Western Railroad Discussion > Portland Union Station

I know there are lots of folks out there with photos such as these. How about a photographic tribute to Portland Union Station. Not just any photo, but your better ones; trains, locomotives, or not. This year or ancient.

Ed

---

---

First one was taken on June 9th of this year. Second one is from November 2011.

---

---

My first visit to Portland Union Station was in 1946 having arrived with my mother via SP&S train #5 from Wishram, Washington en route to her parent's home in Vernonia, Oregon. Within the next few years on various visits one thing that left an impression on me was seeing the loud dress of fellow travelers who were Gypsies.

While much repair has been done to the building over the last decade, if you know where to look inside it becomes obvious that aging has not been any kinder to it than it has been to me. The obvious sagging is probably due to sinking piling beneath the structure. Guess I can't use that same excuse for my degradation!

---

My memories of Portland come from a cross-country Amtrak trip in 1984, when a walk down the street in the top photo included begging bums propped up along the store fronts and heroin junkies crawling out of dumpsters. Ah, yes. Portland. A place I'll always remember.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/12 13:44 by CNW534.

Amtrak National Train Day 2010.

---

Here's a couple interior shots I took in 2008...I miss PDX.

---

---

A black and white view from my first trip to Portland in 1998.

Z

---

I'm thinkin' that any photo showing blue sky MUST have been Photoshopped! A nice bunch of pictures, so far, keep them comin'. We could end up with enough to make an album.

Ed

!. Probably belongs on the Nostalgia & History board because it was taken so long ago. I've tried to dupicate it with a blue sky and the tree in bloom but it just doesn't happen that often in Oregon.
2. Walking arond Union Station it seems like a big building but it doesn't appear to be that large in this shot from the Freemont bridge.
3. Not many passengers waiting for #509 this evening.

jb

---

---

---

Very striking set of images, thanks for sharing!

Ted S-P

Great. Even better, it has TRAINS!!!

Here's a shot from 1915...

---

Excellent topic and the mostly enjoyable home of both AORTA and PNWC-NRHS. In the first posting
the street view with Union Station in the background is one of Portland's designated "view corridors".
The sight line is protected in zoning. One of the results of the KOIN Tower ruining the view
of Mountain Hood when coming into Portland on highway 26.

And yes, we have plenty of homeless and pan handlers with all the homeless housing in the area. But,
BUT, a brand new Marrott is under construction just north of the station (next to the Smart Park
garage).

Nice picture of the ticket counter with Station Agent Scott Hurd working as always....today I spotted
Scott out on the street in pouring rain cleaning out a street gutter so arriving passengers wouldn't
get their feet wet.

Maintenance is on-going with major window and door renovations as well as repairing the stone work
on the Union Station Annex. Arlen

NIIIICE sunset pic!!!!!

Auburn_Ed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I know there are lots of folks out there with
> photos such as these. How about a photographic
> tribute to Portland Union Station. Not just any
> photo, but your better ones; trains, locomotives,
> or not. This year or ancient.
>
> Ed


Here are my 3

1. Sometime in the mid to late 1980's

2. Night before the departure of the Louisiana World's Fair Daylight 1984

3. Louisiana World's Fair Daylight departing on a rainy (what else) Saturday morning in 1984

Nomosantafe
Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West Begins"

---

---

---

Pic 1, sunset, spring 2012.
Pic 2, baggage room, today.
Pic 3, southbound on the Starlight, winter 2012

I'd never been in the baggage room before, there's lots of very old desks, drawers, that sort of thing. I meant to take a few pics, but in the end the only one I got was this one of a roommmate's wordly possessions stacked on a pallet for shipping to LAX.

Ted in OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/12 23:46 by gobbl3gook.

---

---

---

Both taken in March of this year. Love Portland - great place.

---

---

Nice pics, all. An amazingly cool and photogenic place. It's quite the privilege to be living here now.

Chris -- was that sunset shot from your apartment window?

I have other Portland Union Station shots posted on TO from over the years, here they are:

* 4449 all dressed up and ready to go to Michigan, night shots, summer 2009
top shot, 4449 and station
bottom shot, station platform deserted (The platform side of the station is pretty dramatic in appearance, but is normally off-limits to visitors except when boarding/detraining)
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1966936

* Camera testing, night shots of the original terra cotta roof, spring 2009
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?9,1878450

* reflection shots, winter 2009
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1864566,1864567#1864567

Cheers,
Ted in OR



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/12 14:42 by gobbl3gook.