Altoona, PA: 1811-84 Alleghany Blast Furnace and 1846 Baker Mansion

Furnace: (HAER; Satellite)

Company Store: (Satellite)

Mansion: (Satellite)

The building on the left is the oldest building in Altoona. It was the company store and office for the blast furnace, which is on the right.

Street View, May 2025

Baker was the owner of the iron furnace, and this was his mansion.

AltoonaPA, this webpage has a history of Altoona.

hmdb, cropped

hmdb, cropped

"Significance: Though constructed in 1811, Allegheny did not prosper until the mid 183 0s when Elias Baker assumed its control. The furnace was originally charcoal fired though it was converted to coke in the 1860s. The furnace went out-of-blast in the 1870s." [HAER_data]

As we have come to expect, the furnace is built into a steep hillside so that a charging bridge could be built to the top.

HAER PA,7-ALTO,163--1
EAST AND SOUTH FACE OF FURNACE, LOOKING NORTHWEST. - Allegheny Furnace, Union Avenue & Cresent Road, Altoona, Blair County, PA

HAER PA,7-ALTO,163--2
NORTH AND EAST FACE OF FURNACE, LOOKING SOUTHWEST.

CoalAndCoke, 1 of many photos of the furnace. This one shows the pipe that the webpage author points out in a different photo.

CoalAndCoke, this webpage has many interior photos.
"The rear of the Baker Mansion."

Facebook Reel

Facebook Reel

New Windsor, IL: Restaurant/CB&Q Depot

(Satellite)

Historic River Towns and Riverboats posted
Can anyone tell me what line / lines served this station?
Richard Fiedler shared
Richard Fiedler shared

Dennis DeBruler commented on the above post
CB&Q 1953 New Windsor Quadrangle @ 24,000

Dennis DeBruler commented on the above post
New Windsor is between Viola and Alpha on this map.
https://collections.carli.illinois.edu/digital/collection/knx_rail/id/298

Street View, Aug 2023

The grain elevator in the background of the photo at the top has grown.

Street View, Aug 2023

Correl, MN: Deteriorating Wood Grain Elevator

(Satellite)

Chris Hennebry posted two photos with the comment: "Pics of the Correll MN grain elevator from last year, and nearly one year later."

1

2

Dennis DeBruler commented on Chris' post
It continues to amaze me how fast trees can grow in 16 years. An Oct 2028 view. 
https://maps.app.goo.gl/NUU4tzLddCUJcgfm8

I wonder who now operates this former Milwaukee route.

1958/59 Correll Quad @ 24,000

Lomax, IL: Iowa Junction: Sante Fe vs. TP&W vs. CB&Q

Junction: (Satellite)

TP&W = Toledo, Peoria & Western

tpwhistorical Flickr (source)

The railroad to the southeast that climbs the river's bluff was the TP&W. The railroad with the railyard was the Santa Fe. The railroad to the south of the Sante Fe that headed North was the CB&Q.

1964/65 Lomax Quad @ 24,000

The boundary between the green and brown fields was the CB&Q.

Satellite

The TP&W route is a branch from their mainline at La Harpe.

1958/68 Burlington Quad @ 250,000

Opdyke, IL: Lost/L&N Depot

(Satellite, Jefferson Ave. was built after the depot was removed)

This L&N route is now owned by the Evansville & Western Railway

Angelica Perez posted
This photo was taken at the Opdyke Illinois station which is no longer standing. The gentleman in the foreground is my Great grandfather. Huge P Kelly 1883-1957... my grandmother and mother are next to the building on roller skates. My mother was born in 1930 and looks to be around 10 years old. Dating the photo around 1940.  This line was from St Louis to Evansville Indiana and was operated by the Louisville and Nashville railroad. Engine number 256 is what I can make out on the light. Passenger service was common even on rural lines in the past.

1941 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Winnett, MT: Wood Grain Elevator

(Satellite)

Street View, Sep 2025

Sam Walter posted two photos with the comment: "Winnett, Montana. Along the abandoned Milwaukee Road northwest line."

1

2

Janesville, MN: 2026 World's Largest Grain bin: 2.3m Bushels

(Satellite, will be east of the current bin.)

The previous record holder was 2.2m bushels in Mason City, IA in 2021.

J & D Construction Inc. posted

Janesville is the future site of the construction of what will be the world’s largest grain bin, with a capacity of 2.3 million bushels.

Projects like this aren’t just about size — they’re about performance. More capacity. Faster handling. Better efficiency. And infrastructure built to serve agriculture for decades to come.

We’re proud to be part of projects that help move the industry forward and support the producers and operations that depend on facilities like this every day.

This is what Building the Backbone of America looks like.

[Fortunately, some comments identify this Janesville as the one in MN.]

This looks like an ethanol plant. The 2021 record holder was also an ethanol plant. I presume that ethanol plants don't care how clean the corn is so they can store everything that comes to the plant in one bin.

Satellite

Street View, Jul 2025