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

Clarion, PA: 1845-57 Helen (Highland, Hieland) Blast Furnace

(Satellite)

Note the hill behind the furnace. Old blast furnaces are typically built against the side of a hill so that a bridge could be built from the hill to the top of the furnace. This facilitated using wheelbarrows to charge the furnace.

Street View, Aug 2024

Facebook Reel
It was built in 1845 and was 32' (9.7m) high.
She says that the charging bridge was in place until just a few years ago. The furnace blast was steam powered. 

hmdb, cropped

The rear of the sign in the above Street View shows the charging bridge.

hmdb, cropped

Digitally Zoomed

AtlasObscura
"Between the 1830s and the 1860s, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, was known as “The Iron County,” thanks to its booming iron industry and many cold-blast iron furnaces. For a stretch of time, at least one new furnace was being built each year. And each new furnace meant many new jobs: the largest employed 75 to 100 men each, while the smaller ones employed 25 to 50. These furnaces became, literally and figuratively, pillars of the community."

HemlockStateExplorer
"Helen Furnace, originally named “Hieland Furnace” was one of 31 iron furnaces in the “Iron Country” of Clarion County, a leader in the iron boom from 1828 through the middle of the century. The furnace was rebuilt in 1977 and is situated in a park with pavilions and benches located at the top of the hill."

Lagro, IN: Lost/Wabash Depot

(Satellite, a guess based on the topo map and aerial photo below.)

David L White posted
Lagro did not get a prefab depot, my picture in 1976.

This is what the prefab depots looked like.

David L White posted via Dennis DeBruler

1950/58 Lagro Quad @ 24,000

Dec 8, 1950 @ 24,800; AR1VYB000020127

Palmyra, IL: Abandoned/Big Four/CP&StL Depot

(Satellite)

CP&StL = Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis

Merle Pence posted
Palmyra depot, Howard and Roy Neece picking up the mail for the post office.
Jimmy Fiedler shared
Richard Fiedler shared

Dennis DeBruler commented on Jimmy's share
Originally, it was the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis. I think it was absorbed by the Big Four. It is hard to tell because the railroad was abandoned by 1956. The depot was just south of State Street between the tracks and Park Street. 1939 aerial photo

At first, I could not find the depot on the above aerial, so I got a newer one since they tend to have better resolution. This 1956 photo does have better resolution, but the railroad is already abandoned!

1956 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

So I went back to the 1939 photo. The little black shadow just south of State Street along Park Street showed me that there was a white rectangle along the tracks. That would probably be the depot.

1939 aerial at source resolution

The topo map confirms the name of the original railroad.

1931/55 Carlinville and 1932/32 Greenfield Quads @ 62,500