Akron Union Station

Akron Union Station was a series of two union stations serving several passenger railroads in Akron, Ohio from 1891 to 1971. The station's tenants included the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad and Erie Railroad. It was a hub, serving train companies serving destinations in different directions, west, north, south and east.[1]

First station
the first Akron Union Station, c. 1906

The station was serviced by two different buildings in sequence. The first building, Akron Union Station, at 245 East Market Street (41.0828°N 81.5099°W / 41.0828; -81.5099 (Akron Union Station (1891–1950))), was completed and in operation in 1891. In early years, as documented in 1910, the station was one of two Akron stations used by the Baltimore and Ohio and it was the Akron station for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The B&O's second station, the Howard Street station, was one-fourth of a mile from the union station.[2] By the 1930s, the station also served the Erie Railroad.[3] It was referenced as Union Station in the Baltimore & Ohio timetables. It was closed in 1950 and it was demolished in 1951.[4][5]

Passenger services

Representative services in 1946 featured these trains:[6][7][8]

  • Baltimore & Ohio
    • Ambassador (Detroit, MI - Baltimore, MD)
    • Blue Ridge Limited (Washington, DC - Chicago, IL via Pittsburgh) (west-bound only)
    • Capitol Limited (Chicago, IL - Jersey City, NJ via Pittsburgh) (east-bound)
    • Shenandoah (Chicago, IL - Jersey City, NJ)
    • unnamed Cleveland - Akron - Wheeling service
  • Erie Railroad
  • Pennsylvania Railroad
    • Akronite (Akron - New York, NY)
    • Clevelander (New York, NY - Cleveland, OH, via Akron) (west-bound only)
    • Gotham Limited/Golden Triangle (Chicago, IL - Cleveland, OH, via Akron)
    • unnamed Cleveland - Akron - Columbus - Cincinnati service, unnamed Cleveland - Akron local service

Second station and final years
the 1950 Akron Union Depot, c. 1950s

The second station, Akron Union Depot, reflecting the shift of location, was opened in 1950 and was located five blocks away, on the east side of the tracks, at 220 Wolf Ledges Parkway (41.0773°N 81.5167°W / 41.0773; -81.5167 (Akron Union Depot (1950–1971))).[9][10] The Erie Railroad after a 1960 merger became the Erie Lackawanna; that company's last train through the station was the Lake Cities in 1970. The station was closed in 1971, as the last train being the B&O's Capitol Limited.[11] That train would be subsequently rerouted with the assumption of passenger services by Amtrak. Akron briefly saw train service in the 1990s with the arrival of the Three Rivers and the rerouting of the Broadway Limited.

Disposition today

The second Union Depot is used today by the University of Akron as its Buckingham Center for Continuing Education.[12][13]

See also

References
  1. Official Guide of the Railways, February 1932, Index of Railway Stations, p. 1465
  2. Official Guide of the Railways, January 1910, Index of Railway Stations, p. 1168
  3. "Index of Railway Stations". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 64 (9). February 1932.
  4. Great Union Stations, 'Akron' https://chicagorailfan.com/stbcakr.html
  5. Camp, Mark J. 'Railroad Depots of Northeast Ohio,' Arcadia Publishing, 2007, p. 27.
  6. "Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Tables 1, 13, 20". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 78 (12). May 1946.
  7. "Erie Railroad, Tables 1, 8". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 78 (12). May 1946.
  8. "Pennsylvania Railroad, Tables 4, 6, 14, 179, 182". Official Guide of the Railways. National Railway Publication Company. 78 (12). May 1946.
  9. Camp, Mark J. 'Railroad Depots of Northeast Ohio,' Arcadia Publishing, 2007, p. 27.
  10. UA Buildings and Facilities, The University of Akron: University Communications and Marketing
  11. Former Union Depot, Waymarking https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7DE5_former_Akron_Union_Depot
  12. Camp, Mark J. 'Railroad Depots of Northeast Ohio,' Arcadia Publishing, 2007, p. 27.
  13. UA Buildings and Facilities, The University of Akron: University Communications and Marketing
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