Reno (Amtrak station)
Encyclopedia
The Reno Amtrak station is a train station in Reno
, Nevada
, United States
, served by Amtrak's California Zephyr
train and multiple-frequency daily Thruway Motorcoach service. The depot was built in 1926 by the Southern Pacific Railroad
. It is the 3rd train depot built at this same location. The first two were built by the Central Pacific Railroad
; both of these were destroyed by fires. This depot was also used by the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, until the 1950s. The depot was enlarged in 2007, as part of a project called ReTRAC, which lowered the tracks to eliminate most at-grade crossings in downtown Reno. In the process of excavating around the depot, many artifacts from Reno's past were discovered, some exposing not-well-known moments in Reno's history. Several of these are on display in the station lobby, including an old cistern
used by the fire department, a long filled-in pedestrian tunnel, a previously unknown basement at a former masonic lodge
, a horse watering fountain, American Indian artifacts, and several bottles dating as far back as the 1860s. The Western Pacific Railroad
historically provided service to Reno, but never used this depot, instead using the now abandoned Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot
, a few blocks to the northeast.
Of the three Nevada stations served by Amtrak, Reno was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 190 passengers daily.
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, served by Amtrak's California Zephyr
California Zephyr
The California Zephyr is a long passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the midwestern and western United States.It runs from Chicago, Illinois, in the east to Emeryville, California, in the west, passing through the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California...
train and multiple-frequency daily Thruway Motorcoach service. The depot was built in 1926 by the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
. It is the 3rd train depot built at this same location. The first two were built by the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
; both of these were destroyed by fires. This depot was also used by the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, until the 1950s. The depot was enlarged in 2007, as part of a project called ReTRAC, which lowered the tracks to eliminate most at-grade crossings in downtown Reno. In the process of excavating around the depot, many artifacts from Reno's past were discovered, some exposing not-well-known moments in Reno's history. Several of these are on display in the station lobby, including an old cistern
Cistern
A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings...
used by the fire department, a long filled-in pedestrian tunnel, a previously unknown basement at a former masonic lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
, a horse watering fountain, American Indian artifacts, and several bottles dating as far back as the 1860s. The Western Pacific Railroad
Western Pacific Railroad
The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
historically provided service to Reno, but never used this depot, instead using the now abandoned Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot
Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot
The Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad Depot was built by the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway in 1910 in Reno, Nevada. It is Nevada Historical Marker number 210. It is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places....
, a few blocks to the northeast.
Of the three Nevada stations served by Amtrak, Reno was the busiest in FY2010, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 190 passengers daily.
External links
- Reno Amtrak Station TrainWeb
- ReTRAC Project City of Reno