Caption for the photo at link below says the grain elevator houses an Amtrak station while the depot (with intact trainshed) at left houses a bank and other commercial enterprise. If this is true, what were they smoking?

http://stagmiesalrailpics.homestead.com/files/gulfbreeze.jpg
ryarger@rypn.org

> Caption for the photo at link below says the
> grain elevator houses an Amtrak station
> while the depot (with intact trainshed) at
> left houses a bank and other commercial
> enterprise. If this is true, what were they
> smoking?

It is true, Bob, or at least it was.

Montgomery Union Station was purchased by a real estate developer circa 1980, and restored. He had his own offices in the building, a bank leased space, and a very pleasant restaurant filled the waiting room. The area under the train shed was paved and used for parking and private parties.

Over the years the tenants have changed, and now the Montgomery Visitors Center is located in the station.

When Amtrak service ("Gulf Breeze?") was running from Birmingham to Mobile, the grain silo was converted into a waiting room and a wooden platform was constructed. I'm going on a faded memory here, but the reasoning had to do with track configuration in the area and with finding a use for the grain facility (which sits next to a riverfront park in a historic area).

It's all moot now, as Amtrak service in the area years ago. If it's any consolation, when A&WP 290 made her one and only trip to Montomery in the fantrip era (August 1992), passengers loaded and unloaded at the old train shed.

JAC