# Union Stations???



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> This is what it looked like outside. The old Waiting Room area is the far building and the train shed area is the one with Fred Harvey on it.


This old picture of CUS in the "Customer Service" thread got me thinking  :help: 

I see on the station sign, "Pennsylvania RR' "Burlington (Northern)" "Alton" and "Milwaukee Road" What I don't see, is "Union Pacific!" It made me wonder if any of the "Union Stations" in the country actually had any association with the Union Pacific Railroad? Or, were they named "Union Station" for a different reason? It's clear that all the "Penn" stations were the PRR (NYP, BAL, PHL, etc.), How did Washington DC end up with a Union Station?

Just curious...


----------



## PRR 60 (Aug 9, 2012)

The name "Union Station" referred to the fact that the station was built for the use of a "union" of multiple railroads.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

PRR 60 said:


> The name "Union Station" referred to the fact that the station was built for the use of a "union" of multiple railroads.


Which, of course, makes perfect logical sense. I guess the PRR had a great deal of pull in NYC to get that station named NY Penn, as opposed to NY Union Station...Then again, there is also "Grand Central Station." Perhaps that was for the NY Central system (the LSL used to originate from Gr. Ctrl).?


----------



## Jim G. (Aug 9, 2012)

The word union can mean "a combining or joining of things". The joining of all these different rail lines in Chicago and Washington could well be the reason they were named "Union Station".


----------



## MrFSS (Aug 9, 2012)

AutoTrDvr said:


> I see on the station sign, "Pennsylvania RR' "Burlington (Northern)" "Alton" and "Milwaukee Road" What I don't see, is "Union Pacific!"


You don't see Union Pacific because the UP didn't go to Chicago. Only as far as Omaha and then it became Milwaukee Road. There were UP passenger cars on the train, but it was pulled by Milwaukee Road engines Sometimes you might see a UP engine come into Chicago, but it was Milwaukee Road track all the way from Omaha.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

Jim G. said:


> The word union can mean "a combining or joining of things". The joining of all these different rail lines in Chicago and Washington could well be the reason they were named "Union Station".


I just wasn't certain if that particular context is what those founding fathers of rail were thinking.... Since we do have a number of stations in my area named "Penn," I thought perhaps the UP might have had a number of stations named "Union" in theirs. Although Wash, did seem a little "out of territory" for them.


----------



## PRR 60 (Aug 9, 2012)

AutoTrDvr said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > The name "Union Station" referred to the fact that the station was built for the use of a "union" of multiple railroads.
> ...


They didn't need pull. The PRR built and owned Pennsylvania Station New York. It was exclusively for the use of the PRR and the PRR-controlled LIRR. The New York, New Haven & Hartford also called at Penn with their portion of through trains between Washington and Boston.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> AutoTrDvr said:
> 
> 
> > I see on the station sign, "Pennsylvania RR' "Burlington (Northern)" "Alton" and "Milwaukee Road" What I don't see, is "Union Pacific!"
> ...


Fair enough... Well, it would seem now that they have their foot squarely "in the door", having acquired the CNW. Albeit it is Metra running the Pax. service.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

PRR 60 said:


> AutoTrDvr said:
> 
> 
> > PRR 60 said:
> ...


Leaving Grand Central Station for all the "NY Central System" routes (e.g. LSL)?


----------



## jis (Aug 9, 2012)

AutoTrDvr said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > AutoTrDvr said:
> ...


Grand Central was built and owned by the New York Central. By the time Amtrak LSL came about there was no NY Central or PRR. The original NYC LSL ceased to operate in 1956. Incidentally the current Grand Central Terminal is the second incarnation of a station at that location. The first one was on surface with an enormous arched train shed in the same league as London's Paddington or St. Pancras, which was replaced by the underground station.

BTW Penn Station was used by B&O via CNJ briefly during the war as I understand it. And then the Aldene Plan redirected CNJ commuter service into Penn Station Newark (precursor to today's NJT Raritan Valley Service), and also CNJ Bay Head trains (precursor to today's NJT Newark - Bay Head service), but they never made it all the way to New York Penn Station. Only the ex-PRR Bay Head service with engine change in South Amboy continued into NY Penn.


