La Salle, IL: CB&Q Railyard and Flood

(Satellite)

Kevin Mengoni posted
Dennis DeBruler This photo was taken because the Illinois River was flooding. The more I looked, the more water I found in the wrong places.
[Westclox]

Flood of 2019:
Mark Baker shared four photos with the comment:

Not the Quad Cities and the Mississippi, but LaSalle/Peru. Illinois and the Illinois River. Approx 1pm Friday April 3, 2019. The IAIS is high n' dry here, but the Illinois Raiilway East-end of the Zearing branch is under. Including alot of the James Hardie product sitting at the transload location; itself being idle for several weeks this March & April while LaSalle or Ameren needed to do underground work adjacent to the IR track.

Dennis DeBruler Thanks for providing details for each photo. For us out-of-towners, it can be hard to place a photo.

1
LaSalle, IL 5/3/19 1300 hrs. Many fans will recognize this old coach along the IAIS ROW. In the foreground is a city street with high water from the Illinois River thanks to days of rain hereabouts. This "entrance" to Peru is where Brunner Street turns into Water Street.

2
LaSalle, IL 5/3/19 1300 hrs. The Creve Coeur St crossing of the Illinois Railways' ex-CB&Q trackage. High water from the Illinois River thanks to days of rain hereabouts.

3
LaSalle, IL 5/3/19 1300 hrs. The IAIS In the foreground is high n' dry at this location, but behind is stacks of finished James Hardie siding material near the location of the old BN depot. Illinois Railway tracks here and farther West towards Maze Lumber are under water. IIRC this occurs at least once a year...

4
LaSalle, IL 5/3/19 1300 hrs. High water from the Illinois River End of Track for the Zearing Branch. This MOW piece has been here for a few years, but in the 2000s, CF7's #3 and 5 would park here and recently, center beam cars have been loaded with James Hardie product trucked down from the Peru facility. Ameren (electric utility) has an ambitious project going in the background with several trucks & employees milling about today...

Mark Baker shared four photos with the comment: "The Illinois River finally receded several weeks ago allowing Job 105 to access LaSalle customers..."

1
An observation while waiting for another shot of the subject; IR train 105, is the evidence of "new" traffic on all 3 of the tracks leading into the ex-CB&Q yard at LaSalle, Il 6/14/19

2
IR train 105 spotting ADM in Peru, Illinois 6/14/19. If I Recall Correctly, these and a string of hoppers within the last month or so are the first rail cars used by the facility in quite some time. HBRY #5006 "City Of Churchill" is in charge.

3
IR train 105 spotting ADM in Peru, Illinois 6/14/19. If I Recall Correctly, these and a string of hoppers within the last month or so are the first rail cars used by the facility in quite some time. HBRY #5006 "City Of Churchill" is in charge.

4
IR train 105 is returning up the branch toward Ladd and Peru and passing through the Mertel Gravel Company/South Shore Boat Club location in Peru, Illinois 6/14/19. Iowa Interstates' ex-Rock Island main is in the foreground.

The line used to continue south east across the river and over to Streator. Illinois Railways now parks a locomotive at the end of the line.

Satellite

Mark Baker shared eleven photos with the comment: "IR using every last foot of the Zearing branch. James Hardie trans-load facility in LaSalle, Illinois."

In LaSalle, IL across from the IAIS and ex-CRI&P depot, the Illinois Railway and James Hardie have established a trans-load location for finished Hardie products. Trucked to this location from the plant on Peru's North side and loaded onto 3 at-a-time center beam cars brought down by an HBR SD50, these series of photos are from over several weeks and the last 2 are screen grabs from a 2007 video of a WB AAPRCO special. At the time the Railnet parked it's CF7's for the Zearing branch at this location. Gone are the 3 or 4 Uranich cement silos and cleared away of brush are concrete pads that now include alot of product on pallets, endloaders, port-a-potty and lights and generator for any after dark work. All this is literally within feet of the East end of track of the once Denrock-Streator BN line. The Burlington Northern depot once stood on the location of this operation.

1
llinois Railway's HBR SD50 #5006 (from what I've seen lately, Nov 2018, the only loco on the LaSalle-Zearing line save "road" power sets for unit trains) drops center beam cars at a James Hardie trans-load location at the far East end of the Zearing branch in LaSalle. Over the summer and fall of 2018, this location has been cleared and over two large concrete pads are pallets of finished Hardie products trucked down from the plant on Peru's north side. The plant itself is served by IR, but evidently good business required this operation.

2
3 at a time empty center beam cars are left at the far East end of the Zearing branch at an off-site James Hardie loading facility. Nov 2018

3
HBR 5006 pulls away with a couple tank cars in LaSalle, IL very near the site of the ex-BN depot. on until recently, seldom used track.

