Columbus Union Station - Remodeling
1927-1931
By the mid-1920s, the third Union Station was showing signs of deterioration. Constant emersion in toxic coal smoke caused the High Street Viaduct and the 675-foot-long train shed to be weakened from corrosion. Passengers coming to the station encountered locomotive coal smoke twice, first when they walked from High Street to the Station entrance under the open-sided walkway. And again when crossing the bridge leading to the stairs down to the trackside. Both the bridge and stairs were open to the inside of the smoky track shed.
Congestion had become a problem with too many passengers encountering too little space in the station. People now used automobiles instead of streetcars and horse-drawn carriages to get to and from the station. The two narrow portals through the arcade leading to the station's front doors could not handle the traffic.
After much debate that included many articles in the Columbus newspapers, it was decided to break the project into three parts: 1) strengthening the High Street Viaduct; 2) opening up the entrance through the Arcade and adding to the driveway, and 3) replacing the track shed with umbrella style platform sheds and constructing a passenger concourse over the station tracks.
The reader will find links to Columbus Dispatch articles about the remodeling of Union Station. The work was spread over five years, 1927-1931. When the project started the country was in a time of economic boom. By the time the work was ending, the Great Depression was underway. That may account for why some parts of the project were eliminated. The Third Street Viaduct, for example, while much discussed wasn’t constructed.
1927-1928 - THE HIGH STREET VIADUCT - Newspaper Articles
1927 was the second time the High Street Viaduct over the Union Station tracks required extensive maintenance. The first time was in 1912. Built in 1895, the toxic steam locomotive exhaust had left the viaduct in a weakened condition. With the help of the Ohio State University engineering department, a plan was devised to weld rebar on the weakened girders and spray the beams with cement mortar to seal them from the locomotive smoke.
1927-1929 - ENTRANCE TO UNION STATION - Newspaper Articles
The entrance to Union Station was expanded by removing the two entrance portals, which included the south Arcade arch. At least one and possibly two commercial shop spaces were also removed.
A second driveway was added on the south side of the existing driveway between High Street and the station entrance, providing a one-way driveway into and exiting the station. There was also some added space for parking.
1930-1931 - TRACK SIDE CHANGES - Newspaper Articles
The final phase of the station remodeling was the most complex of the projects, as the work had to be done without interrupting train service. The first step was to remove the 675-foot-long train shed.
Temporary wooden umbrella-style platform sheds were constructed to protect the passengers and workers.
The station ties and rails were replaced and moved a few feet to the north, allowing for wider platforms. New concrete platforms were constructed.
A temporary wooden concourse over the tracks, along with stairs to the platforms, was constructed.
Once the preparation work was completed, a new permanent passenger concourse was constructed over the station tracks. The concourse was used as the station waiting room and held the stairs leading to the platforms. It increased the station space by 25%. The temporary wooden Umbrella Sheds were replaced with permanent steel supported sheds, finishing the trackside construction.
A final project was an upgrade to the walkway from High Street to the Station entrance. The open north side that allowed visitors to view the trackside was bricked up, sparing pedestrians the locomotive smoke while ending the railfan's favorite train-watching spot.
1927, 1930 - PROJECTS NOT DONE - Newspaper Articles
The Third Street Viaduct over the many railroad tracks on the Station's east side was delayed until 1959. A new Union Station on the west side of High Street never materialized. Raising the tracks between Front Street, High Street, and Fourth Street, eliminating those three viaducts never happened. Building a joint fruit and produce terminal didn’t happen either.
The railroads never wanted to spend money on a Third Street Viaduct, ending any hope for the much-needed viaduct. The Great Depression, which started with the stock market crash in October 1929, also ended the other projects.
From 1904 to 1924 at least 39 different postcards of the Union Station Arcade were available. After 1924 no new postcards of the Arcade were ever printed. The removal of the south arcade arch left a gaping hole in the structure, which may have dampened the citizens' enthusiasm for their Union Station.
Union Station Photos
