Abandoned Train Depot

Stamford, New York, located in Upstate New York, was a major tourist and vacation destination at the turn of the century.  In the early part of the 20th century, Stamford reached its peak in the tourism industry.  The advent of the automobile and modern advances in long-distance transportation such as commercial jetliners contributed to the decline of tourism and vacationing in the Stamford area.

Some grunge-style photography is not only for artistic reasons, but sometimes can serve as a historical record.  Sadly, many of the abandoned places I have had the opportunity photograph did not remain in existence for very much longer afterward.  The photos used in this article are part of this Abandoned Train Depot set on Flickr.

The Ulster & Delaware Railroad from Kingston, New York started rail service to Stamford in 1872.  Passenger service continued to March 31, 1954; freight service until September 28, 1976.  This railroad depot, located in the town of South Gilboa, New York, has been left abandoned ever since.  The Town of Gilboa Historical society has proposed a complete overhaul and restoration of this depot, as it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

This railroad depot is one of only a small handful that still stand today; the next nearest depot is located in the Village of Stamford, New York, on Railroad Avenue; the depot in Stamford is approximately twice the size and is currently being used for office space.

This is the current condition of the waiting room, where countless passengers waited for the arrival of the train.  It is clear to me that nobody has been here in a very long time, judging by the almost half-inch of accumulated dust covering everything.

This is a simple ticket window, not much larger than a picture frame.  Judging by the size of the ticket booth, it is likely that the ticket window was staffed by only one person.

This abandoned depot is located at the end of Train Station Road in the town of Gilboa, New York, however the road is now privately owned, so to access the old depot, one must follow the old railroad trail on foot as motorized vehicles are not allowed.  Explore at your own risk, as the building is in a current state of disrepair and abandonment.

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Thomas Slatin

My company specializes in writing, photography, and website design. My father gave me my first camera when I was a small child, and it quickly became my most prized possession. I was also fascinated with exploring places others rarely ever ventured, such as abandoned places, buildings, and railroad cars.

As time went on, I formed a business centered around my passion; living larger-than-life adventures, and sharing the photographic journey on my website.

www.tomslatin.com