The Restored Selma Union Station

This concludes the restoration of the Selma Union Station. Next month I will take you down to the Antique District. Selma is the new antique center of the south. .

North and West Loading Zone

The Carolinian comes from the west, makes a loop in front of the depot and then heads north towards Washington.

Big Red Caboose

When you have a newly restored depot – you got to have a red caboose. So our town manager, Jeff White, went out and bought one..

Union Station Dedication

We had dignitaries from the Department of Transportation in Raleigh come down for our depot dedication. And, yes, they all had to speak

Union Station Dedication

Past town manager, Bruce Radford, and town manager, Jeff White, were present for the dedication. This day has been about twenty years in the making.

The New Ticket Counter

The ticket counter has been restored to it’s original style and condition – check out the overhead clock.

The New Waiting Room

The waiting room has been restored to it’s original condition – check the new oak benches.

View from the North

This is the view from the north side of the depot, looking south toward Fayetteville.

View from the East.

This is the view from the east side of the depot, looking west toward Raleigh.

Marble Dividers

The men’s restroom was restored to it’ original style, thick marble dividers and oak doors. WOW!

Look out Tower

Does anyone know what they used the lookout tower for back in the twenties? – 2002 photo.

New Roof

Check out that new roof – is it copper or plastic that looks like copper – whatever it is a big improvement over the shingles that were removed. – 2002 photo.

Loading Platform South.

Why is the roof over the loading platform shaped like a trough – probably to keep the water from dripping on the passengers as they board the train. – 2002 photo.

Loading Platform

All of the rotten wood has been replaced and painted – looks like original. – 2002 photo.

Ticket Counter

Progress continues on the ticket counter. - 2002 photo

Waiting Room

Progress continues on the waiting room. - Photo 2002

Tube Style Radiator

Tube styled radiators are used to heat the Union Station. Don’t know if this is original, but it is the same type used in the original design. If you went to school in the thirties or forties, you remember this type of heat. The school was cold in the morning, and you had to open the windows in the afternoon to regulate the temperature.

Electric Water Heater.

The coal fired boiler was replaced with two high wattage electric hot water heaters. Now you know why it takes two transformers and two feeds to supply power to this building.
WOW! Turn the thermostat down.

Union Station Basement

The basement was reinforced with steel beams, and new insulated hot water pipes were installed overhead.

Dry Stairwell

During the renovation period the basement was gutted and waterproofed. You can see the bottom of the stairwell now.

Flooded Basement

When the Union Station was built, 1924, a coal fired boiler was used to heat the building. The boiler was located in the basement . As the station began to deteriorate, the basement started to leak and fill up with water. I remember on two occasions the boy scouts, with the help of the fire department pumps, would pump out the water and clean the basement. And, yes, my son the boy scout would come home with a collection of frogs and snakes.

Union Station Waiting Room - 2001

The floor in the waiting room was completely removed.

The Rotten Roof at Union Station

The roof over the loading platform was in bad need of repair. - 2000

Union Station Waiting Room - 2001

This is what the waiting room of the Union Station looked like in 2001

Norfolk Southern Freight

Norfolk/Southern freight train (with two engines) on the east/west tracks. I was at the Selma Union Station waiting for a passenger train when this photo opt happened.

Union Station 1978

This is what the Union Station looked like in 1978. This picture was taken at the 1978 Selma Railroad Days.

The Carolinian

The Carolinian pulls into Selma Union Station. The Carolinian runs from New York, Washington to Charlotte, NC.

Selma's Union Station

Selma, a true railroad town has just recently renovated it's 1924 passenger depot.