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

Carrollton, IL: Lost/GM&O/Litchfield, Carrolton & Western Depot

Litchfield, Carrolton & Western: (Satellite)

Other GM&O Route: (Satellite)

Lawrence Thomas posted
Looking for photos of the stations on the former Litchfield, Carrollton & Western Ry - it eventually became part of the GM&O. Stations were Eldred, East Hardin, Carrollton, Carlinville and Greenfield, Illinois. Another depot was at Barnett. Carrollton depot view is below.
Richard Fiedler shared

Chicago & Alton ended up with two routes at this town. I found Eldred and Greenfield to determine that Lawrence is talking about the east/west route. The north/south route was owned by KCS in 2005, so it is probably CPKC today.

1926 Roodhouse, 1930 Pearl and 1932 Greenfield Quads @ 62,500

Possibility 1 at the top of these notes was probably Lawrence's photo because it is along the east/west route. I think whoever built the north/south route had their depot at Possibility 2.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Hope, OH: 1854-74 Hope Iron Blast Furnace

(Satellite)

Old Blast Furnaces Overview

Street View, Jul 2023

This view shows how it was built into the side of a hill to reduce the length of the charging bridge.

Wild Marks, Feb 2023

This part of the Hanging Rock Iron Region from Logan, OH, to Mt. Savage, KY.

Trailracker, Jun 2025

Facebook Reel

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