Iron River, MI: Aban/Milwaukee Depot and Trail/C&NW Stambaugh Yard & Coaling Tower

Depot: (Satellite)

Coal Tower: (Satellite?)

Street View, Sep 2023

Milwaukee terminated on the south side of town while C&NW passed through on the north and east side of towns.

1944 Iron River Quad @ 24,000

Alpha Mastodon Historical Society posted
1977 Stambaugh
Andrew Roth shared
A rare photo of C&NW C628s at Stambaugh Yard near Iron River, Michigan.  The Sherwood Iron ore mine closed in 1978 and the last shipment of stockpiled ore was ore was shipped in late 1979.

Alpha Mastodon Historical Society posted

One of the Last Chicago and Northwestern Trains (C&NW Railroad)

Hauling Iron Ore Through Stambaugh Michigan

1977

Kent Rengo shared

Decatur, IL: Illinois Terminal Railroad Backshops

(Satellite)

Mid-Century Decatur posted

The Illinois Terminal Railroad shops complex was imaged from the air on May 28, 1954, exactly 70 years ago today, when the north side of the city was still mostly undeveloped. The photo looks to the northwest, and in the background, we can see the Drive-In Theater at 2500 N. Jasper. The theater opened in 1948 and closed in 1985. The railroad shops closed in 1982.

H&R photo

Leonard Perlmutter: Getting close to the end of the electric era. When was that pulled in Decatur...I want to say sometime in 55, but I forget without pulling out the books. Not much electric rolling stock in the picture.

Mid-Century Decatur: Leonard Perlmutter June 1955 marked the last passenger service in Decatur, although electric freight operations continued a few more months.

Candice Marie Lynn shared

Bruce Baker shared

The building in the southeast corner still stands.

Street View, Aug 2023

1941 Aerial Photo from IHLAP

1967 Decatur Quad @ 24,000

Wyanet, IL: Lost/CB&Q Depot

(Satellite, I think this was the foundation of the depot.)

This town is on the Chicago-Galesburg-Denver mainline route.

Andy Zukowski posted
CB&Q Train in Station at Wyanet, Illinois. 1913   Photo by CR Child’s
Richard Fiedler shared
Thomas Whitt shared

1941 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The grain elevator has grown.

Satellite

Street View, Sep 2023

But the fertilizer supply company is bigger.

Satellite

Arenzville, IL: CB&Q Depot

(Satellite, I think it was in the northwest quadrant of the tracks and Main Street.)

Andy Zukowski posted
C. B. & Q. Railroad Depot, Mill & Elevator in Arenzville, Illinois. C. 1910

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Evidently Arenzville was named Arens in 1902.

1902

It looks like it might be a feed mill.

Street View, Aug 2023

Street View, Aug 2023

Oreana, IL: IC Depot

Depot: (Satellite)

Grain Elevator: (Satellite)

The town has significantly expanded south of South (US-20) Street.

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot in Oreana, Illinois. 1908

Larry Graham: Worked as a bean counter on a track rehab through there 35 years ago. After Bill Sago had bought it. Cisco Grain.

 

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Train Station Depot at Oreana, Illinois. 1908

Ryan Tate: Where would this grain elevator be at in Oreana Today?

Dennis DeBruler: This is the location I have for the depot: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CKgvwzm11QagLaMa8

So I would put the elevator about here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/aDty2vML2QEU3a1D7

Because there is now a building close to where the elevator was, Google won't let me drop the pin accurately. I could not find the elevator on a 1941 aerial.

1941 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Perl City, IL: Lost/CGW Depot

(Satellite, it was north of East Street.)

Larry Foht posted

Eat your heart out Great Western Railroad Buffs !!

Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot and the arrival of the #3 Express..

Pearl City Illinois 

Larry Foht collection :

Larry Foht posted

Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot

Pearl City Illinois

Larry Foht collection :

Larry Foht posted

Chicago Great Western Railroad

Depot and Arrival of the No.3 Express

Pearl City Illinois

January 15, 1910

Larry Foht collection !

Larry Foht posted with the same comment

By 1971, C&NW owned the railroad.

1971 Perl City Quad @ 24,000

By 1939, there were two wood grain elevators. 

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The elevator has grown and reused much of the railroad property. I wonder if the long building is for storing grain or fertilizer.

Satellite

Street View, Jun 2023

pce-coops_locations

On their website, they have this photo.

pce-coops_perl-city, cropped

And on Google Maps, I found this photo. But I have not been able to find this facility on a satellite map. It looks like a greenfield elevator. I want to find it to see if it was built next to a railroad.

