Union Station and Me epilogue

From "Trains are too blue-collar for Union Station" to the largest temporary model train layout in America, the Holiday Village. It only took ten years to get from there to here, he said with more than a hint of exasperation.

One of the plasterers signs the final rosette to be installed.

If you are wondering how a 115-pound woman can carry a lamp post, it is because the lamp post is made of foam. The light illuminated. The post and lamp were part of dozens of auctioned props from the two movies shot before the restoration.

Actor Gary Sinise played Harry Truman, Diana Scarwid played Bess Truman in the made for TV movie "Truman" much of which was shot at Union Station.

The North Waiting Room was propped to look like it did in the 1930's for Robert Altman's movie, "Kansas City."

A tight shot of the Holiday Village layout.

The Grand Hall was scrimmed off during part of the shooting of the movie "Kansas City."

Epilogue:

Ever wonder why it took so long for anything having to do with trains to show up at Union Station?

I think I know.

Back in the 1980's the now defunct Halls Station model train shop was located inside Hall's department store. According to the founder and super-guru of the shop, Norman Allen, one day after a local train show a family showed up to gawk at the train layouts in the store. The group was, in his words "extremely blue-collar, and maybe a little white trashy." The kids were runny-nosed and loud, the father had a missing front tooth and wore coveralls; mom was quite obviously going to be one again. As luck, or rather misfortune would have it, Don Hall was in the store that day, and he was watching the family. After they left, Don came over to Norman and said "These are not Hall's customers."

Shortly thereafter Hall's Station was moved to a freestanding location where it remained until it's discontinuation in June of 2009. Don Hall was saying, in other words, "keep the riff-raff out of our high-end department store."

Making the connection to Union Station is all mine, and maybe I am adding 2+2 and coming up with three, but here goes.

At least one Hall's Foundation representative was on the Union Station board of directors from the first.

Just after the station re-opened, a number of train clubs came together and tried to establish a model train presence at the station. I was involved with the group for the 4.5 years of its existence. IMO, we spent far too long and late into the night, on details of the organization and not enough time on actually planning train layouts. In any event, through three administrations, we never were able to get anything moving.

We should have realized that it was a futile attempt because Andy Scott told us early on that some on the board felt, and I quote, that "Trains are too blue-collar for the station." How's that again? I know, I know, it sounds preposterous, but those were Andy's very words. Never mind the fact that the only reason the building exists is because of trains...well, don't get me started.

So, here we have the incident at Hall's years earlier, and we have a Hall's Foundation representative on the board (I will not mention who), and we have an attitude as espoused above. My conclusion is that Hall's Foundation (which had already sunk a bundle into the station) was the prime motivator of the "down trains" approach.

That attitude changed when station CEO's finally, FINALLY figured out that it is about trains. Sean O'Burne was the first, albeit very temporary, CEO to get it. Andi (yes, with an "i") Udris continued the trend toward trains. And now, THE most popular feature of Union Station is the annual Holiday Village multi-scale train layout. It has become a Kansas City holiday tradition in just five years.

Not that trains will pay the bills, although if things had been handled differently, if the rail museum had truly been world-class, trains could have helped more with finances.

Where does the station go from here?

Will it be boarded up to the general public, a plywood hallway erected to allow Amtrak passengers to board and another plywood hallway to funnel post office customers to the counters?

I do not believe that will ever happen. Some foundation or individual will always come forth with the rescue funds just in the nick to keep the station afloat. I hope.

It will require really, really wise management and, of course, the elephant in the room, public money. Without both, Union Station will remain just a promise without fulfillment.

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