Today’s guest columnist is Elizabeth Coleman.
Does anyone besides me wish we could resurrect the magnificent, original Birmingham Terminal Train Station.
Well, maybe we can…read on!
I was born in Birmingham in 1959, and have lived in the area for most of my life. Like most families in the 1960s, my family ate dinner at the dining room table every night, and one dinner conversation from 1969 has stuck with me after all these years.
My grandparents were bemoaning the fact that a decision had been made to tear down the iconic Birmingham railroad station. I didn’t think much of it at the time. After all, I was only ten.
Now, I understand how they felt. Tearing down the station was a huge mistake!
Actually, there was a lot happening in the 1960s that would change the face of Birmingham. The railroad station was not the only thing to disappear. My grandfather owned a steel mill, Caldwell Foundry and Machine Company, and it too bit the dust as we watched the entire steel industry collapse.
With the demise of the steel industry, Birmingham suddenly lost its identity.
It went from being a boom town, the “Magic City,” to a city struggling to survive, to what some call, “The Tragic City.”
However, I refuse to give in to that kind of pessimism.
I have never given up on Birmingham.
There is no denying that Birmingham has a turbulent past and has needed some change. We have had more than our share of tragic events. One need look no further than the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four innocent little girls. Our other famous moniker besides “Tragic City” is “Bombingham.” These are not welcoming titles and they don’t make us look good to the rest of the world.
However, I like to think Birmingham has tried to own up to its mistakes and is emerging stronger and better.
I have also heard Birmingham called a “tough” city. I agree. Birmingham is tough. It’s had to be tough to survive. Birmingham has grit and soul, and I have watched and applauded as it has struggled to remake itself.
Birmingham has already started to “come back.” We now have an important civil rights trail and an equally important civil rights Institute; UAB is a cutting-edge, premier research university; Birmingham’s food scene is one of the best in the country; there is great local theater; we have City Walk, Regions Field, the new Coca-Cola Amphitheater and a one-of-a-kind city park–Railroad Park.
It is Railroad Park that leads me to the purpose of this article. Wouldn’t it be great if Birmingham could expand this great landmark by adding a railroad museum with a model train exhibit?
I’m not talking about a little model train either.
I’m talking about a huge miniature railroad with a train that would chug out of a beautiful replica of the original train station and then traverse the entire city, passing by a miniature version of Vulcan, Sloss Furnace, The Alabama Theater, The 16th Street Baptist Church, The Civil Rights Institute, Regions Field, Rickwood Field, The Birmingham Botanical Gardens, The Birmingham Zoo, Avondale Park, Pepper Place, The Birmingham Museum of art and so forth.
How magical could this be?
However, if you wanted to think even bigger, the train could traverse the entire state of Alabama, winding through Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, and Mobile. There are endless possibilities.
This is an attraction that would appeal to young and old alike.
Who doesn’t love miniature trains? How many of us grew up with them running around the bottom of our Christmas trees? How special would it be to have a miniature train chugging around a miniature Birmingham or even a miniature state of Alabama?
San Diego has a museum like this, and Birmingham could too.
Let’s continue to champion our great city!
Such a museum would showcase our rich history and beautiful landmarks. Tragedy doesn’t define us. Not anymore! While we should never forget our past mistakes, we can and should look forward.
What a great addition an exhibit like this would be to Railroad Park and the city at large!
It would even bring back the old Terminal Station, all be it in miniature form, and a unique attraction like this would definitely bring in more tourism.
It’s time to make Birmingham a destination city.
It is time to bring back the magic!
A project like this could very well be another stepping stone towards making Birmingham the “comeback town.”
If you enjoyed this column you might enjoy “Overcoming a regrettable Birmingham Blunder.”
Elizabeth Coleman grew up in Birmingham. She graduated from The Altamont School and later taught there for 21 years. She currently teaches ESL classes online to children in China and continues to substitute and tutor at Altamont. She is currently President of the Birmingham Rose Society and a member of The Speech Arts Club of Birmingham. Elizabeth is married to Gordy Coleman and has one son, Charlie Cobb. She is also a proud new grandmother to grandson, Thomas Sullivan “Sully” Cobb.
David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).
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Invite David to speak for free to your group about how we can have a more prosperous metro Birmingham. dsher@comebacktown.com
No!! Do not build a replica of that old train station. We already have a state-of-the-art rail station on Morris Avenue between 18th and 19th Street.
I am sick of people crying over the loss of the Terminal Station. It’s time to move on.
This would not be an operating railroad station but a miniature version in a museum setting.
I still don’t think there is any need to bring back the Terminal Station in any form.
Maybe you should read the article before you comment!
I’m still crying about it. Think of what we lost!
I rode trains there and was great place that could have been wonderful for the city.
Maybe you didn’t know it very well.
