Eureka, MO: Rock City Cafe on Route 66 and Conoco Gas Pumps

(Satellite)

If you are here because of a grain elevator in Eureka, IL, please go to the explosion at that elevator.

Drew Walters posted four photos with the comment:

Gas station at the Rock City Cafe on Route 66 at Allen Road. This was located between Eureka & Times Beach in St. Louis County, Missouri.

The cafe opened in December 1935 by Luther “Ambrose” Keeton & J. R. Wade and remained open until 1957 when Route 66 was straightened and bypassed the location. It was demolished soon after. The site remained vacant until recently when Byerly RV opened a repair shop on the site.

Pictures from Eureka Historical Society  & Google Maps

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Elwyn Davis: The station was built solid. It would probably still be there if they.had not widened the road. Love those Wayne pumps and especially that display pump.

Ely, NV: Nevada Northern Railway Museum Wood and Concrete Coaling Towers

(Satellite)

Nevada Northern Railway Museum is now a tourist railroad that runs steam locomotives.

John Taranto posted three photos with the comment: "Coaling Tower at Ely, Nevada, July 2008. Never before or since have I seen a coaling tower that is half concrete and half wood (???). Why is this?"
John Taranto Gerry Dombroski The concrete one is the original. The wooden one was constructed a few years later when the railroad started to purchase automatic coal stokers for the newer locomotives. Coal stokers required "stoker grade" coal, which was more consistent in size, and thus more expensive. Thus, the need to separate "stoker" coal from "runt" coal.

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Coal chute is missing from the "concrete side" of the tower.

The also have a rather modern water tower.

Debra Robinson, Oct 2019

Ron Bassett posted, cropped
Nevada Northern’s coal and water towers

Wesley Yarborough commented on Ron's post
July 2018

Sardis, GA: Savannah & Atlanta Railroad Coaling Tower

No satellite link because I could not find it. But it is such an interesting design that I did want to save the photo.

Gary Miller posted
Interesting design on this coaling tower in Sardis, GA.

I used this topo map to confirm that the railroad used to parallel Vestal Road and GA-24 through town.

USGS 1947 Savannah Quadrangle @ 1:250,000

Dennis DeBruler posted the following comment to an abandoned railroad group with the above coaling tower and topo images:

I was looking for a coaling tower in Sardis, GA. But I couldn't even find the railroad in that town. I used a 1947 Savannah Quadrangle @ 1:250,000 to confirm that the Savannah & Atlanta used to run parallel to Vestal Road and GA-24 through Sardis. Since I could not find this abandoned line on The Map, I dug a little deeper. The S&A appears to stop just north of Sylvania and the Sylvania Central stops just west of Sylvania.

Beardstown, IL: B&O Steam Locomotive in 1926 Flood

Beardstown was the northwest terminus of the B&O branch that went from the Illinois River, through Springfield, IL and to the Ohio River. See PARY for a map and abandonment dates. The "B&O in 1925 signed a joint facilities agreement with the Q, using its facilities and employees for switching and maintenance for $1,000 per month." [Barney L. Stone, Krambles-Peterson Archive via MayberryTownship]

Lisa Ruble posted

B&O M-2 Class Locomotive No. 1422 leads passenger trains through flood waters just outside Beardstown in 1926

Cass County Illinois

Richard Fiedler shared
William Ankrom That's scary stuff, keeping the firebox and boiler out is a must!
Ted Lemen The oil in the journal boxes must float away and require replenishment. One of the arguments used when urging the CB&Q to keep their steam engines going when they terminated excursions in 1966 was that areas like Dubuque that flooded periodically would ruin traction motors on diesel-electrics. They didn't buy that argument, and the 4960 was retired from service. The disassembled 5632 sat in the old shops at Burlington IA, then went to Chicago, where it was later cut up.
Gerry Walsh Those pads in the journal boxes hold the oil.

MayberryTiownship has this and other flood related photos

1926 Beardstown Flood
B & O 1422
M-2 Class Locomotive

Leigh Morris Railroad Picture Archives

Before the CB&Q agreement, they had their own freight house: I don't know if they continued to use this after 1925.

MayberryTownship

1906 Beardstown B & O Depot Map

Sanborn™ fire insurance map
provided courtesy of the Map Library
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Denrock, IL: CB&Q vs. CB&Q

(AbanMap; Satellite)

Roger Kujawa posted
Burlington Junction Denrock Illinois Postcard Railroad Station
Denrock was the junction point on the line from Galesburg to Savanna with a branch line to Earlville and a second one to Mendota. It looks like they had a neat depot there and a large coaling station.

There is nothing there now. There wasn't much left in 1939.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Larned, KS: Grain Elevators and Alfalfa Dehydration Plant

Bob Summers posted two photos with the comment: (Satellite)

Pawnee County Co-op main location in Larned Kansas. Obviously expanded numerous times over the decades. A "full service" cooperative handling grain, feed, seed and fertilizer as well as fuel not shown in these photos. Fairly typical in services offered, if not physical layout, here in Kansas.

