Rail Fanning at Gary Indiana's Abandoned Union Station

Gary, Indiana is a city that has, if I'm putting it politely, seen better days. From its peak of 170,000 in the 1970s the city's population has declined to 88,000 as of the last census. Gary's former Union Station is only one building but its a very visual reminder of the city's past fortunes and current struggles.

Constructed in the Beaux Arts style in 1910, the Union Station served the New York Central and Baltimore and Ohio just north of Gary's downtown and a stone's throw from U.S. Steel's sprawling Gary Works. But sometime in the 1950s or 1970s depending on your source the station was shut down. Although the group Decay Devils has made some aesthetic improvements to the grounds, the station continues to decay to this day.

While on our way to Detroit my dad and I stopped in at the Union Station to explore the ruins. The inside of the station is virtually bare which is not surprising considering how long the building has sat vacant for. As we went through the crumbling station and freight house three Norfolk Southern trains passed us. They included the following:

Train 01
NS 4442 (AC44C6M)
NS 4242 (AC44C6M)

Train 02 (01:57)
NS ?78 (I couldn't make out the number as the cab only had two visible numbers)
NS 4526 (AC44C6M)

Train 03 (02:34)
NS 4257 (AC44C6M)
UP 6005 (AC4400CM)
CN 2788 (ES44AC)

Although CSX's Barr Subdivision is on the south side of the station we unfortunately didn't see any trains until we were leaving. We also weren't willing to get out of the car as a torrential rain storm had moved in on our location.