Towns and Nature

Saturday, April 4, 2026

Platner, CO: Wood Grain Elevators

Eric Miller posted
Platner, Colorado, between Akron and Otis in NE Colorado. 2024.

Street View, Sep 2015

It looked like the core of the big elevator may have also been wood, so I got a closer look. The core of the core is wood.

Street View, Aug 2023

I think the elevator on the left may be a feed mill. The wood elevators are in the center background of this view.

Street View, Aug 2023

I don't see a fall protector, so this is probably another example of a Class I railroad (BNSF) not providing rail service.

Street View, Aug 2023

This rural town definitely has more grain bins than homes.

Satellite

Liberty, IN: 1886 Museum/B&O Depot

(Satellite)

Street View, Sep 2013

Brian E Jones posted
Liberty, IN October 2016

Dennis DeBruler commented on Brian's post
It was the B&O railroad. 1960/61 Liberty Quad @ 24,000

Mildred D. Sheer, Jul 2024

Friday, April 3, 2026

Darlington, UK: 1849 Tees Cottage Pumping Station

(Satellite)

Street View, Jun 2025

Facebook Reel

TeesCottage_beam
"The original 1849 Beam Engine ran until 1907, when it was replaced by a small Gas Engine. The Beam Engine which you can see today was installed in 1904 and, as one of the last Beam Engines built, represented the pinnacle of Beam Engine technology.
"It is a Woolf compound rotative Beam Engine of 140 indicated horsepower (IHP) which can run between 9 and 16 revolutions per minute. During its working life, supplying the town, it will have averaged about 12 rpm giving a total of 140 million revolutions. At that speed it would deliver 1900 gallons (8640 litres) of river water into the filters and 1700 gallons (7730 litres or 21 standard bath tubs) into the town every minute. The cast iron beam is 30 feet 3 inches (9.2 metres) long and weighs 25 tons.
"The flywheel is also made of cast iron and is 21 feet (6.4 metres) in diameter and weighs 14.5 tons."

Joanne Storey, Sep 2021

TeesCottage_about
"In 1849 Tees Cottage Pumping Station revolutionised the water supply to Darlington by offering cleaner, piped water to homes and businesses which had previously relied on contaminated ground wells, polluted rivers, and rainwater tubs. In 1851, recognising the health benefits of a clean water supply, the customer base was extended to also supply Stockton, Middlesbrough and Yarm.
"Our 1904 Beam Engine still pumps water using steam raised in its original coal-fired 1902 Lancashire boilers. Alongside it, our 1914 Gas Engine remains one of the largest preserved historic gas engines still in its original location — and it, too, can still pump water. We also have our 1926 Electric Pumps, these don't run anymore but are preserved in situ and cosmetically restored - making Tees Cottage one of the only pumping station museums able to display and preserve all three historic methods of water pumping: steam, internal combustion, and electricity."

Oshkosh, NE: Wood Grain Elevators

Oshkosh: (Satellite)

Denman: (Satellite)

Oshkosh, NE

Cory Jakeway posted

In the early morning hours just before sunrise in the town of Oshkosh, Nebraska. The abandoned grain elevator sits silent along the busy main line of the Union Pacific RR South Morrill Sub. which sees coal trains travel to and from Wyoming's Coal fields.

Photographed: 03/12/26

Street View, May 2012

Denman, NE

Cory Jakeway posted

Elevator Row in Denman NE

These grain elevators sit alongside the UPRR Mainline of the Maysville Subdivision just outside of Gibbon NE. The main wood elevator is now abandoned and falling apart. Only time will tell how long it will be up.

Photographed: 03/03/26

The street view drivers drove past the town, but not into it. Note that UP is using the old elevator siding to park MoW equipment.

Satellite

Dayton, OH: Moved Sun Oil (Sunoco) Gas Station

(Satellite, I could not find the station itself. It is in the Carillon Historical Park.)

Dan Miller posted, cropped
Restored Sun Oil gas station relocated to Carillon Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio

Bob Connors: Should have been an Ohio-based brand ... Sohio/Refiners, Marathon or Pure. Sun is more associated with PA.

Dan Miller: Bob Connors There were numerous Sun Oil stations in Dayton. The only companies with a distinctive architectural style were the early Sun Oil and Pure Oil.

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Milford, NJ: 1930+1977 Gilbert Power Plant

(Satellite)

Lou Schwarz posted five photos with the comment: "These are pictures of retired plant I worked at. Gilbert station in NJ. The old side went into production in 1930. Photo credits to my friend Joe."

The coal-fired plant has been replaced by combined-cycle units.

gem

The turbines and generators were provided by GE Power. [power-technology]

The power station is significantly west of Milford.

1953/53 Riegelsville and Frenchtown Quads @ 24,000

I included the Milford area in the topo map to document that these badlands in the satellite image used to be a paper company. Also, the Pennsylvania Canal used to run along the opposite riverbank.