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Bob Summers posted
In the '70's when Garvey Grain bought an elevator in Larned Kansas the Pawnee County Co-op had the other elevators in town. This one, the small slip form complex, seemed dormant without activity at harvest. Likely they used it to store small quantities of "off season" grains to free up space in their larger elevator. The small slip form complex pictured was the elevator for a flour mill that had gone out of business and been torn down. After the rail roads discontinued the "transit" provision in their rate structure, the Pawnee County Co-op built the large jump form tanks pictured to be able to retain the grain here that was previously shipped by rail to terminal elevators using "transit."

Bob Summers posted two photos with the comment:  (Satellite)

We (Garvey Grain) purchased this little concrete elevator in Larned Kansas in the mid '70's. We had our 20 million bushel terminal elevator in Wichita, so our interest was in the potential to originate grain, not the storage capacity of the country elevator. We also had a sizable fleet of leased hopper cars to supplement what the AT&SF would furnish. The original little "short & fat" concrete elevator on the left was significant only in the ability to have space for a little grain in the "off season", i.e. wheat during fall harvest or milo during wheat harvest. We found that most of the older elevators had a "choke point" in the grain flow that when resolved could enhance the ability to handle grain faster with minimal investment. Also from the 2nd photo it is apparent that we doubled the railcar spotting capacity by being able to load on two tracks. The result is we could load multi-car (15 - 20) hoppers per set, which was significant for a country elevator at the time. We could hear aeration fans when we were there, so the Pawnee County Co-op is still using this facility, probably for small volume grains such as soybeans or milo during corn harvest.

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Bob Summers posted two photos with the comment:  (Satellite)

Sometime back I posted the remains of a couple of alfalfa dehy plants in central Kansas. This is Bert & Wetta's main location in Larned Kansas, still in operation. We did not detect the unique aroma of alfalfa being dehydrated so not sure if just not actually cooking when we were there, or if use a different process now. Alfalfa is still an important feed ingredient here in Kansas.

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Pembine, WI: CN/WC/SOO/WC Wooden Coaling Tower in Use and Depot

Tower: (Satellite, about halfway between Jakups Way and Cedar Street)

Depot: (Satellite)

Raymond Storey posted
Pembine Wis..Soo Line
[Note that someone is using the standpipe to add water while someone else is adding coal.]

Soo was the east/west route, and Milwaukee was the north/south route. The Soo Line is now the CN, and Escanaba & Lake Superior owns the Milwaukee route.

StormySky Rail Productions posted
Soo Line-Milwaukee Road joint depot in Pembine, WI.  The depot was built around 1914.  In 2019 it burned down due to arson.

Larry Riedinger: In the late 90s, stopped by and within a few minutes an E&LS SD9 and a WC SD45 did a meet. Had a nice chat with the WC engineer!

If it burned in 2019, then the satellite image is at least five years old. 

Satellite

Street View, Jul 2018

Street View, Sep 2023

In addition to lumber cars, they interchange log and...

Street View, Sep 2015

...sand hoppers.

Street View, Sep 2009

Saline C: Eldorado-Equality, IL: Peabody's Wildcat Hills Coal Mine is closing

Satellite

Peabody Energy to close Illinois coal mine, processing plant

1038 BLACK BEAUTY COAL CO. WILDCAT HILLS UNDERGROUND DRIFT CRP 2006-2009 HERRIN SALINE 9S 7E 1
1038 PEABODY MIDWEST MINING, LLC WILDCAT HILLS UNDERGROUND DRIFT CRP 2009- HERRIN SALINE 9S 7E 1
[Saline Directory]

Saline Herrin Map

According to my 2005 SPV Map, the railroad that went across their property was "CSXT(LN)" and it was already abandoned when this mine opened in 2006.

AbanMap

Mike Trammel posted two photos with the comment: "The slope belt is almost gone can't wait to be done so I can head to Jacksonville for a couple weeks."
Jason Henning shared with the comment: "Wildcat Hills slope belt almost gone. It was a good run."

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Peabody to close Saline County's Arclar Complex, including Wildcat Hills Mine

Adam Jones posted
Last production shift on unit 1 at Wildcat Hills back in December of ‘19 before the mine closed. I don’t miss coal mining so much but these guys were a second family for sure.
Ron Richison: I thought it was low coal i worked at Willow then up on top pushing coal in a underground feeder.
Adam Jones: Ron Richison 57 inch when I started but as we worked north if got down to 52-54 inch. I think willow was pretty similar.
[Some comments talk about some of the floods.]

