New Miami Station Dedicated, ______
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Vol. 5, No.7 July 1978 New Miami Station Dedicated, _______--. I Open House Celebrates Event Nearly 1,000 persons attended the rector, state and local services, Wash Said Garelick, "This new station is dedication ceremonies and ensuing ington. Other speakers included representative of Amtrak's con open house as Amtrak opened its new James R. Getty, vice president, tinuing effort to upgrade and im $5.7 million Miami, Florida, station, passenger traffic, Seaboard Coast prove rail passenger travel. on Tuesday, June 20. Line; Martin Garelick, Amtrak's "We're happy to have one of our Located at 8303 N. W. 37th executive vice president and chief most modern and comfortable A venue, near the Seaboard Coast operating officer; and Dr. Delores facilities located here in Miami. The Line's Hialeah yards, the new station Kory, who represented Miami Mayor New York-Florida route is one of our is the most extensive project of its Maurice A. Ferre. Kory presented most popular routes making this kind in Amtrak's seven-year history. Lombardi with a scroll proclaiming project doubly significant." It replaces the 48-year-old Seaboard Amtrak Week in Miami. Among the attractions for the Air Line facility on Northwest 7th Avenue that Amtrak had been using. The $5.7 million costs included acquisition of the 28-acre site and construction of the building, two 2,000-foot-long platforms, canopies, three new tracks and a 269-car parking lot. The 20,000-square-foot station building measures 85 feet by 175 feet. Workmen were putting on the finishing touches even as the speeches were being made inside the station building. Ceremonies were moved in doors because of the day's oppressive heat. Master of ceremonies for the event was John V. Lombardi, Amtrak's di- Participating in the ribbon-culling ceremony are, left to right, Martin Garelick, John V. Lombardi and Dr. Delores Kory, who represented Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre. The new station measures 85 by 175 feet and sits on a 28-acre site. The new facility's parking lot can accommodate 269 automobiles. (Far Left) Attendant Richard Walczak directs visitors to the exhibition cars. (Left) New station replaced the 48-year old former Seaboard Air Line facility. (Below) Spanish direction signs reflect Cuban atmosphere of Miami area. ...tL-+ EBo/etos '. \ serYlcios . ... -- qu.paJes Refr eSCOs .... .. Informacion Tel_efono .... (A bove) Th e Silver Meteor, with Engineer Jim McClellan at the throt tle, is the first train out of the new station. (Right) Interior is spacious and can accommodate 350 persons. Division offices are on the second floor. public at the station was a display of items to the crowd. rest rooms on the first floor. A passenger cars, both refurbished Construction of the new facility passenger lounge and offices for conventional equipment and Am - began- Gn- May 13 -,- ---l 977,-aRG-we F-k~ - Amt-Fak!'s-district headquarters are-Io- - fleet, and a freshly-painted SDP40F was completed ahead of schedule. cated on the mezzanine. locomotive. The masonry and steel building is The building, platforms and Paper engineers' hats and coloring one of Amtrak's standard design parking lot have all been designed to books were distributed to children at station buildings and accommodates be fully accessible to handicapped tending. For adults there was a 350 persons. It can easily be expanded travelers. Ramps, an elevator, ac- sweepstakes drawing for weekends if future ridership warrants. cessible restrooms and telephones for two in Washington and Montreal. The station features a spacious have been incorporated into the new Amtrak sales personnel distributed carpeted waiting room, a modern building for their use. travel literature and promotional ticket office, baggage area and A regional flavor has been added to .--------------------------------....., the well-lighted exterior by creation of a small citrus island in front of the station. The last train to use the old station was the Floridian which left the old facility at 5:10 p.m. on Monday, June 19. The first train to leave the new station was the Silver Meteor with Engineer Jim McClellan at the throttle. The train left at 9: 10 a.m. as the final preparations were being made for the dedication ceremonies A mtrak passengers using the new Miami station might be served, at one time or another, which began at 10 a.m. by, left to right, Ben Stroud, commissary worker; Hansome Forbes, red cap/ baggageman; Dick Keeble, station supervisor; Ray Vin cent and Oscar Reynolds, clerks; Mary Fisher, Bob Three trains serve Miami at Brown and Bill Pearson, ticket clerks; Frank Rowe, red cap / baggageman; Ken Bunetta, present. They include the Miami-New lead ticket clerk; Joe O'Donnell, clerk; or Richard Williams and Jim Freeman, commissary York Silver Star and Silver Meteor workers. and the Chicago-Miami Floridian. 