Searched the archives and did not see a discussion on this subject. I noticed on Google maps (Earth view) that they have demolished everything (tracks, sheds, etc) behind Union Station Denver as part of a redevelopment.

http://www.denverunionstation.org

I have yet to find an overall project plan on this site. Looking at the renderings of the finished project I find that the structures being built around the station clash terribly with it, particularly the "train shed" thing. It looks like a concerted effort to be "ultra-modern" with the new structures. It seems modern structures with a retro architecture would have blended far better.

Go to this page:

http://www.denverunionstation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=3

Down near the bottom of the page, click on That will get you the Project Fact Sheet (a .pdf file). Then, at the bottom of the same page, under "Vision," click on "Renderings." or go here:

http://www.denverunionstation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=14&Itemid=14

That should answer most of your questions.

Trust me, the Colorado Rail Passenger Association (ColoRail) was involved from the get-go in this project and did everything humanly possible to avoid these kinds of outcomes, including a lawsuit (we eventually lost--we were outspent!). We were rebuffed in almost every instance. RTD knows better, you know--even if they don't have a clue as to what they are talking about. The only concession we got was two additional commuter rail tracks. We expect it to be at capacity soon after the first trains roll.

I know: I was a ColoRail board member at the time.

Mike

Yes, it is pretty sad down at Union Station right now. The side shown is where the train sheds used to be.



Glen Brewer
Denver's Ghost Buildings

Here is the artist rendition from the Visit Denver Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151488477140777&set=a.194357885776.136679.178754795776&type=1&relevant_count=1

All but me seemed to think the changes were a great thing.

Gentlemen,

Please correct me if I'm mistaken, but so far as I know, DUT never had any trainsheds. I'm thinking of completely covered over tracks such as you'd see in Leipzig, for instance.

In my time I remember a half dozen signalized tracks with seperately covered platforms, about where the playground picture was taken. If you needed to mail a letter or file your taxes at the last minute, the PO Terminal Annex was open 24/7. My initial employment interview was upstairs on the mezzanine, above the lobby with the endless echo, and for awhile I stopped by regularly to make loan payments to the C&S Credit Union.

It's proof positive that the world is completely going to Hell, that such a nauseatingly yuppyfied conglomeration of gay bars and boutiques can go by the same name as the genuine DUT did, or even be called a train station. I have to say that it was truly embarrasing when a friend of mine from Dresden, who works for DBAG, visited me last year, and he wanted to see the roundhouse and "hauptbahnhof".

But I'm thinking of a different time, long, long ago, before I got old, bet we can all agree on THAT. Old timers can still remember some of the Roccoco, Baroque, and Neoclassical buildings along Denver's 16th street, all of which now hide behind phony, plastic, modernized facades. Only thing I can say is that at least The Brown Palace Hotel still has some class, but it's on 17th Street.

Sorry for those of you who missed the good old days, but I'm glad I was there.

I am sorry to see what is being done to this place -- a far cry from what I photographed in 1957: http://www.railarchive.net/vintagediesel/drgw72.htm

Sammy,

As far as I know DUS always had umbrella sheds.

Denver does have some remaining good architecture. See my story:
Denver's Ghost Buildings

Interesting website, Glenn, I've added it to my favorites. Thank you kindly. Any friend of The Brown Palace is a friend of mine....

I agree, this is not good, indeed is very short-sighted (why aren't through tracks being maintained for intercity and transit service?) And why is that new canopy so ugly?

And some people wonder why I've been saying we rail enthusiasts and preservationists "don't get no respect."

So much for through tracks at Denver Union Station.

I remember well riding the Cal Zepher into Denver in 1967. Bought my first Railroad magazine at the news stand. When we were going across the Colorado plains we hit 101MPH by the speedo in the dome. Never will forget that trip.

Dave Huffman

IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN I IMAGINED !!! You mean to tell me that DUT is just a STUBBY LITTLE SPUR TRACK ??? I'm going to quit turning on my computer, I'd rather live in the past. Gotta make room for more paid parking and jazzercisers, I guess. Please don't enlighten me any further, ignorance is bliss.

