The Romance of Rail Travel at Los Angeles Union Station, Los Angeles, California

I stood in the central plaza of Los Angeles Union Station and marvelled at the building, an eclectic mix of Art Deco and other architectural styles. I love railway stations. It’s partly the romance of travel, not just the destination but the journey itself. But it’s also the buildings, monuments to the golden age of rail travel. The architects of the great railway stations must have shared the dreams of travellers, designing splendid palaces that rivalled the grandest buildings of their age.

Opened in 1939, Los Angeles Union Station was the last great American railway station. It combined a whole range of architectural styles and cost $11m to build (a very large amount of money in the 1930s). Most of the interior was created in Art Deco and other contemporary fashions. However there are also nostalgic references to the past splendours of California. The exterior was fashioned in the Spanish Mission Revival style, and the inlaid tile flooring recalls a traditional Navajo pattern. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).