2 Canton Station Opens, _________ _ _ I City Officials Praise Amtrak Amtrak dedicated another station man Ralph Regula; and Larry R. station and today we enjoy the end in June, this one in Canton, Ohio. Brown, president, Greater Canton result of a lot of hard work done by The $199,600 station was formally Chamber of Commerce. many people." opened for service in ceremonies at Also speaking were Al Kaletta, Brown noted that this was tended by some 250 persons at 10 Central region sales director, Chica "another progressive step in the a.m., on Friday, June 30 . go, and John Piet, general manager, development of downtown Canton." Located on South Market street, staff, Washington. Congressman Regula remembered the modern masonry and steel Piet accepted, on behalf of coming to the old station as a child building is designed to accommodate Amtrak, an environmental award and riding to Chicago to attend the over 50 passengers. The barrier-free which was presented by Dr. William World's Fair. He told the crowd, "As facility is easily accessible by han Griffith, chairman, Downtown the energy crisis grows and as we ' dicapped and elderly persons and Canton Association. realize how important rail travel is, features a modern ticket office and Master of ceremonies for the event we'll see a renaissance of the rail waiting room with vending area. was Bob Casey, director, public system in this country. Speakers at the ceremony included affairs, Chicago. "We have a good interstate high Stanley Cmich, mayor, Canton; Tom Said Mayor Cmich, "This day has way system now. Next, we're going Pulsifer, president, Ohio Association been a long time coming and I'm glad to have an interstate of the rails." of Railroad Passengers; Congress- it is finally here. This is a lovely After an official ribbon-cutting, (Left) Tom Pulsifer, president, OARP, addresses crowd at Canton ceremony. (Below) Mayor Stanley Cmich cuts ribbon to officially open the new station. Left to right are Con gressman Ralph Regula and Amtrak's AI Kalella and John Piet. (Below) Manning the new station are Bob Walls and Richard Sherwood. (Right) The new facility can handle 50 passengers but can easily be expanded if future use warrants. 3 partIcIpants and guests entered the fixtures also have been installed. The new station is located on the station to take part in an open house. Future improvements will include site of the old Pennsylvania station Coffee, soft drinks and a special repaving of the two platforms and which was razed in 1976. Amtrak cake were served to all. installation of additional lights. A tall Manning the new station will be Landscaping work and con electrically-lighted sign shows passing Bob Walls and Richard Sherwood. struction of a 26-car parking lot was autos exactly where the station is Walls has been with Amtrak for six financed by a $72,000 contribution located. years. During his first two years he from the City of Canton. The exterior The station with its bronze worked as a passenger service work was designed to complement the aluminum overhang and tinted glass representative traveling around the city's revitalization and was designed by Amtrak's country. Since then he has worked in beautification of the downtown area. engineering department and is one of Dayton, Cincinnati and Cleveland. The station is located about four the three available standard station Sherwood is beginning his third blocks south of the center of town. models. It can be expanded if the year with Amtrak and has helped In conjunction with the station need occurs in the future. open new stations at Cleveland and project, Amtrak renovated the About 760 passengers board or Elyria. Love for the railroad comes subway entrance leading from the leave Amtrak trains in Canton every easy for him. His grandfather was an station waiting room to both train month. Patronage is expected to engineer, his father a boilermaker platforms. New stairway enclosures increase with the improved facilities and an uncle a trainmaster. have been built and platform and with ticketing service available Notes Walls, "Business has picked canopies modernized. New light for the first time. up here and it's going to get better." IRosier, Newman Lead On-Board Services Contest I The first results in Amtrak's year and Clarence E. Scroggins. New York: Rudolph Sambrano. long contest to find the best on-board Jacksonville: Ida B. Byrd, Melvin Jacksonville: Robert F. Martin: services employees are in and Darnell J. Day, John F. Duggan, Michael A. Miami: George A. Burns and Rosier, Miami, and Marcia Newman, Ghelerter, James C. Holly, Everett Alphonso A. DaCosta. Los Angeles, lead the pack at the end Jones, Leroy Polite, Rubin A. Cbicago: Percy Lee. - oflheTirst month.-- - -- Stevens~ --Boward Williams--aiict Los Angeles: Herman Burton. The contest is divided into two dis Johnnie A.