Savanna, IL: Milwaukee Depot and 1911 Flood

(Satellite)

Notes on the railyard and roundhouse

William Brown posted
From the "I grew up in Savanna" Facebook Page.

Excerpt from a map on the Milwuakee Yard posting, I doubled the size.

Fortunately, I could read the street name "Murray" because it looks like the depot was just north of where Murray ended.

It looks like the depot got replaced.

William Brown posted
"An eBay purchase from of all places Australia of the Milwaukee Road Depot/Dispatcher Office in Savanna, Illinois.  The front left shows the Coaches Tracks for adding and cutting Sleepers and other Cars.  The Steam Lines and Toolbox with Air Hoses and a connection to Yard Air.  The striped awnings facing south.  A Heavyweight Passenger Train.  Tankcars spotted between the Depot and Freight House.  This might be the Diesel Fueling in the 1930s.  Two blocks from the house, I grew up in."

Mark Llanuza posted
Its July 1984 Milwaukee roads Savanna IL train station and crew change point still a busy place with a big switching yard and round house only few years away before the SOO LINE takes over.
[Note that a Coaches Track is holding a boxcar.]

William Brown posted

From the Savanna Historical Society Collection. A view of Savanna's CB&Q and Milwaukee Road Rail Yards during the 1965. The CB&Q Yard is on the right and dry. The Aurora Sub is slightly flooded. The Milwaukee's Nitrin Line is crossing the CB&Q at the bottom of the picture on five diamonds. This line had one turn five days per week. The boxcars in the bottom right of the picture are on the former Intrchange Tracks between the Milwaukee and CB&Q. These were active before the Aurora Sub was built. This is early in the flood as at it's peak the White Building(Milwaukee Road Depot) was completely surrounded by flood water.

Jim Arvites also posted
Aerial view of the CB&Q yard on right and the Milwaukee Road yard on left during the 1965 Mississippi River flood at Savanna, Illinois. Note the Milwaukee Road passenger depot, white building, in far left center of the picture.
(Savanna Historical Society)

Savanna Milwaukee Road History updated
Brian Voss Did the tower also control the interlocking at the bottom of this photo? Most of this was long gone by the time I worked here during IMRL days (1997-98).
Gary Scott Law Brian Voss it didn’t in 1978 when I worked the tower. I’d guess it was always manual with authority to cross the CB&Q mains coming from their Savanna Yard Yardmaster because the mains were inside Yard Limit authority.

William Brown shared
A great photo of Savanna, Illinois in the 30s or 40s. The Mississippi River is doing its thing like every Spring. The five diamonds the CB&Q installed to cross the Milwaukee Roads's Line to East Moline are evident. The Roundhouse Lead, two Yard Leads and the East and West Mains. To the right out of the picture ar the four Diamonds where the CB&Q and Milwaukee Road Main Lines crossed. The former Interchange Track from the orginal CB&Q Line from Fulton, Illinois are filled with Milwaukee Road 40' Ice Reefers. The CB&Q Roundhouse is at the top of the pictures betwwen the Milwaukee Road and CB&Q Yards. The Savanna assigned Wrecker Bunk Cars are across from the CB&Q Roundhouse.
Warren Caudle Was this a CB&Q or Milwaukee Yard? Also, looking South?
William Brown Warren Caudle CB&Q on the right and Milwaukee Road on the left. Looking East towards Chicago.
Warren Caudle William Brown OK, 2 separate yards. Are both still in working order?
William Brown Warren Caudle The Milwaukee Yard on the left has two main tracks and a siding left. The CB&Q Yard has two mains, a siding, two storage tracks and a LOW Track.
Clifford Nickerson Every spring?
William Brown Clifford Nickerson Most every and if there are big thunderstorms maybe during the Summer.

William Brown posted
The Milwaukee Road's Yard in Savanna, Illinois on August 11th of 1911. I would expect at least five inches of rain pushed the Plum River over it's banks. Growing up in the era of Bay Window Cabooses on the Milwaukee Road, these centered Cupola Cabooses are a surprise.

Flood of 2019:
Dale Brown posted some photos with the comment: "Milwaukee road equipment under water again 30 + years later......in savanna il today."
Dennis DeBruler Passenger car: https://www.google.com/.../@42.0906063,-90.../data=!3m1!1e3
Caboose: https://www.google.com/.../@42.0901103,-90.../data=!3m1!1e3
Raising the tracks just a few inches makes a big difference.

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