----------



## PRR 60 (Aug 9, 2012)

AutoTrDvr said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > They didn't need pull. The PRR built and owned Pennsylvania Station New York. It was exclusively for the use of the PRR and the PRR-controlled LIRR. The New York, New Haven & Hartford also called at Penn with their portion of through trains between Washington and Boston.
> ...


Yes. The PRR's arch-rival, the New York Central owned Grand Central. The New Haven also called at Grand Central with their Boston to New York trains (only the though trains to Washington called at Pennsylvania Station).

Left on the outside looking in were the Erie, Lackawanna, Central RR of NJ (B&O and Reading), among others. They were stuck with terminating in New Jersey with ferry connections to Manhattan.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

PRR 60 said:


> AutoTrDvr said:
> 
> 
> > PRR 60 said:
> ...


Thus, Hoboken for Erie Lackawanna (actually DLW - Delaware, Lackawanna & Western - and the Erie, which I believe terminated in Jersey City originally before merging with DLW).


----------



## jis (Aug 9, 2012)

AutoTrDvr said:


> PRR 60 said:
> 
> 
> > AutoTrDvr said:
> ...


Erie did not go to Jersey City. It's terminal was Pavonia Terminal close to where the Pavonia/Newport PATH Station is today.

CNJ went to Jersey City, and PRR went to Exchange Place.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

jis said:


> AutoTrDvr said:
> 
> 
> > PRR 60 said:
> ...


Isn't that Jersey City???


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Aug 9, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> AutoTrDvr said:
> 
> 
> > I see on the station sign, "Pennsylvania RR' "Burlington (Northern)" "Alton" and "Milwaukee Road" What I don't see, is "Union Pacific!"
> ...


And this response highlights the fact that many trains all over the country---north, south, east and west ----were operated as a joint venture between several railroads.

For example, the pre Amtrak California Zephyr. It was operated between Chicago and Denver by the Burlington. Then Denver and Rio Grande handled it between Denver and Salt Lake City. From there Western Pacific took it on to Oakland. (today that would be Emeryville), This usually meant that each railroad contributed a portion of the equipment based more or less on mileage. It also usually meant the locomotive would change each time a train was taken over by another railroad There are exceptions to everything in the railroad world but the above is the usual.

There was a train called the South Wind which broke the above rules. It was PRR from Chicago to Louisville. Then Louisville and Nashville from Louisville to Montgomery. Then Atlantic Coast Line to Jacksonville and then Florida East Coast from there to Miami. This train's equipment was all PRR for many years, though that changed about 17 years later. And, still breaking all the the rules of joint operation, it was normally powered all the way from Chicago to Miami by ACL alternating with PRR.

Some stations were called terminal stations. I am sure, back in the mid to late 1800s that such names as terminal station really meant that it was the end of the line. And, as already stated, union stations handled trains of several lines.But do keep in mind that rail history is always revolving and that in later years those names did not always continue to reflect their original intent.

Look at the two stations which at one time existed in downtown Atlanta. One was called Union and one was called Terminal. Yet each station served about four railroad companies each. And most trains at each station were through trains, very few actually "terminating". So much for literal titles---in later years, that is.


----------



## Ryan (Aug 9, 2012)

AutoTrDvr said:


> Since we do have a number of stations in my area named "Penn,"


All of those stations were built by the PRR of their exclusive use (Baltimore, Newark, etc, etc...).


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

Ryan said:


> AutoTrDvr said:
> 
> 
> > Since we do have a number of stations in my area named "Penn,"
> ...


Which is why I thought UP had done the same thing with "Union" stations...


----------



## jis (Aug 9, 2012)

AutoTrDvr said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> > AutoTrDvr said:
> ...


Yes. But it is not the Jersey City Terminal.


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Aug 9, 2012)

Just FYI a 1971 PRR timetable shows seven major stations in Chicago

Union, 4 railroads

Central, 4 railroads

C&NW, one railroad

Dearborn 6 railroads

Grand Central 3 railroads

La Salle Street 4 railroads

Englewood Union 4 railroads

Of course there were many suburnan stations as well.

