Along Back Roads - South through Virginia

I know that it's hard to believe, but I'm continuing to post photos from our long road trip this past October.  It was an active trip with lots of exploration and related camera work... We are now on the last leg of this little adventure...but we did encounter quite a few more sights and we enjoyed several more interesting stops along the way.

Heading south from Culpeper Virginia, we followed US Hwy 522 for a few miles before jumping on VA Hwy 615.  I chose this 'back roads' route over the more heavily traveled US Hwy 15.  It wasn't too long before we came across a couple of interesting places...

Needless to say, this combination of church structures in Rapidan Virginia definitely captured our attention.  The church with the red door is the Emmanuel Episcopal Church.  After a series of floods, the worst one being in January of 1998, the church was moved from its original location on the banks of the Rapidan River to this much safer location on higher ground 110 feet from the river.  The structure was almost destroyed by the flood but the small congregation managed to fund it's relocation and repair.  

Mystery unsolved... I couldn't find any information about the small church building at the right of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church.  Is it old or just built to look old?  What is it's function?  Certainly the juxtaposition of the 2 structures is unusual and draws the eye of any passerby's.

I borrowed this photo from an article on the Internet.  It shows the attractive and eye-catching interior of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church as it appears after the restoration.  How old is this church?  It already was 134 years old when the flood almost destroyed it...and this year it will celebrate its 161st year of worship.

Research had assured me that at one time in relatively recent history, there was a depot or depots in Rapidan Virginia.  Rapidan is bisected by the Rapidan River.  It began as a small milling community named Waugh's Mill in the late 1700s.  When the Orange and Alexandria Railroad came to town in 1854, the town was renamed "Rapid Ann Station". (Named after a fast moving stream for Princess Ann) During the American Civil War, several raids resulted in the destruction of most of the town's buildings.  

Apparently, if the sign is accurate, this old freight depot was originally built in 1853.  As you can see, it has been massively refurbished, (note the skylights), and it now provides what appears to be home for a family or two.

This is the former Southern Railway Passenger Depot in Rapidan.  The original Orange and Alexandria Railway station was established here in 1854 but was destroyed during the Civil War.  This 'new station' was built in 1876 by the Charlottesville and Rapidan Railroad to serve the rail line between Orange and Charlottesville Virginia.  That line was was eventually merged into the Southern Railway and it now serves the Norfolk Southern mainline through the area.  As can be seen in the photo, this 149 year old depot has been 'saved' and converted into a family home.

Moving on in a southerly direction, our next stop was in Orange Virginia and, of course yet another old railway depot.  The Colonial Revival style Orange Railway Station served the Southern Railway and it was completed in 1910.  Passenger service to Orange was discontinued in the early 1970s.  This old depot was renovated in 1997 and it now serves as the home of the Orange County Department of Tourism and the Visitors Bureau.

I much prefer photos of these old depots with trains passing by, especially if they're passenger trains.  As you can see in the first photo, Amtrak regularly passes the depot...but although it looks good, Orange Virginia is not an Amtrak stop.  

The second photo shows the Texas and Pacific Railway's Locomotive 610 (AKA the "Will Rogers") steaming past the Orange depot in July of 1978.  At the time this rare 2-10-4 heavy locomotive was on loan to the Southern Railway to pull excursion trains for the company's steam program.  FYI, this locomotive was built by the Lima Locomotive Works in June of 1927.  This type of locomotive was designed to pull fast and heavy freight trains.

From Orange, I diverted toward the southwest along VA Hwy 20, with even less traffic along the way.  

Yes...one more old railway depot!  This is the old depot at Montpelier Station Virginia.  This depot is a bit special and also unusual.  As of 2010, it became an exhibit as part of the President James Madison's Montpelier Estate on the National Register of Historic Places. (We'd visited that estate many years earlier).  As of 1983, the estate was passed on to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.   

Montpelier was purchased by William du Pont in 1901.  He wanted convenience and he certainly had the money so he paid to have this depot built in order to bring in supplies...and for his weekly travel to Wilmington Delaware for business.  The depot served as a passenger 'whistle stop' from 1912 through 1929.  FYI, a railway 'whistle stop' is a place where trains only stop on request.  Freight service was handled by this depot beginning in 1911 and it ceased in 1962.

