Friday, January 26, 2024

Thomson, IL: Museum/(Milwaukee+CB&Q) Depot

(Satellite)

Andy Zukowski posted
CM & ST. P. Railroad Depot in Thomson, Illinois. 1916
Herman Lewis: Is this the station that is preserved in Thomson still today. Help me someone on this!!
 
Dennis DeBruler commented on Herman's comment
I don't think so. For one, the roof lines are different. According to an 1894 topo map, Milwaukee was the only railroad through town. But the 2005 SPV Map shows that CB&Q and a route through town just east of the Milwaukee. Several source indicate that both Milwaukee and CB&Q used the current depot. Maybe this larger depot was built when CB&Q also came through this town. The depot has been moved a little bit east. According to a 1939 aerial photo, it used to be next to the mainline.

Mark Hinsdale posted
Thomson IL (Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
 
Street View, Oct 2015

John Stell posted
Former CB&Q depot at Thompson Illinois on 10-7-08. John Stell slide.

Sam Carlson posted
Not sure whose depot this is, but there was a MILW track on one side and a BN track on the other, 12-20-94. Thompson, IL. There were a couple of MILW heralds hung crookedly on a wall inside the place.
Dennis DeBruler: Thanks for taking photos of infrastructure as well as trains. This one photo taught me a lot of Illinois railroad history.



Dennis DeBruler commented on Sam's post
The depot would have been the building that was aligned with the tracks rather than with the north-south/east-west grid that is highlighted by the red rectangle.
1985 Thomson NW Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

Dennis DeBruler commented on Sam's post
This 1939 aerial photo confirms that the depot used to be right next to the mainline.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Sam's post
The depot has been moved a little east and aligned to the north-south/east-west grid. The track that was on the east side of the depot still exists, and it was probably a team track.
41°57'32.5"N 90°06'07.3"W

Dennis DeBruler commented on Sam's post
It has been repurposed as a museum.
Street View

Dennis DeBruler commented on Sam's post
The answer of depot ownership is easy if I look at just Richard Carpenter's map because he shows just Milwaukee on the east side of the Mississippi River and a combined CB&Q/CRI&P/MILW route on the west side of the river. But the 2005 SPV Map shows that both MILW and CB&Q had routes down the east side of the river. Furthermore, it shows that the MILW route is abandoned and that the remaining route is now BNSF. Because these two maps contradicted each other, I dug deeper.
The 1985 topo map above did not label the railroad routes, which is unusual. This topo map labels the route through Thomson as just MILW. But when I looked further south, it clearly shows two CB&Q branches joining the MILW route. So I think both maps are wrong. I think the route through Thomson, and thus the depot, were shared by MILW and CB&Q.
1958 Davenport Quadrangle @ 1:250,000

Dennis DeBruler commented on Sam's post
Zooming out on the 1985 map, it appears that MILW (west side) and CB&Q (east side) joined in Ebner and shared the route north through Thomson.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Sam's post
I found an older topo that shows Milwaukee built the route. So CB&Q must have paid to use it.
1894 Clinton Quadrangle @ 1:62,500

Dennis DeBruler commented on Sam's post
Going North, the oldest map I could find is 1952. It clearly shows that the route was shared and then splits again when it approaches Savanna.
1952 Savanna Quadrangle @ 1:62,500

Sam Carlson commented on his post
I did some research on this, too. The Milw route began at Mount Carroll, though the MILw timetable called it something else. Then it wound its way down into the Mississippi valley passing beneath a rather large BN bridge (see my photo) and then to Clinton, Iowa and onward to become the Nitrin Line which goes into the Quad Cities.
Pete Kranz: Ashdale Cutoff

Dennis DeBruler commented on Sam's comment
Looking at 1985 topos, BN rebuilt their route through here to remove some curves and to reduce the grades caused by Johnson Creek.
42°02'06.3"N 90°00'03.6"W

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