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.
Satellite

The roundhouse was on the east side of the railyard.
Nov 27, 1946 @ 37,400; AR1CQ0000030181

Note that the wye had its third leg in a tunnel.
Digitally Zoomed

Winnett, MT: Just Wood Grain Elevator

(Satellite)

Street View, Sep 2025

Daren Genau posted two photos with the comment: "Winnett, MT."
1

2

Most towns with a wood elevator also have a more modern elevator. But this town has just the wood elevator.
Street View, Sep 2025

Since this town was on the end of a branch on the Milwaukee, it probably lost rail service a long time ago.
1954/73 Lewistown Quad @ 250,000


Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Jasper, MN: Destroyed Grain Elevator and Modern Feed Mill

Elevator: (See below for a satellite image that I got while it was still standing.)
Feed Mill: (Satellite)

Facebook Reel
Jim Morris posted
Ron Minor: This was a active shipper on the BNSF up to a couple of years ago. Is it going to be replaced?
John Harker: I remember when this was poured in 1980 ,I believe.
I worked with some guys that helped pour it.

Facebook Reel
The final part of the Jasper Elevator structure was successfully brought down during the second round of demolition
Tom Foster: So sad, once was one of best elevators in SW, Mn.

It was a rather large grain elevator.
Street View, May 2024

It even had rail service. Removing a wood elevator is all to common, but removing concrete silos is very rare.
Street View, May 2024

This is probably the locomotive that we see in the background of the above view.
Street View, Jul 2025

Some of the bins had already been removed by 2025.
Street View, Jul 2025

Satellite

The town still has a feed mill.
Street View, Aug 2025

1967/68 Jasper Quad @ 24,000

Commerce (Los Angeles), CA: UP East Los Angeles (UPLA) and BNSF/Santa Fe Hobart Railyards

UP Yard: (Satellite)
UP Roundhouse: (Satellite, long gone.)
UP Backshops: (Satellite, long gone.)
BNSF Yard: (Satellite)

Today, both yards are intermodal yards. Although the UP yard does have an engine servicing facility about where the backshops used to be.

Railroad Repair Shops and Roundhouses 1850-1950 posted
Layout of the Los Angeles & Salt Lake subsidiary of the Union Pacific at Los Angeles as they looked in 1927. (Railway Mechanical Engineer)

1926/1939 Alhambra Quad @ 24,000

An addition was added to the erecting shop building.
1966/68 Los Angeles @ 24,000

Jul 30, 1952 @ 23,600; AR1VP0000180011

Digitally Zoomed
Dennis DeBruler commented on the post
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5jDMthm7Vgr1zuX97.
Research: https://towns-and-nature.blogspot.com/2026/06/commerce-los-angeles-ca-up-east-los.html

"East Los Angeles Yard (UPLA): Situated in the City of Commerce along East Washington Blvd, this massive off-dock yard handles the bulk of domestic and international containerized cargo coming from the ports." [Google AI results]
The AI did a good job of combining information from PortsOfLosAngeles and wheree. UP's webpage is also of interest.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Lotus, IL: Junction: IC vs. Wabash

(Satellite)

The IC branch that this town was on was the former Havana, Rantoul & Eastern.

Andy Zukowski posted
The Wabash & Illinois Central Crossing in Lotus, Illinois
The former Wabash's Chicago to Bement line crossed an Illinois
Central branch that ran east-west between Leroy and Potomac.
This photo was taken 12/31/80, and at the time the Wabash was under N&W ownership and the IC was under the ICG flag. The ICG had just started pulling up this line in the preceding weeks, but the diamond here had yet to be pulled. The view is looking northeast. Photo from the Barry Lennon Collection

Larry Candilas commented on Andy's post
IC line was originally built in 1875 as a narrow-gauge line and was owned by the Wabash for a few years before the IC bought it. MP 17.3 Rantoul District; 1960 aerial
[It looks like the tower was in the northeast quadrant of the crossing.

Sara Anderson Olson commented on Andy's post
Hard to tell. No sign of a cross track.

Thomas Scoville commented on Andy's post
The Lotus depot survives on a farm just west of where the diamond used to be. [I could not find it.]
Richard Fiedler: Thomas Scoville that’s the replacement for the wood tower that was once there. I’m thinking the tower was destroyed in a derailment but I’m not sure. The replacement served as a train order office and a depot agency.

Richard Fiedler commented on Andy's post

Richard Fiedler commented on Andy's post

Richard Fiedler commented on Andy's post

No street view driver has driven close to this town. I don't think the elevator has rail service because NS still owns the route and I can't see a fall protector, but the elevator is rather big.
Satellite

Cropsey, IL: Lost/IC Depot

(Satellite)

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot in Cropsey, Illinois 1963
Sam Richards: This track is now the Bloomer Line.
Paul Jones: Foundation still exists.
Connor Bounds: Fairbury did a great job killing cropsey. Took their school and bank

Larry Candilas commented on Andy's post
MP 111.5 Bloomington District; early 1900s probably waiting for the "Bloomer Cannonball"
David Kennedy: Larry Candilas look at the difference in the old track by station. It is abandoned in the new photo. Plus the bushes are blocking the operator/agents view.

I could not figure out which smudge that is parallel to the tracks was the depot. Fortunately, Paul's comment above about the foundation allowed me to find its location.
1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Thanks to the Bloomer Line, the grain elevator is rail served and has grown a few times.
James Ransom, Oct 2025

James Ransom, Oct 2025

Monday, June 8, 2026

Pellston, MI: Museum/Pennsy/GR&I Depot

(Satellite)

GR&I = Grand Rapids and Indiana

Street side:
Street View, Oct 2024

Track side:
Street View, Sep 2024

Brian Coblentz posted
My grandfather photographed the former Pennsylvania Railroad station in Pellston, Michigan on July 10, 1978. The station originally was built by the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. Jack Koehler photo

I.e. Xam commented on Brian's photo
Here is the depot in 2024.

There is a lot of open space in the middle of town because the GR&I had a small railyard here.
1958/59 Pellston Quad @ 62,500