Here is another classic photo, from an old post card. I never really thought of the Carmi depot as being a "union station", but since the Big 4 and L & N shared the trackage through town and passenger trains from both roads stopped there, I guess that it did qualify for that grand title. The view looks north, and is not dated, but I would guess it to be the 1920's. Interesting to me, is the presence of two separate train order signals, side by side, in front of the depot -- presumably one of them was for the Big 4 and the other was for the L & N. The building is long gone, but there is still trackage at this location -- now owned by short line operator Evansville Western. The second photo is this same location, looking southward and showing the short line trackage, in a picture that I took in October, 2007 (the train order signal in this current photo is no longer in operation). CAPT Rex Settlemoir Collection.
I agree with you Roger, "Union" is an interesting term when applied to a typical small town station. I don't remember hearing of it in the northeast. The Chatham. NY station comes to mind where the NYC, Harlem Div. and the Rutland interchanged passengers with the Boston & Albany, who built the station.
Very clear and interesting photo, Roger. I, too, wonder how the two trainorder signals were used and to which railroad each belonged.
Jim, do you suppose they may have been painted different colors, or their heights were different, or something else? I was told the ball signal in Whitefield, NH was "coded" one ball high, B&M had rights, but two balls high, MEC had rights. OK, just a SWAG, but fun guessing just the same.
Fascinating to see the train order signal still standing, but depot gone. Usually railroads have removed that mast long before their depot was demolished.
Great photos, as usual. The depot at Taopi, MN was technically a "Union Depot" as both the Chicago Great Western and Milwaukee Road used it. Taopi, my parent's home town, had a population of about 100 people at the time. My grandmother was mayor in the mid thirties. Doug
I once saw a photo of Taopi. But cannot recall which RR owned it? (Sorry. Not trying to hijack the topic...)
The Chicago Great Western went North-South through Taopi and the Milwaukee Road went East-West. I think the Milwaukee owned the depot with the CGW probably contributing to the upkeep. Doug
