Tadman wrote: ↑Mon Oct 21, 2019 8:18 am
Savannah perhaps? It's not conducive to the tourist trade, perhaps 30 minutes away from downtown. I'm not sure if there is mainline connection to the railroad museum but I bet the museum would work something out cheap for the carrier to at least terminate the Palmetto downtown.
Regarding Detroit, the location is not bad (fast growing area after decades of utter blight and danger) but the station is a total dive.
Regarding South Bend, the downtown idea may be less feasible because CN/GTW and NS share trackage there for a few miles. The best idea would probably be to close Elkhart and South Bend and open a central station in Mishawaka, half way between the two. The hospital downtown just closed and the area is ripe for redevelopment. And its a very safe and vibrant downtown.
I've been to that museum. Right now, there's a missing overpass, and the museum track is landlocked. It's got a nice roundhouse, and exhibits.
The current station is former SCL, and definitely a throw-back, but very serviceable with off main-line tracks. It is unfortunately a good way from downtown in an industrial area, with most stops except the Palmetto NB occurring at off hours. Very easy to get lost down there. Not much public transit connection either, but good parking.
It would be that difficult to connect it back to the old terminal station even without the bridge; the museum is across from it, and the station now houses the Visitor Center. It's the connection from the SCL that would be problematic. There are a ton of industrial and port spurs and more than a few yards going every which way. There's probably a way to make it work and there are other alternatives, too, but it's a mish-mosh of legacy tracks.