[June 28, 2014]      

Tuesday, while waiting for the Electric Vehicle Road Relay to arrive in Lincoln, Mayor Keith Snyder offered a tour of the vacated train depot to Lincoln Daily News.

The city of Lincoln has acquired the building that was last known as McCarty’s Restaurant. The purchase is in preparation to bring high speed rail on the Alton to Chicago line. The state is funding the purchase of the property and the restoration of the Depot to its original 1910 footprint.

Pictures by Nila Smith

The south end of the depot:  In the restoration there will be very little if any change to this part of the exterior.

With the sale of the former owner’s personal property last month, the old rail wagon once positioned here is now gone.

 

These windows are a part of the entry way into the depot and look like they could be original structure.

When the depot was built there was an awning at the front door large enough for a buggy to pass through. That area is now enclosed. In the restoration plan, this will be opened up again.

 

The sunroom-like area on the building’s east side was added on along with two Pullman rail cars.

All of this will be removed.

 

 

This is the interior of the south end of the building:  Snyder said he didn’t think there would be many, if any, structural changes to this area. Of course, the carpet will come out and other cosmetic changes may be made.

 This is the ticket area of the original train depot:  Snyder said he had no problem picturing someone standing behind that window all day, selling tickets. He believes much of this is original.