Texas/Arkansas - Texarkana - Union Station - Non-lobby

Union Station, Texarkana - Outside the lobby



Union Station is right next to a Federal prison, hence the barbed wire to the right of the first photo. I'm hesitant to draw a correlation, but had I been caught inspecing the old station, it would have been a very conveniently short trip next door.


The awning on the right side of the building is in tremendous shape.


A first peek inside, from under the awning. Apparently parts of the old station can be rented for events. What a great-looking party atmosphere.


One of the main rooms inside, I believe to the left of the lobby, but don't hold me to it (I was wandering). There is some beautiful architecture to be preserved here if it can be done in time.


A back room, looking clerical in nature, and well back from the lobby. Fixtures need work.


The men's (first two photos) and women's bathrooms on the lobby level. The men's room is barred off with wooden boards, but the women's room is accessible. I still feel squeamish about going inside, though.


Onto the platform. The trains are actually on the level below the lobby, so passengers needed to descend the stairs. (I did not see any way for handicapped or elderly passengers to get to the train, but that wasn't really a concern back then.) The second photo, right below the window in the first photo, hints that there may have been air conditioning.


Looking down the stairs, unfortunately fenced off, from the platform. There is an intriguing-looking cargo chute across from the stairs, which seems too steep to have been any sort of handicapped access. "Train's here! Hurry, onto the slide!"


Upstairs now, and the first room I come to is another bathroom. The stairs are well hidden off of the side hallway and, without windows, are completely dark between floors. It's a cool place to hide an escapee from the Federal prison.


Now to the back end of the hallway, where it seems renovations are underway. At least, the removal of everything has been undertaken, but it remains to be seen whether anything will be put back in. Maybe this will become new event space? A museum? Minimum security overflow from the prison?


Whatever's here, the view is less than stellar. Let's clean up that broken glass, and maybe replace the rusted roof?


The long room to the left.


Around to a different corner of that level.


Back to the stairs of DOOOOOM. Every Friday the 13th, the black goop starts flowing, but you can't tell where it comes from or where it goes.


There is still one more level, confined to the space above the lobby. Consider this the attic. It seems that even this low storage space is under renovation, but I really can't imagine what this area would contribute.

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