You’ll be impressed and surprised as I was at the number and beauty of the railroad stations that we can still enjoy today.Ĭompared to other major California cities, San Diego’s first railroad was a long time coming. But they all represent the railroad in America, and they have each seen countless arrivals and departures of both trains and the people who have ridden them.Ĭome, then, whether an armchair traveler, a Sunday afternoon explorer, or an eager railfan to visit San Diego County’s reminders of both the past and present of railroad travel. The buildings range in architecture and size from the elegant mission-style station in downtown San Diego to tiny woodframe edifices, such as La Mesa, that held little more than an agent and serviced only a handful of passengers. Many others lead productive second lives - from offices and museums to restaurants and gift shops. The stations in San Diego, Del Mar, and Oceanside still bustle with daily Amtrak and freight activity. Only one train station has been razed in San Diego County in the past twenty-five years - Fallbrook. And at least a half dozen others have been spared thanks to historical preservation efforts. Communities have banded together to find funds to buy and physically move three stations from trackside to streetside locations. A strong sentiment plus action and money have saved a number of these symbolic buildings. While many fine stations have met the wrecking ball and bulldozer across the country, we are fortunate in San Diego County and the neighboring border cities of Tijuana and Tecate to have 18 buildings that serve or have served as train stations. To the communities they serve, train stations represent the railroad, with its attendant nostalgia on the one hand and no-nonsense business on the other. These buildings somehow transcend the brick, wood, and glass that define their structure. There’s something special about train stations. Main Article | Santa Fe Stations | Spreckels Empire
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