Ludlow, IL: Grain Elevator expansion denied and Lost/IC Depot

Elevator: (Satellite, note that there are no I-57 ramps to provide interstate access for this town)
Depot: (Satellite, based on the aerial photo below)

Founded in 1904 in Ludlow, Illinois, the company now has eight locations: Buckley, Danforth, Del Rey, La Hogue, Ludlow, Paxton, Perdueville, and Piper City, with convenient access to rail and Interstate highways. [LudlowCoop]

Ludlow board denies Ludlow Co-Op rezoning request for expansion

Evidently the town folk want some grass preserved. Looking at a satellite image, this elevator appears to be the only business in town. I would think the residents would be more interested in jobs and tax revenue instead of some "prettyness."

There are more photos of this elevator in "20161006-07 US45 Grain Elevators, Sperry Car, IC Historical Society, Centralia Museum, Coaling Tower." Search for "ludlow".

20161006-07 6139c, Facebooked
Not all farmers have an 18-wheeler with a grain trailer. Here we see a dump truck being unloaded in Ludlow, IL. The elevator is on the former IC mainline, and it has a fall protector. But it may be served by a shortline that has trackage rights on the CN. I'm still trying to figure out the details.

Now that I fixed my comment based on the feedback from Cory and Bob, I realize that their comments are a little confusing. I originally commented that this was an example of the front of the truck being raised by a hoist in the elevator. That is what I remember the elevator doing when I took a load of grain to town with my Grandpa's straight truck around 1967. Bob is right. His 1949 Dodge truck was single axle.
Cory Zadorozniak I’ll guarantee that truck is lifting his hoist. You can see the cab in behind.
Dennis DeBruler Ah, it is a dump truck. Thanks for the correction.
Bob Summers The truck pictured has its own hoist. The old lifts you are referring to would not be around any more. Typically we used them for smaller single axel farm trucks that maybe had a 200 to 250 bushel load. The truck pictured appears to be a tandem that would probably deliver over 500 bushels per load and definitely will have its own hoist. This type truck is often used by custom harvesters so they can also transport their combines and equipment. We also see more and more grain delivered to the elevator from the field in hopper bottom semi's.
Scott Sherman In the 1970's when I was in high school I would drive dad's old Studebaker truck to the elevator. Hoist didn't lift very fast fast so always told to stop on the elevator lift. As I was raising the truck box the elevator crew was lifting the front axle off the ground. When empty the front of the truck was far in the air sitting on the lift and the truck box was straight up and down.
Brett Ellis Scott Sherman I'm amazed they did that lol
Eric Miller All I remember when I was on harvest in the summer and fall of 71, was dumping the grain from the trucks, but then I drove combine, so there's that, LOL!

Back in the early 1990s, they still had a wood elevator in their complex.

13:48 video @ 10:36

Actually, they still do have a wood elevator.

Street View, Sep 2023

Depot

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot in Ludlow, Illinois. 1973
Richard Fiedler shared

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

East Harding, IL: Lost/GM&O Depot

(Satellite, based on the aerial photo below.)

This depot has to be the largest depot size to town size ratio that I have seen.

Barbara Donovan posted eight images with the comment: "Quincy, Carrollton,  and St. Louis Railroad Depot in East Hardin, just north of where the Joe Page Bridge was built."

Richard Fiedler shared

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7, cropped

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Today, even the north/south route is abandoned.

1938/38 Hardin Quad @ 62,500

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Tennessee, IL: Lost/CB&Q Depot

(Satellite)

Andy Zukowski posted

Tennessee, Illinois Railroad Depot 

Tennessee was founded because of the railroad. Platted in 1854 by Joseph B. Bacon, Steve Cockerham, and Thomas Waddle, the community was known for 20 years as 'Tennessee Station.' This small depot was probably erected shortly after the Northern Cross Railroad arrived in 1855, but this is an early 20th-century photograph, so the building may be a later one.

Richard Fiedler shared

Thomas Whitt shared

1941 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Merna, IL: Lost/IC Depot and Old Grain Elevator

Depot: (Satellite, it is long gone. Judging by Andy's photo below, it was south of the tracks and east of IL-165.)

Old Elevator: (Satellite, the roof is in bad shape)

 

Andy Zukowski posted
Railroad Depot & Elevator in Merna, Illinois. C1910
Richard Fiedler shared

Ned Carlson posted
Illinois Central 2-8-0 #908 at Merna, IL on the "Bloomer Line"
Everett Lueck: 908 was assigned to the Bloomer line local from 1956 until retired in 1958. 908 was the last IC 2-8-0 in service, and the last steam engine in regular service to go in and out of Bloomington-Normal. (and it is Bruce Meyer, no s)

Comments on Ned's post

Andy Zukowski posted, cropped
Photograph taken in 1975 of the Merna Railroad Depot at Merna, Illinois.
Richard Fiedler shared

Originally, the Bloomer Line was the Bloomington District of the IC. Today, it is a short line railroad. The Bloomington District is highlighted by the green lines on this map.

