Marion, Ohio

Union Station and AC (Atlantic Crossing) Tower

In 1902, four railroads crossed each other in Marion, Ohio: the Erie; Pennsylvania; Chesapeake and Ohio; and the New York Central Railroad.  At this crossing AC (Atlantic Crossing) Tower was constructed to control traffic.  At the urging by prominent Marion lawyer, politician, businessman and  

later President of the United States, Warren G. Harding, a passenger railroad station was constructed at that crossing, Union Station.

Today, although the sets of tracks remain in generally the same place, only two railroad companies (CSX and NS) operate trains.  Union Station has become a locally owned and operated museum, and hub for railfans and home of the Marion Model Railroad Club.  AC Tower, last operated by Conrail in the mid 1990s, is no longer in service, but was saved from the wrecking ball by the Marion Union Station Association and has been moved from the northside of what is now CSX's Mount Victory Subdivision tracks, across to the southside, and just east of and beside Union Station.

With as many as 70 - 100 trains per day (sometimes more), Marion has been designated as an national railfan hotspot by "Trains" and other railroad publications.

There are many very good photo spots (including AC Tower), and always a few, and often more than  a  few railfans, friendly and enjoy talking about railroading, and Marion railroading in particular.

I have been railfanning at Marion since the 1980s, and am proud to consider it my railfan home.