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In this first and only published history of Birmingham, Alabama's iconic TerminalStation, railroad historian Marvin Clemons has gathered extensive documentation and scores of photographs telling the story of what was hailed Birmingham's "great temple of travel," an architectural masterpiece in railway station design lost to a failed urban renewal project.
Covering more than a century of history, from the arrival ofBirmingham'sfirst railroads in 1870 to the end of private rail service in 1979, the book describesthe circumstances leading to the formation of Birmingham Terminal Company andthe construction in 1909 of TerminalStation. Details of the building'sclassic Beaux Arts and Byzantine design are described by its architect, P. ThorntonMayre, and the station's construction is seen in rare early photographs andvintage post cards.
A photographic tour of Terminal Station's interiorhighlights the magnificent main waiting room, with its vaulted 100-foot highdome and soaring Roman arch windows. Photographsinclude multiple views of the waiting room and other facilities, including theticket office, lunch counter, and soda shoppe.
Every great rail station is noted for its trains, and thebook includes a chapter on the passenger trains of each of the station's fivetenant railroads, Southern, Seaboard, Central of Georgia, Frisco, andIllinois Central, spanning six decades of operation. A history of each railroad's passenger service features dozens of black & white andcolor photographs, many never before published, of such famous trains as the "City of Miami," "Southerner," "Silver Comet," and the "Kansas City - Florida Special." A selection of professionallycolorized black & white photos show the variety of color schemes applied tosteam and early diesel locomotives. The photographs are a valuable resource for the prototype modeler of Southeastern railroads.
The last years of Terminal Station are documented in imagesof the few remaining trains, ending in poignant scenes of the nearly abandonedstation. The final chapter explores thecircumstances leading to the decision to demolish the station, and apost-mortem lays to rest the many rumors as to the probable causes for thestation's removal. More than a half century later, the loss of such a cherished part ofBirmingham's architectural and cultural heritage is still mourned.
The book concludes on a positive note with a postludedevoted to Southern Railway's "Southern Crescent," Birmingham's last privately operatedpassenger train until its surrender to Amtrak in 1979, marking the official end of theBirmingham Terminal Company.
Printed on silk matte paper and bound in gold-stamped cloth covers wrapped in a colorful laminated jacket, Great Temple of Travel commemorates the 50th anniversary of the loss of Birmingham's iconic Terminal Station and the passing of the last golden era of rail passenger travel. The autographed copy is shipped directly from the publisher with free shipping.
Reader Reviews
"Great Temple of Travel" is a treasure (and) highly recommended for all who study railroading and railroad history. The book offers something for the passenger train historian, the passenger station historian, industrial archeologist, and both steam and diesel locomotive historians, as well as the casual reader. And, if you happen to live in Birmingham, or have any recollection of Terminal Station, this book is a must." -- David Lester, Railroad Historian and Journalist
"Just a note to advise that the book arrived today. Itis outstanding - a great reference source for one of the important stations that I missed. I lived in Memphis in 1964, so got some exposure to Central and Union Stations in Memphis,and Birmingham always beckoned as one end of the Frisco, but I never made it there while thestation was still standing." --Bill Pollard, Conway, AR
"Great Temple of Travel" is simplyoutstanding, both text and photos. My congratulations to you for helping topreserve the history of this magnificent edifice. Although I never visitedBirmingham Terminal Station, I remember very well the demise of Memphis UnionStation. My dad and I spent many happy hours train watching there. I neverunderstood how something built to last for the ages could be demolished soquickly in the name of progress. Again, job well done." -George Holt, Dallas, TX
"I really thought this was going to be mostly a photo montagebook, which it absolutely is. But to my surprise, there is a ton of writteninformation that really tells the history of the station from originalconception though construction to completion and, unfortunately, it's ultimatedemise. The inclusion of details of the individual railroads that called on thestation and how they entered and departed is fascinating to me and it's greatthat this was included in the book. As of this writing, I must say I haven'tfinished the book yet, but after the first few chapters, I'm absolutely blownaway at the quality writing and especially the photos!" - Dale Burns, Alexander City, AL
"Take it from a railroader that this book has resurrected a Phoenix from the ashes ofan inept city. The thorough explanation of operations and the awesome picturesto go with it can't be beat." - Billy Thomason, Odenville AL
"Beautiful book!!!I feel richly blessed with wonderful memories and historicalperspectives by your work and all those who contributed."-Dan Gray, Houston TX
"Thanks for writing these amazing books about theBirmingham railroad scene. I really enjoyed the "Birmingham Rails" book, Iuse it as a reference for some of the captions I put on my photos for Railpictures.net." - Frank Orona, Valley AL