The station was designed by the Southern Railway Company using one of its standard floor plans...which called for segregated waiting rooms.  You can see the "Colored" sign over the door at the right while the "White" door is at the left.  The ticket office had separate windows allowing service for both rooms.

In 2008, the Montpelier Foundation began renovating the Depot.  The goal was to restore it to its original appearance in order to document this period of legalized segregation in Virginia and to educate the public about the Jim Crow era.  The exhibit is entitled "The Montpelier Train Depot: In the Time of Segregation".  To learn more about historic Montpelier as an attraction and as President James Madison's home, go to https://www.montpelier.org/. 

From the beginning, as shown above, a United States Post Office was located at the far end of the Montpelier Depot.  But in June of 2022, some Federal government body or official decided that the racial aspects of the depot's exhibits reflected poorly on the Postal Service/Federal Government and the post office was closed.  The closure didn't last long as protests and complaints...plus political pressure...brought about the Post Office's reopening in October of 2022.  This facility serves over 100 local families.

Next stop, Staunton Virginia!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Through the Forest to Luray Virginia

...continuing with our September/October 2024 road trip...the final phase of which was working our way south through Virginia toward our home in East Tennessee.  After our brief stop in Edinburg, we head south and east on back roads toward Luray Virginia. 

Following VA Hwy 675, we wandered through a narrow portion of the George Washington National Forest.  This particular National Forest covers 1,064,176 acres, about 33,600 acres of which are located in Page and Warren Counties that we were passing through. 

Administratively, the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are managed as one unit.  Between the 2, a total of 2,800 square miles of land is protected.  Almost 140,000 acres of the National Forest have been designated at "wilderness areas"...no vehicles and no development allowed.

Note: These two National Forests cover an area larger than the State of Delaware.

This is a great example of our favorite style of highway driving!  Peaceful and almost no traffic... We wandered through the woods across the ridge that is part of this portion of the George Washington National Forest.

This view was one of our 'rewards' from following this byway from Interstate I-81 toward Luray.  That's the part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, itself a portion of the 2,000 mile long Appalachian Mountain chain.  I'm guessing that those little red flags will be replaced by guardrails.  

Once we reached Luray Virginia, our goal was the Luray Caverns attraction.  The fact is that we've done a lot of cave walking over the years and at my age and stage, there is no way that I could tour a cave.  But, the fact is that Luray Caverns is much more that an interesting big cave complex.  

I had called ahead and talked to the front office at Luray Caverns.  I told them that I was unable to tour the caves but that I sure would like to visit the remainder of the attraction.  Was there a way we could do that without fronting $64.00 for Cavern tickets?  I was told that all we had to do was to tell the admissions that we could visit the rest of the attraction without paying...and if there was a problem, just have them call the office.  Now this was a deal!

So, other than the caverns, (obviously the main attraction), there are 4 other attractions at Luray Caverns.  There is a Rope Adventure Park (not for us), The Garden Maze (not for us), Car and Carriage Museum (yea!), Shenandoah History Village (yea) and, there also is a toy museum. (ok) Plenty to see and do!

The toy collection or museum at Luray Caverns isn't hyped as much as the other attractions but Laurie and I both enjoyed wandering down "memory lane".  This large model railway display occupies the center of the space.  

Laurie took this photo of the railway bridge over the canyon.  If you look closely, you can see the images of a couple of toy airplanes hanging from the ceiling as well as a carousel horse behind the railway display's church steeple. 

I've always been fascinated by miniatures and love the close-up detail one can create.  I do remember when Trailways and Greyhound buses looked like the one in this photo...and love that Ford 'ragtop'! 

Being from the Midwest, we never saw electric power locomotives like this one.  I still prefer the look of, if not the smoke from, old time coal burning locomotives.

This is one of the few photos we took of toys that weren't part of the train exhibit.  Its the only one that I liked.  While a variety of "Rocket Racer" cars were produced and can be bought on the Internet, this is one of the truly rare ones.  From the 1930s, this is a rare Marx Rocket Racer Tin Lithograph Wind Up Toy.  It is roughly 18" long.  I found one on sale on eBay that isn't as pristine as this one is.  Asking price $499.95.

If you are over 55 years old, you should remember Marx toys.  Louis Marx and Company was in business from 1919 until 1980.  Toys that the company produced included tin toys of many types, toy soldiers, toy guns, action figures, dolls, toy cars and model trains.  Rock'em Sock'em Robots and Big Wheels tricycles were Marx products.  Marx's larger and costlier toys were staple items for catalog and departments store retailers, including J.C. Penney, Sears and Montgomery Ward. (The latter company being one of my key career stops)

These last two photos in this blog post are indeed children's toys, but they also lead into future posts from Luray Caverns.  Note that these are technically 'wheeled vehicles'.

Reading the plaque at this angle is challenging, so I'll do it for you.  This elaborate child's goat cart...powered by two 'billy' goats...was built in 1905 at the J. W. Clinedirst Factory in New Market Virginia.  Why was it so fancy?  Simple answer...it was built for the factory owner's grandchildren.  Looking on-line, no actual goat powered carts are shown that even approximate the look of this luxury toy.

Technically, this isn't a child's toy but rather a toy or prop designed to entertain children.  This horse tricycle was built sometime in the mid-1920s or 1930s for clowns to use in a circus.  It moved by pumping the handlebars up and down and as it moved, it 'rocked' like a child's rocking horse.

Do you remember the excitement when the traveling circus came to town?  Laurie and I remember the colorful and very impressive Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Baily Circus train passing through Des Plaines Illinois.  On one occasion Laurie visited the site of the fair near O'Hare Airport in Chicago... Her mission was to collect animal 'poop' from the elephants, horses and tigers that she could use to fertilize her flower beds.  It was free!  

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the largest circus in the USA, closed its traditional big top in 2017.  New types of entertainment including video games as well as animal welfare campaigns significantly contributed to the demise of most traveling circuses.  In 1905, there were 46 traveling circuses in the USA and by 1937 there were about 300 traveling circuses or shows of varying sizes.  Today there are just a handful of relatively small traveling circuses, many of which don't feature 'wild' animals. 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Sunday Afternoon in Marietta Ohio and Dinner in West Virginia

Once we finished our tour of "The Castle" in Marietta Ohio, we still had some time that allowed us to drive around town and take in the sights.  We focused on historic homes and churches...before we decided that it was time to find somewhere to have a Sunday dinner.

This is the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta.  It was first organized in 1865 as the Fourth Street Presbyterian Church...with a total of 53 members.  The congregation's first church home was a one-room brick building that was completed in just 3 months in 1866.  A 23 foot extension with 3 more rooms and a tower was added in 1886.  

As the church continued to grow, the congregation purchased an adjoining lot.  Construction of the current sanctuary began in 1896 and it was completed in 1897.  At that point the church was renamed as the First Presbyterian.  Addition construction over the years have continued to expand the church.

This is the Rufus R. Dawes house.  It was built in 1869 by former Civil War Brigadier General Rufus Dawes and his wife Mary (Gates) Dawes.  Rufus had led the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, a regiment in the famed "Iron Brigade" in more that 20 major battles in the War.  These battles included Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Petersburg and others.  Later in his life Rufus served as a member of Congress from Ohio.

One of Rufus and Mary's sons, Bemen Gates Dawes served as a Member of Congress in the early 1900s.  This was also the boyhood home of another son, Charles G. Dawes.  Charles was a Trustee of Marietta College, an Ambassador to England, the author of the WWI German reparations plan, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and served as Vice President of the United States under President Calvin Coolidge.

This Greek Revival brick home on Fifth Street in Marietta was built by Dr. Josiah Dexter Cotton in 1853.  It was built with gallery porches on each side to give it a palatial southern feeling and in my opinion it is a warm and eye-catching structure.  A graduate of Marietta College in 1842, Cotton studied medicine with his father and he practiced medicine in the city for many years.  Dr. Josiah Cotton also served 3 years as a surgeon with the 92nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the American Civil War.  His brother John Jr. had married into a family that was sympathetic with the Confederate cause...bringing familial conflict to the fore.

Dr. Josiah Cotton and his wife had 8 children.  The family supported abolition and equal education for women.  Family life in the household was reported to be very happy indeed.  Dr. Cotton is reputed to continue to have a difficult time leaving the house.  When new owners moved in and began renovations, a man knocked on the door and asked to see the place.  They offered to escort him through the house...but he declined, stating "No thank you, I am very familiar with this house".  He then is alleged to have disappeared.

