Towns and Nature: Alton, IL: GM&O Depots

Saturday, February 20, 2021

Alton, IL: GM&O Depots

Original: (Satellite, on the south part of the park. US-67 used to be tracks.)
1928: (Satellite, demolished in 2017)
2017: (Satellite, Multimodal Transportation Center accommodates rail, buses, taxis and cyclists)

Madison County ILGenWeb posted
This photo shows the train running north on Piasa Street in Alton, c. 1930, headed for Godfrey. In the background can be seen the flour mill.
From the GM&O Railroad Historical Society News, courtesy of Ritch Loid.
Walter Siglock Mom with take me with her to go shopping at the A&P on Piasa. I loved to watch the steam engines pulling frieght go by.
Lee Dick My great grandfather Ed Bryant was engineer for the Illinois Terminal rail road. He drove both steam and Diesel engines. He said there is a constant up hill grade from Downtown Alton to Brighton. It would take one good steam engine or two to three diesels to pull a mile long train up the grade.
Ritch Loid Lee Dick Yep. Gathering up steam for that long uphill grade. The old train station was just around the corner from this spot.
[In the background you can see cars going around the corner. I presume the original depot was along the river front tracks.]

Dave Hall shared
Ray Harstick That grain elevator on the right is still there.
Karen Hudgens pie-uh-saw

1948 Alton Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

Since the depot moved over a decade earlier, I assume it used to be on the south side of that parking lot. I would have guessed that the remaining building was a freight house. But the tower on the west side of that building is too ornate for a freight house.

1941 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

It would have been the Bluff Line Depot in this image.

Adam Davis posted

Update: Rob Meyer commented on a post: "Rob Meyer: I remember being told that the GM&O ran up one of the streets in Alton on it's way to upstate Illinois. Which street was it on the map?"

[I think Rob is referring to a map in SouthernIllinoisRailroads.]

Candice Marie Lynn commented on Rob's comment
It’s Piasa Street and I marked it with a blue arrow.

1928 Depot

William A. Shaffer posted

College Avenue Station. (10.01.17)
Alton, IL
(Photo by William A. Shaffer)

I caught many a train here at the Alton-College Avenue Station.  It was razed shortly after this photo was taken----replaced with a big new beautiful depot!