Towns and Nature: Princeton, IL: Wind Chime Grain Elevator, Caboose Display and Depot

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Princeton, IL: Wind Chime Grain Elevator, Caboose Display and Depot

I took US-34 west from I-39 to avoid some of the boredom of I-80. It turns out US-34 goes under I-80, but does not intersect with it. You have to go back North on IL-26 in Princeton, IL. There are quite a few Italianate buildings at the intersection of US-34 and IL-26. And it nice to see that they are actively working on restoration.

20141017-19 0012c

A block north on IL-26, just south of the BNSF/CB&Q tracks, is the old grain elevator. As with many of the buildings in this town, it is now an antique dealer. Below are views of the southwest and northwest corners. We decided the tall metal thing in the southwest view is a wind chime.

So a fairly large town in corn and soybean country doesn't seem to have any grain elevators. This is in stark contrast with the CN/IC mainline where every town I visited not only had an elevator, most have grown quite large over the years.

Looking West from the IL-26 track crossing is the depot.

And the caboose that they have on static display is not in bad shape, yet.

Evidently it was going downhill because some comments indicated that this restoration done in 2021 was needed.

George Casford posted
Looks like the CB&Q Caboose by the depot in Princeton is getting a makeover; so far so good...!

Roger Kujawa posted
RP: Princeton , Illinois , 1908 ; Trains meeting at C.B.&Q. Railroad Depot
Roger Kujawa
[Note the horse and wagon on the left by the freight house. Those horses and the team track in the middle is why I added the "just horses" label to this post.]

Larry Foht posted

Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad Depot

Princeton Illinois

Larry Foht collection :

Andy Zukowski posted
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Depot in Princeton, Illinois, 1908

David Johnson posted
Princeton , Ill freight house

Brian Elias >> Grain Elevators of North America

(Added the windchime photo to his posting.)

Jerry Krug posted
Repurposed elevator at Princeton, IL along the BNSF(ex-CB&Q). Photo taken February 9, 2017.

Matthew Vickinovac posted two photos with the comment: "Along the highway through town. Definitely appears to have other uses now. If anyone can shed some light on the device hanging down from the top of the bin level, it would be appreciated."
Bob Summers This build is unique and intriguing to me. I recall a few months ago a similiar early concrete elevator. "Slip form" is a continuous 24/7 pour as the forms are raised, resulting in a smooth surface. "Jump form" works only on single round silos where they use 3 sets of forms - the top one is where they are pouring the concrete; the middle form is holding the concrete as it cures enough to be self supporting; and the bottom form is "jumped" over the other two to prepare to pour the next ring. The pour does not need to be continuous so usually they work a shift, then close down over night, over weekend, or if bad weather. "Jump form" construction results in definite "rings" at each level with a similar look to this one. However I believe this elevator was poured using one set of forms - moving the form up when the wall cured, probably one level per day. Would take a long time, and be an expensive way to build a concrete elevator, which is why few would have been built this way. If anyone has experience and additional ideas, please comment.
Dennis DeBruler We went in and asked about the device. They called it a wind chime.
Dennis DeBruler I just discovered that the locals call it the "windchimer."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/398907990548719/permalink/819499875156193/
Bob Summers shared.
Bob Summers

This is a unique build for an early concrete elevator. Definitely not slipform, as the sides of this one has definite levels as the structure was poured. Jump form is only done for stand alone silos. It looks like on this elevator they built a form, then did a pour. After the concrete set they removed the form, built it again on top of the previously poured set concrete, then poured again. This would be a slow expensive process, which is probably why few elevators were built this way. Some elevators were built of brick or tile, but I am not aware they had a concrete structure behind the tile.

Jarron Chance posted two photos with the comment: "Anyone got good pics of the inside of the Windchimer in Princeton? I lived there for a year or so, but it was like. ‘09."