4
Mike Mullins It was Quality Liquid Feeds. They got carloads of molasses.

5
Looking East at where the ex-BN depot once stood (IIRC) the area is now busy as a transload spot for finished James Hardie products. An end loader is already busy after Job 105 made the trip to the far East end of Zearing branch trackage with empties. Pics of which are among other photos in this album.

6
A look West at IR trackage in LaSalle, Illinois. The large pole building on the right houses a gym. Tracks continue through a now empty several track yard, and about 2 miles distant cross the Iowa Interstate and continue up to Peru and Ladd, Illinois

7
Another view of the WB Illinois Railway Job 105 in LaSalle, IL (Nov 2018)

8
Looking South with Quality Liquid Fertilizer in the distance, the trackage is at the far East end of what remains of BN's Denrock-Streator-Montgomery, IL branch. What appears to be a temporary office for this off-site James Hardie operation stands between the IR tracks and the Iowa Interstate mainline.

9
On another day, between loading rail cars, I'm at the End Of Track of the Zearing branch. A tamper (?) sits as close to Streator as these tracks now go in LaSalle, Illinois. Nov 2018

10
From 2007 video of an AAPRCO/Amtrak special heading West on the IAIS, our vantage point is the now-removed bridge near Rt351. The nearest loco, a Illinois Railnet CF7 is parked at the end of track and between it and the other Cleburne rebuild is the current James Hardie loading facility. Gone now are the concrete silos on the far Left.

11
From 2007 video of an AAPRCO/Amtrak special heading West on the IAIS, our vantage point is the now-removed bridge near Rt351. The nearest loco, a Illinois Railnet CF7 is parked at the end of track and between it and the other Cleburne rebuild is the current James Hardie loading facility. Gone now are the concrete silos on the far Left.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Mark's posting
 Is James Hardie trucking to LaSalle so that can load longer cuts of cars? Did they quit using their industrial spur? I assume it is cheaper to truck to what was "underutilized" land than build a new transloading facility closer to their plant off the Peru Industrial Track that IR operates. https://www.google.com/.../@41.3725497,-89.../data=!3m1!1e3

Ottumwa, IA: BNSF/CB&Q Railyard, Coaling Tower & Roundhouse and Junction with Milwaukee

Yard: (Satellite)

Junction: (Satellite)

Rodney G. Skinner posted
Ottumwa, Iowa 
Dick Hovey photo

David Sebben posted
This undated photo, looking east, shows the C.B. & Q. Railroad's Ottumwa, Iowa roundhouse and yards.

Satellite

The land scar of the roundhouse still exists.

Rodney G. Skinner posted, cropped
Looking East, Ottumwa, Iowa
Mike Lemberger photo

Street View

Steven J. Brown posted
Canadian Pacific 2816 on the CPKC (Milwaukee Road) crossing the BNSF (CB&Q) at Ottumwa, Iowa - June 27, 2024.

1956/1958 Ottumwa North Quad @ 24,000

Oconoto, WI: C&NW Depot, Water Tower, and Watch Tower

(Satellite?) I spent some time studying a 1951 aerial, but I could not determine where this was.

Chicago & North Western Historical Society posted
Oh, My! The river is really rising. Will the station at Oconto, Wisconsin be safe? Oconto is located on the west shore of Green Bay about midway between the communities of Green Bay and Marinette, Wisconsin. Not surprisingly, the river which is flooding is named the Oconto River. There is no date or photographer data to be found on the reverse of this photo which is held at the archives of the C&NW Historical Society.

Wilders, IN: Aban/CIN/Erie vs. Aban/L&N/Monon

(Satellite)

Michael Dye posted
Erie #6, looking West, at Wilders. MAR59
Michael Dye The tower was closed/removed in 1946 and the interlocking was remoted from the PRR tower at Kouts.

Michael Dye shared his post
An early Monon Engineering diagram of Wilders, which shows the three railroad’s track orientation (North to the right) and the location of the structures at this location (The depot is located on the Erie between the Monon and the CA&S).

Auburn, IN: Auburn (UN) Junction and Depot: Aban/PC/NYC/FW&J vs. CSX/B&O vs. Aban/PRR/Wabash

(Satellite)        FW&J = Fort Wayne & Jackson

Mike Snow posted
Auburn Junction when it was a Junction ! That would be the Ft Wayne & Jackson crossing in front of the locomotive.
[The B&O train is eastbound]
Harry Doolittle What RR went to the left in this photo? Was it a PRR branch?
Mike Snow Yes to Butler Indiana. Vandalia/Eel River.
[Actually, we are looking in the direction to Logansport. Butler would be to our back.]