Edson, KS: Grain Elevator with offset 6-pack

(Satellite)

Bob Summers posted two photos with the comment:

When traveling across the county on an interstate highway it takes seeing a couple of opportunities to make exiting the highway and driving into town worthwhile for me. The other opportunity I noticed here at Edson Kansas was this nice little Sampson built slip form working house. On closer look I noticed a couple of unusual things about the bolted steel annex. I have never seen a peaked roof to maximize the capacity on a bolted steel bin before. Also the second level from the bottom has steel reinforcing bands, indicating they had concerns about this structure? Maybe filling the bin to near the top of the upper level put additional stress on the lower walls? The concrete annex is also a little unusual in shape, maybe a "5-pack? Wished I had a photograph from the other side.

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[Note the wood elevator in the background.]

Dennis DeBruler commented on Bob's post
The darker silos are a 6-pack, but the two sides of three are offset.
https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4...

As a bonus, I noticed the town still has an old galvanized steel covered wood elevator.

Street View

Garrison, NE: Grain elevator with a minor bearing fire.

(Satellite)

Riley Hlavac posted three photos with the comment:

Minor bearing fire today on an auger at the elevator in Garrison, Nebraska. The smell of burning rubber was pretty strong for a while. The David City Volunteer Fire Department called in trucks from David City and Bellwood for assistance, but the fire was small enough to be put out with a single truck. It burned for about 45-55 minutes, and luckily no one was hurt and there wasn't an explosion.

Richard Miller Last time I was at the Garrison location they only had one steel tank.. It was part of the Frontier Coop at that time!! Another good memory!!

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Terre Haute, IN: Haley Tower: L&N/CE&I vs. Big Four

(Satellite, it is part of the Wabash Valley Railroad Museum)

C&EIRHS posted
Photo from the C&EI Historical Society photo archives shows a northbound C&EI passenger train crossing over the New York Central tracks at Haley Tower in Terre Haute on September 2, 1963.

Dave Arganbright posted
U30C 1479 rambles by Haley tower in Terre Haute on April 7, 1984 as the operator waves a friendly hello. My photo.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Dave's post
Judging by the curved tracks, was this tower down by Locust Street and the train is northbound?
1941 Terre Haute Quadrangle @ 1:24,000
Richard Koenig Train is southbound.
Dennis DeBruler Richard Koenig So is Haley up by Ash Street where the C&EI and Big Four diverged?
Richard Koenig Yes, the tower is just north of 8th street, between Plum and Beech (if you look at Google Maps, you can see it as it was saved and is part of the Wabash Valley Railroad Museum.
Dennis DeBruler Thanks, https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4...

Dave Arganbright posted
23 passes Haley tower on April 7, 1984. My photo.
[Milwaukee Road switched to using the C&EI to access its track south of Terre Haute.]

Kenneth Jackson posted six photos with the comment: "Haley Tower, Spring Hill Tower both are restored and open to the public at The Wabash Valley Rail Road Museum in Terra Haute. While not large it is very interesting. I recommend anyone who is interested in Indiana Railroading pay them a visit."

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Haley Tower June 2019. The tower was moved from its original location which was about 500 feet north of where it sits now. CSX runs along the east side of the property.

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Interlocking levers inside Haley Tower.

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Looking out the east window of Spring Hill tower towards Haley Tower.

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Interlocking levers inside Spring Hill Tower.
Dennis DeBruler Did they preserve the interlocking machine that would have been on the first floor?
Bill Foster There was no interlocking machine on the first floor.

Bill Foster posted
One of my obligatory MILW shots going by Haley tower.
Winter 1984

Bill Foster posted
Train 204 eastbound number 1 track Haley interlocking Terre Haute IN 1983.
Jeremy Harris: Came from Chicago MILW, IHB, B&OCT, CR(Cairo line) to CR (NYC) St. Louis main, then up the WYE at the BIG MISTAKE to VAN on the Milwaukee.

Mark Hinsdale posted
Here is a Conrail eastbound manifest passing Haley Tower in Terre Haute IN back in March, 1987. Haley protected the crossing of Conrail's St Louis Line with the CSX CED Subdivision, the former Chicago & Eastern Illinois route between Chicago and Evansville IN. The tower is preserved nearby, along with some other local railroad artifacts. March, 1987 photo by Mark Hinsdale
Mark Hinsdale shared

Darren Reynolds posted eight photos with the comment: "CSX  "Haley" tower 

Terre Haute, Indiana."

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"Haley" tower

Photo by: Rich Hafer

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Interlocking machine at "Haley" tower Oct. 14,2012

Photo by: Dan Maners

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Interlocking machine and model board at "Haley" tower

Dec.29, 1987

Photo by: Dominic Morrone

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A CSX freight train passes "Haley" tower Sept 1999

Photo by: Rich Hafer

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A CSX freight with a Seaboard system Eng. up front as

it passes "Haley" tower Sept. 6, 1987

Photo by: Dominic Morrone

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A Conrail train passes "Haley" tower Oct. 3, 1988

Photo by: Dan Maners

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A Conrail train passes "Haley" tower April 1986

Photo by: Dan Maners

All images from North American interlockings States A to Z and Canada....

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4:15 video