Byron, IL: Junction Tower: Milwaukee vs. CGW and CGW Depot

Tower: (Satellite, the tower was in the southeast quadrant)

Depot: (Satellite, south of the tracks and a little west of Union St. The land is now part of Quality Metal Finishing.)

After six years, I'm still finding photos of new junctions. This junction has gone from four diamonds to one turnout. The turnout exists only because the segment of the CGW that goes over the bridge to the nuclear power plant still exists. And since ComEd got caught bribing state officials to help finance their nuclear power plants, the state decided  to quit supporting them. I think Byron was one of the nuclear power plants that they announced they would shutdown because the lack of support. So the turnout should disappear and Illinois will have another "bridge to nowhere."

YardGoatImages shared

1922 Oregon and 1918 Kings Quadrangles @ 1:62,500

Marty Bernard posted
1. CGW agency station at Byron, Illinois on the Chicago District on April 6, 1963. Byron is a radio-based station. [I'm not sure what Roger meant by "radio-based".] (The [] comment is by Marty.)
[A Roger Puta photo]
Robert Chitwood: I visited Byron from Kansas in June and found a small bit of the branch surviving in town. The track is a spur served by CP ( originally Milwaukee) to a fertilizer facility and a few miles out to a nuclear power plant.
[This is one of the nuclear power plants that Exelon keeps threatening to close unless taxpayers give them more money. When it closes, the CGW bridge over the Rock River will be another bridge to nowhere.]

Rory Peterson posted
Chicago Great Western E-6s 503, Baldwin Locomotive 12-1909, scrapped 1931, waits for departure from Byron, IL depot. Blower darkens the sky for the Rock River valley grade just ahead.
[Note the old grain elevator and water tower in the background. This would be looking Northwest.]

Dennis DeBruler commented on Rory's post
It was south of the tracks and a little west of Union St. The land is now part of Quality Metal Finishing.
1939 Aerial Photo

 

1  of 2 photos posted by Rory Peterson
Chicago Great Western G-3s 357, Baldwin Locomotive 9-1910. Sold for scrap 4-1930. East Stockton, Illinois engine facility.