Towns and Nature

Sunday, June 14, 2026

Hazel Green, WI: Old Gas Station and Grain Elevator

Gas: (Satellite)

Elevator: (Satellite)

In addition to the old pumps under the canapoy, they have an older pump on the left side next to the tires.

Street View, Aug 2025

It looks like the elevator sells a lot of seed.

Street View, Jun 2025

Vintage Gas Stations posted two photos with the comment: "This gas station is in Hazel Green Wisconsin stil sees lots of activity going on there when I drive by once or twice a week."

Ron Joseph: That’s Symons' Auto Center in Hazel Green.

Lloyd DeShane commented on the above post

Mark Hullermann commented on the above post

Chad Tessman commented on the above post

Todd Buell, Oct 2019

I can't believe that the town didn't have any rail service in the 1950s.

1952/54 Cuba City Quad @ 24,000

I'm even more shocked that it never had rail service.

1902/02 Meneral Point Quad @ 125,000

Saturday, June 13, 2026

Galva, IA: Two Wood Grain Elevators

(Satellite)

The silos and buildings on the right side of the former C&NW right-of-way probably store various chemicals for spreading on fields. There appears to be a feed truck on this side of the wood grain elevator.

Street View, May 2024

Wesley Peters posted

Ida County Loses its Last Wooden Elevator.

Galva, Ida County, IA.

Galva Union Elevator Co. Early history unknown.

Demolished before April 2026 (extact date unknown).

Photographed on 6/18/2024.

Photo courtesy of Wesley Peters.

Hopefully, the more modern grain elevator is extant.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Wesley's post
It was still standing in Jul 2025, https://maps.app.goo.gl/FyrR5HyiGyqsdZc88.

I was not aware of the Hubbard animal feed company.

Digitally Zoomed

I saved the satellite image since this elevator will be disappearing.

Satellite

1969/71 Galva Quad @ 24,000

Friday, June 12, 2026

Bryn Athyn, PA: Post Office/Reading Depot

(Satellite)

Street View, Oct 2023

Metrotrails posted two photos with the comment:

Metrotrails Then and Now Series: Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania station on the former Newtown Branch of the Reading Railroad.
The line was an important commuter connection between Newtown and Philadelphia, but SEPTA didn't want to run diesels any more, and let it go.
Now, it is part of the Pennypack Trail, with more sections under development. This station still serves as a post office.
Many argue that the trail wasn't needed because there is a trail immediately parallel with the entire route from Betheyres south, and closer to the creek. Still, the trail is more heavily used than the average rail trail.

Ed Bombaro: When SEPTA was forced to inherit the railroad division operations from ConRail in the early 1980s they were unhappy as they didn't want them. SEPTA thus had a slash and burn policy of any railroad services that required significant investment and or required diesel operations. Today the Philadelphia region suffers because of SEPTA's shortsightedness and the city is disconnected from growing northeastern and western suburbs.

Metrotrails shared

Sam Pickard: The old platform canopy was destroyed when a tree fell on it last summer. The station house’s roof was also severely damaged, but has been repaired.

Doug Leach commented on Photo 1
And an in-between:

Gene Gibbons commented on Metrotrails post

A little bit of history:

"The Bryn Athyn train wreck occurred on December 5, 1921, when a head-on collision occurred on a single line of track near Bryn Athyn station in Pennsylvania. The collision resulted in a fire and claimed 27 lives while injuring 70 others." (Source: Wiki)

Full story on Wiki ... PLUS, a very interesting video by Tom Lynskey on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_TD9bgCrSo

Charles Banks, Sep 2024

Bryn Athyn does have a SEPTA station, but it is south of town on an east/west Reading route.

1950 Frankford and 1952 Hatboro Quads @ 24,000

Henry The Collector, Jan 2021

It seems that SEPTA still owns most of the depots along the abandoned Reading track. The first station I found along the trail was Huntingdon Valley Station (SEPTA).

Sipple, MT: Just Wood Grain Elevator

(Satellite)

Street View, Sep 2022

Daren Genau posted two photos with the comment: "Sipple, MT along the former Milwaukee Road, now BNSF line."

Not only isn't there a modern grain elevator to replace this one, there isn't a town because I don't think there ever was a town. There was just the grain elevator.

1954/1966 Roundup Quad @ 250,000

A connection has been built between the GN and Milwaukee routes so that only the southern part of the Milwaukee route is abandoned.

Satellite

Thursday, June 11, 2026

Keddie, CA: Lost/Western Maryland Railyard, Backshop and Roundhouse

(Satellite)

When I think of Keddie, I think of the Keddie Wye. But it makes sense that the wye was named after a nearby town.

Rick Shilling posted
1946 Western Pacific Railroad Roundhouse, Turntable, Shops and Yard, Keddie, California. Eastman's original collection, UC Davis University Collection.
[Behind the roundhouse is a small backshop. Note the tank cars behind the backshop. I wonder if they had to haul water here to supply the steam engines.]

Terry B. Carlson commented on Rick's post
Keddie Roundhouse now.

What this map marks as Keddie is labeled as Cabin 26 on Goolge Maps.

1950/52 Greenville Quad @ 62,500

Actually, Cabin 26 is in the northern part of Keddie. The town is spread out along the river. The railyard is now the light tan area near the center of this excerpt.