A Year-End Visit To Union Station

I have lived in Washington, D.C. since 1974, and Union Station has helped form a large part of my life in the city. I have seen some of its many changes as I have changed and aged as well. I remember many train trips to and from Union Station. The most recent of these was a visit to my daughter and granddaughters in Atlanta two weeks ago. Reading Rachel Cooper's photographic history, "Union Station in Washington, D.C." (2011) reminded me of many experiences involving Union Station and trains and taught me about the history of Union Station from its ambitious and hopeful opening in 1907. The book is part of the Images of Rail series of Arcadia Press which "celebrates the history of rail, trolley, streetcar, and subway transportation" throughout the United States.

Although I have visited countless times, this short book helped me see Union Station with new eyes. It describes the team of architects, sculptors, civic leaders, and workers who designed and built Union Station and the vision they hoped to articulate. The book offers a brief view of trains, switchyards and engines using Union Station over the years. It shows the bustle of a busy station through two World Wars together with highlights of events at the station during the early years. Following WW II, Union Station fell into disrepair with the demise of passenger rail travel. In the 1970s, there was a failed attempt to develop Union Station as a Visitors Center. I remember it well. Finally, after much effort and expense, the current Union Station was successfully opened in 1988 with its redesigned interior, shops, food court, and trains. The station has expanded since that time and plays a major role as a transportation hub and as a center of life in Washington, D.C.

I so enjoyed reading this book on a cold day late in December that I took the Metro to Union Station for a visit. I wanted to ride the D.C. Streetcar which opened this summer (well after the publication of this book) and which has its terminal at Union Station. Getting to the Streetcar requires navigating through the three floors of the large building to the parking area, which now includes the inter-city bus service for Washington D.C., to the "H" street entrance to Union Station. The Streetcar is new, flashy, and bright red as it clangs along Benning Road for about 2.5 miles. This area was destroyed in the late 1960s but it has undergone impressive redevelopment. The ride to the end of the line and back rekindled my experience with streetcars from long ago.

Then, I returned to the terminal, had a spicy half-smoke at the crowded food court which filled me up before I visited the gourmet chocolate shop. I saw the model train exhibit the government of Norway sponsors every year at Christmas. This year, the exhibit was moved to the center of the Station concourse as opposed to prior years when it was in the West concourse. Together with the functioning model railroad, the exhibit included a large Christmas tree, also courtesy of Norway.

This short photographic history taught me about the history of Union Station and made me reflect on my own experience. It brought me out of the house to visit the station, ride the D.C. Streetcar, and explore for an afternoon. It reminded me of my lifelong fascination with trains. Readers respond to books when they bring something of their own experience to them.