Although the passenger station of the Lehigh Valley
RalIroad, which is now under construction at Rochester,
N. Y., Is not of great size, nevertheless It is of much interest
for many reasons. Principal among these is the peculiar
location where, by referring to our engravings, it will be
seen that the approach tracks, the trainshed tracks and
the station Itself lie directly above running water. Not
only this, but the station abuts upon Court street bridge,
which crosses the Genesee River, is bounded on one side
by the Genesee River and on the other side by the Erie
Canal. It would be difficult to find a place offering less
obvious advantages for the terminal of a great raUway in
a great city, yet It is in a very convenIent location for passengers
and the difficulties have been overcome by the exercise
of the same ingenuity which has given birth to a
reputation for unusual engineering accomplishments on this
line.
A millrace which must be kept open bounds the Lehigh
Valley property on the east side and from a point 650 feet
south of Court street bridge, all of the structures rest
upon masonry piers, including even the passenger station
Itself. Beginning at the south end, a 55-foot through girder
serves to accommodate the above mentioned m1llrace, and
following this comes a series of fourteen 30-foot deck girders
ending in a girder 35 feet long. Most of the distance
is double track, spaced 24 feet 4% inches center to center
and is surmounted by a canopy roof. The tracks end with
bumping posts and communicate with a covered platform
at the north end, to the east of which is an express room
and to the northwest of which is the passenger station
proper. The latter rests upon girders and is a brick structure
throughout.
One of the peculiarities is the arrangement for heating,
and this consists in a suspended basement which carries
the bolIers and coal bin on girders hung from the main
building. The passenger station fronts upon Court street
bridge, with which it is connected by a port cochere and
an enclosed vestibule opening from the main waiting room,
which latter has an area of 29 by 48 feet and a height of
21 feet, while the other rooms are approximately 11 feet
high. The driveways and platforms are of generous proportions,
the latter on a concrete bed supported by steel
girders and with an asphalt finish, whUe the former, although
supported in the same way, will be entirely of concrete.
The express building will have general dimensions
of 28 by 50 feet, with a dark red, plain, vitrified paving
block for exterior brick work and bluestone exterior trimmings.
The passenger station will have the same exterior finish
as the express buUding, but with a battered base extending
4 inches beyond the building lines on all' sides. A fine
axed or planed bluestone water table will be placed at
the inside grade line and follow the grade at the front of
the building In steps. From the top of the water table to
the under side of the sill course the battered portion will
be of pitched or rock face, dark red, vitrified paving blocks,
while the sill course will be of bluestone similar to that
of the water table. All brick work above the sill course
will be of dark mottled buff pressed brick. Keystones will
be of chiseled bluestone as well as the lintels over the
windows in the front wall and clere story. Cornice moldings
of the clere story, tower and lookouts, with those
under the cornices of the tower, are to be of soft rolled
copper. As an Interior flnish the vestibule will have grained
plaster ceilings, with heavy plaster cornice, plaster walls,
qnartered oak wainscoting and slate base, whUe the general
waiting room will have the same decoration except that
the ceiling will be beamed. In general the interior finish is much the same, except in the toilet rooms, where concrete,
marble chip and tarrazo floors take the place of wood
as in the rest of the buildings
Both the main building and express building will be
wired for gas as well as for electricity, and complete electric
lighting fixtures with all necessary switches will be
installed at once. For heating direct steam will be used
and the boiler will have a capacity for the main building,
the express building and 10 cars standing in the trainshed.
All platform and canopy roofs will be of yellow pine clear
for varnishing with white pine cornices painted, whUe the
roofing of the buildings w1ll be of trusses and purlins of
yellow pine with spruce rafters and the tower of spruce
rafters thoroughly braced.
Another somewhat unusual feature is the fact that the
architect of the building, Mr. F. D. Hyde, Is the contractor
for its erection as well. The design was prepared and the
execution of the work is under the general direction of Mr.
Walter G. Berg, chief engineer, assisted by Mr. F. E. Schall,
bridge engineer of the Lehigh Valley RaUroad.
The Railroad Gazette, October 13. 1905