Right and it could have still been used even if not active. I’m not old enough to have seen it in person but the pictures are beautiful it gave the city character…we are supposed to be modeled after Birmingham England. Look at the architecture/business in Bham England we should take notes. The selfridges store, millennium point, the cube, old crown, bull pin or just it’s library. It has a food scene also. The founders of Birmingham were Englishmen I think every year on the day of our city founding the city should celebrate with like a parade dress up like old English men have food do something to represent that magical spirit from when the city was built. Remind the people that this place is special it’s the only place in the United States that had all three things in one area to make iron and steel. We should celebrate in remembrance passing that will and spirit of the builders that dug up magic in the magic city and show the world it wasn’t just in the ground that iron/steel run through the blood of our people. We need to fire the people up promote forward thinking and the type of minds that will bring back that industrial/entrepreneur energy. I can think of a few things that would be amazing additions to the city…that will have the city active attract people from other states and generate money.
it was a beautiful example of early architecture in Birmingham. a mini-railroad exhibit could be a great tourist, historical adventure for railroad enthusiasts.
I think is a great idea.
Great idea. I’ve often thought that!
Never happen at that location
I love your passion Elizabeth both for trains and Birmingham.
Remember the Mandela quote, “it always seems impossible until it is done.“
Who doesn’t love a model train? While Birmingham is a logical city to create a large train layout complete with notable landmarks, a brand new museum in RR Park may not be the best solution. It wouldn’t be a major tourist draw, but it could be a nice exhibit addition to McWane for local children and families. (I was even going to suggest the Main Library lobby, which sadly seems empty every time I’ve been there, but the librarians would be constantly shushing the train whistles and locomotive sounds.) I’d also suggest there are plenty of model train enthusiasts who could be enlisted to build it at a nominal cost.
The children’s museum in downtown Gadsden used to feature a large model train layout with local architectural landmarks. Don’t know if it’s still there. Might be worth a road trip.
I was thinking the same thing it wouldn’t draw as much but if that building was still here I think it had like a chapel and other rooms in it. We could have repurpose it. We need to build a replica of the station and use it for something that will draw people and generate money.
I love this idea!!! I have even run a similar idea by David Sher. I think your idea could go hand in hand with my idea.
I love people who want to continue to move Birmingham forward. People who come up with positive ideas and not just negative criticism all the time.
It is good to have criticism, but also offer some good alternatives, if you think you know better, it makes for a better discussion.
Let’s talk about the regional lifestyle center in the Uptown/Norwood area.
I propose building a shopping center/railroad museum right off the exit of 31st St. N. exiting Interstate 20/59. It would be right before you get to TopGolf and the new amphitheater.
The shopping center would be a replica of the Historic Birmingham Terminal Station that was torn down long ago.
It would have a world class railroad museum in it celebrating and informing of how the city was founded with two railroad lines intersecting. This is where your museum with the replica of Birmingham and Alabama could come into play.
There would also be fine dining at a railroad themed restaurant where people could eat in vintage railroad cars.
Add in meeting spaces, upscale shopping and other eating, entertainment options inside this venue and it would be a financial boon on the scale of the Summit for the city of Birmingham.
When all of the projected visitors that come to the city visit here they are going to need somewhere to shop, eat and entertain themselves nearby.
Naturally that is what most tourists do. It would also help people who live and work in the city center stay and spend their money there. This would give citizens more options to take their guests when they come to town.
Let’s do it!
Also include you good ideas! Could become a part of what I have mentioned, ‘transit oriented planning.’ Thanks
I like the idea!
Great idea! Here’s to hoping it comes to fruition.
This is an absolutely brilliant idea. That Terminal station was massive, beautiful and unique. It was Designed by Architect Thornton Mayre, who also designed Chattanooga’s train station and at least a branch station in Atlanta. Lets look him up and see wat we can find.
I will not mention the architect who designed it, but the replacement was a new post office building that became one of the ugliest buildings in the city. That architect was very capable of designing much better buildings and did. It was too bad this one was so bad.
Tear that post office down, replace it with a full scale replica. Include the railroad museum full scare using the old tracks. The tunnel is still in use. Look what Chattanooga did to their station. Make it a museum containing models, Yes, restore train service across the state and encourage tourists to use it. That will save massive highway traffic. It would certainly help Birmingham’s regional transportation if it could provide fast commuter train service. GO FOR ALL OF THIS. SUCCEED BY DOING IT! Highway 280 and I-65 south are so often way over congested and stopped because of wrecks, on including deadly ones
This is exactly the kind of thinking that would advance Birmingham. DO IT!
‘Bah’ to you negative people! You must not really know how to thing. With respectful apologies to you for having said so.
Look up ‘Transit Oriented Development.’ Denver Colorado is an excellent example. Atlanta. Vancouver BC. There is absolutely no reason Birmingham shouldn’t! NONE
(I am a little bit older than you. Also I wrote the Birmingham news at the time when I started teaching architecture and of course I was criticized for having done so! Too bad it got built)
And Bryson Steven’s Idea about the Expressway Cut? Just think what would happen if both of these were completed. WOW!
I think this is a fantastic idea.
While we may never see construction of a replica of the station, we can now see an exact scale model of Terminal Station as part of a permanent exhibit located in the historic Leeds depot, inspired by the book “Great Temple of Travel: A History of Birmingham Terminal Station “