Prince (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
Prince is an Amtrak
station in Prince
, West Virginia
, served by the Cardinal. Because it is on the CSX (originally Chesapeake & Ohio Railway) mainline
while the unincorporated area of Prince itself is not, this station serves as the main depot for the Beckley
area.
Of the ten West Virginia stations served by Amtrak, Prince was the seventh busiest in FY2010.
, saw a need for "a stylish, streamlined, and efficient passenger rail system" that lead to the development of the current station.
is Art Deco
. Built in 1946, the architectural firm was Garfield, Harris, Robinson, & Schafer that was headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The main terminal building is 125 by 22 ft (38.1 by 6.7 m) and the waiting area features tall ceilings and large windows, as well as a large wall mural
depicting mining
and the importance of coal
.
The depot has a minimum of ornamentation. Each end of the 500 feet (152 m) canopy is rounded and topped with Streamline Moderne
stainless steel lettering spelling out "Prince". The canopy is oriented so that the sun would warm waiting passengers in the winter time, while shading them in the summer.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
station in Prince
Prince, West Virginia
Prince is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fayette County, West Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 116. Located at an altitude of 1,263 feet , it is served by an Amtrak station.-External links:...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, served by the Cardinal. Because it is on the CSX (originally Chesapeake & Ohio Railway) mainline
Main line (railway)
The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....
while the unincorporated area of Prince itself is not, this station serves as the main depot for the Beckley
Beckley, West Virginia
Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. The 2008 population was estimated to be 16,832 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Early in its history, the town was known as Beckleyville and Raleigh Court House...
area.
Of the ten West Virginia stations served by Amtrak, Prince was the seventh busiest in FY2010.
History
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway built the first facility in 1880 that was enlarged in 1891 to serve both freight and passengers. In 1942, the C&O president, Robert R. YoungRobert R. Young
Robert Ralph Young was a United States financier and industrialist. He is best-known for leading the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and New York Central Railroad during and after World War II. He was a brother-in-law of the famous western painter Georgia O'Keeffe.Because of his initials, R.R...
, saw a need for "a stylish, streamlined, and efficient passenger rail system" that lead to the development of the current station.
Design
The design of the Prince train stationTrain station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
is Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
. Built in 1946, the architectural firm was Garfield, Harris, Robinson, & Schafer that was headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. The main terminal building is 125 by 22 ft (38.1 by 6.7 m) and the waiting area features tall ceilings and large windows, as well as a large wall mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
depicting mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and the importance of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
.
The depot has a minimum of ornamentation. Each end of the 500 feet (152 m) canopy is rounded and topped with Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
stainless steel lettering spelling out "Prince". The canopy is oriented so that the sun would warm waiting passengers in the winter time, while shading them in the summer.