Thorold, ON: 1845 Maple Leaf Flour Mill on Welland Canal, 300 barrels per day

(Satellite)

The Second Welland Canal ran along the west side of the building.

Street View, Oct 2021

Robert Gauthier posted two photos with the comment:

1st photo: downtown Thorold showing the Welland Canal in front of the old Maple Leaf flour mill. Time of this photo is unknown. A 1914 map indicates that it may be the steeple of a Methodist church at centre left. At the beginning of operation (1845) the mill was the largest of its kind in Canada, capable of producing 300 barrels of flower per day.

The second photo (taken April 2024) still shows the mill, but the canal and power house are long gone. The 2nd canal was filled in during the 1960s.

Ken Brewer: That steeple is probably Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church. The today photo just isn't at quite the correct angle to see it.

Dennis DeBruler: To the right of the powerhouse, I think we see a gate of Lock #23.

Ken Brewer: Dennis DeBruler Lock 23 is a little farther down and out of the picture to the right. If you mean that wall to the left of the waste weir, I think that wall is connected to the powerhouse for some purpose.

Dennis DeBruler: Ken Brewer Now I understand. The water on the other side of the retaining wall on the right is the canal. The water in foreground is a tailrace.

Ken Brewer: Dennis DeBruler Yep.👍

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Gordon Smith, Aug 2022

Forreston, IL: Lost/Milwaukee Depot and IC Connection

Depot: (Satellite)

IC over Milwaukee crossing: (Satellite)

Bridge for the connection: (Satellite)

Note that Milwaukee's depot for Forreston was a couple of miles north of the town.

Andy Zukowski posted
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Depot in Forreston, Illinois.

Richard Hammer: That's the Illinois Central overpass to the east of the depot.

Tom Lampman: Richard Hammer IC's Gruber Line. The interchange with them here sucked, even more dangerous at night. I always worried about my men on the ground here while performing that duty.

Richard Fiedler shared

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Omaha, NE: Flood of 2024: I-29 is under water

(Satellite)

This is one of the flood incidents of 2024.

The flood waters in Iowa and South Dakota have worked there down to Omaha after a few days.

Facebook reel

When I looked at a satellite image, it appeared that the interstates were built in a flood plain. I verified this by getting a topo map. Note above that the railroad is on an embankment, but it is barely above the water. Also, about everything that is white on this map is under water.

1994/1995 Omaha North Quad @ 24,000

New Berlin, IL: Lost/Wabash Depot and Two Wood Grain Elevators

Depot: (Satellite)

East Elevator: (Satellite)

West Elevator: (Satellite)

Andy Zukowski posted
Railroad Depot in New Berlin, Illinois. 1909

Bruce Liebe: This would be on the Wabash Railroad. Point of local history/trivia, but I'm curious why the left the "New" off the depot. The village of Berlin (locally also referred to as Old Berlin) lies a couple miles north. New Berlin was created when the railroad came through this area and skipped Berlin. Old Berlin was up and coming back in the day, and even considered as a site for the state capitol, until the railroad ran a few miles to the south.

Richard Fiedler: I’m thinking my brother has photos he took of this in the late 70’s before it was torn down.

Richard Fiedler shared

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Dec 14, 1970 @ 20,500; AR1SWDM00020179

The wood elevator is on the right side of this view. They would have first expanded the elevator by building the slip-form elevator behind it. Then they kept building jump-form silos.

Street View, May 2013

In fact, they added a lot of jump-form silos. Unlike most elevators, they never did add steel bins.

Street View, May 2013

The Farmers Grain elevator to the east was not afraid to use steel bins. Note that it also has a wood elevator.

Street View, May 2013

Grover, CO: CB&Q Depot and Wood Grain Elevator

Depot: (Satellite)

Elevator: (Satellite)

The red building was the CB&Q depot.

Street View, Jul 2023

Bob Kisken posted three photos with the comment: "GROVER COLORADO."

Bob Kisken shared

Dennis DeBruler: And as a bonus, the red building was the CB&Q depot.

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Marlinton, WV: Preserved/C&O Depot

(Satellite)

The C&O route is now the Greenbrier River Trail.

Street View, Oct 2015

John Cowgill: DC Railroad Examiner posted
Old  Train  Station,  Marlinton,  West  Virginia,  U.S.A.

Jim Kelling: It’s a faithful reconstruction, after a fire some years ago

Somewhere along the trail is a water tower. I could not find it on a satellite map.

Jenn n perry Harrison, Sep 2023

Pittsburgh, PA: Flood of 2024: Ohio River breaks record in early April

This flooding happened in early April. I ignored it at the time, but, when I came across this video, it occurred to me that this flooding was also in 2024. Note that the parks are doing their job of functioning as floodplains. Not only is the Point Fountain underwater, so is the Three Rivers Heritage trail on the north side of the Allegheny River. Thus, the Heinz Quay boat Launch would also be under water.

mikevaim via Facebook

Dave DiCello posted for photos at 11:30am on Apr 4, 2024 with the comment: "Another set of flooded #Pittsburgh images, this time from this morning. I was there when the rivers hit their highest Point, and water was spilling into Point State Park and onto Allegheny Landing. It almost reached Point State Park as well. I've never seen it this high before."

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[The River Rescue is normally in the river, but not that far in the river. They normally can access their rescue boats with a gangplank. At this time, they would have needed a boat to get to their boats. This photo also shows how dangerous river debris can be.]

