This is the east elevation of the UPC&NW coaling tower that is still standing
in DeKalb, IL. I zoomed in on the stairwells (below) because they are in remarkably good shape. They must have done maintenance on them because stairways that have been neglected for over a half-century generally look pretty bad.
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Obviously, the track that used to go through the unloading shed has been removed. I was curious if the diagonal shaft contained a skip-hoist or a buckets-on-a-chain elevator. But not curious enough to trespass. Plus I assume the equipment has been removed, and I would still not know even if I went in for a closer look.
When I took the west elevation shot, I turned around and took a shot towards town. The cut of sand cars was not moving. They are on a branch that now terminates in
Troy Grove, IL. Looking at a
satellite image, there are multiple sand mines, as well as a grain elevator, near that town.
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Tom Winkle posted
From the DeKalb, IL FB history group, the C&NW water towers being dismantled, 1957. (Geneva Sub) |
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Mike Breski posted
Chicago & North Western passenger train no. 2, the eastbound Pacific Limited with streamlined steam locomotive no. 4007, comes under the coaling tower at DeKalb, Illinois, on June 20, 1948. Photograph by Wallace W. Abbey, © 2015, Center for Railroad Photography and Art. Abbey-02-138-02
Raymond Storey posted |
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Rodney Neace commented on Mike's post
Here’s what it looks like now. |
Unlike some railroad structures, it is easy to find a legal parking spot close to the tower because it is next to Rotary Park. This is the view from the
parking lot.
(
Facebooked 20150920)
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Patrick McNamara's comment to Steve's posting
The old C&NW 430 Rail Test Car !
Here it is on December 16, 1984 clattering thru DeKalb |
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Mark Llanuza posted
Its Nov 1979 were on the top of the DeKalb coaling tower with eastbound bird
[Another reminder that C&NW ran left-handed.] |
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| Tyler McCall comment on above posting. |
Update:
This 1929 aerial photo shows the coal tower was built east of the town limits.
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| Kim Abbot commented on above posting |
A telephoto lens compresses distances. It amazes me how much that compression can increase the apparent curvature of the track. In
a satellite image, I don't see much curvature in the mainline where the connector joins the siding. So the significant curvature in this photo still confuses me.
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Mike Chrisman posted
UP#5933 passes under the CNW coal tower with a few double stack wells+8 open low gondolas as a track inspector is providing repairs to the infrastructure along the tracks and testing the signals and
 | Chuck Stew posted
Chicago & Northwestern Coaling Tower Dekalb, IL UP, ex CNW Geneva Sub 7-30-22 Bill Baar: You don't see how thin this structure is looking at it in this pic.
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Three photos
posted by J Robert Burger with the comment "
Old coaling station, DeKalb Illinois."
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Chicago & North Western Historical Society posted
The concrete coaling tower which spans the old C&NW main line from Chicago to Clinton, Iowa just east of DeKalb is not the first coaling station on that site. This is what that concrete coaling tower replaced. The date of the photo is 1912.
Where was this in relation to the existing concrete structure? just to the west |
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| Corey Madsen commented on C&NW's posting |
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Chicago & North Western Historical Society posted
The concrete coaling tower which spans the old C&NW main line from Chicago to Clinton, Iowa just east of DeKalb is not the first coaling station on that site. This is what that concrete coaling tower replaced. The date of the photo is 1912. |
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Mark Llanuza posted
To show how things change over the years CNW photographer is on top of the coaling tower in DeKalb IL 1915 for a great view . I and three of my close friends when on top of the CNW coaling tower in Sept 1979 we captured the eastbound Bird .Many tracks are gone and so are many old buildings in my after shot i took in 1979.
Jason Leverton can you describe a few things in this shot? Like are all the cars at the right from the CM&G?
The CM&G was east of here. On the right is a C&NW branch that went through Sycamore, east of Belvidere and on to at least South Beloit. It is abandoned. Mark's lens is not as wide as the 1915 view because the branch on the left still exists. It used to go to three coal mines in Spring Valley on the west side of Spring Creek. It still goes to Troy Grove, IL because of all of the sand mines in that area. |
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Larry Steel commented on a posting
Someone posted this photo from DeKalb, IL this morning [Oct 16, 2018]. Naturally I can't find the post but found the photo...
There are two days each year, sometime in April and sometime in October, where you get a shine-through. |
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| Dave OKkema commented on a posting, cropped |
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Nick Hart posted
On a sunny morning, eastbound UP train IPDG2 hustles through De Kalb, IL passing under the old CNW coaling tower. UP AC4400CW 6706 is in charge, which is the last patched CNW on UP's roster. It still maintains its sharp CNW Operation Lifesaver paint and it's old CNW #, 8804, can be seen on the side. How much longer it remains in this paint is yet to be seen.
UP Geneva Subdivision
01/05/19
John Morelli Is “PD” UP’s Brooklyn yard in Portland?
John Morelli Hmm I was up in Portland for school last year. Brooklyn only handles intermodal. I also saw that Albina yard has a few ramps to load containers on so it’s possible that’s where it originated. I’m just guessing though since that’s further north than Brooklyn yard is.
Daniel Tatjenhorst PD is Albina Yard. BR is Brooklyn Yard. |
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Thomas Fabianski posted
Troy Grover rounding the bend, over!
L-PJ04 from West Chicago yard to Troy Grove and back is seen rounding the curve off the UP Geneva Subdivision and onto the UP Troy Grove Subdivision with a nice assortment of power, featuring 2 UP GP15-1s sandwiching a GP40-2, 2 SD70ACes, a BNSF GE, and a UP GE. Always a treat seeing these things on the road.
Taken 8/3/2016
[The comments indicate that just the GPs are running. The extra power is being pulled to pick up a unit train of sand at the Troy mine. The 2-hopper sand cars are empty since they are going to the sand mine.]
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Michael Wayne Sitter posted three photos with the comment: "
A westbound intermodal with a single C44ACCTE kicking up the light dusting of snow at DeKalb, Illinois on the UP’s Geneva Subdivision on the eve of the New Year 2019. -Michael W. Sitter"
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If you want to tresspass to get a better photo of a coaling tower, do it when everyone is expecting a steam locomotive to come past.
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Halsted Pazdzior posted
I thought this was appropriate.
DeKalb Coaling Tower.
7/30/19
Matt McClure Between the UP and the neighborhood to the south, this is an unwelcoming location in my experiences. |
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John Vincent commented on Dave's post
A diagram of the cross section of coal tower
I presume that is the C&NW tower in Dekalb, IL. I wondered how the buckets on a chain worked. Again, the metal has been stripped except for the stairs. |
Dave Kuntz
posted four photos with the comment: "Classic CNW coaling tower in Dekalb IL, but for the modelers out there who wondered what it might look like from above."
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