Carrollton Train Depot - Carrollton, TX
N 32° 57.330 W 096° 54.449
14S E 695590 N 3648297
The lone surviving Carrollton train depot stands vacant today at the Cotton Belt line tracks and Denton Dr, just north of Old Town Carrollton.
Waymark Code: WM1135E
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/07/2019
Views: 1
A City of Carrollton Historic Site marker stands at the corner in front of the depot. There is a map of the area on the back of the marker, showing where the depot was originally located, just about three hundred feet across the way, before it was moved to make room for the DART station that was completed in 2010. Note the "tower location", which refers to a switching tower that was used to ensure that things ran smoothly and without incident. It burned in the 1923 depot fire that prompted this replacement depot. The front of the marker reads:
'All Aboard!' was a phrase that built Carrollton. Constructed in 1924 at the SW corner of Broadway and 'the Cotton Belt' railroad, this historic Union Depot served three intersecting railroads during the era of train travel in the early 1900's. The last of 3 depots built in Carrollton, it served both freight and passenger trains until passenger service ceased in 1935. In December 2010 it again presides over a new era in passenger travel as a reminder of a time when 'Rail was King'.
Designated Historic by
Carrollton City Council
July 20, 2010
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The Dallas-Wichita Railroad arrived in Carrollton in 1879, which pushed the town away from its agricultural roots towards being a hub for business. By 1908, there were three railroads coming through Carrollton: The Cottonbelt and the Katy (MKT) Railroads provided passenger service while the Frisco Railroad only provided freight service.
At this time, the depot's future is up in the air. It was spruced up with green paint to restore its vintage appearance before it was moved here in 2008, but unfortunately, lack of a money tree has stalled further restoration efforts. There had been some hope that the depot could be opened up for tours, something that DART apparently doesn't want to do, or that maybe the building could be turned into something social, like a café. The Carrollton Depot-Foundation's Facebook page has been quiet since about 2018. Stay tuned.
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: No
Is the station/depot open to the public?: No
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
Vacant
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt), St. Louis–San Francisco Railway (Frisco), Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (Katy)
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
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