1958 Peoria and Aurora plus 1957 Chicago Quadrangles @ 1:250,000 via Dennis DeBruler

The street view driver did not go down E 1600 North Rd, so this was the best view through the trees that I could find. Judging form the date, I'm lucky that a driver went up IL-165.

Street View, Nov 2008

The town used to have 14 grain bins. 11 are still standing, and it looks like 6 are still used. I counted just 8 houses. So, I've found another Midwest town that has more bins than houses.

Satellite

Ann Arbor, MI: School/Ann Arbor Depot

(Satellite)

The Michigan Central Depot is also extant.

Street View, Apr 2024

The caboose is on the north side of the depot.

Street View, Apr 2024

Charlie Unbehaun posted five photos with the comment: "Here are some photos of the old Depot on South Ashley St. in downtown Ann Arbor, MI.  From a description from the Ann Arbor Library, the last passenger train that was boarded here was in 1950.  The rail line was the Toledo, Ann Arbor and Northern Michigan Railroad.  The line is still used for freight.  In the 1970s I lived right next to the line on a bit of a grade.  As I recall they would transport sand from up north to Toledo.  The depot is currently used for a Montessori school.  There is an old caboose next to it that is part of the school playground.  As I recall, it was originally moved there with the intention of it being used for a beauty parlor or a barber shop."

Tim Shanahan shared

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The route was the Ann Arbor Railroad.

1965/67 Ann Arbor West and East Quads @ 24,000

Avilla, IN: Lost/B&O Depot & Freighthouse and Junction Tower: B&O vs. Pennsy/GR&I

(Satellite, this was the crossing of the B&O vs. Pennsy/GR&I.)

GR&I = Grand Rapids and Indiana

The building with the bay window would have been the depot. The two-story building was the junction tower. Note the grain elevator to the left of the tower. There is at least one boxcar on its siding.

Kim Rhodes posted
This detailed view for the Baltimore & Ohio depot freighthouse, and tower at the B&O/ Grand Rapids & Indiana  crossing at Avilla, Indiana  froze a moment in time 1900.
Mike Snow shared
Photo from before the realignment of the B&O and the PRR's GR&I in Avilla Indiana

This is the oldest topo map I could find, so I don't know what the alignment was in 1900.

1957/59 Garrett Quad @ 24,000

Bellevue, NE: Moved/CB&Q Depot and New Offutt Air Force Base

Original Depot Location: (Satellite)

Current Depot Location: (Satellite)

Old Air Base: (Satellite)

New Air Base: (Satellite, they moved the BNSF/CB&Q tracks further east and built on the flood plain.)

Michael Behem posted
Bellevue station, otherwise known as the Burlington Depot in Bellevue, Nebraska is a historic railroad station which served trains of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Burlington Route). The depot was originally built in 1869 for the Omaha and South Western Railroad, making it the oldest surviving depot in Nebraska. I have neglected to ever  visit this depot till today. Seen tons of pictures of it . My picture from 3/14/26

Bryan Moran: It appears to be run down. Weeds,etc.

Michael Behm: Bryan Moran the museum that it is at is trying to get a new home but it's not going well. The new location fell through the depot and the museum (sarpy county museum) are sitting in limbo currently.

Thisisa Mendolia: The mayor of Bellevue wants the land under it to build more apartment buildings. It may soon disappear.

Randy Early shared

I.e. Xam commented on Michael's post
Looked better in 2023. [Just three years earlier.]

Dennis DeBruler commented on Michael's post
I also wonder where it is. I could not find it along the tracks, https://maps.app.goo.gl/b3dWxAHVcE2SrQXe8.

Dennis DeBruler: It has been moved to a museum: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bAcHukn3xtuqKpU27.

The depot is now part of the county museum. I wonder if the mayor will get a kickback from the developer if he manages to destroy this museum.

Street View, Jul 2015

I included the southern part of this photo to show that the CB&Q tracks curved westward to stay off the flood plain.

May 1, 1952 @ 17,000; AR1TL0000070116

Zooming in. The depot appears to be a little south of the road that goes to the power plant. The Mission Avenue Bridge is under construction.

May 1, 1952 @ 17,000; AR1TL0000070116

When I noticed that today's BNSF tracks no longer curved west as much as they used to, I got the aerial photo that is south of the above aerial photo. The Offutt Air Force Base was a lot smaller in 1952, and it was west of the flood plain.

May 1, 1952 @ 17,000; AR1TL0000030134

By 1956, the CB&Q tracks were moved closer to the river so that the Air Force could build on the flood plain.

1956/58 Plattsmouth and Omaha South Quads @ 24,000

In 2019, the Air Force paid the price for building on a flood plain. Part of a runway and some of their buildings were under water.

Dennis DeBruler