FROM THE E.S. NEWS, May 2014

 

The building, which was Onley's freight station, is the only station on the old New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad line that has never been moved from its original location. The station was in use until the 1960s and in its heyday saw tons of local produce and seafood loaded onto rail cars bound for city markets in the North.

Jan Siglin shows a model train diorama she created for use in the Historic Onley Station. The Society for the Preservation of the Onley Train Station is in the process of renovating the station. (Photo: Staff photo by Jay Diem)

Story Highlights

• The 1885 Onley train station had fallen into such disrepair by five years ago it seemed unlikely it would last much longer.
• A small group of volunteers turned that scenario around with a lot of hard work and financial help from the town, charitable organizations and community members.
• On June 1, the station celebrates the 129th anniversary of its opening with a renewed physical presence and a new purpose.
• The building, which was Onley's freight station, is the only station on the old New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad line that has never been moved from its original location. The station was in use until the 1960s and in its heyday saw tons of local produce and seafood loaded onto rail cars bound for city markets in the North.

The 1885 Onley train station had fallen into such disrepair five years ago it seemed unlikely it would last much longer.

A small group of volunteers turned that scenario around with a lot of hard work and financial help from the town, charitable organizations and community members.

"We heard through the rumor mill they were going to burn the building down in 2012," said Jan Siglin of Onley, one of those who rallied to save the station in 2009.

On June 1, the station celebrates the 129th anniversary of its opening with a renewed physical presence and a new purpose — to encourage people young and old, including those who use wheelchairs, to learn about and play with trains.

The building, which was Onley's freight station, is the only station on the old New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Railroad line that has never been moved from its original location. The station was in use until the 1960s and in its heyday saw tons of local produce and seafood loaded onto rail cars bound for city markets in the North.

Old photographs show wagons loaded with strawberries, cabbages, potatoes and other produce lined up for a quarter mile along the street, waiting to unload.

The first station agent was Albert J. McMath.

The passenger station adjacent to it was moved decades ago and is now a private residence.

In 2009, the town signed a 25-year, $25 lease for the building with Cassett, the railroad management group, and the organizational meeting for the Society for the Preservation of the Onley Train Station was held at the Onley firehouse.

Since then, a few stalwart members of the society, called SPOTS for short, can be found every Saturday morning at the station, working to get it in shape for its new use.

The vision for a fully accessible station offering train-centric programs for young and old came about after a SPOTS member saw a magazine article about the "wheelchair engineers" model railroad program.

"So we fell in love with that idea and we started designing the station toward that end," said SPOTS President Niall Finnegan.

The group in five years has accomplished much, including the crucial step of getting a new roof put on the station, along with making other repairs outside and inside, putting in new windows and getting electricity in the building.

A wheelchair ramp was installed last summer.

Among the most challenging tasks was replacing the huge 12-by-12 beam across the south end of the station, which was virtually destroyed by years of having produce-laden trucks back up to the station door and run into it.

"The trucks would all back up over here. They would just basically run into the building ... that was how they knew to stop," said Siglin, SPOTS' vice-president.

From refinishing the floor to installing drywall, insulating walls and painting, the interior also began to take shape, with two model train table layouts in various stages of completion in opposite corners of the large room. They are built to be be fully wheelchair accessible.

Over one hangs the lights from the original crossing signal, which a member took home and cleaned up.

Siglin is working on a landscape mural on two walls as a backdrop to the layouts.

She pointed to another corner. "Over here is going to be the rugrat corner. Hopefully we will have a little story hour a couple of times a month," featuring, of course, books with railroad themes, like the Boxcar Children series.

"We're starting to build up a library," Siglin said.

SPOTS members are serious about their vision to work with youth; they have already undergone background checks and taken training in youth protection.

What's needed now are resources and workers to complete an accessible bathroom in an addition to be built onto the station's south end so the group can begin holding programs and events at the station.

"We would really like to start holding some of these classes by this fall," said Finnegan.

Additionally, they plan to build a portable garden-scale model railroad layout on a 22-foot trailer Finnegan donated. The layout will be based on the Boxcar Children books and the trailer will be taken to events and schools as an educational tool.

The town, which has been generous with financial support throughout the project, paid for water and septic installation, and the Eastern Shore Community Foundation has promised a grant to help with the bathroom project.

The foundation also gave a previous grant which, along with the town's help, paid for the roof.

Local wholesale nurseries have given plants to be sold at annual plant sales held to raise money for the station.

Other contributors include Wal-Mart, the United Way and many private donors.

"It's strange, you'll be walking down the road and someone will hand you a $100 check. It's just the Shore way," said Finnegan.

The members themselves in addition to countless hours of work pay dues and purchase their own materials, Siglin said.

It was Siglin who came up with the "Buy the Brooklyn Bridge" campaign to raise money for the Wheelchair Engineers Program. Donors who give $100 have their names put on a list tacked on the station wall. The list includes a number of elected officials, among them Sen. Lynwood Lewis, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, Accomack County Supervisor Laura Belle Gordy and Accomack County Sheriff Todd Godwin.

For $1,000, a person can be named a lifetime member of SPOTS — former Onley Mayor John Willis Kellam, SPOTS officer Pat Morrison and Siglin are in that group.

Community members also have given the group model trains for its program. Godwin gave the group a number of model trains that belonged to his parents.

"We have some HO engines from back in the 1940s that Dr. Mackler gave us, so we've got some really, really nice rolling stock," Siglin said.

It has been a long haul and SPOTS members are eager to get the station up and running at last. It looks like they are on the right track.

Send donations to SPOTS, P. O. Box 144, Onley, Va. 23418. Make checks payable to SPOTS. All contributions are tax-deductible.

Basic membership in SPOTS is $25 per year. Silver Rail Membership costs $50; Golden Spike Membership costs $100; and Lifetime Membership costs $1,000.

SPOTS meets the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Sage Restaurant in Onley.

SPOTS members meet Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at the Onley Train Station to work; they welcome visitors and additional volunteers.

The group also accepts old model trains. Members will repair those that need it and resell them as starter kits for those who want to get into the hobby.

this article was written by Carol Vaughn, cvvaughn@dmg.gannett.com, and published in the ES News, May 28th, 2014.

A video is also on line at - http://www.delmarvanow.com/videos/news/local/virginia/2014/05/27/9623925/