Hillsboro, IL: Big Four Depot, Tower, Coaling Dock and Roundhouse

Depot: (Satellite, long gone)

Junction Tower: (Satellite, long gone)

Coaling Tower: (Satellite, long gone)

Roundhouse: (Satellite, remnants of the foundation are still visible.)

Jacob Hortenstine posted
A very old postcard photo of the NYC at Hillsboro Illinois
Bill Edrington Thanks for this, Jacob Hortenstine. This view looks east. The "Old Line" from St. Louis, East Alton, Gillespie and Litchfield (the original main line) is visible on the left. The 1904 "Short Line" (the new main line from Hillsboro to Lenox) is behind the depot in this picture and joined the Old Line at the tower in the distance. The roundhouse was to the left of the coal dock, which was eventually replaced by a new concrete one that straddled the main line until after Conrail sold the line to the MP in 1982.

Jacob Hortenstine posted
Hillsoro Illinois 1957 {Barriger library photo]

Jacob Hortenstine posted
Hillsboro Illinois depot

Andy Zukowski posted
Big 4 NYC Railroad Depot in Hillsboro, Illinois. C.1910
Richard Fiedler shared

 

Richard Fiedler posted

It looks like this 1938 aerial photo has the concrete coaling tower.

1938 Aerial Photo form ILHAP

.

Roundhouse

Jacob Hortenstine posted
New York Central roundhouse Hillsboro Illinois
Bill Edrington The foundation of the Hillsboro roundhouse is still visible today.

Satellite

Jacob Hortenstine posted
Better view NYC roundhouse Hillsboro Illinois [Lew Schneider]
Bill Edrington The smokestack in the background is part of the Eagle-Picher zinc oxide plant (now closed).
Jacob Hortenstine and all of eagle pitcher was razed a year or two ago epa clean up.
Bill Edrington Eagle-Picher, Hillsboro Glass and ASARCO (Taylor Springs) -- all railroad customers, and all shut down now. The Old Line local used to originate at Hillsboro too. It was still a busy place on the railroad when I was a kid. No more. As far as I know, the new mine is still closed too.
Jacob Hortenstine rumor mill say reopen late 2017 or 2018 but that changes week to week kinda depends on how much beer the guy telling the story has had..........tracks are still there.

Bill Edring posted four photos with the comment: "Some scenes from about 1910-1915 at Hillsboro, Illinois, thanks to David Cantrell.  Captions are with the photos."

1
Eastbound passenger train on the Short Line taking water at Hillsboro — possibly #18, the Knickerbocker Special from St. Louis to New York, behind an I-class “Chautauqua” 4-4-2 engine.

2
This depot was built on the east side of town as part of the construction of the Short Line cutoff in 1903-04. It had platforms on both sides, to serve trains on both the Short Line and the Old Line. It stood until the mid-1960s, and I remember it well.

3
Looking east along the Old Line platform toward the junction with the Short Line. Note the interlocking tower on “stilts”, the coal dock (later replaced by a poured-concrete one that stood until the 1980s) and the sacks of mail on the cart at the left. In the distance is the then-new Schram Glass plant, later acquired by Ball Brothers Glass of Muncie, Indiana and still later by the Hillsboro Glass division of Hiram Walker & Sons.

4
A through passenger train on the Short Line leaves for Pana, Mattoon and points east.