Demolished! 11 Beautiful Train Stations That Fell To The Wrecking Ball

[Hipster Duck]

For the most part, most Canadian railway stations escaped unscathed. A lot of them are used for purposes other than rail travel, but at least they still exist in some form, or another.

 

[Ladies Mile]

The same is true of American stations. Most losses were in the south. Aside from Penn, Rochester and a beautiful Burnham station in Columbus (partially reconstructed), the major architectural works are still standing: Grand Central, DC Union, Richmond Union, St. Louis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Cincinnati. In the Northeast in particular smaller cities like Albany, Waterbury, New London, New Haven, Utica, Rome, Worcester, Poughkeepsie and others all have preserved their stations.

 

[DavidJamesTO]

Probably cheaper to build new.

Always, but who wants a country of Amshack stations? Name one budding architecture student inspired by a vision of the GO station in Aldershot, or the VIA station in Windsor. I'd rather have Union Station in its current shabby condition than Metro Centre any day.

I hope that old man succeeds in keeping Michigan Central standing. There has to be something that can be done with it besides demolition.

 

[Long Island Mike]

11 rail stations that we lost...

Adma and everyone: Good topic on rail station we have lost-I am most famaliar with Pennsylvania Station-NYC because my father worked there as a station employee for almost 40 years-from the late 40s to the mid 80s time period. It was reduced to being a glorified dungeon in sections-especially the LIRR area which was renovated in the mid 90s shown in the pic area.

I give Amtrak credit beginning in the late 80s,the mentioned LIRR in the 90s and New Jersey Transit in recent years for renovating their sections of PSNY for the better working with what they have.

Losing PSNY spearheaded the Preservation element in the USA saving other classic stations over time from alteration or demolition with a noteable example being NYC's Grand Central Terminal.

Many of those other rail stations were good places that would probably have been preserved today-compared with the "new is better" attitude of the 50s and 60s. The decline of rail travel then was the source of many of these lost stations.

Imagine if for example Toronto Union Station had been demolished in favor of some bland building? Nowadays TUS is one of the most important transport terminals in all of Canada if not North America.

We never know what we had until it's gone-Joni Mitchell was right!

Thoughts by LI MIKE

 

[ShonTron]

For the most part, most Canadian railway stations escaped unscathed. A lot of them are used for purposes other than rail travel, but at least they still exist in some form, or another.

In the late 1980s, all standing railway stations still in use (either as passenger stations or on railway property) were protected by Heritage Canada - the impetus for this was the outcry over Canadian Pacific's illegal demolition of the West Toronto station.

The biggest losses before then were in smaller centres and small towns.

In the GTA, besides Union Station and Brampton (CN), CN Aurora, Maple, Markham, Georgetown, still remain in railway use. CP North Toronto and CN Unionville are still in place, and CP Streetsville, CP Locust Hill, CN Uxbridge, CN Mimico, CN Don, CN Milton, CN Newmarket were moved. CN North Toronto and CN Stouffville burned since the legislation. All CP stations in the GTA, except North Toronto and Locust Hill, are gone.

 

[ShonTron]

In the late 1980s, all standing railway stations still in use (either as passenger stations or on railway property) were protected by Heritage Canada - the impetus for this was the outcry over Canadian Pacific's illegal demolition of the West Toronto station.

The biggest losses before then were in smaller centres and small towns.

In the GTA, besides Union Station and Brampton (CN), CN Aurora, Maple, Markham, Georgetown, still remain in railway use. CP North Toronto, CN Burlington, and CN Unionville are still in place, and CP Streetsville, CP Locust Hill, CN Uxbridge, CN Mimico, CN Don, CN Milton, CN Newmarket were moved. CN North Toronto and CN Stouffville burned since the legislation. All CP stations in the GTA, except North Toronto and Locust Hill, are gone.

HD is right, most grand stations in Canada are still standing, many in railway use - Union Station in Toronto, Gare Centrale and Gare du Palais, Halifax Union, Hamilton TH&B, Winnipeg Union, Vancouver Pacific Central, CP Vancouver (by virtue of serving as the West Coast Express terminal, as well as the end of Skytrain). Stations still in good shape, used for other uses include CP Winnipeg (a Native resources centre), CN Hamilton (a conference centre), CN Ottawa (a conference centre) CP Regina (a casino), Windsor Station in Montreal (offices), Edmonton CN.

All stations on the Toronto-Montreal VIA line, except (of course, Guildwood) Dorval, Cornwall, Kingston, Trenton Jct, and Oshawa are the originals. Going to Windsor, only Oakville, Aldershot, Ingersol, London (which replaced a different modern station) and Windsor are not the originals. All stations except London are original on the north main line through Kitchener.

Calgary CP might be the one grand station demolished.

 

[officedweller]

Vancouver Union Station (Great Northern Railway, then Grand Trunk Railway, I think) was demolished - it sat next to Pacific Central.

Victoria's Station is now the wax museum.