historical question about Toledo train depot

[amarsh]

I was coming back on the LSL from New York to Chicago, and I have to say I was extremely fascinated with how nice and interesting the Toledo stop was to me. The interior was also really clean, and in great shape, and I don't want to bore you with more raving of how much I loved seeing that stop and taking pics of it.

Anyway, my question was pre-Amtrak, how many different cities could you travel to from that current Toledo depot that is used for the Capitol and Lake Shore? I'd imagine at the obvious ones would probably be so(i.e. Detroit, Lima(?), Dayton, Cincinnati, etc.), but were there others that ran into there(i.e. Marion and Columbus, OH service(if it perhaps did once exist), or possibly service to Fort Wayne, etc.). I love learning things about pre-Amtrak commuter railroads, looking up historical pics of train depots, and etc. Thanks.

 

[jphjaxfl]

I was coming back on the LSL from New York to Chicago, and I have to say I was extremely fascinated with how nice and interesting the Toledo stop was to me. The interior was also really clean, and in great shape, and I don't want to bore you with more raving of how much I loved seeing that stop and taking pics of it.
Anyway, my question was pre-Amtrak, how many different cities could you travel to from that current Toledo depot that is used for the Capitol and Lake Shore? I'd imagine at the obvious ones would probably be so(i.e. Detroit, Lima(?), Dayton, Cincinnati, etc.), but were there others that ran into there(i.e. Marion and Columbus, OH service(if it perhaps did once exist), or possibly service to Fort Wayne, etc.). I love learning things about pre-Amtrak commuter railroads, looking up historical pics of train depots, and etc. Thanks.

Immediately before Amtrak, B&O still ran the Cincinnatian from Detroit through Toledo Central Union Terminal to Lima, Dayton and Cincinnati on a daylight schedule with a dome car. The C&O also ran the Detroit section of the George Washington from Detroit through Toledo to Columbus and Ashland, KY where it was added to the main George Washington from Cincinnati to Washington and New York with a section to Newport News as well as a section from Louisville and Lexington that was also added to the main train at Ashland. If you go back to the early 1960s, Toledo had many trains on the New York Central and B&O. The Wabash also had a train from St. Louis to Toledo. C&O had a couple of trains. New York Central had a number of trains that ran just from Detroit through Toledo to Cleveland. Pennsylvannia ran their Red Arrow train from Detroit through Toledo to Pittsburgh Philadelphia and New York along with a couple of other trains. I am not sure in PRR used Central Union Terminal or not as PRR often like to build their own stations so as not to used stations that had ownership by their fierce rival New York Central System. The Central in Central Union Terminal comes from the Ohio Central Railroad which ran north and south through Central Ohio. There may still be a building on the edge of downtown Columbus, Ohio which was the Ohio Central station in that city and also the headquarters of the Ohio Central. I stumbled on it late one night when I was trying to get back to my hotel in the Columbus area. It was a very ornate building that was no longer used for anything railroad....there may not have even been tracks there any longer. I have a friend here in Jacksonville who worked at the Toledo Post Office which is just adjacent to Central Union Terminal. He talks about all the mail that use to come in on passenger trains in that beautiful station.

 

[railiner]

I used to consider any railway station constructed after World War II as a "modern" station. Since Toledo was opened for service in 1950, it certainly fit my definition of modern.

I recall my first train ride thru there in 1968. I was impressed by its muti use of glass blocks and other uses of glass, in deference to its home city, which considered itself the 'glass capital of the world'.

Here is an interesting link with more info.... http://www.greatamericanstations.com/Stations/TOL/Station_view

 

[the_traveler]

Slightly off topic, I saw an "ad" in Railfan & Railroad magazine (March 2013,page 53), and they are having NTD activities on May 4!I thought NTD was the following week, May 11? :blush:

 

[jis]

I thought last year also they did it one week early in Toledo. Maybe it is a Toledo tradition?

 

[PerRock]

I Did some digging on the stations in Toledo, apparently this used to be the prr station. But I can't seem to find any more info about it.

http://www.newenglandrailfans.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=100088682

Peter

 

[jis]

I suggest dig some more. The current Toledo Station was built as the Toledo Union Station by the New York Central Railroad in 1950, one of the last grand stations to be built in that era.

See http://www.greatamericanstations.com/Stations/TOL/Station_view