Towns and Nature

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Shirland, IL: Lost/Milwaukee Depot

(Satellite, trees have taken over.)

Andy Zukowski posted

Milwaukee Road Depot in Shirland, Illinois. 1968

Passenger operations on this section ended in 1965, and the line was officially abandoned around 1980.

Alex Nagel: I love that B&O box car on the house track getting unloaded. God I miss stuff like that when railroads actually served small customers.

Larry Candilas: MP 78.5 MLW Road - Racine & Southwestern

Robert Chitwood commented on Andy's post
Confirmed spot, see the next screenshot for that building with the angle part on top...

Robert Chitwood commented on his comment

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Monday, November 9, 2026

Iron Mountain, MI: Cornish Pump for Chapin Mine (Largest Steam Engine in North America)/

(Satellite)

Chapin Mine was an iron ore mine.

Photo, May 2019

MenomineeMuseum
"The Cornish Pumping Engine is the largest standing steam-driven pumping engine ever built in the United States and one of the largest pumping engines in the world…"

15:03 video @ 2:38
North America's Largest Ever Steam Engine - The War on Mine Flooding

The facility also houses a WWII glider museum.

MenomineeMuseum
"During World War II, the Ford Motor Company's plant in Kingsford built more Model CG-4A gliders for the United States Army than any other company…"

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Mobile, AL: USS Drum Submarine and USS Alabama Battleship

Drum: (Satellite)

Alabama: (Satellite)

Alabama on the left and Drum on the right with the Aircraft Pavilion in the middle.

Street View, Apr 2019

It is hard to see in the above view, but they have aircraft parked in front of the submarine.

Street View, Apr 2014

Maritime History Archives posted

The WWII Submarine That Now Rests on Dry Land in Alabama

In the past, this submarine stalked enemy ships far beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean. However, now the scene is very different. USS Drum (SS-228), one of the United States submarines that served during World War II, now stands silently on concrete supports in Mobile, Alabama. The ship that was once part of the American Navy's combat strength has left the sea and become a silent witness to the history of warfare.

After completing 13 war patrols in the Pacific, the USS Drum recorded an extraordinary achievement by earning 12 Battle Stars. This Gato-class submarine is also credited with sinking 15 enemy ships during the war. When World War II ended, its combat duty gradually came to an end. However, unlike many other warships that were eventually scrapped or turned into scrap metal, the USS Drum had the opportunity to remain as part of American history.

On May 18, 1969, the USS Drum arrived in Mobile, Alabama, to become part of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. The ship was then opened to the public on July 4, 1969, as a floating museum. For many years, visitors could see the submarine up close while it was still in the water. However, after suffering damage from a storm in 2001, a major decision was made to move it to land in order to protect and preserve its condition.

The relocation marks a new chapter in the journey of the USS Drum. Now, visitors can see the exterior of the submarine that is usually hidden beneath the water's surface, including part of its hull and propeller. Although it no longer sails or carries out military missions, the USS Drum still holds the stories of the sailors who once risked their lives within it. From hunting enemy ships in the Pacific Ocean to becoming a historic monument in Alabama, this submarine proves that a war machine can also have a second life as a reminder of history for future generations.

Bill Moak: The best boat Museum I've visited. Extremely well preserved.

Adriano Robazza, Jun 2022

The museum's website has virtual tours of the battleship and submarine.

Friday, November 6, 2026

Kansas City, MO: Kansas City Terminal Union Depot Tower

(Satellite)

That is the 12th Street Trafficway Viaduct in the background.

Street View, Dec 2023

Keiv Spare posted
Old Union Depot Interlocking in Kansas City, Missouri

Dennis DeBruler: What are the street names for a nearby intersection or a pin drop?

Keiv Spare: 11th & Santa Fe

Dennis DeBruler: Keiv Spare Thanks, https://maps.app.goo.gl/ThscUULF9TU7HTP18. I was looking around Union Station. No wonder I couldn't find it.

rail.guide

Steele, ND: Wood Grain Elevators

(Satellite, only the western one is still standing)

Street View, Sep 2021

The elevator has grown over the decades. The bigger bins indicate that it also markets grain.

Street View, Sep 2021

Satellite

Fred Fund posted
Steele, N.D. elevators 1980

This view confirmed that the extant elevator is the far one in Fred's photo. The railroad was the Northern Pacific.

Street View, Sep 2011
[When I wrote these notes, I forgot to save the street view link. When I went back to Google Maps later to get a link, I could not find this view. None of the views, going all the way back to 2007, had the siding. Nor the signals and the tree on the right.]

And BNSF still owns this route.

Map via BNSF

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Scottsburg, IN: 1872 Chamber of Commerece/Pennsy/Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis Depot

Current Location: (Satellite)

This former Pennsy route is now owned by Louisville & Indiana Railroad (LIRC).

Track side:

Street View, Jun 2023

This depot is rare in that both sides have a bay window.

Street View, Mar 2026

Gary Miller posted
The Scottsburg, Indiana depot was erected in 1872 by the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad. It was later used primarily by the Pennsylvania RR.

I could not find a photo of the other side of this sign.