advertisements for color televisions and historic
photographs lining the walls. It is a traditional oval bar with a number of
televisions, plus a sandwich carving station. As I looked around, I imagined
men who had worked in the city having a beer while waiting for a train home to
the suburbs, watching the final innings of a Cubs game on WGN. In my mind,
Harry Caray was bellowing across the bar, hoping against hope for a late inning
rally from the Cubs.
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| Penn Station (March 2014) |
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| Lamp at Union Station Chicago |
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| "The Spirit of Transportation" (1895) |
