http://www.wbex.com/cc-common/news/sect ... le=9727420

http://www.chillicothegazette.com/

http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/ ... 801&Ref=PH

I personally spent a lot of blood, sweat and tears on this building in the late 80's and early 90's only to see the politicians smite the project, CSX strangle the group in red tape, and the group disintegrate due to questionable management. Chillicothe had a LOT of heritage, much of which they have squandered through corruption, greed and incompetence. That effort has always been a lesson to me on how not to run a preservation effort. After the preservation group disbanded the station became an auto restoration shop which moved out after a few years. I assume it had been abandoned since then.

The building was disjointed, having been added onto on many occasion. You could not get between some areas without going outside. It served both the B&O and N&W in town and was the office for the B&O Southwestern division, I believe. The station was adjacent to the B&O Southwest Division shops, which have been mostly obliterated over the last two decades. In the late 80's the turntable, transfer table, roundhouse, sand house, foundry and sanding/refueling station were still there - all now gone. The large car shops were in good repair and in use by a trucking company last time I was by.

The fate of the station seemed inevitable due to general ambivalence of the local populous. I'm surprised it took this long, but I am still surprised how much it hurts me to see the dagger go into the heart.

I am told the station remains are already being demolished.

before the fire:

http://www.pbase.com/image/140516940
Abandoned

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gschmidt1/5308349438/
While preservation efforts were underway

http://www.ebay.com/itm/c-1907-CHILLICO ... 0265232649
In service

The same scenario happened to Chillicothe's beautiful Carlisle Building, except it may yet rise from the ashes in some way. Also an ambivalent owner, neglect, arson, and questionable support for preservation.

http://www.rte50.com/2007/06/save_the_carlis.html

http://www.chillicothegazette.com/artic ... /202030302

http://travelingsuitcase.blogspot.com/2 ... -ohio.html

And people wonder why we rail enthusiasts are sometimes as sad as we are, and feel we live in the wrong time. . .

We always seem to be having a death in the "family".

We also lost the Wilmington, Illinois station to the wrecker.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 11&nseq=72

deleted

Tom -

Thanks (I think?) for the photos of the Wilmington station being demolished. The Blackhawk Chapter of the NRHS tried for years to help save this structure. Unfortunately, its original construction prevented it from being moved. And the new high speed trackage and its slightly changed alignment that was going to go through Wilmington, meant that the depot could not remain where it was. Sad, but you can't save everything.

Les