Going Overseas-- St. Pancras and the Red Baron

A couple of interesting articles from over the Atlantic.

1. LONDON-- Abandoned by England's rail system, bombed by the Nazis, almost destroyed in the mid-60s, and listed as a Grade 1 historical building (the same as Westminster Abbey), the grand old railroad station sat and deteriorated for decades, but, it is back and in a big way.

Considered to be a cathedral more than a train station, its rebirth came about because of high-speed train travel. It is to be the terminus for the Eurostar which links London with the mainland by way of the English Channel Tunnel. This train runs from Paris to Calais, on the coast at speeds of close to 200 mph. It slows in the tunnel, then continues to St. Pancras. The whole trip takes 2 hours and ten minutes after the $10 billion stretch of English high-speed track has been completed and the terminus shifted from Waterloo to St. Pancras.

Over the past six years over $1.6 billion has been spent in St. Pancras' renovation. The station's undercroft, where once barrels of beer were stored, has been turned into a passenger lounge. The main floor features what is billed as the world's longest champagne bar at 315 feet. There is also a farmers market, two fancy restaurants, retail outlets, and a gastro-pub.

The station still has the grand Gothic spires that spoke of the glories of Britain's Victorian Age of train travel. Plus the great iron and glass train shed is still there.

Perhaps, if our money ever becomes worthwhile again, I'll have to visit this place.

Nov. 4th Chicago Tribune "Grand, beloved rail station finally gets back on track" by Tom Hundley.

2. SWIDNICA, POLAND--Baron von Richtofen, better known as the Red Baron is well known throughout the world, but until recently, he was not in his home town of Swidnica, Poland. A big part of this is because of Nazi attrocities in Poland during WWII when 6 million Poles were killed.

The borders between Germany and Poland have shifted often and that is how the Baron's home came to be in Poland.

Baron Manfred von Richtofen was the top flying ace of WWI, shooting down 80 Allied aircraft before dying before his 26th birthday in 1918.

Swidnica resident Jerzy Gaszynski is trying to change that. "I think that with a figure this well-known around the world, it's a bit of a sin that he's not even that well lnown here and that there's really no effort to remember him."

This past June he erected a plaque that he sculpted in the garden of the Richtofen family home.

Dec, 3rd Daily Herald "A proper tribute to the Red Baron" Associated Press

Great to See History Preserved. --RoadDog