Towns and Nature: Fulton, KY: IC Coaling Towe, Roundhouse & Ice Dock and Depot

Gary Miller posted
Old photo of the ICRR roundhouse in Fulton, KY. Aerial views show signs where this was located, but only dirt there now.

Ann Pritchard Salmon posted
Roundhouse in Fulton, KY. Year and photographer unknown.

Illinois Central Railroad Scrapbook posted two photos with the comment:

Two views of the turntable at the Illinois Central yard in Fulton, KY. The view with ex-GM&O SD40 913 still in its original paint with the nose "wings" was taken by Jerry Mart on March 9, 1981. The second shot, with GP38-2 9563 painted black, was taken by Cliff Downey on December 28, 1993. Number 9563 was built in 1972 as GM&O 743.
Both locomotives were parked on the same track and in roughly the same location, but a lot changed in the 12 years between these 2 photos. The small gray building next to 913 in the background was torn down, and those maintenance of way cars next to the small gray building disappeared and probably were scrapped. Meanwhile, Illinois Central Gulf sold or abandoned most of the former GM&O and resumed using the Illinois Central name (minus the "Gulf"). 913 caught fire and burned while pulling a train across Kentucky Dam.
More changes were to come. IC was merged into Canadian National in 1999, and number 9563 was repainted CN colors. The Fulton turntable is long gone, though. I don't know the exact date, but IIRC it was removed around 2005.

Cliff Downey shared

Cliff Downey shared
IC 4-8-2's 2458 and 2426 wait to be coaled at Fulton, KY, c.1955. Although it is not readily apparently, 2458 (closest to the coaling station) has one of the big 12 wheel tenders originally coupled to a 2-8-4. Cliff Downey collection.

Illinois Central Railroad Scrapbook posted

Around 1950 a pair of Illinois Central 4-8-2's sit in the engine facility at Fulton, KY.  The IC's 2400-class 4-8-2's came in three separate groups.  Numbers 2400-2414 were built in October, 1923, by Alco.  Numbers 2415-2439 were built in December, 1924 and January, 1925, by Lima.  Numbers 2440-2459 were built between September and November, 1926 by Alco.

Note that on 2426's tender, the second number "2" appears to have been washed.  This was probably done during a visit to the shop, when 2426's tender was switched with another tender (which was a common practice in the steam era).

Also, number 2458 has a big, 12-wheel tender from one of the IC's 2-8-4's.  These tenders could hold more coal and water than a standard 2400-class tender.  The 2-8-4's were retired beginning in 1949 and afterwards some of the tenders were placed behind other locomotives (the 2-8-4 tenders were also used with other locomotives during the 1930's while the 2-8-4's were in storage due to the Depression).

Daniel Watson: The IC retired everything on its roster with a four-wheel trailing truck early-on! Go figure!

This is obviously a satellite image of the engine servicing facilities because you can still see the remnants of the roundhouse stalls. But I could not find the coaling tower.

Update:

Jim Pearson Photography posted

Canadian National 3270 leads a mixed freight as it snakes its way out of the yard at Fulton, Ky after a crew change, as they head north up the CN Cairo Subdivision, on March 25th, 2023.

I’m told that on average 10-15 trains a day pass through Fulton, Ky, making it a busy place! Railfanning is best in the morning and the afternoon into the evening. The CN Cairo, CN Fulton Subdivisions and the West Tennessee Railroad all come together here at Fulton. Also, Amtrak has a depot here and is a flag stop for the City of New Orleans, and is an unstaffed station, with no agent and no assistance.

The first railroad deed was sold in 1857, and construction reached Pontotoc in 1859. At that time Fulton was referred to as the “end of the line” by the United States Government and all mail was addressed to this extent. In 1896, the Illinois Central Railroad owned the two railroad lines that crossed Fulton, which saw 30 passenger trains a day and 3,000 freight cars that picked up or delivered cargo. The freight cars would usually have bananas that would stop in Fulton to be re-iced and then shipped to rest of the country. Through this process, Fulton became known as the “Banana Capital of the World”.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/3200, ISO 220.

Jim Pearson Photography: https://fineartamerica.com/.../canadian-national-3270...
Mike Giorgio: Been to the Banana Festival there and was the Second Top Banana in the parade. 1974.

Gary Miller posted
Coaling tower on ICRR in Fulton, KY.

So did the town have two different engine servicing facilities or did they downsize the tower by 1955? I could not find any old aerial photos for Fulton. (Update: or is the double tower on the mainline north of town and the single tower with the wood enclosed elevator in the yard?)

Illinois Central Railroad Scrapbook posted

This is another "mystery" photo in my collection.  The sleeve for this negative had "Memphis Division, 1950" written on it, but no other details.  Perhaps someone will recognize the location (although the coaling tower and water spout are long gone).  For the record, 2-8-2 number 1334 was built by Lima in 1918 and was originally numbered 1846.  Then in August, 1942, she was rebuilt at Paducah and renumbered 1334.  Then in March, 1954, she was renumbered one more time, to 1664.  Retirement came in October, 1960, followed by scrapping at Paducah.

Photographer unknown, Cliff Downey collection.

Randy James: Looks like the coaling tower at Fulton ky

+Darren Doss posted four photos with the comment:

Since the old shop buildings at Fulton will be coming down soon, I wanted to share some then and now photos. It will make a person stop and think how time changes everthing. The black & white photos were taken by Bob Bell. Can anyone give a date on the old car in the roundhouse photo? For information, IC 9155 was built January 1956. Also found in my notes that the coal and water faclites were retired in December of 1959 and the roundhouse and radial tracks were retired in 1963. I did find in a old IC annual report that the shop buildings were built in 1918.

Bill Purkhiser 1955 Nash Statesman Custom.

Illinois Central Railroad Scrapbook posted

About a mile north of Fulton, KY, along the Cairo District, the Illinois Central Railroad had a steel coaling tower. When built, circa 1940, the tower had just one bin.

Then, beginning in late 1948, construction began on a second bin. Winter weather slowed construction work and the bin was not completed until spring. This photo was taken in February, 1949, and shows the steel framework in place, ready for installation of the bin itself.

Of course, this investment in steam-era infrastructure was soon for naught. Diesels were already pulling IC's top-tier passenger trains through Fulton, and new GP9's for freight service began appearing in 1955. In early 1959 active steam locomotives disappeared from Fulton for good, never to return again. As for the Fulton tower, it was eventually torn down and sold for scrap.

The coaling towers in these photos don't look alike.

Update: Cliff Downey shared 23 photos.