Photo, Jul 2016

Butler, PA: (VO) Tower: BPRR/B&O vs. Aban/Pennsy and B&LE Freight House

Tower: (Satellite)

Freight House: (Satellite, it is labeled Depot, but it looks like a freight house. The Bessemer and Lake Erie did have grade level tracks in this area to connect with the B&O.)

This town is on the B&O route into New York State. That route is now part of the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad (BPRR) 

Darren Reynolds posted seven images with the comment: "B&O/PRR    'VO' tower

Butler, Pennsylvania."

Scott Seders: Darren Reynolds VO Tower wasn’t put into service until July 17, 1956? Was there another tower that controlled that crossing prior to that date?

Ron Mele: Scott Seders Yes, the previous tower was a one-story wood structure.

Ron Stafford PRR Pittsburgh Region General Order #113

Effective 12:01 P.M., Wednesday, July 18, 1956

(g) BUTLER SECONDARY TRACK

VO Block Station moved to concrete block building immediately adjacent to present location and changed to VO Block and Interlocking Station, in service continuously.

1

"VO" tower was built and put in service on July17,1956 by the PRR And B&O..

The PRR Butler secondary branch crossed the B&Os

Buffalo mainline at"VO" ...

Photo by: Ross Jack July 1972

2

This is where the PRR crossed the B&O.. Note the PRR Signal to the left.

Photo by: Ross Jack March 10,1985

Dan AndJenni Dawson: Looks like it's been straight railed here.

Ron Mele: This track once extended into the lower part of downtown Butler to serve a passenger and freight station and a few rail-served customers.

3

Inside of "VO" tower

Photo by: Ross Jack

4

The model board at "VO" tower

Photo by: Ross Jack

5

The B&Os mainline at "VO" tower Butler,Pa.

Photo by: Ross Jack

6

Looking down the tracks "VO" tower is on the right in the distance..the switch on the right is the connection with the B&LE RR..

Photo by: Ross Jack

7

Interlocking and track diagram for "VO" tower

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

The B&LE freight house:

Street View, Nov 2023

This topo seems to have marked the location of the tower, but it doesn't have the track for the B&LE freight house.

1958 Butler Quad @ 24,000

Depew, NY: Gould Steel Foundry (Buffalo, NY), Niagara Junction and Aban Coal Pumping Station

Foundry: (Satellite)

Junction: (Satellite)

Pumping Station: (Satellite)

Bubba Dubs posted 13 images with the comment:

Gould Coupler was a enterprise started by Chauncey Depew, president of New York Central Railroad. This steel mill made couplers, trucks and other assorted railroad specific items. 

They had (4) open hearth furnaces, and later an electric arc furnace plant. 

Started in the late 1890’s, the facility lasted until the late 70’s, early 80’s as a Dresser Rand interest. Today Buffalo Tungsten runs a plant on the property.

I took a run from my house into the old plant today and thought I’d do a little post. The old overhead shot is at a local Denny’s, and I hopped in just to shoot the picture! Hahah the employees most likely think I’m nuts, but it’s all in the name of steel history!

1
Overall shot of the property

2
The open hearth building being constructed

3
The open hearth building today in a serious state of disrepair

4
My route

5
Corner stone

6

7
Former electric arc furnace building. Legend has it, this furnace was sent to China

8
Original building, seen in later pictures from the other side

9
Old mill architecture

10
Open hearth

11
Coal gasification plant

12
Building in the first couple of photos

13
Scrap area to the left, replaced later by electric furnace building

I included the land to the west to get the railroad names.

1950 Lancaster Quad @ 24,000

Bubba Dubs posted again with four additional photos.

Bob Serafin: Chauncey Depew was the Chairman of the New York Central railroad. 4 railroad lines came through and he with some investors bought the land and formed the village of Depew. He then setup the NYC locomotive repair shops. Jay Gould set up Gould Couple and Gould Battery. A number of other rail related industries were set up. Depew was a thriving village. Two street car lines to connect with Buffalo. Olmsted's nephew laid out the village park and street design on the Southside. Buffalo did not want Depew to grow so they limited its availability to water. Depew then formed the Erie County water authority with other villages.

a
The building to the right is a original structure

b
DL&W tracks on left of property

c
1 of 4 open hearth furnaces from inside

d
Similar shot from above [of photo 13] and you can see the electric furnace building where it replaced the scrap run.

Brian R. Wrobelewski posted

Telestrator Time! Here's all the different lines at the old Niagara Junction in Depew.

Black = New York Central (now CSX)

Red= Lehigh Valley (now abandoned)

Green= DL&W (now operated by the 80s era shortline also called "DL&W" but abandoned EAST of Lancaster)

Blue= Erie (Now NS)

Bill Stone commented on Brian's post
That round shape next to the Lehigh Valley was the old Depew water pumping station reservoir. It was a coal fired pumping station. The property is now owned by ECWA.