AN URBAN RAILFAN SAFE HAVEN
Kansas City Union Station
BY CARL GRAVES/PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
DISMAYED by how some photogra- phers are scrutinized by police while railfanning in urban areas, I realized how fortunate I am to have a busy, has- sle-free zone for railfanning — the area around Kansas City’s Union Station (KCUS). Right next to this historic and impressive stone structure, the triple track Kansas City Terminal hosts an average of 100 trains per day pulled by engines from four to six different rail- road companies, in addition to two dif- ferent Amtrak operations. From the pedestrian walkway, the station park- ing garage, and two adjacent city street overpasses, photographers can take pictures of this transportation parade safely and conveniently. An added
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bonus is the amenities that Union Sta- tion and nearby city facilities provide for those who visit for an hour, a day, or longer. Together these circumstances make the KCUS area an urban railfan safe haven.
KCUS Decline and Rebirth
Although the station has been here for many years, only recently did a series of changes save it from decay and transform it into such a desirable loca- tion for railroad buffs. In 1906 an orga- nization called the Kansas City Termi- nal Railway (KCT), created by all the railroads serving Kansas City, decided to replace the cramped Union Depot, opened in 1878, with a new, larger pas-
senger facility on higher, less flood- prone ground. In 1914 trains began us- ing the handsome stone structure. The third largest passenger depot in the United States, Kansas City Union Sta- tion handled 231 passenger trains in one day in 1917. After the “Glory Years” (1914-1947), passenger service and the station started to decline. By 1981 traffic into KCUS had fallen
by 96 per cent. I remember my first vis- it to the crumbling facility, in which Amtrak, to save on heating costs, in- stalled an inflated polyester “bubble” inside the Grand Hall. With the help of civic-minded individuals, corporations and several local politicians, came a stream of private and public money, in-
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