Name That Station!

[Ocala Mike]

Hey, David, I see you've come in from the cold after all. I'm much better at calling elections than naming mystery stations, but the others in this thread are real sharp, and I'm sure they'll guess yours pretty quick.

 

[Notelvis]

Hi Mike!

I read more here than write BUT I do enjoy the challenge of a good 'name that station' contest.

As for election predictor...... I'm not so good at that either but I have faith in Nate Silver!

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Hi Mike!

I read more here than write BUT I do enjoy the challenge of a good 'name that station' contest.

As for election predictor...... I'm not so good at that either but I have faith in Nate Silver!

Mmm, Nate Silver? :blink:

 

[Ocala Mike]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-campaign-natesilverbre8a703z-20121107,0,6753399.story

 

[Shawn Ryu]

I appreciate the help - thanks......

Admittedly I had Google Earthed every MARC station trying to find a possible answer....... not sure exactly why I decided it had to be a MARC station.

HERE is my contribution to the thread...... and a hint - this was once an Amtrak station. Amtrak still passes by but the passenger stop has been relocated a few miles away.

St Louis?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Carbondale?

 

[Notelvis]

Not St. Louis and not Carbondale - this station is NOT on the route of any train which serves St. Louis or Carbondale. Those are both reasonable guesses given the early 70's Amtrak appearance of the building and the hint that I gave you though.

As an additional hint, the building still exists (according to Google Earth) as of April 2011. The one westbound Amtrak train passes after dark and the one eastbound Amtrak train would pass here just before dawn..... unless it's running a little late...... much of the year.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Salt Lake City?

 

[Notelvis]

No - not Salt Lake City.

This is a nicer building than what Amtrak was using in Salt Lake City the last time I was there.

 

[jebr]

Galesburg, IL?

 

[tomfuller]

The hint was helpful if I'm right. Omaha Nebraska?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

The hint was helpful if I'm right. Omaha Nebraska?

I don't think it's Omaha. But on second thought, it may not be Carbondale, either.

 

[jebr]

The hint was helpful if I'm right. Omaha Nebraska?

I don't think Omaha has moved recently, nor does this look like the current Amtrak station. (Nor does it look like the Union Station next to the Amtrak station.)

 

[Notelvis]

Nice guesses but none correct so far.

My hint about what time the train passes has led several of you to believe that this was a station on the route of the California Zephyr. I probably would have nibbled on that bait as well.

This station is not on the route of the California Zephyr and to help with the process of elimination, it is not located in any state served by the California Zephyr.

Look for a few more hints in a few minutes....... I'm going to be offline this afternoon and tomorrow (going on an excursion train from the Roanoke, VA NRHS) and I'd like to offer a little more help in my absence.

 

[Notelvis]

Here we go - a few more hints.

1) THIS picture, believe it or not, is the older station which replaced the building shown in my 'Name That Station' contribution. It's a case of community pride where local interests acted to restore an older railroad station close to downtown so that Amtrak would begin stopping in their town instead of at the 1970's Amshack in the next town 3-4 miles away.

2) The station in this picture was never a passenger station before Amtrak moved in in the 1990's. It was this small city's FREIGHT station. The original passenger station in this city is a few blocks away and is now a bank. The railroad tracks serving the passenger station were pulled up in the 1970's when Amtrak moved out to the building in my 'Name That Station' photo.

3) The building in this photo has never had an Amtrak Ticket Agent. There was an agent when the train stopped at the Amshack building but that position was eliminated before the station moved back into town.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Guys, I think I spottted a little Greyhound sign by the station. So this station must be served by both Amtrak and Greyhound. Also note forested hills in the background.

 

[Notelvis]

Good eye from a man with a Greyhound Bus on his avatar.

This station IS also served by Greyhound - two buses a day in each direction in the most recent Greyhound timetable! Also a transfer point for the local transit system as evidenced by the three local buses visible in the photo.

I'll consider the identification of either of these stations a win.

Here is yet another hint before I sign off for the night in the Roanoke, VA Airport Quality Inn - There IS another Amtrak station that is still staffed with an agent less than 20 miles away. This staffed station is served by the same Amtrak train.

I have one last hint which will practically give it away if this one doesn't....... I'll hold on to that hint until the next time I'm online Monday morning.

 

[jebr]

Connellsville, PA?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

It must be Ashland, Kentucky! It's served by the Cardinal and also by Greyhound 215 running twice a day DET-JAX. Past Charleston 215 becomes 401.

 

[MrFSS]

It must be Ashville, Kentucky! It's served by the Cardinal and also by Greyhound 215 running twice a day DET-JAX. Past Charleston 215 becomes 401.

Its Ashland, not Ashville. And, yes, that is the station.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

It must be Ashville, Kentucky! It's served by the Cardinal and also by Greyhound 215 running twice a day DET-JAX. Past Charleston 215 becomes 401.

Its Ashland, not Ashville. And, yes, that is the station.

Sorry, that is what I meant.

 

[Notelvis]

Yes Mr. Hardcore -

The current station, served also by Greyhound and built as a freight station in 1914 by the C&O, is Ashland, Ky. That's a win.

The staffed station nearby that I hinted at is Huntington, WV and the original Amshack photograph which I put up was located in the Ashland suburb of Catlettsburg, Ky. For most of it's service life it appeared in the timetables as 'Tri-State Station, Ky'.

Nice work!

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Yes Mr. Hardcore -

The current station, served also by Greyhound and built as a freight station in 1914 by the C&O, is Ashland, Ky. That's a win.

The staffed station nearby that I hinted at is Huntington, WV and the original Amshack photograph which I put up was located in the Ashland suburb of Catlettsburg, Ky. For most of it's service life it appeared in the timetables as 'Tri-State Station, Ky'.

Nice work!

Catlettsburg? Was that station the end of the ill-fated Hlltopper or is the station you posted another one?

 

[Notelvis]

That's right -

The station that I posted first - Catlettsburg - was the endpoint of the short-lived Hilltopper. I'm not sure if much connecting traffic to/from the Cardinal ever materialized since it would have meant changing trains at 0-dark-30.

By-the-way - The last hint which I didn't have to pull out was 'end-of-the-line' for the Hilltopper!

It's your serve! Looking forward to a new brain-teaser -

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Wait, wait, why would somebody connect to the Hilltopper from the Cardinal? I thought that they both ran to WAS and northward but the Hilltopper just used a different line.