What do you think?
Rate this book
When Atlanta Took the Train
Atlanta! The very name evokes a sense of grandeur and splendor and an aura of dominance. Indeed, today's Atlanta has no rival.
Present-day Atlanta prides itself in having one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, and 100 years ago, it boasted of having the busiest railroad center in the South. At its peak, its passenger stations dispatched countless numbers of trains to every major city in the country. This book recalls the building of the many stations that faithfully served Atlanta and records, with the exception of one, their final reduction to piles of rubble when they were of no further use, only to be remembered on paper and in the memories of those fortunate enough to have witnessed them.
Present-day Atlanta prides itself in having one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, and 100 years ago, it boasted of having the busiest railroad center in the South. At its peak, its passenger stations dispatched countless numbers of trains to every major city in the country. This book recalls the building of the many stations that faithfully served Atlanta and records, with the exception of one, their final reduction to piles of rubble when they were of no further use, only to be remembered on paper and in the memories of those fortunate enough to have witnessed them.
144 pages, Paperback
Published February 26, 2018
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 29, 2025
A Homage To The Fallen Railroad Stations Of Atlanta
Atlanta today is served by a single passenger railroad station known as Peachtree Station located about two miles from downtown. The station in turn is served by a single daily passenger train, Amtrak's Crescent, which has a daily run through the station en route to New Orleans to the South and Washington, D.C. and New York City to the North. Peachtree Station opened in 1918 and thus celebrates its centennial this year. When the station opened, the location was elegant, to complement the lovely architecture, but both station and neighborhood have suffered decline in the intervening years.
I know Peachtree Station because I take the Crescent to Atlanta on trips to see my grandchildren. I know the platform, the long stairs leading to the terminal, the benches in the old waiting room, and the cabs awaiting the occasional passenger. With my lifelong love of trains and familiarity with Peachtree Station, I was eager to read this new book, "When Atlanta Took the Train" (2018) which offers a history of Atlanta's passenger rail service and passenger stations from pre-Civil War days to the present. Railroad historian David Steinberg wrote the book in collaboration with the staff of the Southeastern Railway Museum, which has been in operation for over 45 years and is the official transportation history museum of the State of Georgia. Arcadia Publishing, the publisher of many books of American local history, published this new book and kindly sent me a copy to review.
"When Atlanta Took the Train" beautifully preserves the romance of train travel and the history of Atlanta's passenger trains. The book includes an informative text documenting the passenger trains, railroads, and stations that served Atlanta over the years. The book includes many images of trains, stations, tracks, railroad workers, and passengers. It also shows the changing city of Atlanta with its streets, buildings, industries, and people over the years. It was a delight to read this book, which captures a city and its trains, and includes in one volume a history probably not available elsewhere.
The book is arranged in chapters covering the various passenger train stations that operated in Atlanta. Only the Peachtree Station survives. The book first covers the 1853 Union Station. Even before the Civil War, Atlanta was a railroad hub. General Sherman destroyed this station when he captured Atlanta in 1864. This book offers many fascinating images of this long-gone station.
After the Civil War, beginning a slow economic recovery, Atlanta became home to another Union Station, the Union Depot of 1871. By the turn of the century, this station had become too small and outmoded, but it continued in service until 1930. Steinberg's book covers the long history of this station and of the trains and companies which used it.
A small station called the East Tennessee, Virginia, & Georgia Depot served Atlanta from 1884 to 1895 but no known images of it remain. This book preserves the memory of the station and gives what information remains available about it.
The most extensive chapter of this book covers Atlanta's magnificent Terminal Station which opened in 1905 in a structure designed by architect P. Thornton Mayre. Terminal Station took up much of the slack from the out-of-date 1871 station. At its height, it was home to 100 passenger trains a day. The station was closed in 1970 and, alas, demolished in 1972. The history of the station and of the many trains that served it are lovingly preserved in this book.
In 1930, Atlanta became home to its third Union Station, located only blocks from Terminal Station, and the old 1871 station was gone at last. This Union Station too was a large, impressive structure home to many trains. It too succumbed to the decline in rail service. It closed in 1970 and was demolished shortly thereafter. Its history is preserved in this book.
The final station discussed in the book, and the only passenger station still operating in Atlanta is the Peachtree Station, which had a substantial history before Amtrak took over passenger service and which now services Amtrak's one passenger train through Atlanta. I discussed Peachtree Station at the outset of this review. The book concludes with a short chapter showing old passenger train stations in the Atlanta suburbs, some of which remain standing and some of which have been destroyed, and a brief chapter on excursion trains which sometimes operate in the Atlanta area.
