The Finley Roundhouse was an important part of railway history in Birmingham, Alabama. Abandoned and derelict, its roof was destroyed by a hurricane.
The Finley Roundhouse is a historic railway roundhouse situated in the Acipco-Finley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. It stands as one of the last two railway roundhouses still in existence in the city and one of three remaining in the entire state. Notably, it is the largest reinforced concrete roundhouse in Alabama. Constructed by the Southern Railway in 1915, it is a significant part of the region’s railway history.
In 1952, the Finley Yards were decommissioned and dismantled, and railway operations were relocated to the new Ernest E. Norris Yard in Irondale, Alabama. The original site was subsequently downsized and designated for use by the Birmingham Food Terminal Company, the Alabama Farmers Market, and other local businesses.
Over the years, the Finley Roundhouse was leased by the railway to various local companies for purposes such as cold storage, furniture warehousing, and other functions. Significant modifications were made to the structure, including the addition of a rectangular warehouse attached to the south side of the roundhouse. A rail spur was constructed to connect the rear of the roundhouse with the warehouse annex. However, in 2003, the Norfolk Southern Railway ceased leasing the Finley Roundhouse, leaving it vacant and abandoned since then.
Tragically, the roof of the warehouse section collapsed due to an F1 tornado that struck on December 13, 2013.
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- The Finley Roundhouse at Birmingham, AlabamaThe Finley Roundhouse was an important part of railway history in Birmingham, Alabama. Abandoned and derelict, its roof was destroyed by a hurricane. The Finley Roundhouse is a historic railway roundhouse situated in the Acipco-Finley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. It stands as one of the last two railway roundhouses still in existence in the city… Read more: The Finley Roundhouse at Birmingham, Alabama
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