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It wasn't just parkland that got inundated. This is the 10th Street Bypass.

PittsburghMagazine, 1 of many photos by Dave DiCello
Photos: Record Flooding Hits Pittsburgh
"According to the National Weather Service, the Ohio River was observed at 28.37 feet early Thursday [Apr 4] morning. That range signifies a major flood according to their measurement system. A flood is officially called for the Ohio River when the water level is observed at 25 feet. The flood is considered to be major at or above 28.5 feet. The river’s water levels are forecasted to drop to 17.7 feet by Monday, according to data from the NWS."

Dave DiCello via PittsburghMagazine
"THE FLOODED 'BATHTUB' OF THE PARKWAY EAST"

Barbara Jensen, Apr 2024

In addition to river flooding, Pittsburgh is also vulnerable to flash flooding because of its hills.

axios, Source: Pittsburgh Public Safety
Up to 4" of rain fell before 9:30 pm Thursday [Apr 11].

🌧️This is already the 3rd wettest April on record (and likely the 1st by the end)

🌧️This is the wettest 1st 11 days for any month on record

🌧️This is the only time the 1st and 2nd greatest daily rainfall for a month have occurred in the same year (4/2 & 4/11)

12:57 AM · Apr 12, 2024

Back in Aug 2011, a flash flood killed four people.

ToledoBlade
"2.1 inches of rain fell in an hour during the evening rush, said Rihaan Gangat, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. But an earlier storm meant the region was drenched by 3 to 4 inches of rain overall on Friday....Hills line both sides of the section of Washington Boulevard that flooded, making it almost like a valley running between them. To the west is Highland Park, one of the highest spots in Pittsburgh. The boulevard slopes down to the north toward the Allegheny River. So when rains hit, water comes rushing in from three directions."

Dubuque, IA: Wood Junction Tower: Milwaukee vs. IC and Milwaukee Roundhouse

Tower: (Satellite)

Roundhouse: (Satellite)

John Harker posted two photos with the comment: "An unknown photographer captured this Chicago Central and Pacific (CCP) west bound hopper train leaving Dubuque, Iowa headed south toward Wood Jct. in April 1988.  GP20s 978, 977, 965 and 974 (ex Milw) were the power for this train that would head west a little ways south of Wood to climb out of the Mississippi River valley.  Attached is a topo map segment showing the location of Wood.  I scanned and edited this image from an original Kodak Kodachrome slide."

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Dennis DeBruler commented on John's post, AR1VBI000040034
What was the name of the yard? I see in this 1954 aerial photo that it had a roundhouse on the south end. And one can see the shadow of a coaling tower half-way between the turntable and the tower.

Tim Starr posted
The Milwaukee Road's shops at Dubuque Iowa were among the largest in the state and handled repairs for 5 divisions. They covered 10 acres (not including the 20-acres of yards) and employed over 1,000 workers.

Seattle, WA: King Street and Union Stations

King Street: (Satellite, 618 photos)

Union: (Satellite, 627 photos)

On the left is Union Station and on the right is King Street Station. Amtrak now uses King Street Station. If you know which historical railroad used which station, please leave a comment. (Update: Dennis Hogan explained: "Union Station: Union Pacific and Milwaukee Road / King St. Station: Great Northern and Northern Pacific.")

Street View, Feb 2023

Note that Seattle has both 1950s-style trolleys and streetcars. Is this the only town in the USA with trolleys?

Street View, Feb 2023

James Maxwell posted three photos with the comment: "Wandered over to see Union Station while waiting for #8. What a grand hall and a loss for the rail traveling public. Sound Transit does well in keeping it up."

Glenn Olsen: The entire right of way south of the station has been built over.

David Lee: Glenn Olsen since 22 years ago.

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On a topo map, there were a lot of tracks going south from the stations, but nothing going north. The tracks going south are labeled Union Pacific, Milwaukee and Northern Pacific. But I know that Great Northern and Northern Pacific approached Seattle from the north because I have notes on their bridges across the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

1949/1969 Seattle South Quad @ 24,000

So, I followed some tracks north and found Seattle South Portal. Then I followed some tracks south along the coast until I found the North Portal. Those tracks are labelled GN and NP on the topo map. The north portal is near the upper-left corner of the above excerpt.

Hans-Christian Kasper posted five photos with the comment: "Here we are inside Seattle’s King Street Station on Tuesday 25 June 2024 (as your photographer waits to board the 4:55 p.m. Empire Builder to Chicago)…"

Hans-Christian Kasper shared with the same comment

Carla Forgey: they restored the depot and found a false ceiling and opened it to discover a beautiful ceiling. This over 10 years ago. [I'm glad Amtrak is no longer content with the Amshacks.]

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Henderson, MN: Flood of 2024, Flood Wall blocks MN-19

(Satellite)

This is one of the flood incidents of 2024.

This town is downstream from Rapidan Dam.

This video was Jun 25, 2024.

1:55 video
"It's official, the Minnesota River is at 740.8 feet, NEW historic crest, and it is not done yet! It is projected to reach 741.2 feet by Wednesday!"

same video

The road is unusable even without the flood wall because the bridge is under water.

0:28 video

Because of all of the Minnesota River meanders, this river has a big floodplain. Yet the video shows that all of it is under a lot of water. The closing of MN-19 closes the only east/west road in the area.

Satellite

The previous record was 740.1'.

noaa