I loved learning about and seeing images of the long history of passenger rail service in Atlanta during an era when the passenger train was a critical part of the community. I wanted to get on the train and ride to Peachtree Station and see my family. Readers with a passion for railroading or with an interest in the history of Atlanta will enjoy this book.
Robin Friedman
Atlanta today is served by a single passenger railroad station known as Peachtree Station located about two miles from downtown. The station in turn is served by a single daily passenger train, Amtrak's Crescent, which has a daily run through the station en route to New Orleans to the South and Washington, D.C. and New York City to the North. Peachtree Station opened in 1918 and thus celebrates its centennial this year. When the station opened, the location was elegant, to complement the lovely architecture, but both station and neighborhood have suffered decline in the intervening years.
I know Peachtree Station because I take the Crescent to Atlanta on trips to see my grandchildren. I know the platform, the long stairs leading to the terminal, the benches in the old waiting room, and the cabs awaiting the occasional passenger. With my lifelong love of trains and familiarity with Peachtree Station, I was eager to read this new book, "When Atlanta Took the Train" (2018) which offers a history of Atlanta's passenger rail service and passenger stations from pre-Civil War days to the present. Railroad historian David Steinberg wrote the book in collaboration with the staff of the Southeastern Railway Museum, which has been in operation for over 45 years and is the official transportation history museum of the State of Georgia. Arcadia Publishing, the publisher of many books of American local history, published this new book and kindly sent me a copy to review.
"When Atlanta Took the Train" beautifully preserves the romance of train travel and the history of Atlanta's passenger trains. The book includes an informative text documenting the passenger trains, railroads, and stations that served Atlanta over the years. The book includes many images of trains, stations, tracks, railroad workers, and passengers. It also shows the changing city of Atlanta with its streets, buildings, industries, and people over the years. It was a delight to read this book, which captures a city and its trains, and includes in one volume a history probably not available elsewhere.
The book is arranged in chapters covering the various passenger train stations that operated in Atlanta. Only the Peachtree Station survives. The book first covers the 1853 Union Station. Even before the Civil War, Atlanta was a railroad hub. General Sherman destroyed this station when he captured Atlanta in 1864. This book offers many fascinating images of this long-gone station.
After the Civil War, beginning a slow economic recovery, Atlanta became home to another Union Station, the Union Depot of 1871. By the turn of the century, this station had become too small and outmoded, but it continued in service until 1930. Steinberg's book covers the long history of this station and of the trains and companies which used it.
A small station called the East Tennessee, Virginia, & Georgia Depot served Atlanta from 1884 to 1895 but no known images of it remain. This book preserves the memory of the station and gives what information remains available about it.
The most extensive chapter of this book covers Atlanta's magnificent Terminal Station which opened in 1905 in a structure designed by architect P. Thornton Mayre. Terminal Station took up much of the slack from the out-of-date 1871 station. At its height, it was home to 100 passenger trains a day. The station was closed in 1970 and, alas, demolished in 1972. The history of the station and of the many trains that served it are lovingly preserved in this book.
In 1930, Atlanta became home to its third Union Station, located only blocks from Terminal Station, and the old 1871 station was gone at last. This Union Station too was a large, impressive structure home to many trains. It too succumbed to the decline in rail service. It closed in 1970 and was demolished shortly thereafter. Its history is preserved in this book.
The final station discussed in the book, and the only passenger station still operating in Atlanta is the Peachtree Station, which had a substantial history before Amtrak took over passenger service and which now services Amtrak's one passenger train through Atlanta. I discussed Peachtree Station at the outset of this review. The book concludes with a short chapter showing old passenger train stations in the Atlanta suburbs, some of which remain standing and some of which have been destroyed, and a brief chapter on excursion trains which sometimes operate in the Atlanta area.
I loved learning about and seeing images of the long history of passenger rail service in Atlanta during an era when the passenger train was a critical part of the community. I wanted to get on the train and ride to Peachtree Station and see my family. Readers with a passion for railroading or with an interest in the history of Atlanta will enjoy this book.
Robin Friedman
May 28, 2018
Very good book with insight into Atlanta, Georgia's rail terminal history.
April 30, 2022
Trains used to be the main transportation for passengers and shipping.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews