Chesapeake and Ohio Depot (Catlettsburg, Kentucky)

Catlettsburg
Location	Winchester Avenue at 10th Street Catlettsburg, Kentucky
Coordinates	38°26′3.57″N 82°36′21.69″W / 38.4343250°N 82.6060250°W
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	CAT
History
Opened	March 24, 1975[1]
Closed	March 11, 1998[2]
Previous names	Tri-State Station (1975-1988)
Services
Former services   Preceding station   Amtrak   Following station South Portsmouth – South Shore toward Chicago Cardinal 1975-1998 Huntington toward New York City Terminus Hilltopper 1975-1977 Williamson toward Boston South Station Cincinnati toward Chicago Mountaineer 1977-1979 Williamson toward Norfolk
Chesapeake and Ohio Depot U.S. National Register of Historic Places Catlettsburg C&O station in April 2014 Location 26th Street at Panola Street Catlettsburg, Kentucky Coordinates 38°25′1.29″N 82°35′57.37″W / 38.4170250°N 82.5992694°WCoordinates: 38°25′1.29″N 82°35′57.37″W / 38.4170250°N 82.5992694°W NRHP Reference # 12000446 Added to NRHP August 6, 2012

Catlettsburg is a former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad station located in downtown Catlettsburg, Kentucky. Opened between 1897 and 1990 to replace an older wooden station, it served trains until 1958. Amtrak trains began stopping at Tri-State Station some 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the north in 1975; it was renamed Catlettsburg around 1988. Amtrak service was moved from Catlettsburg to Ashland in 1998. The C&O station was refurbished from 2004 to 2006 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

History

C&O

The Chattaroi Railroad opened through Catlettsburg in 1880, with a wooden station built to serve the town. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad (C&O) soon bought the line. Between 1897 and 1900, the C&O constructed a new brick station; the 1880 station was converted for use as a freight house.^[3]

The last C&O trains on the "Big Sandy" ran in 1958, ending passenger service to Catlettsburg, although some intercity trains continued to pass. A clause in the original deed required the property to revert to the heirs of its original owners; the heirs declined, and the property was instead transferred to the city. The freight house burned in 1964.^[3]

Amtrak service

1975 map of the James Whitcomb Riley and the Mountaineer showing their split at Tri-State Station

Amtrak took over intercity passenger service in 1971. The James Whitcomb Riley passed through Catlettsburg, stopping at nearby Ashland and Huntington but not Catlettsburg. On March 24, 1975, Amtrak abandoned Ashland station and began serving Tri-State Station, located between Catlettsburg and Ashland and named for the three-state area it served.^[2] The James Whitcomb Riley was supplemented by the simultaneous addition of the Mountaineer service between Norfolk and Chicago, which ran combined with the James Whitcomb Riley west of Ashland.^[1]

The Mountaineer was replaced by the Hilltopper, whose western terminus was at Tri-State Station, on June 1, 1977.^[4] Although the James Whitcomb Riley continued to serve stations west of Catlettsburg, the two trains arrived at Tri-State Station hours apart, effectively eliminating connections between the two halves of the Mountaineer's former route.^[5] The James Whitcomb Riley was renamed as the Cardinal later that year; the Hilltopper was discontinued on October 1, 1979, leaving just the Cardinal to serve the station. Around 1988, the station was renamed Catlettsburg.^[6] The Cardinal served the station until Ashland Transportation Center opened on March 11, 1998.^[2] The Tri-State Station building remains extant but vacant.^[6]

Restoration

The city used the Catlettsburg station building as a youth center and women's club for a number of years. By 2004 it was in poor condition; a volunteer group restored the building in 2005 and 2006. A historic caboose was acquired and restored next to the station in 2010. The station is used as a visitor's center during the city's annual Labor Day festivities, which attract some 10,000 tourists.^[3] The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 6, 2012.

References

1. "Amtrak's 'Mountaineer' makes first run today". Williamson Daily News. March 24, 1975. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
2. "Ashland, KY (AKY)". Great American Stations. Amtrak.
3. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Depot Catlettsburg. KY" (PDF). Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office. 2012.
4. "Hilltopper Begins Service". Amtrak NEWS. 4 (11). 15 June 1977. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
5. Amtrak National Train Timetables. Amtrak. January 8, 1978. p. 35 – via Museum of Railway Timetables.
6. Nagasaki, Hikki. "Catlettsburg (Tri-State Station), Kentucky (CAT)". TrainWeb - USA Rail Guide. Retrieved November 8, 2016.

External links

• Catlettsburg C&O station on Google Maps Street View
• Amtrak station building on Google Maps Street View