This is St. Paul's Evangelical Church in Marietta. It began as the German Religious Society in 1838, with its purpose being to serve new German Protestant immigrants that has that were arriving in the area in increasing numbers. In 1839 - 1840, the congregation was organized and it was chartered as the First German Evangelical Church. The group built this sanctuary at the corner of Fifth and Scammel Streets in 1849.
This German Evangelical "Kirche" is Marietta's second oldest church. It was renamed St. Paul's Evangelical Church in 1872. Sermons...and the official church language...was changed to English in 1909.

Now the home of Marietta College's Alpha Xi Delta sorority, this home was built for W.P. Skinner in 1855. Despite having been built by Skinner, today it is known at the George White House. White, an 'oilman', was apparently successful with his oil related investments and he purchased this home in 1908. He was a graduate of Princeton University and he'd mined for gold in the Yukon before coming to Marietta to drill for oil.
White served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1905 to 1908, then the United States House of Representatives from 1911 to 1915, then again from 1917 to 1919. He served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee for 2 years beginning in 1920. In 1931 he was elected as the 52nd Governor of Ohio, serving until 1935.
You may have noted that Marietta Ohio is laden with much history and many historical personages. Its partially due to the fact that back in the early days, rivers were the highways, the best way to get from one area to another. Secondly, due to its location the city was founded in 1788. It was the first permanent American settlement in the USA's newly established Northwest Territory...which was created in 1787.
Time for dinner!!!

As I searched for a likely venue for our evening repast, I noted that one of the most popular and well rated restaurants in the area was just across the Ohio River bridge in downtown Williamstown West Virginia.

As luck would have it, the restaurant was located almost right next to an railway depot.  It was built in 1889 by the old Ohio River Company Railway, which became part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad system.  An active rail line is still in operation right down 2nd Street behind the depot...

In 1906 the railroad moved the entire depot to its current location right at the Williamstown end of the bridge over the river to Marietta.  As of 1957, the depot saw the last of its passenger service but it was still used for freight.  Eventually even the freight activity stopped and the depot sat unused for a time.  The Williamstown Area Development Corporation bought the depot in 1990 and spent $362,000 in renovations.  Since then the structure has served as a visitors center and an ice cream parlor. (Hence that pink paint?) Other than the one end of the building apparently being occupied by the Williamstown Area Historical Society, the building appeared to be vacant.

This was what the railyard at Williamstown looked like back in the days of steam locomotives and when coal was king in this area of the USA.  To view a video of a modern day coal train passing down Williamstown's Second Street behind the depot, you can go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FphchOti3tc.  Also shown in the video...that old depot, sporting much a more appealing maroon/burgundy and yellow coat of paint.

This is da Vinci's...for Fine Italian Dining...and it is next to the old depot.  In 1978, Jim and Marilyn Pettit bought an old gas station and turned it into a pizza shop.  They opened for business in 1980, with 13 tables, serving pizza and subs.  Today this restaurant has grown to the point where it can seat 650 guests and it includes a covered patio.  

From the outside appearance of de Vinci's, we would have never expected the old-time decor exhibited throughout the interior of the restaurant!  We waited for our table in the room shown in the second photo.  There was plenty of eye candy for us to check out...

This dining area is one of many at da Vinci's and it's similar to the one we ate our dinner in.  The Pettit's had started out with one small dining room and a salad bar and in 2024 there are many dining rooms or dining areas in this restaurant.

I will admit that we didn't thoroughly sample da Vinci's menu.  If it were an hour from our home I'd have many more food items to tell you about because we would have been back for seconds and thirds by now.  This was Laurie's 'entree', a big bowl of French Onion Soup. ($8.00) I'm not into onions or onion soup but Laurie is and she raved about just how good her soup was!

I did note a couple of rather unusual and imaginative appetizers on the menu...items that I'd never seen before.  The first one was the Spinach Artichoke Wontons...wontons with a creamy filling of spinach, served with homemade ranch dressing for dipping.  The second unusual option almost blew my mind.  It was the Mini German Pizza...fresh baked pizza crust topped with da Vinci's signature horseradish sauce, tender corned beef, sauerkraut and mozzarella cheese.

