Sunday, April 3, 2016

Springfield, IL: Ridgely Tower: UP+Amtrak/.../GM&O/C&A vs. IMRR+UP/.../Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis

Doug Hefty posted
Four GM&O units pass through Springfield IL 1976
It took some detective work to find the location of this junction. I put dots in the Chicago & Alton name because the corporate history, including bankruptcy, after ICG sold it has been discussed before, and I'm too lazy to find that discussion. I put dots in the CPStL name because the full name is evidently Illinois Midland/Jacksonvile & Havana/Chicago & Illinois Midland/CCStL/CPStL. The SPV Map does not have an entry in its Appendix for CCStL.

Update:
Nick Goedecke posted
Steve Smedley North-bound at Ridgely

Rick F posted two images with the comment: "Was looking some of my collection of unbuilt kits and located this paperwork about Ridgley Tower. Shows what levers to pull to route trains thru the plant."
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Bob Guhr posted
Chicago Ridge, IL, ca. late 1950's. Indiana Harbor Belt and Wabash. The train is on the Belt; a fan trip hauled by Dick Jensen's ex GTW 5629.

Keith Bunner posted
Bill Edrington Northbound at Ridgely Tower, crossing the C&IM
Steven Kent posted
Ridgely Tower Springfield, Illinois
GM&O crossing the C&IM off Sangamon Ave.
John Mann Ridgely had the last manual Armstrong lever in Illinois I think

Bob Rusciolelli posted three photos with the comment: "Back during the days of the GM&O, Ridgely Yard was a beehive of activity. Today, there is nothing there. Don't remember what was going on in the second photo, but that was a spurt of activity. Must have been some major track repair work going on. The old switch chart from inside Ridgely Tower. Notice how many switches were abandoned. Note the top of the chart "Ridgely, ILL. This area at one time was a suburb of Springfield. Annexed in to Springfield in 1907."
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Bob Rusciolelli posted nine photos with the comment: "A variety of photos of the old Ridgely Tower when it was still in operation in Springfield, IL. I had a photo of the lower section of this tower, but beats me where it went."
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Steve Drassler posted seven photos with the comment: "UP Ridgely Tower bit the dust on August 8, 2011 after serving under a long list of railroads. Exterior views are to the north, across the Illinois Midland RR (former Chicago and Illinois Midland Ry). Photos from about 2010."
[This is another town claiming to have the last staffed tower in Illinois. There are still a few in the Chicago metro area. UP itself has the JB Tower in West Chicago.]

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Larry Senalik posted
Illinois State Fair - Springfield - unknown date
#sangamonvalleycollection
Bill Edrington Ridgely Yard (Chicago & Alton/Alton Railroad/GM&O/ICG, with B&O as a tenant) is visible at the right. Just south of it, across Sangamon Avenue, is Ridgely Tower, where the GM&O and C&IM main lines crossed.

Rick F This photo is before 1935 as the Sangamon Ave underpass at 16th St. hasnt been built yet and it was dedicated in 1935. If you look you can see that it is a grade crossing at this time.
Rick F There is even a street car on Peoria rd just south Sangamon Ave.
William Ankrom Thornton's gas station on the west side by fairgrounds main entrance. Ns took out 15th st crossing next to C an IM diamond 1985

Bob Rusciolelli posted
Nothing exciting here. Just a couple of U.P. engines sitting on the siding in what looks like and early spring day at Ridgely Tower in Springfield.
Dennis DeBruler Actually, I'm kinda excited about the nice view of the signal pipelines.


I'm parking this coaling tower in these notes because I can't find a Ridgely, IL and because it is a rather unique looking coaling tower.
Dave Durham posted
Coaling Station, C&A R.R., Ridgely, Il., 1907
Brian Wilcoxon Ok thanks I'm guessing just south of the yard where Peabody mine was.Dennis DeBruler Wow, there are coal mines under most of Springfield: https://www.isgs.illinois.edu/.../topo-mines/springfield.pdf
Dennis DeBruler commented on Dave's post
Google Maps doesn't know about "Ridgely, IL." Would it be near Ridgely Tower in Springfield? But the only towers I can find in a 1938 aerial are at the north end of the yard. The south tower looks like the water tower in the photo. But the other tower looks like only one side of the coaling tower. http://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/.../0bhd02114.jpg
Dave Durham Dennis DeBruler yes ridgely tower is the general vicinity of the Coaling tower.
Dave Durham If you Google Ridgely Illinois, the 3rd link gives a really good description of the boundaries of Ridgely; more info as found...
[I was not able to find the documentation of boundaries that Dave mentions, but he confirmed this yard is the correct area for the tower.]

safe_image for Barriger Flickr
[The comments imply this is an ALCO FA and discus the termination of passenger service.]

Noah Haggerty posted
CMNW GP38 #2043 leads a northbound manifest through Ridgely Tower in Springfield, Illinois. The short-lived Chicago, Missouri & Western was the operator on the ex-GM&O from 1987 to 1989. John & Roger Kujawa Photo, Thomas Dyrek Collection.
[You can see an Iron Man and signalling pipelines in this view.]
Bruce Schreiber: So what’s happened to the tower since CMNW ?
Noah Haggerty: Bruce Schreiber Torn down in 2011. Here’s a cool video of it
 https://youtu.be/NM3QdlNVTtQ?si=ZI1wFzKl2Vp6uWkd [21:02 video of the demo. Removes a big chunk at 6:49. Another big chunk at 12:05. I think he is lifting the interlocking machine at 13:24. And at 18:08 I think we see the signalling pipelines that left the building.]

safe_image for HighHor$epower Flickr
UP grain train at Ridgely Tower
An empty Pontiac grain train thumps across the Illinois & Midland diamond at Ridgely Tower back in April 2010.
This northbound train will hold at North Ridgely to meet Amtrak 301 and get runaround by the Texas Eagle.
UP 5700 - AC4400CW
UP 6159 - AC4400CW (rear DPU)
UP 7202 - AC4400CW (rear DPU)
Ridgely Tower - Springfield, Illinois
April 29, 2010

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