Crossover
Train Attendant
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My photo from when I was here for a game in 2010:7. Minute Maid Park (HB&T Union Station )
This ball park at first was named Enron Field due to the scandal and as a result the name was changed to Minute Maid Park . It was constructed from Union Station which sat dormant and no tracks no longer serve it . The stadium was constructed as a monument to the station which has a locomotive and tender working on the roof during Astros games . It does have a retractable roof . The stadium is located in downtown in the northeast corner east of the city jail and the justice center. It is home to the Houston Astros .
I don't know if there are official visitor tours of this building, but I managed to talk the security guy into turning a blind eye to me slipping inside and taking a few photos some years ago. He didn't seem totally comfortable about that though so I didn't push my luck too far.7. Minute Maid Park (HB&T Union Station )
This ball park at first was named Enron Field due to the scandal and as a result the name was changed to Minute Maid Park . It was constructed from Union Station which sat dormant and no tracks no longer serve it . The stadium was constructed as a monument to the station which has a locomotive and tender working on the roof during Astros games . It does have a retractable roof . The stadium is located in downtown in the northeast corner east of the city jail and the justice center. It is home to the Houston Astros .
I did stay here once, when I was on the previously mentioned corporate event. I was too busy to explore any of the amenities though, so maybe it was wasted on me. Some years later I stayed at the Four Seasons, which I actually found more pleasant.10. Hilton Americas Hotel
This Hotel is exquisite for those who do luxury travel . Located near the above mention venues , It will give you your moniesworth if you're looking for a hotel that has class and taste . Located in downtown near the park shops mall which is now a business center and food court .
There is more to come .
Looks like they do offer official Minute Maid Park tours: information here.I don't know if there are official visitor tours of this building, but I managed to talk the security guy into turning a blind eye to me slipping inside and taking a few photos some years ago. He didn't seem totally comfortable about that though so I didn't push my luck too far.]
hmmm- How odd the security guard didn't direct me to that. I would have preferred an official tour to inconveniencing him the way I did.Looks like they do offer official Minute Maid Park tours: information here.I don't know if there are official visitor tours of this building, but I managed to talk the security guy into turning a blind eye to me slipping inside and taking a few photos some years ago. He didn't seem totally comfortable about that though so I didn't push my luck too far.]
Maybe they weren't doing the tours that day, or else he didn't have the information at hand? Looks like the schedule can be variable, to account for games and other events that are taking place.hmmm- How odd the security guard didn't direct me to that. I would have preferred an official tour to inconveniencing him the way I did.
Hmm. Link works perfectly for me. You could just Google USS Texas hard hat tours.Sorry, the link doesn't work. I probably won't get to visit the USS Texas, even though I'm a battleship enthusiast.
Unabashed commercial plug for a 90+ year old Houston institution...worth a visit if you can find an open location (they seem to be struggling lately):
Hate to hear that. I'm a Bellaire grad (64), my late Mom loved the original place, and it was always a stop at least once a trip to Houston. Only place I know to get Delaware punch with a meal. Sorry to hear they are having issues. I'll have to make a pilgrimage soon. Hope it isn't too late. Haven't been in Houston in maybe 5 years.
James Coney Island
Hate to hear that. I'm a Bellaire grad (64), my late Mom loved the original place, and it was always a stop at least once a trip to Houston. Only place I know to get Delaware punch with a meal. Sorry to hear they are having issues. I'll have to make a pilgrimage soon. Hope it isn't too late. Haven't been in Houston in maybe 5 years.
Yes, in recent months the three locations which I most often use...Downtown (Dallas @ Travis...the Walker Street original closed decades ago), Gulfgate, and Edgebrook have all closed. Can't be a good sign.
Some random pictures that might be of interest. All taken pin my last visit in April 2012. The first is a building near UH Downtown with the logo of the Southern Pacific on it. Not sure what the story of this is ...
Metro tracks being put in
Inside the Astros / Minute Maid Park / Headhouse of old railroad station
(I'm not sure if photography was allowed here as the guard looked very uncomfortable when I took it, meanwhile the lady at the desk was doing her best to pretend she hadn't noticed)
At least I'd take heart that there still are a good bit of locations remaining, per this page(though the southeast Houston part of the metro now seems to have few left, unfortunately): http://www.jamesconeyisland.com/locs
I'll consider doing a visit to James Coney Island, if I visit Houston someday.
Great job, in doing all those pictures! That is weird the guard inside the former downtown Houston Southern Pacific station now being used for Astros offices, was a little uncomfortable in you taking pics. Good for you to get such a pic, though. Since it's a nice bit of former passenger rail history, still standing in downtown Houston thankfully!
[pedant]
We're talking two separate locations. The building with the SP logo used to be the headquarters of (IIRC) T&NO, Southern Pacific's Texas operating company. (Up through the mid-1960s, Texas law required railroads which operated in Texas to have their headquarters in Texas; the Class Ones "complied" with this by having a having a headquarters in-state...but, for some reason, the President and other key officers and directors were all stationed out of Chicago, New York, or San Francisco.... In addition to SP's office in Houston, Santa Fe's G. C. & S. F. had its headquarters in Galveston and their Panhandle & Santa Fe subsidiary was headquartered out of Amarillo.) It was still a working railroad office when I was in my teenage "exploring" (aka 'trespassing') years. Southern Pacific's Grand Central Station was a couple of blocks away, on land which was sold to build the Main Post Office which served Houston until just a few years ago and on the tracks which the present-day Houston Amtrak station still uses.
The other (big) station in town was Union Station, home to Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific, and the Joint Texas Division railroads (Rock Island & Burlington). (The Missouri-Kansas-Texas had its own small station on land which now belongs to U of H Downtown at the foot of Main Street; nothing is left of it except perhaps part of the platform.) Union Station's head house survived and was incorporated into the design of Minute Maid Park (formerly Ten-Run, er, Enron Field, but no one likes to talk about those days), but the former concourse and tracks have been completely replaced by the baseball stadium. There was still a live track into the station when I was in my high school trespassing years; it housed the MoPac division superintendent's business car...one day the porter saw me poking around and invited me inside for a tour. Very nice. I also went all through the station back before anyone ever got serious about "access control"; MoPac had their offices on most of the fourth floor and I became friendly with their janitor who told me a lot of stories about the old days. There was also a model railroad club on the south half of the second floor which was still opened to the public regularly. After the paranoiacs and lawyers (but I repeat myself...) took over, though, that ended and you couldn't get into the building without a badge.
So, two separate buildings; separate railroad systems. [/pedant]
Edit To Add: The Southern Pacific offices used to have a large neon sign on the roof reading, naturally, "Southern Pacific". It has been replaced by another neon sign in a similar style which reads "Bayou Lofts" (which is what the building was re-purposed to). The original sign was donated to the Houston NRHS chapter, which has plans to display it at their museum (not sure if it's up now or not; I don't get over to that side of town much).
Thanks for mentioning all this info, about both stations! Do you remember the various cities and towns(or at least more major ones) you could take a train from Houston Union Station(now home to the Astros) to, back in the day?
Also, I do wonder if the old Southern Pacific station(and demolished for a former main post office building that was used as that till 2015 per this article, http://houston.culturemap.com/news/...e-on-franklin-to-close-permanently-on-may-15/ ) at 401 Franklin Street ever served destinations, besides the regular ones on the current Amtrak Sunset Limited route? I do also wonder if the SP station(and nearby Amtrak station on this route) served trains going to/from Dallas and also Fort Worth, back in the day?
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