Mazon, IL: Junction Tower: K&S and Santa Fe

(Satellite; The tower has been removed, but BNSF uses the depot for their engineering department.)

Bill Molony -> RAILROAD HISTORY BUFFS OF ILLINOIS

Bill's comment:

The Santa Fe station and interlocking tower at the Kankakee & Seneca crossing at Mazon, Illinois.

Below the aerial photo are many of the Facebook comments for this posting because they had a lot of the K&S history.

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Peter Zimmermann The Kankakee & Seneca Railroad ran between its namesake cities and eventually became under the ownership of the Big Four, the lined ended operations as a through route[including through Mazon] on February 24th, 1933.

Peter Zimmermann Concrete bridge abutments can be seen crossing creek[or small river] just a bit behind where the photographer is seen. CSX still operates a small portion of the line in the area of Seneca.

Josh Biggers There's still bricks in the ground at the depot from the original platform on the K&S half of the depot.

Josh Biggers The K&S never actually owned there own locomotives but rather used CCC&STL and CRI&P power. The big four locomotives were mainly used on trains that originate in Kankakee and CRI&P locos for trains out of Seneca.

Peter Zimmermann Rock Island power in Kankakee, years before run-through power was common.

Josh Biggers Kankakee is the farthest they went. The train number changed for the trip West but it was the same physical train. There should be a picture somewhere on my page of a Rock ten wheeler in Kankakee.

Josh Biggers It's strange seeing Rock Island that far away from its own tracks.

Update:

Peter Zimmermann posted

Peter Zimmermann

Yesterday at 1:27pm

I know a bit beyond the immediate Chicago area[don't tell Brant Miller the weather man that...] is Mazon Illinois, today simply a spot on the BNSF Railway Chillicothe sub main line. But at one time it was the crossing between the Santa Fe Railway and the little Kankakee & Seneca Railroad that began operations between its namesake cities in about 1898, eventually was taken over by the Big Four and ended operations on February 24th, 1933. Bridge abutments can be seen in the trees just off Route 47 south of the the then Santa Fe crossing.

Davis Shroomberg There is a grain elevator almost due north of Verona that sits in the middle of nowhere. This was once served by the K&S. Also, there is 1 surviving K&S station that I know of, the name of the town escapes me (want to say it begins with a B). At some point after operations ended, a farmer bought it & built a barn around it. Circa 2013, they dismantled to barn to rediscover the station. I seem to recall a mention about dismantling the station for refurbishment and preservation, but I haven't seen anything further in that.

Peter Zimmermann Bonfield.

Behind the tower was the Sante Fe Depot.

Bill Molony commented on another posting

William Shapotkin posted four photos with the comment:

Until 1933-34, NYC (CCC&StL) subsidiary Kankakee & Seneca (jointly owned with the ROCK), operated betw the two-named Illinois cities. At Mazon, IL, the K&S crossed the trans-continental line of the ATSF. The one-time joint depot remains standing (used by BNSF engineering department) in what had been the N/W quadrent of the xing. Of course, in order to control train movements, a tower (which had been located at east end of building) was present. Here are four pix of same.

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Dennis DeBruler commented on William's post
Judging by the shadows, the tower was gone by 1940.
William Shapotkin Oh, no doubt -- as the K&S was gone by 1934...although you can still see the alignment alright. Thank you -- interesting view.