This was my entree...although I did share a slice with Laurie.  Is this a great looking Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza or not... It was only excellent!  The best pizza I've had in a long time...

If one were to fully explore da Vinci's menu, it would take quite a few visits.  They offer 6 different salads, subs and sandwiches, steaks, 16 pasta dishes, the pizza plus calzones and a number of sides or 'add-ons' plus no less than 12 dessert options!

The current owner of da Vinci's Restaurant, Chris Bender, had been with the restaurant almost from its beginning.  She started as a server, rose to manager...and then she eventually purchased the restaurant from the Pettit family.  Chris had initially taken the job as server just to help pay her way through college...a nice story with a happy ending indeed.

da Vinci's Restaurant is located at 215 Highland Avenue in Williamstown West Virginia.  The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday but its open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday.  Phone: 304-375-3633.  Website: https://www.villadavinci.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!  

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Focusing on Railroad...Depots and a Little History (#4)

Yet another look back at some of the hundreds of railway depots that I've photographed over the past several years.  The following series of photos begins with September 2018 and goes back to September of 2017.  I touch on depots I checked out in Tennessee, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Scotland in the United Kingdom.  Once again, I've shied away from derelict depots that once upon a time were the center of activity in many towns, but now have been forgotten and neglected.  Railroad fans love railroad history but they also care about the preservation, furbishing and reuse of the thousands of depots here and abroad that no longer serve railroad systems.

Where possible, I have included old time photos of the depots included in this post.  I find them interesting, especially when juxtaposed against the current condition and use of the depots today.

This was the former Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railroad combination passenger and freight depot in Paris Tennessee.  As per the papers filed with the US National Park Service in order to establish the Paris Tennessee Commercial Historic District, this depot was built ca. 1910.  Other sources provide different dates ranging as far back as 1896.  Passenger service to Paris Tennessee continued until 1951.  

I found a photo on-line that I couldn't copy that showed that the depot was being used as an antique shop sometime in the latter part of the 1900s.  When I took the photo shown above in June or July of 1918, the sign on the building advertised a Tax Service.  Apparently the owner/proprietor passed away in February of 2019 and the business closed.  Consequently, I don't know if this old depot is still being repurposed.  

In my search for updated information about the Paris Tennessee Depot, I discovered that by the 1890s this city in western Tennessee also served as a repair shop hub and rail yard for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.  Love the old postcard.

I recently discovered this old photo ca. early 1900s, showing the Tomahawk Wisconsin passenger and freight depot.

This is the repurposed depot as it appeared when I took the photo back in 2018.  In northern Wisconsin growth and prosperity in the late 1800s was all based on the timber industry.  In order for the timber business to grow, railroads were needed.  Both industries arrived at about the same time...in September of 1887.  The first train from the Wisconsin Valley Division of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad arrived in September of that year.  I couldn't determine when the depot was built by it appears to have been completely abandoned by ca. 1980.  

The exterior of the former depot has been restored by Tomahawk Stove Junction, LLC.  The restoration work was completed in 2006.  The building now serves as the company's office, warehouse and store.

The city of Tomahawk also has this Marinette, Tomahawk and Western Railway Company locomotive on display.  Locomotive #19 was built in 1923 for the Charcoal Iron Company of America for use in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  This tough old 2-6-0 type locomotive later served a Wisconsin lumber company from 1927 until 1947.  The lumber company then sold it to the Marinette, Tomahawk and Western Railway and ca. 1960, it was donated to the City of Tomahawk.  The M.T. and W. Railway never had more than 50 miles of track.  By the 1930s, the railroad's trackage was down to 13 miles and the railway had earned the nickname "Miserable, Tired and Weary".

This photo was taken in Plover Wisconsin's Heritage Park in the summer of 2018.  This park is just one of the 4 Portage County Historical Society's properties.  The park is home to a number of historical buildings from the area that have been relocated to the site and which are preserved for future generations.  The exterior and first floor of the depot were restored by Central Wisconsin Model Railroaders, Ltd.  They use the basement for their clubhouse.

The depot was moved to the park from nearby Bancroft Wisconsin.  It was built by the the Wisconsin Central Railway in 1898.  Subsequently it was served as a depot on the "Soo Line", aka the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad.  The caboose sitting next to the depot was originally operated by the Green Bay and Western Railway.

