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We reach Atlanta on The Crescent – US Rail Journeys Series 3 Episode 14
We reach Atlanta on The Crescent continues my journey both through the night and into the morning, as we travel towards Atlanta on The Crescent on my journey towards New Orleans.
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Greensboro:
We are late and so it is very dark as we cross the Virginia / North Carolina State line.
Our next stop is in Greensboro which is the largest city in the Piedmont Triad metro region. The impressive Beaux Arts station dates from 1927 and is a stop for the Crescent, Carolinian and Piedmont trains.
High Point:
We reach the ‘Furniture Capital of the World’ which uses the symbol of the Worlds largest Chest of Drawers. Textiles and Thomas Built school buses also feature in the local industrial mix. The platforms are at a lower level than the Richardson Romanesque style station buildings which date from 1907.
Salisbury:
Another magnificent station building which I miss because I’m sleeping peacefully in my Roomette. The station dates from 1908 and is in the Spanish Mission style. In 2019 21,771 passengers used the station.
Charlotte:
The southern terminal of the Carolinian and the Piedmont trains is an ugly station with an exposed precast concrete frame. The station is one of the busiest in the South East USA with ten trains a day stopping there.
Gastonia:
The city is part of the Charlotte metropolitan area and is home to Parkdale Mills who are the worlds leading manufacturer of spun yarn. The station is a flag stop because passengers need to request that the train stops.
Spartanburg:
The Southern Railway built station has been open since 1904. In 1996 there was a major fire and a 16 year old led a crusade to save the station! The station is open every night from 11.00 pm to 6.00 am. In 2019 3,711 passengers turned out to use the station.
Greenville:
Once known as the ‘Textile Capital of the World’ the city now hosts the head offices of a number of large companies. Wayne Oates, the psychologist responsible for the word ‘workaholic’, and Jesse Jackson were both born here.
The modern station, reminiscent of a retail warehouse, dates from 1988.
Clemson:
It is, for me, early morning when we reach Clemson because we are running late. We are now in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
The station dates from 1916 and hosted 2,868 passengers in 2022.
Toccoa:
Home to the 101st Airborne Division’s paratrooper base which features in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. It is also the home to Star Trek’s Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy and one time ‘Worlds Strongest Man’ Paul Anderson.
The wood framed station building dates from 1915 and is currently used by both Amtrak and the local community.
Gainesville:
We are now in the foothills of Georgia’s ‘Blue Ridge Mountains‘ in a town known as the ‘Chicken Capital of the World’ because of the number of poultry processing plants.
The station opens an hour before a train is due and closes one hour after it leaves. In 2019 there were 5,277 passengers.
Atlanta:
Peachtree station in Atlanta is magnificent at street level. It is in the Italian Renaissance style and dates from 1918. Originally a commuter stop on the north side of the city, it is used annually by around 50,000 passengers (2022) who either join or leave The Crescent.
Next up:
If you enjoy these podcasts please join me in a couple of weeks as I continue my journey south on The Crescent towards New Orleans.
Links:
To visit the Amtrak website please follow this link.
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Music:
AKM Music licenses Steam Railway and Joyrider for use in this podcast.
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