There might be a question what a list of stations in Chicago has to do with anything but actually this began with a view of Union Station in Chicago. Just wanted you to know there was a lot more than one station in the WIndy City


----------



## George Harris (Aug 9, 2012)

AutoTrDvr said:


> I see on the station sign, "Pennsylvania RR' "Burlington (Northern)" "Alton" and "Milwaukee Road" What I don't see, is "Union Pacific!"


"Burlington" does not refer to Burlington Northern, which did not exist at that time. It referred to Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q markings) which was commonly shortened to just "Burlington" and had the slogan "Everywhere West" despite not getting west of Denver.

"Alton" was the Chicago and Alton which was a subsidiary of the B&O until sold in bankruptcy or near bankruptcy to the GM&O. That is why they had B&O style signals. This was probably the first case of a northern road being taken over by a southern road.


----------



## MrFSS (Aug 9, 2012)

Here is a map of the Chicago Stations pre-Amtrak.

Note - there was an EL line to CUS, Chicago Northwestern Station, and to La Salle Street Station, all now gone.

Also, Central Station was were the Roosevelt Road Metra Station is now.






Here is a picture I took in the 50's from Roosevelt Road of the Southwind that Bill Mentions in his post above. It had ACL engines this particuloar day.

It could have had PRR, too.






And, a time when UP power was used coming into Chicago on the north side (where the Hiawathas and EB come and go today.)


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

Bill Haithcoat said:


> Just FYI a 1971 PRR timetable shows seven major stations in Chicago
> 
> Union, 4 railroads
> 
> ...


I lived in the Chicago area for several years (got my Bachelors at Northwestern). Definitely familiar with Union, C & NW, Dearborn, & LaSalle. Used Union (mostly for Milwaukee Rd) & C & NW a lot. Used LaSalle for the Rock Island. I still can't get over the fact that UP was able to acquire C & NW.


----------



## Trogdor (Aug 9, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> Here is a map of the Chicago Stations pre-Amtrak.
> 
> Note - there was an EL line to CUS, Chicago Northwestern Station, and to La Salle Street Station, all now gone.


Actually, the lines that served North Western Station and LaSalle Street Station are still there, with the same stops that existed back then. Gone is the direct link from Clinton/Lake (now Green / Pink Line) to NW station (now Ogilvie Center), so you have to walk down the street to get to the entrance. The LaSalle/Van Buren station in the Loop still serves LaSalle Street Station.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> Here is a map of the Chicago Stations pre-Amtrak.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I would always use the "Clinton" CTA station (on what is now the Green Line - formerly the "Lake / Dan Ryan" Line) for the C & NW terminal. In fact, I used to watch the trains leave that station form the El platform at Clinton. Of course, the "Blue Line" Clinton station was for Union Station (& Main PO). I used to take what is now the Red Line from the "Loyola" stop, xfr to the "pink line" and went all the way to the end of that line (54th st.) to go to work every day for a bit. I recall near the C & NW station there was a lunch place called "Steve's" An almost exact copycat of the "Billy Goat" tavern where the guy sounded just like the SNL Parody ("Cheebugah...Cheebugah" etc.). :lol:

When I rode the CTA, the "Red" line to Howard St. did not go all the way to 95th. It went to both Englewood (A side) and "Jackson Pk (B side). It was the "Lake / Dan Ryan" train (now the Green Line) that went to 95th.

Otherwise, all seems the same on the CTA. I recall the old Evanston shuttle trains (like on the Bob Newhart show) that had only one car and two cabs inside at each end. The "Yellow Line" (Skokie Swift) also had this car (as well as an articulated 3 unit train) that had both a 3rd rail shoe and a pan, for the catenary portion in Skokie.



MrFSS said:


> Also, Central Station was were the Roosevelt Road Metra Station is now.
> 
> Here is a picture I took in the 50's from Roosevelt Road of the Southwind that Bill Mentions in his post above. It had ACL engines this particuloar day.
> 
> It could have had PRR, too.


I remember the ACL also. My mom was living in NW Atlanta for a while in the 60's There used to be a 4 track freight line on which the ACL would pass right

by the apt. building they lived in. I recall re-visiting that in 1999, and it's become a MARTA line with only two tracks.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

Trogdor said:


> MrFSS said:
> 
> 
> > Here is a map of the Chicago Stations pre-Amtrak.
> ...


