Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Memphis, TN: IC Walker Street Shops


IC's main railyard was further south.

Cliff Downey shared three photos with the comment:
These three photos were taken at the IC's Walker Street* shops in Memphis. The shops and roundhouse were located about a half-mile south of Central Station, next to South Yard. IC's passenger locomotives were maintained here, along with some of the freight locos. SSW and Rock Island passenger locos were also maintained here, too.
The roundhouse was active until the late 1950's when the IC switched to diesels. By 1960 the roundhouse had been converted into a gigantic curing kiln for a wood products company.
Other than a few track diagrams I don't have much info on the Walker Street shops. An article in the August, 1950, issue of "Illinois Central Magazine" stated there were 300 employees working at Walker Street, and the shops were responsible for maintaining passenger locomotives in the New Orleans, St. Louis, Vicksburg, and Louisville pools. Additionally, four locomotives per month were scheduled to receive their classified repairs (ie, heavy overhauls) at Walker Street. A store house was also located at Walker Street, and the shop repaired m-o-w equipment for work gangs across the system. Transfer cabooses were also built at Walker Street, for there is a shot of one under construction in the IC Magazine article.
The roundhouse is long gone and most of the buildings. Satellite photos reveal a rectangular building right next to old IC mainline, just south of EH Crump Boulevard and just west of Green Avenue. Presumably this was part of the shop complex, for there are what appear to be three tracks sticking out of each side of the building, and one of the tracks (now heavily overgrown) leads to the IC mainline.
About a 100 yards away is a single story sheet metal building. Does anyone know if this building was also part of the shop complex? I don't see any other buildings in the immediate area that look like it might have part of the shop complex. There is a large overgrown lot with a bunch of tall trees, but I'm not inclined to go snooping and see what might be there.
Unfortunately I don't have a lot of info about the photos, other than the writing on the back. There were taken in January, 1955, after part of the shops were reconfigured for diesel repairs.
Any additional info on the Walker Street shops would be appreciated!
*Most IC sources refer to the shops as the "Walker STREET" shops, even though nearly every map I can find says the location is "Walker AVENUE".


1
A view inside the IC's Walker Street shops in Memphis, on Jan. 12, 1955. The steam era facility had recently been refurbished to perform diesel overhauls. The lathe to the left is holding a new axle, perhaps for the E7B in background. Chris Thompson coll., Jan. 12, 1955.

2
An unidentifed E7B sits inside IC's Walker Street shops in Memphis on Jan. 12, 1955. The shops were built in the early 1900's but this building has been reconfigured to service diesel locomotives, complete with an inspection pit, drop table, and a station to test a locomotive while under load. Chris Thompson coll.

3
Signs of racial segregation can be seen, literally, on these entrances to the restrooms at IC's Walker Street shops in Memphis. The divider in the middle is lettered "WHITE". Meanwhile, it is not visible on the scan, but the divider to the right is lettered "COLORED". Jan. 12, 1955, Chris Thompson collection.

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