Towns and Nature

Monday, June 29, 2026

Niagara, NY: Maid of Mist Dry Dock and Crane

This dry dock stores the two Maid of the Mist boats during the Winter months. The boats cruise from a dock across the Niagara River on the Canadian side.

mmce
"The site of the new drydock was the location of the former Schoellkopf Power Station in the Niagara River Gorge."

Maid of the Mist posted three photos with the comment:

Behind the scenes at Maid of the Mist.
Our dry dock crane recently completed its required load test using 197 tons of certified water weights. The crane’s primary role is lifting our vessels in and out of the water at the beginning and end of each season, making it a critical part of our operations and maintenance program.
A big thank you to @Hohl Industrial Services and @Liebherr Cranes for their expertise and support in completing this important test. Together, we help ensure our operations remain safe, reliable, and ready for another incredible season on the Niagara River. ⚓️💪

Jim Myers shared

mmce

They had to get rid of the incompetent rock above the new dock.

mmce

They used cranes to build the crane.

mmce

Since there is no road down to the dock, it appears they built a big ringer crane on the top side to lower the cranes and other equipment down to the dock. The mobile crane in this photo is still building the ringer because the boom has yet to be attached. There is an elevator down to the dock, but it would be too small for many of the pieces needed at the dock.

mmce

Jim Thorpe, PA: Penn Haven Junction: NS/Penn Haven Junction vs CNJ

(Satellite)

The Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad calls this the Independence Junction. [David Blazejewski]

Keith Nonnemacher posted
Lehigh Valley Railroads Penn Haven Junction now NS M&H Junction
Love the different types of Semaphore signals the Lehigh Valley upper quadrant the CNJ s Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad Lower Quadrant. Plus the tower was out in the middle of nowhere. The old Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company Penn Haven Planes are in the background after they extended their Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad to Easton and connection with the CNJ in Phillipsburg so they could run coal trains to tide water and abandon the incline plane in 1865

Today's trail is on the former-CNJ land.

Trail View, Aug 2021

eBay
Vintage Photo Penn Haven Jct. Central Railroad of NJ Lehigh Valley Railroad 1905

Did the turntable turn helper locomotives?

CulturedCarbonCountry, this webpage has several more photos

1960/62 Christmans Quad @ 24,000

I had trouble finding it. Lehigh Valley had a lot of forking junctions in these mountains. A comment mentioned that both legs of this junction still exist. That narrowed down where to look to just a couple of forking junctions on a contemporary map.

National Rail Network Map

Eldred, IL: Hair Salon/GM&O Depot

(Satellite)

Street View, Sep 2004

Thomas Scoville posted
An overlooked survivor - the former Litchfield, Carrollton & Western (later Chicago & Alton) depot at Eldred, Illinois earlier today. Thomas Dyrek photo.
Richard Fiedler shared

1950/56 Pearl Quad @ 62,500

This town was not on the route that went to the Thebes Bridge. It was south of that and served some towns on the flood plain of the Illinois River.

1948/48 Quincy Quad @ 250,000

The branch used to go to a couple more towns south of East Hardin.

1930/30 Hardin Quad @ 62,500

Sunday, June 28, 2026

Greenville, WI: Lost Feed Mill and 1887 Restaurant/C&NW Depot

Mill: (Satellite)

Grain: (Satellite, it is already torn down.)

Depot: (Satellite)

I wonder why such a new feed mill is being torn down. Has urban sprawl destroyed too much farming in the area to support it?

Street View, Oct 2024

Michael Paltzer posted 15 photos with the comment:

Greenville, Wisconsin 2026
This mill will be torn down before the end of this year [2026].

United Cooperative has already torn down these two elevators.

Street View, Oct 2024

United Cooperative still has five feed mills in Wisconsin.

unitedcooperative_feed

The railroad was the C&NW.

1969/72 Greenville Quad @ 24,000

CN now owns all of the routes in this area.

National Rail Network Map

The depot doesn't have a typical depot design. It looks like it was a union or joint station, but I checked some maps and there was not a second railroad in this town.

Street View, Oct 2024

Oxford, MS: 1872 Conference Center/IC Depot

(Satellite)

Street View, Jun 2019

Matthew Nichols, Sep 2017

Matthew Nichols, Oct 2017

1943/45 Oxford Quad @ 62,500

Springfield, IL: US-66: Museums, Bars, Old Gas Station and Motels

The satellite information is with each item.

US-66 Overview

Cruising from South to North

Route 66 Motorheads Bar & Grill, Museum and Entertainment Complex (Satellite)

An American Giant on the left and a Texaco filling station in the middle.

Street View, Apr 2025

Facebook Reel

Sunset Inn Pub (Satellite)

Street View, Jul 2023

Photo, Feb 2023

Shea's Gas Station (Satellite)

They are restoring it for the 100th anniversary in 2026. I see Texaco, Marathon and Phillips 66 on the pump globes.

Street View, Apr 2025

Susan E, Jun 2026

Until recently, it was just a shell of a building.

Street View, Jul 2023

JIN MOROOKA, Oct 2025

The Stadium Smokehouse Bar and Grill (Satellite)

South side:

Street View, Apr 2025

North side:

Street View, Apr 2025

Illinois Route 66 Experience at Illinois State Fairground (Satellite)

Amanda Schaefer, Jul 2025

Kim Wargo Malander posted 15 photos with the comment: "Route 66 Experience at the Springfield, Illinois State Fair Grounds."

Map

This taught me to move east from 6th Street to 9th Street when I got to Spruce Street.

Louis Glunz posted via Dennis DeBruler
1938 Chicago Tribune article

The Town

Trese Foster posted 14 photos with the comment: "Lots to see today in Springfield, Illinois locations are at the State fairgrounds, Illinois history museum(free) and Cozy Dog drive-in and Sheas gas station."