This large conjoined Prairie school style structure is the former Wisconsin Central Railway passenger and freight depot which is located in Stevens Point Wisconsin.  It was built in 1918.  The Wisconsin Central Railroad first arrived in Stevens Point in the 1870s and was instrumental in the city growing into a lumbering center.  Passenger train service to Stevens Point ended in the early 1950s. 

As you can imagine, just based on the size of the building or buildings, Stevens Point was once a key rail center in central Wisconsin.  Other buildings and trackage still exist in the vicinity...from back in the times when railroads ruled land-based transportation.  Canadian National Railway Offices, doing business as Wisconsin Central Limited, are located in the old depot.

Now off to central Tennessee... This is the old Tennessee Central Railway Depot in Cookeville.  The railroad ceased all operations in 1968, but like with hundreds of towns and cities across the USA, the railroad was key to Cookeville's development and growth.  In 1909 this structure replaced the original Nashville and Knoxville Depot that had been built in 1890.  With its pagoda style roof and all brick construction, it was unusual for the Tennessee Central Railroad.  Passenger service ended here in 1955.  

 

I really appreciate old photos showing the depots back in the days when they were still a critical part of so many town's and their economies.  This photo probably dates back to the late 1930s or early 1940s.

The old depot was in dire straits when a group of local citizens decided to preserve it as a museum.  The city of Cookeville purchased the property and depot from the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1975.  By 1985, preservation efforts were completed and the Cookeville Depot Museum became a reality.

                              

The locomotive and rolling stock shown above are just a part of the exhibits that belong to and are preserved by the Cookeville Depot Museum.  That locomotive is a 1913 model 4-6-0 Ten Wheeler that was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works.  After a career working for a couple of local rail lines in Louisiana...and being knocked out of service after a collision, it was sidelined until the Friends of the Cookeville Depot Museum acquired it in 2002.  It was then painted to match the fleet of 4-6-0s that had been operated by the Tennessee Central Railway Company.  

Moving on from central Tennessee in the USA, the recap of railway depots I've photographed will now cross over the Atlantic Ocean to Scotland.  

This lovely little depot is owned by ScotRail and it's located at the Village of Bridge of Orchy.  The village dates back to 1751 and it has a population of 152 residents.  The depot was completed in 1894.  At last check, the depot was being utilized as a resting point or bunk house for hikers along the West Highland Way, a popular long distance trail in Scotland.  Passengers have to buy their tickets in advance or from the guard on the train.

Given the tiny population of the Village of Bridge of Orchy, it's a bit stunning that in a 12 month period from 2023 /2024, a total of 7,286 passengers, (almost 20 passengers a day) were served at this stop on ScotRail.  The West Highland Way trail plus the fact that the River Orchy is one of the finest white water rivers in the UK must be the sources for most of the railway passengers.  Monday to Saturday there are 4 trains in each direction serving this depot, 3 from ScotRail and 1 from Caledonian Sleeper.  

The Dalmally Railway Station opened in April of 1877.  For some time it was the western end of the Callander and Oban Railroad.  This solid looking station is laid out with 2 platforms, one on either side of a passing loop past the station.  In earlier times, the Village of Dalmally also had a small railroad engine shed and a turntable.  

The Village of Dalmally grew up around an Inn that was built in 1782 which was followed by a church being built by a local Earl in 1811.  The advent of the railroad and the popularity of tourist steamers on  nearby Loch Awe accelerated the village's growth.  Today the population includes about 400 people.  

Today the Dalmally Depot is served by 6 trains in either direction Mondays through Saturdays.  An additional train operates from this station to Oban on weekdays.  More trains stop here during the summer/tourist season.  As is common in the USA, no real services are offered at the station.  Tickets must be purchased in advance or from the guard on the train.  A total of 15,298 passengers were served by this station during a 12 month period from 2023 - 2024.

Talk about a railway depot that seems to be in the middle of nowhere!  That's Laurie's brother-in-law Bill wandering down the depot platform at Upper Tyndrum in Scotland.

The Village of Tyndrum, population 167, actually has 2 railway stations...Upper Tyndrum and Lower Tyndrum.  These stations service 2 different rail lines with both depots constructed to match the contour of the countryside they service.  Upper for the highlands and Lower for the lower elevations.  The two stations are about a mile apart...a 15 minute walk.  The Upper Tyndrum station currently houses the offices of Scotgold Resources Ltd., an Australian company that recently reopened a gold mine in the hills just south of the village.   