Speaking of living in the past, I can't remember EVER seeing a newstand with RR Magazine in an American train station. Of course, it would have been DUT of all places, guess I'm just not old enough.

Germany and Austria have some rocking train stations, and I do mean today, yea buddy. They got plenty of tracks, trainsheds, newstands with railroad publications, resturants, and bars too.... lots of fine examples for our "redevelopers" to follow, eh ??? Too bad they ain't paying attention.

There are published photos of it on display at a newsstand in the Philadelphia & West Chester Traction Co.'s
69th St. Terminal in Upper Darby, Pa., but it was called Railroad Man's Magazine back then, about 1907.

I can still recall walking down from the CTA's Englewood elevated station platform to the station at ground level and seeing in the string of magazines "hung" over the counter, the TRAINS Magazine issue with the front of a New York Central Hudson on the cover. I want to say it was the November 1957 issue, but I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, I purchased the magazine and had a very pleasant bus ride that day to my home on the far south side of Chicago.

Les

"IT'S EVEN WORSE THAN I IMAGINED !!! You mean to tell me that DUT is just a STUBBY LITTLE SPUR TRACK ??? I'm going to quit turning on my computer, I'd rather live in the past. Gotta make room for more paid parking and jazzercisers, I guess. Please don't enlighten me any further, ignorance is bliss."--QJ Driver

You and me both, we live in the wrong time. . .

"Germany and Austria have some rocking train stations, and I do mean today, yea buddy. They got plenty of tracks, trainsheds, newstands with railroad publications, resturants, and bars too.... lots of fine examples for our "redevelopers" to follow, eh ??? Too bad they ain't paying attention."--QJ Driver

Washington Union Station in Washington, DC does have a newsstand with railroad publications, and the station is quite busy, not only with Amtrak and commuter trains, but with the Washington Metro, too. Unfortunately, the development crowd wants to bury the trains with decking over the tracks, then a new development on top of that, much like what was done in New York around both Grand Central and Penn Stations. The station will remain as nice as it is, but I guess those things called trains should be kept out of sight for some reason or other.

http://transportationnation.org/2012/07 ... look-like/

And while we're in a bad-news mode, it looks like the Santa Fe line over Raton may go away:

http://transportationnation.org/2012/07 ... look-like/

http://amaindy.com/index.php?option=com ... Itemid=60+

The great irony is that we've been having increases in rail passenger traffic for years despite Amtrak being at best a shadow of the grand past we like to recall and also not being the modern system we could use that would be comparable to what's in Europe and Japan today.

http://betterinstitutions.blogspot.com/ ... -rail.html

http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L04395

http://www.narprail.org/resources/white ... tancepaper

Personal rant:

There was a time when this country lead the world in many ways, and a big factor in that leadership was a willingness to be creative, to be original, and in the process, we managed to make things that were both functional and stylish. I can't help but think we have too many intellectually lazy people in various positions of leadership. I don't think you can blame this on "regulations and taxes;" rather, I think it's an overemphasis on money. Anything that doesn't directly contribute to the bottom line goes out the window.

It even shows up in things like advertising, which is supposed to be a pretty creative field. Case in point--some years back I had some serious job issues, and at one point was daydreaming about relocating to somewhere like Australia or New Zealand, the latter with some great steam railroading in a near-American style.

What was most interesting was a gander at "help wanted" ads from Australia. My favorite was an ad from a government agency for an auditor for Australia's water resources agency; it emphasized that this was work that was "auditing something real." There were temporary help service ads from the counterpart of agencies like Manpower and Kelly Services for similar jobs for different clients that were custom-written for the various clients. An accounting firm advertised that it not only had a competitive salary, but was located near the Sydney shopping district and the waterfront.

What do you see for "help wanted" ads here? The same language in ad after ad: "Be a team player in a challenging, fast-paced environment!" Translations: "Team Player" means "shut your mouth and do what you're told or else!" "Work in a challenging, fast-paced environment" means "You don't have the tools, the materials, the help, or the time to do the job right." You would at least like to see some better writing in those ads, some spark of creativity.

Seems all the really artistic ads are elsewhere these days, as exemplified by the Russian advertisement for that country's rail system when it celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2012, and which is in another thread on this site.

Whew, that's enough ranting for today!