Train Trip 2013 - Baltimore to Washington

I was going to do one post that included from Baltimore through to Chicago but . . . too many photos from Baltimore and Washington! They both have great train stations!

Baltimore's Penn Station was built in 1911 and, save for a couple renovation/restoration projects along the way, appears to have stayed relatively true to original. In 1983/84 one of the projects included restoration of the glass ceiling which has been painted over in black during WWII. It's now quite magnificent!

Glass ceiling at Penn Station, Baltimore

Glass ceiling at Penn Station, Baltimore

Decorative woodwork and lighting on end of a bench in Penn Station.

A combination of old & new . . . old stairway and decorative post with new digital track signs.

We didn't spend any time in Washington, DC (just not enough days left in this trip!!) but had a short stopover there after leaving Baltimore and waiting to catch the train to Chicago. Washington's Union Station is one of the most elaborate we've been to! It certainly rivals the Los Angeles station. Equally impressive, but in a different way.

It was built in 1901 and is now a national landmark. The main concourse is 45 feet high from main floor to ceiling and 760 feet long -- at one time, the largest single room in the world. Again, it is a building that was left to decline, was abandoned for a few years, and then renovated/restored in 1988 to the tune of $160 million and is an example of "adaptive reuse through a public and private partnership".

The front of Washington Union Station

Three of the many eagles outside Union Station

Soldier statues inside the station

Beautiful ceiling and stonework

Front archway at Union Station

We also had a bit of time to wander farther afield and The Capital Building is very close to the station. Another awesome building!

The Capital Building

One of eight stone archways with single tree in front (bottom right in above photo)