St. Louis, MO, St. Louis Union Station, Rolla Subdivision, MP 0.0, St. Louis Subdivision, MP 0.0

I am very impressed!

A beautiful restoration, and thank goodness someone had the foresight to preserve it.

Strange, I have been to the shopping mall there, but, if I remember correctly, we parked the rental car in a lot out back.

I cannot recall much. I was following skirts around at that time of my life. Some of which I would like to forget.

A visit has been logged on the "bucket list".

 

I guess this qualifies as a Frisco "depot."

GS

http://www.pallensmith.tv/video/St. Louis - Union Station

 

Yes, it does.

I have a foldout that was a part of the book St. Louis Union Station and Its Railroads by Norbury Wayman which shows all of the scheduled trains of all the railroads using Union Depot on January 20, 1929.

This foldout shows the Frisco had nine scheduled inbound and outbound regular passenger trains plus three outbound and three inbound suburban trains for a total of twenty-four trains a day during the week. The suburban trains have a different schedule on Saturday and Sunday. The Frisco was right up among the heaviest users of the depot.

I just wish I could have seen the beautiful depot in its hey day as it must have been quite a sight. I read somewhere that at one time it was the busiest railroad station in the world. Someone else can fill in the statistics as I cannot remember where I read that.

Not only did the Frisco have a good number of trains that used the depot, but the Texas Special was the longest train on many occasions. Saving this depot and the one in Kansa City, which is another spectacular edifice, were one of the most far sighted moves both cities had.

While Tulsa's depot is not as large, it too, was a beautiful building built in the early 1930s in the art deco style. All three of these depots came close to disappearing, but thank fully they were saved.

Thanks for posting this video.

Terry

 

Thank you for the video, it was very nice.

I was at Union Station in December and wanted to see inside, but a sign was posted reserving the depot section, not the trainshed, for hotel guests. The hotel owns the entire stone edifice now.

I guess I am too nice. I should have gone in.

Nathan

 

My daughter and son in law stayed in the hotel last October, and they told us that there were many empty shopping areas in the mall train shed area.

They were told that a redo was in the works with new shops coming when it was finished. I will say that if the hotel does not allow people to walk through and look at that beautiful building that many of the potential customers will not come to look and shop.

The main draw to that area is the depot and not the shops, as far as I am concerned. I do not see how they can keep people out of the public areas because they are, well, public. People walk through hotel lobbies and other buildings all the time. It does not make sense to me.

I agree with you that you should have gone on inside. I have actually gone into some areas that I probably would not have been permitted if they had seen me, but all I was doing was looking.

It would be a shame if that building became the attraction for only those who can afford the high room rates.

Terry

 

Thanks for posting this video.

I remember going into this depot with my dad in 1969-1970. It was a little run down back then, but we could still take the train from Owensboro/Mt. Vernon on the L&N into the original shed.

I remember going to the zoo for the day and taking the train back the same day.

Pete

 

Stayed in the hotel last April and posted photographs here recently.

I was told the depot had the largest shed in the world once upon a time.

I think they said 48 trains could be set under it.

 

The link that Gregg posted on February 20, 2014 seems to be broken.

I got an error message when I tried to watch the video.

Would one of the administrators please help us?

Joe

 

Me too!

Ooops, That page cannot be found!

 

Maybe this is it.

 

Union Station, Mogul 2-6-0 Frisco passenger train leaving in 1904, the year of the 1904 World's Fair.

Picture:

http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index....8/&temp_hash=b7b5ad802d70b8d9f5403a94b1dc4a2a


1904 Rail Network Map, of all tracks around St. Louis, St. Louis County and in Illinois.

1904 Historical Topographic Map Website St. Louis:

http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/missouri/pclmaps-topo-mo-saint-louis-1903.jpg

Click on the map to zoom in. Scroll horizontally and and vertically. It goes far in all directions. The map also shows the layout of the Fair Grounds.

Other Examples:
Rail yards for industries in Valley Park.
Tunnel at Meramec Heights.
Other type rail transportation systems that were not railroads.
Illinois railyards

HISTORICAL TOPO MAP WEBSITES:
Each historical map has a different survey and edition date.

Select any state

http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/topo_us.html

Select any Missouri maps by county or name.

http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/missouri/

http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/missouri/

Select St. Louis and St. Louis County. 1904

http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/missouri/pclmaps-topo-mo-saint-louis-1903.jpg

Also an attachment.

 

Nice picture.

Engine does not appear to be a Mogul.

Looks to have 4-wheel pilot truck?

Almost looks like it has four driving axles?

Andre

 

It looks like an early Pacific type with split counterweights.

Is it 1009?

See Frisco Power page 125 for a side view.

I have seen the photograph before, but neither in Stagner's Steam Locomotives of the Frisco Line nor in Frisco Power.

 

Thanks Windsor and Keith.

I knew it was not a Mogul, but it looked "odd". It was that last large diameter trailing truck thing. I just do not think in terms of Pacific.

Much too modern for my aristocratic and elite turn of the century 19 steam interests.



Andre

 

Andre, they're not too far away. 1905 IIRC, so, pretty close

 

Nay, nay, palallin,

I am a true aristocrat of the turn of the century 19 trade, I model the 1880s.

Andre

 

I have found the photograph of Frisco 4-6-2 1008 seen before, Collias's Frisco Power, page xiii in the forward.

Rich