Elizabeth and I slept in this morning and after we checked out, went to Bob Evans for breakfast. We stopped at Walmart as Elizabeth needed more film. We then drove to Marion Union Station where we parked our rental car and I showed Elizabeth around since this was her first visit here and my third.
Marion Union Station is a former passenger station at 532 West Center Street in Marion, Ohio. As a union station, it served several train lines, namely the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (acquired in 1906 by the New York Central Railroad) and Erie Railroad (and its successor Erie-Lackawanna Railroad). These lines intersected at the station, so it was a significant transfer point between different geographic points.
Built in 1902 and opened July 31st, it featured marble walls and patterned mosaic tiles on the floor. In 1923, it was the last stop on President Warren Harding's funeral train and was a canteen stop for soldiers during World War II. It had its last long-distance train in 1971 with the end of the Chesapeake & Ohio's connector line to the George Washington.
Since the days of passenger locomotives, the station currently serves as a museum for the Marion Union Station Association and draws hundreds of visitors each year. On a daily basis, one can easily count upwards of 60 trains passing through the intersection of the biggest Ohio railroads, while standing just yards away on the station’s historic brick sidewalks or viewed high in the landmark AC Tower adjacent to the station. Visitors can also tour an Erie Lackawanna caboose that is located on the grounds and harkens back to the near past when that railroad was a major employer in the Marion area.
Erie Railroad caboose C306 built by International Car in 1953 on display.
Tower AC at Marion.
Marion Union Station built in 1902 at the urging of Warren G. Harding who later became President of the United Sates. At the time he was publisher of the newspaper in Marion. Prior to the building of Marion Union Station, the town had a dilapidated passenger coach serving as a ticket station. Marion Union Station figured prominently during World War II. Troops stopped here for canteen service. In 1923, the body of President Warren G. Harding was brought through the station to be taken to his father's home for the funeral. Movie stars, including Al Jolson, came through the station during Harding's famous "Front Porch" campaign for the Presidency. A non-profit group, Marion Union Station Association, purchased the station just before the wrecking ball would have torn it down. This station once served the Erie-Lackwanna, the Hocking Valley, Columbus and Toledo; and the "Big Four". On display is an Erie "Radio" caboose, AC Tower, which used to be across the former Conrail tracks from the depot and is now directly behind the station. Today the CSX crosses itself and Norfolk Southern.
Marion Wastewater Plant 24" gauge TLC 3T, nee Mosser Construction, built by Plymouth in 1953.
Marion's Erie two freight houses.
Another view of Marion Union Station.
A CSX local switching the yard west of the station.
The view looking west from AC Tower.
The view looking north.
The view looking south.
Elizabeth down below.
Elizabeth and the diamond.
CSX 888 West with CSX ES44AC-H 888 and CSX ES44AC-H 908 DPU in the middle of the consist.
CSX 728 East with CSX ES44-AH 728 and CSX AC4400CW 484.
CSX local with CSX SD40-2 2247 and CSX GP40-2 6936 and a surprise in New York Central caboose 21293.
Another view of AC Tower before we left, with no Norfolk Southern trains today, which a first for me. Elizabeth really enjoyed her first visit here and looks forward to her next visit. I drove us to a covered bridge outside of Marion.
Kings Mill Covered Bridge built in 2016.
The Olentangy River. From here we headed to Mount Vernon.
Baltimore and Ohio station in Mount Vernon built in 1907.
The Cleveland, Akron and Columbus station in Mount Vernon, also built in 1907.
The Mount Vernon walking trail sign.
The Cleveland, Akron and Columbus map in the station which is the Chamber of Commerce. I drove us to Utica.
The Utica Baltimore and Ohio Station. We started to leave Utica but something caught me eye.
Utica Glass Blowing Industry mural. I drove us to Granville.
A fake steam engine on display in front of the station.
The Toledo and Ohio Central station in Granville built in 1880.
The plaque on the depot. Our next stop was Lancaster and the grounds of Ohio University.
The John Bright 2 Covered Bridge built in 1881.
The historical plaques about this bridge.
John Bright 1 Iron Bridge built in 1884.
The builder of the iron bridge. Now we will find the freight house in town.
The Chesapeake and Ohio freight house in Lancaster built by Columbus, Hocking Valley and Toledo Railroad.
The R.F. Baker Covered Bridge built in 1871 moved to Fairfield Union High School in 1981. I drove us over to East Fultonham.
An Ohio barn.
Wildflowers on our way there.
Zanesville and Western Scenic Railroad DH40 1014 ex. AP Grain in Columbus, exx. Merchants Grain, nee Continental Grain built by Davenport in 1955.
A Penn Central transfer caboose.
The wooden Zanesville and Western freight house built in 1885. We continued on into Zanesville.
The Columbus, Sandusky and Hocking Railroad/Zanesville Terminal Railroad freight house built in 1881.
Ann Arbor caboose 2834 built by the Wabash Railroad in 1952 on display.
Ohio Central Railway in Zanesville.
Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad station, later Pennsylvania Railroad, built in 1882.
Ohio Central B23-S7 3185, originally Western Pacific U23B 2254 built by General Electric in 1972.
Ohio Central B23-S7 4092, originally Western Pacific U23B 2252 built by General Electric in 1972.
Zanesville Railway car barn.
Wheeling and Lake Erie station in Zanesville. Our next stop was Cambridge.
The Baltimore and Ohio station in Cambridge.
The Baltimore and Ohio freight house.
The Pennsylvania Railroad freight house. We then located the covered bridge here.
Armstrong Covered Bridge built 1849 and relocated to Cambridge City Park in 1966. I drove Interstate 77 north to New Philadelphia.
On the way there, we went under this bridge. We arrived in New Philadelphia and immediately went to Texas Roadhouse for a well-deserved dinner. Afterwards, we checked into the Best Western Dutch Valley Inn for the night.
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