How to Search Abandoned RR Station?

[Bigcypresshunter]

Living in South Florida, we dont have many old available inland sites to search. I have however learned of an abandoned Railroad station from the 20's. The station led to a nearby hotel which was the centerpiece of town. It is now a large open field which will probably be made into a park in the future, but right now nobody cares. The city cuts the grass. The old tracks are still there. Newer tracks built alongside are in use. Talking to a woman interested in the stations history, I have also learned of a line of shops on the other side of tracks that have burned down and were never rebuilt since the Depression. I have searched this field on two occasions but have come up with nothing old. Where and how would be the best way to search an old RR station? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

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[gollum]

If you want to head North a ways, Ill give you another old Train Station closed down in 1927. I had kept kind of quiet about it because my mom wanted to hunt it out, but her health has sort of pushed that into the back burner, so Ill open her up to anybody.

In the original Panama City, Florida, there is an old train station that closed down in 1927 (or 1928). My stepfather travelled from there back and forth to Alabama when he was a kid. He says that was the main way to come to Panama City in the early 1900s. Everywhere around it was all swamp.

Ill bet there is a ton of goodies out there.

Best of luck-Mike

 

[ashleen]

BigC,

Just a thought...........
search the www and eBay for old pics and or postcards of the place. (I've found lots of old postcards online of old places)If you can find any; and see where the ticket counter was....ya know...person INSIDE with customer on the outside......know what I mean?
Good luck

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

If you want to head North a ways, Ill give you another old Train Station closed down in 1927. I had kept kind of quiet about it because my mom wanted to hunt it out, but her health has sort of pushed that into the back burner, so Ill open her up to anybody.

In the original Panama City, Florida, there is an old train station that closed down in 1927 (or 1928). My stepfather travelled from there back and forth to Alabama when he was a kid. He says that was the main way to come to Panama City in the early 1900s. Everywhere around it was all swamp.

Ill bet there is a ton of goodies out there.

Best of luck-Mike

Thanks gollum, I will keep that in mind but a little too far north for me at this time.
Thanks Ashleen. I wonder how far from the tracks the ticket booth would be.

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

BigC,

ditto on what Ashleen said.

Also if you can figure out how the folks
got to the station or how they left. Direction
they came from and left. Folks often also use
to walk along the tracks, or on the side, and than
cutting off when they were near the location they were
going.

I also have not had much luck on two old, small
town, stations.

Hope you hit something.

have a good un.............

 

[TheSleeper]

It might take a lil bit of work locating the right areas. But remember phone and television weren`t widely in use back then, so alot of times train stations became hubs of the outlaying community, such as elections, esp presidential electings. From old pictures i have seen opposite the station was the area alot would gather for picnics while waiting for the special happenings to take place. Try going to the closest lib and see if they have any old articles pertaining to that station, that could give u the clues u need. Esp look for any special events like election campaigns coming though and so forth.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks. I need an old picture. I also think I have been searching too far from the tracks.
The hotel and shops were within walking distance and were used by railroad dignitaries and land speculators during the Florida land boom before a bad hurricane, the Depression, a fire, and real estate collapse.

 

[bakergeol]

Perhaps the area where people gather will not be the most productive? A while ago a friend of mine at work expressed a desire for a detector to work around old RR stations. I asked him what he was looking for? old coins? old jewelry?- Nope. He related a story about visiting an old deserted RR station. While visiting the site he spotted an old brass RR lock in the sand. In the process of IDing the lock he received several offers for it and sold it for several hundred dollars. The last I heard from him was that he was trying to find where on these properties these old locks were apt to be lost. Around the tracks? Switches?I don't know. His priority was of course large targets(railroad lock finder).

George