The Lower Tyndrum Station provided rail service to 6,382 passengers in the 12 month period from 2023 to 2024 and the Upper Tyndrum Station handled 5,878 passengers.  There were also about 1,500 interchange tickets sold between the 2 stations/rail lines.  ScotRail trains service the Upper Tyndrum Station 3 times a day in either direction Monday through Saturday and Caledonian Sleeper provides service once a day on the same days.

The Village of Tyndrum is thought to have begun ca. 1740s as a crossroads of old drover routes.  Its growth was enhanced by a brief gold rush in the early 1800s.  The Village, a popular tourist spot, was built on the battlefield where Clan MacDougall defeated Robert the Bruce in 1306.  The Village is located on The West Highland Way hiking trail.

Moving along, this is the railway station located just outside the Village of Plockton in Scotland.  The depot was built by the Highland Railroad and it first opened in 1897.  The station was privately renovated ca. 2010 and it now serves as a self-catering holiday cottage.

ScotRail serves this depot with 4 trains each way Monday through Saturday and 1 train each way on Sunday.  In the 12 month period between 2023 and 2024, a total of 10,816 passengers were boarded at this station.  As with the other stations described previously, no services are actually available at the station.

The Village of Plockton is situated on the shore of Loch Carron.  With the warm North Atlantic Drift current just offshore and the village facing away from the prevailing winds, the village has a very moderate climate.  New Zealand cabbage palms thrive in town.  Plockton was established as a planned fishing village ca. 1800.  Locals had been removed from their lands and villages as part of the plan to clear the way for sheep grazing to accommodate the wool industry.  Considered to be perhaps the prettiest village in the Highlands, Plockton has served as the backdrop for at least one movie and two TV series.  

To learn more about the Highland Clearances (Removals) and to learn about the impact on Scottish culture, go to https://www.britannica.com/event/Highland-Clearances. 

Onto the last of our Scottish railway depots... This is the ScotRail station at Garve on Kyle of Lochalsh Line, one of the most heralded great train journeys of the world.  The Garve Depot opened in 1870.  Despite its size and the double tracks, a 1,300 foot long loop, this is the least used depot we visited in Scotland.  I was unable to determine what the old depot is currently being used for...

In the 12 months from 2023 into 2024, only 4,264 passengers were served at this depot.  Perhaps the fact that it is the next depot on this scenic line, with the Kyle of Lochalsh's start at Dingwall, only 11 miles away, is the primary reason for the depot's modest use.  There are 4 trains in each direction Monday through Saturday, with 1 train in each direction on Sunday.

The village of Garve has a population of about 250 people and its named after nearby Loch (Lake) Garve.  It is a quiet place made up of small stone cottages with their pleasant gardens behind the usual low stone walls.  Quality fishing in the Loch and nearby river are the key attractions.

Note: ScotRail or ScotRail Trains Ltd. is held by Scottish Railway Holdings Limited, a publicly owned company under the control of the Scottish Government.  ScotRail, just one of several passenger rail services in the United Kingdom, boarded 81,100,000 passenger journeys in the 12 month period of 2023 - 2024.  

Back to the United States!  Also, earlier in 2017, Laurie and I traveled down to Waco Texas and then came back up through Oklahoma.  This is the Amtrak Depot located in Ardmore Oklahoma.  Located at 251 East Main Street this southwestern style building with stucco walls, brick accents and a red clay barrel-tiled roof, was completed in 1916 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad...  Later in its history it was used by the Rock Island Railroad.

As in Scotland, the station offers only shelter, no passenger services.  The structure is owned by the Ardmore Main Street Authority, which restored the station in 2015.  It currently serves as an event venue and a public park, aka "Depot Park" was opened adjacent to the station in 2022.  

The station platform is serviced by the daily Heartland Flyer, which travels from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth Texas...a 4 hour trip each way.  A single daily trip is made in each direction.  The Flyer is operated by Amtrak and its funded by the states of Oklahoma and Texas.  In fiscal year 2023, the Flyer was used by 72,379 passengers.  

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for this journey by rail...then and now.

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave