Auburn, IL: GM&O Depot, Original US-66 and Union Fuel Coal Mine #3

The purpose of the posting is more to save the link to the Sangamon Valley Collection album than the depot itself. But the depot does have train order signals by the bay window for the agent's desk, an extended freight/package/baggage handling facility, and team/house tracks. (Update: and it has grown since concerning US-66 and the coal mine.)

US-66 Overview

Flickr from album.

Update:

William A. Shaffer posted
GM&O #884-A at Auburn, IL (5.02.53)
(Photo by William Eley - Collection of William A. Shaffer)

And later I came acvross another photo.

Andy Zukowski posted
Gulf Mobile & Ohio Depot in Auburn, Illinois. Photo Taken on July 4, 1969

Dennis DeBruler ommented on Andy's post
This topo shows that Brandt has reused the depot's land.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gKKmo5oid3bBkXCK9
1965 Divermon Quad @ 24,000

Dennis DeBruler commented on Andy's post

This 1939 aerial photo agrees with that location.
 https://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/webdocs/ilhap/county/data/sangamon/flight14/0bhd01130.jpg

Original US-66

CJ Bahan posted nine photos with the comment: "Just north of Auburn Illinois is a beautiful 2.25 kilometer section of preserved red brick road. Curran/Snell road was paved with hand-laid brick over a concrete bed in 1931, & was once part of the old Route 66 alignment. There’s a picturesque former highway curve that transitions the two roads, & a couple newer bridges over Panther Creek that were built in a retro style to match the original road aesthetics. I’ve had an interest in old national roadways lately, so I visited this site yesterday afternoon before seeking out a spot to swim."

Denise Sperry: Phillip and June Snell lived just west of that corner (across the road from me), Walter and Esther Burtle lived on the corner of this intersection. Wonderful people-gone now, loved living out there…so peaceful.

CJ Bahan shared

[I can't believe the number of comments complaining about the use of "km."]

Paul Isaacs: If you insist on stopping in the road to take your pictures, you should do it on the east/west section, which is Snell road, not where you're at. The north/south section is Curran Road, and is well traveled, since it is a short cut to the west side of Springfield. Also, it wasn't brick when it was Route 66 - the bricks were added after Route 66 was moved.

1
[The south end. Street View, Apr 2024 and Satellite]

2

3

4

5
[Street View, Apr 2024 and Satellite]

6

7

8

9

10

11

Photo 11 implies it is the other end. But it is just a selfie of Photo 1. This is what the other end looks like.

Street View, Apr 2024 and Satellite

The retro style of the bridge railings is a nice touch.

Route 66 Experience, Feb 2024

The original route was State Road 4.

1924/24 Divernon Quad @ 62,500

The curved brick road at the intersection of Snell and Curran Roads is not the original route. As we can see above, the 90 degree turn at the intersection was the original route. They must have added the curve as part of the 1931 road improvement.

Street View, Apr 2024

As we can see on today's map, they did an additional improvement US-66, now IN-4, by creating a diagonal road that removed Snell Road from the US-66 alignment.

Union Fuel Coal Mine #3

Dan Dixon posted
This was the south coal mine in Auburn, Sangamon County, Illinois
[Some comments indicate that today's baseball fields reused the tipple's land.]
Dennis DeBruler shared
According to some comments, today's Veterans Park, https://maps.app.goo.gl/JoPvXvuW5taGcYdM9, has reused the tipple's land.

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