Aw, that's a shame if that link to the Clinton El Sta. from Ogilvie is gone.  I used that a lot.


----------



## the_traveler (Aug 9, 2012)

A small correction - but a pet peeve of mine. It is Grand Central *TERMINAL*, not Grand Central Station! The Terminal is the great building built by NYC. The station is a Post Office no where near GCT! (And it is called a Terminal because all tracks dead end at GCT. There are no thru tracks at all.)

And the only "Union Station" which UP went to that I can think of offhand is PDX Union Station.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 9, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> A small correction - but a pet peeve of mine. It is Grand Central *TERMINAL*, not Grand Central Station! The Terminal is the great building built by NYC. The station is a Post Office no where near GCT! (And it is called a Terminal because all tracks dead end at GCT. There are no thru tracks at all.)


Apologies... I did know that, but since most use the terms interchangeably (without knowledge of what "terminal" means in that context), I just got used to using it myself... Just as with NJ Transit's Hoboken "Terminal" I guess CUS cannot be considered a "Terminal" since there is a thru track, although I don't know of any trains currently that do pass through and not terminate there. C & NW (now Ogilvie) is a terminal and I recall it being referred to as "Chicago Terminal" in train announcements.


----------



## JayPea (Aug 9, 2012)

Spokane's Union Station did serve the Union Pacific, as well as the Milwaukee Railroad, which had trackage rights over UP's tracks through Spokane. Both railroads ran separate passenger trains, however, as the Milwaukee's Olympian Hiawatha was served by Union Station and the UP's City of Hinkle was served by Union Station as well. Also, the Spokane International Railway, which was a short line between Spokane and the Canadian Pacific mainline at Yahk, BC, used Union Station for its passenger service as well. Union Station along with the Great Northern Station, whose Clock Tower remains a major focal point of Spokane's Riverfront Park, was razed in the early 1970's to make room for Spokane's World's Fair, Expo '74.


----------



## George Harris (Aug 9, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> Here is a picture I took in the 50's from Roosevelt Road of the Southwind that Bill Mentions in his post above. It had ACL engines this particuloar day.
> 
> It could have had PRR, too.


I have always been facinated by the Florida fast three. Taht is, City of Miami, ICRR, CofG, ACL; South Wind, Pennsy, L&N, ACL; and Dixie Flagler, C&EI, L&N, NC&St.L, ACL. There was no station common to all three north of Jacksonville. Each one originated at a different station in Chicago. All three stopped at Waycross GA, but the South Wind not at the same place as the other two, despite all being ACL by that time. The CofM and SW both went through Birmingham Al, but stopped at different station. The SW and DF both stopped at Union Station in Nashville, but came and left on different routes.

Only the route of the Dixie Flagler is all still existing, and it was the first of the three to be discontinued. The route is highly congested making the 1950's schedule impossible. All of the South Wind route from Indianapolis is still in place, but some of it would need serious upgrading. The route of the CofM, which was probably the heavies used, and most reliable in schedule keeping, has had several segments abandoned.

In the early 60's I used to see teh CofM come through Martin TN in the wintertime with 20 or more cars behind four E units.


----------



## the_traveler (Aug 9, 2012)

CUS does have a thru track (2 IIRC) so it could Not be called a Terminal. There are no trains thru CUS, but those tracks are used by Amtrak and METRA trains to get to and from the north tracks to the yards on the south side of CUS.


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Aug 9, 2012)

PRR 60 said:


> AutoTrDvr said:
> 
> 
> > PRR 60 said:
> ...


Also the Pennsylvania RR built the Hotel Pennsylvania across the street.


----------



## MikefromCrete (Aug 10, 2012)

OK, the various Pennsylvania Stations were built by and named for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Since the PRR owned the buildings they could name them anything they wanted. No political clout was involved (although I'm sure the PRR had plenty of clout out east).

Union Pacific had nothing to do with the various Union Stations around the country. The name indicated that the station was served by a number of railroads. Sometimes, one railroad owned the station, at other place, an independent company operated the station. Chicago Union Station Company was owned by the PRR, Chicago Burlington and Quincy and the Milwaukee Road. The Alton was a tenant.

Dearborn Station in Chicago was owned by the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad, a small terminal company that until the 1950's operated commuter trains from Dearborn to Dolton, IL. Dearborn's tenants included the mighty Santa Fe Railroad, along with lesser lights Chicago and Eastern Illinois, Wabash, Grand Trunk Western, Erie (later Erie-Lackawanna) and Monon.


----------



## TampAGS (Aug 10, 2012)

PRR 60 said:


> The name "Union Station" referred to the fact that the station was built for the use of a "union" of multiple railroads.


The same concept has been used for other modes of transport. Tampa at one time had a Union Bus Station in addition to Tampa Union Station, the train station which remains in operation today. I'm not certain which Bus companies operated out Union Bus Station, but Tampa Union Station was built by the Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard Air Line, and Tampa Northern Railroad companies.

It's interesting that the "Union" name has never been used (to my knowledge) for airports. I guess because airlines have rarely been required to provide their own infrastructure.


----------



## the_traveler (Aug 10, 2012)

Just guessing, but could Tampa's Union Bus Station been served by Greyhound, Trailways and other smaller bus lines?





And you're right about airports, although many were/are called "International Airport" - even if they had no international flights! An exception was Albany (NY). It's airport was called Albany County Airport, even though it had international flights. There were 2 reasons for this. Number 1 - It was owned and operated by Albany County, thus the regional name. Number 2 - There was a local business named Albany International. The airport (ALB) is now called Albany International Airport! (I don't know how it was resolved, I've been out of the area for 20 years.)


----------



## MrFSS (Aug 10, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> Just guessing, but could Tampa's Union Bus Station been served by Greyhound, Trailways and other smaller bus lines?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Dave - as I understand it an International Airport is one where you can check bags that will eventually be on an international flight. That is, the starting airport you leave from doesn't have any international flights but you can fly to another airport, change planes and that second plane can go international.

I think many years ago if this was the case you had to reclaim your bags at the second airport and recheck them for the international flight just as you have to many times coming back into the states. Flying away is much easier than coming home.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 10, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> the_traveler said:
> 
> 
> > Just guessing, but could Tampa's Union Bus Station been served by Greyhound, Trailways and other smaller bus lines?
> ...


I could see this working for "outbound" flights. But I thought that for "inbound" flights, all baggage must clear CBP at the first port of arrival for the vehicle, even if the pax's journey continues beyond that. This, because the vehicle itself must also clear CBP and could probably not be the same one used for the continued journey (at least in the case of aircraft). Trains might be a little different, of course.


----------



## MrFSS (Aug 10, 2012)

AutoTrDvr said:


> MrFSS said:
> 
> 
> > the_traveler said:
> ...


Yep - the first US airport the incoming flight from outside the US is where you have to clear customs and Immigration, with your luggage, and then recheck it on any continuing flight. There is an exception. Certain Canadian cities, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, etc have the US customs and immigration right in the departing airport. You clear it there and they "lock" you in a secure place that essentially becomes US soil. Once you are in there the only place you can go is onto the plane.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 10, 2012)

MrFSS said:


> AutoTrDvr said:
> 
> 
> > MrFSS said:
> ...


Yep... I did that at Pearson (Toronto) once.  Back when Immigration and Customs were still separate. The INS guy was not the most pleasant person in the world. <_< Here's the complete list of those stations.

Not to stray too far off topic, but if you really want to hear a CBP "horror story," try diving in the St. Lawrence River in the 1000 islands region (i.e. Brockville, Ont.). Some of the wrecks are on the Canadian side. Some of them on the US side. Some of the better wrecks make it more desirable to stay (if only temporarily) on the Canadian side. But, if you want to dive the US wrecks from the Canadian side, you have to clear CBP each & every day, and re-clear Canadian Customs as well!

Fortunately, the Canadian dive shops have a nice set up, though. You have to tell them in advance how many (and which days) you will be diving US wrecks. You give them your Passport #, etc. In turn, they send lists to the CBP station in advance to "pre-clear" you. On the morning of your dives, you must wait until the CBP station opens at 10am ET. All boats being seen as coming from a Canadian port (tourist boats, dive boats, any boat - and trust me, they know who's who), must first arrive at the CBP checkpoint (via a specified route along the river) on Heart Island, Alexandria Bay (the island that has the "Castle Dracula" building on it). Since we're pre-cleared, the CBP agent actually comes out to the boat, checks our passports, and then sends us on our way. But, if there's a question, they could pull any one of us off for additional inspection. Never wear a hat or sunglasses during this inspection. Once cleared, you have to leave the island via a specified route. From then on, you must stay on the US territorial water side of the St. Lawrence (and the CBP patrols it in high speed cigarette boats), until you are ready to return (again via a specified route) to Canada. You have to call CBP by cell phone, prior to leaving US territorial waters. You must then call Canadian Customs on arrival in Canadian waters and clear by phone.

And do it all again the next day (and every day) you want to dive US Wrecks from Canada.


----------



## Trogdor (Aug 10, 2012)

I thought that "International" airports just meant the airport had the facilities to handle international flights (not that they necessarily do handle them). I'd never heard about checking bags from a specific airport to an international destination being an issue.


----------



## Anderson (Aug 10, 2012)

You had a number of "Central Stations" associated with the NYC...but sometimes it was also a location description. IIRC, there were at least one or two cities where "Central Station" wasn't served by the NYC even though the NYC served that city (example: Chicago).

Likewise, as noted there were a number of Penn Stations served by the Pennsy. Other stations were often named for streets (Richmond has Main Street Station and Staples Mill Road, and used to have both Broad Street and Hull Street), people (FEC's Flagler Station in Miami), locations (some of the non-NYC "Central Stations" leap to mind), or the railroad serving them (Chicago's "C&NW Station").

I'm just wondering...I know that at least three of the downtown stations are still used in Chicago, but how many (and which ones) are still used? IIRC, it's Union, CNW, and one other along the South Shore Line that are still in use for commuter services.

Trog: You're dead on. "International" just means the presence of a customs office, I think, thereby in theory allowing international flights to use the airport if one of the lines _really_ wants to run a flight in.

And...good grief, I am developing a deep, deep dislike of US customs policy and its ilk.


----------



## AutoTrDvr (Aug 10, 2012)

Anderson said:


> I'm just wondering...I know that at least three of the downtown stations are still used in Chicago, but how many (and which ones) are still used? IIRC, it's Union, CNW, and one other along the South Shore Line that are still in use for commuter services.


I believe the "La Salle St." station is still open (serving the METRA "Rock Island" division), right?


----------



## Trogdor (Aug 11, 2012)

There are four terminals (terminals in the sense that trains terminate there, not in the sense that there aren't any through tracks, though for three of them, there aren't) still in use in Chicago: Union, Ogilvie (North Western), LaSalle, and Millennium (Randolph). There are also two other downtown stations served by Metra: Van Buren and Roosevelt (both on the electric line).


----------



## trainman74 (Aug 11, 2012)

TampAGS said:


> It's interesting that the "Union" name has never been used (to my knowledge) for airports. I guess because airlines have rarely been required to provide their own infrastructure.


The Burbank, California airport was "Union Air Terminal" from 1934-1940 (but it was not union in the same sense as a "Union Station" -- it was originally built solely by the Boeing/United Aircraft/United Airlines holding company).

At the time, it was in competition with Grand Central Airport in Glendale.


----------



## TampAGS (Aug 12, 2012)

the_traveler said:


> Just guessing, but could Tampa's Union Bus Station been served by Greyhound, Trailways and other smaller bus lines?


Actually, at the time, the "Greyhound" and "Trailways" brands did not yet exist, or at least not in Florida. There were two successive Union Bus Stations in Tampa to my knowledge, with the last one opening in 1926. Old photos show White Bus Line (formerly White Stage Line) and Florida Motor Lines, while a list here of old bus routes shows several to/from Tampa by Tamiami Trail Tours and an actual *Union *Bus Company.

 

Florida Motor Lines became Florida Greyhound Lines in 1946, while Tamiami Trail Tours became part of Trailways in 1938. I don't know what year Union Bus Station #2 closed, but it's probably the case that it was serviced by the Greyhound and Trailways brands in its later years.


----------

