Passenger Trains > More Than a Decade Gone in Akron

Akron, Ohio, was left off Amtrak's initial route map in 1971. It would see an occasional detour move over the years, most notably during the 1970s, but didn't become an Amtrak city until November 1990 when the Broadway Limited was detoured off Conrail's Fort Wayne Line and onto the Chicago-Pittsburgh mainline of CSX (former Baltimore & Ohio). Although Akron Union Depot still stood, it had been taken over by the University of Akron. Amtrak built a modular station and used part of the former platform area of the union depot. The Broadway Limited was discontinued in September 1995.

That might have been the end of the story, but the New York-Pittsburgh Three Rivers was extended west to Chicago in November 1996. That train, though, blew through Akron without stopping until August 1998. The Three Rivers used the same station and platform as the Broadway Limited, but the hang up had been who would pay for whatever repairs were needed to the facilities -- such as they were -- before Amtrak would agree to stop the Three Rivers in Akron.

During the Broadway Limited days, the Akron station had a ticket agent. But during the Three Rivers days, the station had a caretaker. The Three Rivers made its last trips through Akron in March 2005, a victim of low patronage, and the end of the great mail and express gambit. Carriage of the latter was the primary reason why the Three Rivers had been extended west of Pittsburgh.

More than a decade after Nos. 40 and 41 halted in Akron for the final time, the Amtrak station there is frozen in time. I paid a visit to the station in early November to see what still remained. There is a tree growing behind the building that didn't used to be there and the exterior appearance of the station has not changed save for the plywood placed behind the windows. Remarkably, the building is largely free of vandalism and graffiti. Taped to a window is a 2004 schedule for the Three Rivers, various notifications, a sign that says this is an unstaffed station, and a sign that says the Three Rivers no longer stops at this station. In fact there is no Three Rivers anymore anywhere.

Although not shown in these images, the platform has been removed. CSX ripped it out in 2012 when it was conducting a clearance project as part of the development of its National Gateway.

Photo 1 was made in early November of this year while Photo 2 was made in March 2012. Photo 3 was made in 2012, but this sign was still in the window when I visited about a month ago. 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/16 07:04 by SDP40F600.

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Photo 4: A schedule from 2004 is still displayed in the window of the former Akron Amtrak station. Note the plywood behind the schedule. I wonder why the crew putting in the plywood and putting up the sign about the Three Rivers no longer stopping here did not remove the schedule and other fliers that suggest the station is still in use. I guess they were not instructed to do that.

Photo 5 was made in March 2012 during the CSX project that resulted in the platform being remove. Part of the platform was still in place, but the approach sidewalk from the station had been removed.

Photo 6 was made on September 10, 1995. I had ridden the last eastbound Broadway Limited from Chicago to Akron and made this hand-held photograph. The westbound Broadway had already stopped in Akron earlier in the eveing. 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/16 02:54 by SDP40F600.

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I still very much miss this train.  Rode it on several occasions.
I never recall many passengers boarding there, though. Thanks for posting the pictures
RichS

I rode 40 and 41 too though here.  Also worked through here in 1966 and 67 on the PRR.

Thanks for posting this. I also miss 40/41, as do the 50-100 passengers who make the nightly connection between the Pennsylvanian and Capitol Limited at PGH.

Posted from Android

SDP40F600 Wrote:
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> Photo 6 was made on September 10, 1995. I had
> ridden the last eastbound Broadway Limited from
> Chicago to Akron and made these hand-held
> photographs. The westbound Broadwday had already
> stopped in Akron earlier in the eveing. 
========================================

As you took this photo, I was ahead of you, in Room F in the sleeping car.

Next day at Newark NJ, I became the last First Class passenger in the history of
the Broadway Limited when the other remaining passengers detrained.

 

I enjoyed the photos and story. I like to hear and read about the obscure  points on Amtrak's system. Tim V

SDP40F600 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Akron, Ohio, was left off Amtrak's initial route
> map in 1971. It would see an occasional detour
> move over the years, most notably during the
> 1970s, but didn't become an Amtrak city until
> November 1990 when the Broadway Limited was
> detoured off Conrail's Fort Wayne Line and onto
> the Chicago-Pittsburgh mainline of CSX (former
> Baltimore & Ohio). Although Akron Union Depot
> still stood, it had been taken over by the
> University of Akron. Amtrak built a modular
> station and used part of the former platform area
> of the union depot. The Broadway Limited was
> discontinued in September 1995.
>
> That might have been the end of the story, but the
> New York-Pittsburgh Three Rivers was extended west
> to Chicago in November 1996. That train, though,
> blew through Akron without stopping until August
> 1998. The Three Rivers used the same station and
> platform as the Broadway Limited, but the hang up
> had been who would pay for whatever repairs were
> needed to the facilities -- such as they were --
> before Amtrak would agree to stop the Three Rivers
> in Akron.
>
> During the Broadway Limited days, the Akron
> station had a ticket agent. But during the Three
> Rivers days, the station had a caretaker. The
> Three Rivers made its last trips through Akron in
> March 2005, a victim of low patronage, and the end
> of the great mail and express gambit. Carriage of
> the latter was the primary reason why the Three
> Rivers had been extended west of Pittsburgh.
>
> More than a decade after Nos. 40 and 41 halted in
> Akron for the final time, the Amtrak station there
> is frozen in time. I paid a visit to the station
> in early November to see what still remained.
> There is a tree growing behind the building that
> didn't used to be there and the exterior
> appearance of the station has not changed save for
> the plywood placed behind the windows. Remarkably,
> the building is largely free of vandalism and
> graffiti. Taped to a window is a 2004 schedule for
> the Three Rivers, various notifications, a sign
> that says this is an unstaffed station, and a sign
> that says the Three Rivers no longer stops at this
> station. In fact there is no Three Rivers anymore
> anywhere.
>
> Although not shown in these images, the platform
> has been removed. CSX ripped it out in 2012 when
> it was conducting a clearance project as part of
> the development of its National Gateway.
>
> Photo 1 was made in early November of this year
> while Photo 2 was made in March 2012. Photo 3 was
> made in 2012, but this sign was still in the
> window when I visited about a month ago. 

cabsignaldrop Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for posting this. I also miss 40/41, as do
> the 50-100 passengers who make the nightly
> connection between the Pennsylvanian and Capitol
> Limited at PGH.
>
> Posted from Android

Train 40/41 needs to be resurrected - period. By not having this train it messes up the Capitol Limited and Lakeshore's scheduling. This train should become the premiere NY-Philly-Pittsburgh-Chicago train serving Midwest to East Coast. Perhaps with some new thinking and new Viewliner II's - sleepers, diners, and baggage, it becomes a train of its own instead of a spin off of the Capitol Limited.

The Capitol LImited should move back to being a train that departs Washington DC at 5:30 pm and Chicago at 5:45 pm. The Lake Shore depart NYC at 4:30 pm and Chicago at 7 pm and then finally the Broadway as the cleanup train departing Chicago at 9:00 or 9:15 pm (later if needed to hold for a late train), but be very cognizant to make the stop Pittsburgh stop passenger friendly in both directions 11:30 pm westbound is still fine and 7 am eastbound is still fine.