Mike Snow posted again

Auburn Junction.. when it was actually a Junction !

Auburn Junction was at the junction of three railroads near Auburn, hence the name. The view in this postcard a person would be looking up the Eel River on the left and the Baltimore & Ohio is on the right with the LS&MS/NYCRR Fort Wayne & Jackson crossing just in front of the locomotive.

At Auburn Junction, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the Eel River Railroad, and the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw Railroad all met at grade. The only thing that remains of Auburn Junction today is the B&O trackage, now owned by CSX and a half mile section of the Ft Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw that serves as an industrial spur to two local businesses.

A post office was established at Auburn Junction in 1884, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1931.
Eric Zerkle Both the FW&J and Eel River were removed in the 70s.

Tyler Allen posted

I found myself in a rabbit hole! I live in Auburn, IN and am fascinated by the history of Auburn and Auburn Junction. Our library is chock FULL of old photos, including this wonderful image of Auburn Junction. You can see the current CSX line that this train is on, but even cooler is to the left is an interurban car! The track crossing the B&O is the old Fort Wayne and Jackson. Just out of view is the Eel River. None of the town remains except the B&O, now CSX, and a branch of the Fort Wayne and Jackson that feeds a couple industries. If you look at a current map, a little street called Boxcar Lane used to be Auburn Junction Main Street.

Source: https://willennar.catalogaccess.com/photos/6853

The yellow line was the NYC/FW&J. The blue line was the PRR. According to the SPV Map, this route was originally owned by Wabash. (Update: see below for the correct history of the "blue line.")

Satellite plus Paint

A comment on a post corrects the corporate linage of the "blue line."

Mike Snow This route was not originally owned by the Wabash Rwy. they only had it from 1879-1901. The DER&I was opened between Logansport and Butler in 1873. Successor Eel River RR was sold under court order and reorganized as PRR subsidiary Logansport & Toledo Ry. in 1901, and consolidated with other lines as the Vandalia RR in 1905. Here is Craig Berndt's recently-updated corporate timeline:

1852 Incorporated as The Auburn & Eel River Valley Railroad (proposed only in DeKalb Co.).
1853 Incorporated as Auburn & Eel River Valley Railroad (proposed from DeKalb Co. to Cass Co.).
1853 Renamed Logansport & Northern Indiana Railroad. 
1863 Sold at foreclosure and reorganized as Toledo, Logansport & Northern Indiana Railroad. 
1869 Sold at foreclosure and reorganized as Detroit, Logansport & St. Louis Railroad. 
1870 Sold and reorganized as Detroit, Eel River & Illinois Railroad.
1877 Sold at foreclosure and reorganized as Eel River Railroad (leased to Wabash Railroad 1879-1901). 
1901 Sold by court order and reorganized as Logansport & Toledo Railway. 
1905 Consolidated with four other railroads as Vandalia Railroad. 
1917 Consolidated with four other railroads as Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad 
(“Pan Handle”). 
1956 Merged into Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad. 
1968 Consolidated with the New York Central as Pennsylvania-New York Central Transportation 
(“Penn Central”).
1976 Consolidated with five other railroads as Consolidated Rail (“Conrail”). 
1984 .7-mile in Logansport, from 6th St. to 15th St. extended, acquired by Logansport & Eel River Railroad Museum.
1986 .1-mile in Logansport, from Ottawa St. to 6th St., together with 1.4 miles of the South Bend Branch, from TP&W connection to Ottawa St., acquired by Logansport & Eel River Railroad Museum.
1989 Track in Logansport (1984 and 1986 above) acquired by Logansport & Eel River Short-Line.

The depots southwest of Columbia City, and some northeast, were built in 1868, but the track was opened in segments, 1871-1873.

It is interesting that there are now a lot fewer buildings in Auburn Junction than there were in the photo. It appears that the intersection of IN-8 and former US-27 became more important than the intersection of railroads.

Bill Nimmo shared
In conjunction with the recent post of the rail setup on auburn junction - this is a photo of the old station that sat at that junction somewhere.

Darren Reynolds posted two photos with the comment: "B&Os 'UN' tower (Auburn Jct.) Auburn, Indiana."

Tim Shanahan shared

Tim Shanahan shared

1

2
[A nice example of signalling pipelines.]

Craig Jon Berndt commented on Tim's second share
UN controlled the crossings of 3 steam and 1 electric interurban railroad, whose track is along the county road at left in the lower photo above. B&O's train has stopped on the Ft. Wayne & Jackson RR's mainline on this side of the tower, and the Eel River/Vandalia RR's track crosses B&O a few hundred feet ahead. A view of the interlocking plant is below.