SCOPE Day – November 10, 2025
SCOPE Day 2025 was a tremendous success! Despite rainy weather and a brief building evacuation just before registration, our SCOPE members arrived between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM, ready for a full and engaging day. During registration, attendees enjoyed an assortment of Danishes, scones, fresh fruit, coffee, tea, and other refreshments while reconnecting with colleagues and catching up on the latest news.
Afterward, we gathered in the auditorium of Cincinnati’s Union Terminal, where the museum’s Curator delivered an informative presentation on the history of the iconic building. Some of the notable highlights included:
-
Construction on Union Terminal began in August 1929 and was completed on March 31, 1933.
-
The project cost $41 million, including land acquisition and the reconfiguration of railroad facilities.
-
The full complex—rail yards and supporting structures—covers 287 acres and includes 94 miles of track.
-
Originally, the complex consisted of 22 separate buildings and required 224,534 cubic yards of concrete, 100,500 square yards of paving, 8,250,000 bricks, and 45,421 net tons of steel.
-
The Cincinnati Union Terminal Company, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and the City of Cincinnati jointly constructed the Western Hills Viaduct for $3.5 million.
-
The viaduct spans 3,500 feet, with 2,800 feet built in a double-deck design.
-
Inside the Rotunda, the dome stretches 180 feet across and rises 106 feet high.
-
The station was originally designed to handle 17,000 passengers and 216 trains each day.
-
Passenger rail service ended on October 28, 1972, but resumed on July 29, 1991, when Amtrak returned to the terminal.
-
Fifteen local businesses were honored in the industrial mosaics of the train concourse, representing industries such as piano manufacturing (Baldwin Piano Co.), radio broadcasting (Crosley Corp.), roof manufacturing (Philip Carey Co.), leather production (American Oak Leather Co.), airplane manufacturing (Aeronca Company), ink production (Ault & Weiborg Corp.), laundry-machinery manufacturing (American Laundry Machine), meat packing (E. Kahn & Sons), pharmaceuticals (William S. Merrill Co.), printing (U.S. Playing Card Co. and Champion Paper Co.), steel manufacturing (American Rolling Mills/Armco), rolled steel production (Andrews Steel Company and Newport Rolling Mill), soap making (Procter & Gamble Co.), and machine tools manufacturing (Cincinnati Milling Machine).
Following the curator’s talk, members enjoyed a delicious Mediterranean lunch featuring grilled chicken, Greek salad, pita bread, hummus, and a delightful dessert. The afternoon concluded with free time for everyone to explore the museum at their own pace.
It was a wonderful day filled with union updates, professional development, and opportunities to reconnect with colleagues.
