A recent thread brought up a billboard in Kansas City promoting the Wabash. It uses a neon "Go Wabash" sign above the billboard, which shows the railroad either owned the sign or staked its claim on any advertising there to be related to the railroad.

Years ago, I noticed that the use of neon for rail advertising, whether on signage like this or on train stations, is a mid-western to far western phenomenon. I am not aware of any train stations using neon in the East or South. Am I wrong?

The classic C&O/B&O sign on Chicago's Grand Central Station, the huge Illinois Central sign on Chicago's Central station and all the railroads of Union Station in Chicago really lit up the area. Plus the Santa Fe sign on Michigan Ave. Yet, east of Chicago seems kind of dark for rail signs. One would think that the newer union stations in Cincinnati and Toledo would have neon integrated in the design. It was truly the technology of the times when these stations were built.

Has this topic been discussed before? Thanks for any insight you might have to offer.

Tim -

I'm not sure about neon railroad signs out east. Hope you get some input on that. I know that IRM has quite a good collection of neon railroad signs, both outside signs and inside signs. Maybe someone from that organization can post a list of what they have and whether they are "operational" or not.

Les

The Susquehanna's River Street, Hackensack NJ station for years had a large neon "SUSQUEHANNA" sign set up above the station. Remains of the sign existed into the 1990's, well after the end of passenger service in 1966.

Some of the signs at IRM can be seen here:

http://www.irm.org/gallery/IRM-Signs

The CA&E (Wheaton), North Shore (Milwaukee), South Shore (Gary) and IC (Randolph Street) neon signs have been restored and do light up, plus there are a couple of indoor IC neon signs and a C&NW "400" neon sign in the depot office that are lit. Rumor has it that the Skokie Swift sign from Dempster Street is currently being restored, plus there are a few others in storage including the big "UNION STATION" letters off of CUS and the recently-acquired Santa Fe letters off of the building on Michigan Avenue. This is all in addition to the various entablatures, a couple of which are shown at the above link.

There was a small neon sign at the B&O Station in Silver Spring, MD but I cannot recall others in the DC area or northward along the northeast corridor. Was there a neon sign on the ramp inside 69th Street Terminal in Philadelphia?

Wesley

The classic L&N sign on the former corporate headquarters on Broadway in Louisville is just awesome at night.... Still stands to this day...







There is also one on the former L&N Depot in downtown Knoxville that still burns the last time I was there...

The story of the still existing "L&N" on the old corporate headquarters of the railroad there in Louisville is interesting. As it was told to me, a private company took over the old headquarters building and renovated it for use as private offices. As part of that renovation, the plan was to remove the neon sign. The people of Louisville revolted and demanded that the sign stay in place. The company relented and in fact, repaired the neon tubing. The sign is now a landmark to the folks in the city. The "Old Reliable" lives on!

Les

Hi All
Here is amother one , Denver Union Station , Pat.

The building was not sold to nor renovated by a private developer. The Commonwealth of Kentucky owns the building, bought it from CSX. It houses several state offices for the Louisville area. At least one person I went to high school with works there.

The sale and subsequent renovation occurred in the early to mid-1980s, when the railroad still had a decent presence in town with South Louisville Shops, etc. I doubt such an uproar would occur today.

The sign is interesting in that it lights in a sequence, where the "L&N" slowly slights up line by line, then the sign is fully illuminated for a few seconds before it all goes off and starts again.

David

I really hope the "Dog Grooming" sign is part of the restoration of the Skokie sign.

Unfortunately I don't think IRM got the Greyhound Bus nor Dog Grooming portions... I believe this sign as originally arranged was somewhat infamous among local railfans due to that combination. :-)

Frank -

As I recall during my days working in downtown Chicago, the Santa Fe sign on their headquarters building there on Michigan Avenue included the old AT&SF herald along with the letters Santa Fe. Did IRM also get the herald part of the sign, or just the 7 letters? Thanks.

David -

Appreciate the clarification on the ownership of the old L&N headquarters in Louisville.


Les

I remember the big "GO B&O" sign next to Camden Station in Baltimore. It first flashed "GO" then that would flash off and "B&O" would flash on. The sign was at what was then the end of Howard Street, I believe right above the south entrance to the Howard Street tunnel. (There has been much redevelopment in the area during the past 20-25 years, including the construction of I-395, which caused the tunnel to be lengthened on the south end moving the south tunnel entrance farther south.) -- Ray

The sign I like the best is on top of the Beverly Shores, IN, depot. It is longer than the depot and sits on top of the roof on the ridge. As far as I can tell its still there. Neon and all. Unique, very unique.

This is really great input. Thank you everyone, especially David Wilkins on the sequence of the L&N sign in Louisville.

The use of neon was truly a "sign of the times" for passenger service roughly from 1930-1950, and apparently later. I'm sure it was cheaper than incandescent bulb signs. It seems the choice of using lit signage was based on cost and traffic at a particular location rather than an across the system decision for a railroad. The choice of keeping a sign was based more on tradition, I am sure. Long after a railroad stops running passenger trains, they left the light on... because it was "always on."