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One of 22 images posted by Ben Funderburg
Some shots of the former Nickel Plate Roundhouse in Frankfort, Indiana. Built in 1924 and last used by Norfolk Southern in 1996. Preservation efforts were still planned as of 10 years ago but clearly haven’t come to fruition. I reached out to several different historical societies and preservation groups and no one was able to give me any information on that front.
The last few pictures are from the adjacent depot, which from poking around inside seems to have last been used by Norfolk Southern around 2005-2006. Sadly, just days after my visit the depot fell victim to arson and is now mostly collapsed.
Bob Sannino what a shame they cant find a way to re-purpose theses old buildings.
Ben Funderburg Bob Sannino I read that a $49,500 grant was issued in 2009 towards the preservation of the complex but I have no idea what became of that money.
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I was heading East on Indiana State Road 28 approaching Frankfort when I
saw a coaling tower to the North. Coaling towers are a "must stop
industrial history structure" short of being on an Interstate. In this
case I was doing just 35 mph and it was easy to find the access road.
Unfortunately, I soon encountered a Norfolk Southern No Trespassing sign. But there was a
parking lot next door, so I stopped and put on the telephoto lens.
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Raymond Breyer posted
We all know what Frankfort's coal tower looks like today, but here's the original plant from 1915. |
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Jason Leverton posted
An old call box and coal tower on the former Nickel Plate at Frankfort, IN.
Larry Layden: In the 70's and 80 ' s the call boxes were still being used in the CB&Q freight and passenger yard at Lincoln, Nebraska. Before we had radios the only way switch men and train men could contact the interlocking operator was to find a call box. There were around a dozen wired into Carling Tower, where I worked. Every phone had a crank used to ring the operator. When a bell rang in the tower it could be one of 20 phones. 12 callboxes, 4 dispatchers, 3 yardmaster and one PBX line. I had a row of 20 Jacks on my desk and I would work down the line, plugging each jack into my headset and answering "carling" until someone responded. Of course no one rang just once, they would ring 3 or 4 times, thinking I needed to be woken up. [This comment is why I saved this photo.]
Tom Nebelsick: Larry Layden I’m glad that was all gone by the time I got to work there. Wish I knew a way to get a tour of the “new” Carling Tower......
Larry Layden: Tom Nebelsick Not much to see. The front row has the departure yardmaster and the hump yardmaster The second row has three computer stations. The one on the easside was vacent, Carling was in the middle and a carmen was on the west side of the row. Carling had four large computer screens with keyboards all over. In the middle of the desk was one of the keyboards, another one was on rollers underneath the desk. They have probably managed to add three or four more screens by now stacked two deep. It was a bit ch of a job. The back row had a roundhouse foreman to the west, Trainmaster right behind Carling opr, desk to the east was vacent. Every so often they would pile more work on us. We had to issue track permits and block out tracks for the roundhouse and carmen. |
Below is a view of the buildings to the west of the access road. I
didn't know it at the time, but the brick building behind the trees on
the right is part of a roundhouse.
There
was a thick tree line along the south boundary of the property. But
those buildings looked old enough to be from the steam era so I walked
along the boundary hoping for a break in the tree line. And I found one.
The following 4 pictures are a series starting from looking West to
looking East. The first view is of some of the buildings seen in the
above picture. The remaining pictures pan across the backside of the roundhouse. Note
the collapsed section. They are right, you would not want to walk around
in those ruins.
Since I had seen no activity anywhere the entire time I had been
there, I walked a few steps onto their property and took shots towards
the West and the East. Note that in the western (left) view, you can see
the top of the coaling tower near the left side of the picture.
On
the way back to the car, I took a view that caught the buildings on the
right and the coaling tower on the left to provide some context for
the buildings and yard.
Later,
I studied some satellite images to see what was left of the turntable
and to determine if the other side of the roundhouse is visible from
public land. It does not appear to be visible. But the satellite photo
does show that the turntable still exists. But all of the track is torn
up because scrap steel has value. And over a third of the stalls have
been torn down. It appears that more of the roundhouse has collapsed
since the satellite photo was taken.
Update:
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Mike Finney posted
Frankfort Yard from the air looking east.
Frank Williams: Easy to see it is a well maintained NS yard - for now. |
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| An updated satellite image shows that not only has more of the roof fallen in, but trees are starting to grow inside the building! |
The above views are from the south. Doug got a view from the north side.
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| Photo by Douglas Weitzman, used with permission |
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| Sept. 2015 Photo by Douglas Weitzman, used with permission |
A popular view.
Back when it was being used. Note the standpipe for filling the tenders.
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The Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society, Inc. posted
NKPHTS member Bill Fisher thinks he may have taken this photo at Frankfort, IN. ”I didn’t record any train info,” Bill says, “I was more interested in absorbing the beautiful sights and sounds and aromas.” We’re glad he did.
Tony Koester Collection
https://www.nkphts.org/
Tim Shanahan shared |
A different view because it requires being on railroad property.
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Brian Knight posted
Unusual lighting with a storm approaching...Frankfort Indiana 1997
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Facebooked without a link 20150926)
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Screenshot from a 1953 video
It looks so different.
Would they have built a new coal tower near the end of steam? |
Mike's comment:
Frankfort, In. My Dad took all the photos I post including these. These are my favorites that he took by the coal dock. He was actually taking the photo to get the new diesels. Lucky for us the 720 just happened to be there as well. He wanted the photo to be called the coming of the new and the going of the old, as the 452 looks to be coming, and 720 going away in the photo.
Taken around 1955.
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| Postprocessed by Tony Koester |
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Blake Daulton posted
The Nickel Plate roundhouse and shops in Frankfort, Indiana back in her glorious times. |
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Jacob Hortenstine posted
Frankfort Indiana coal dock {Jay Williams photo} |
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| Screenshot from a 1953 video, did they use to have two coaling towers in Frankfort? |
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Frank Olive posted
Toledo St. Louis & Western 0-6-0 #5
Frankfort, In
Left to right: Tom Allen, Pearl Skiver, Earl Dearth, C. Druckemiller, Frank Mynes, Fred Lorman.
Photo originally uploaded by Steven Grigg |
Shelby Burkhardt
posted 11 photos with the comment:
Took a ride over to Frankfort IN an took some photos of the old Nickel Plate roundhouse, turntable, and coaling tower. What’s left of it that is.""
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The Frankfort pictures
posted by Rails Around Indiana with the comment: "
A few black & white prints purchased from photo dealer & friend Jay Williams a few years back depict the NKP at Frankfort and Indianapolis. Photographer and exact dates unknown."
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Tim Shanahan shared
[The "now" (bottom photo) was 2011.] |
The roundhouse is on the left.
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Brian Knight posted
NS Frankfort yard early 1990...Ektachrome slide on a drab day I thought would look better in B&W |
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Jason Leverton posted
The old Nickel Plate coaling tower at Frankfort, IN.
[The comments include a couple more angles of the tower.]
Tim Shanahan shared |
Oren B Helbok
posted two photos with the comment:
Frankfort, Indiana
The "then" photo appeared on Classic Trains's site at some indeterminate time in the past; the view looks west in the Nickel Plate's former Clover Leaf (Lake Erie & Western) yard, probably in the 1940s.
The "now" photo dates from the 8th of September, 2019; the coal dock stood over the photographer's left shoulder when he made the earlier photo.
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The trees are winning. Accessed Apr 2024.
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