Springfield, IL: Starnes Tower: CN/IC vs. NS/Wabash

John David Mitchell Jr. shared NOLA Rails's photo
IC Green Diamond with E-9 #4036 at Springfield IL, August 1966.

James Maltby Starnes Tower (NE Springfield)

Satellite

Semaphores and 3-color lights on the IC. The semaphores would be for train orders because you can see the Iron Man right behind the semaphore pole.

Jeff Williams posting, July 1989

Since Jeff caught trains on both routes, it is easy to determine that the double track route in the foreground is CN/IC and the route in the middle of the picture is NS/NW/Wabash. I noticed that the IC route still existed in the late 1980s. In fact, it still exists today, and an Illinois road map confirms that it is now owned by CN. This is the first IC branch that I can remember that was not dumped by ICG management in the 1980s. We have seen the other end of this branch in Gilman where it joins the mainline to Chicago.

Jeff Williams posting, July 1989

I was surprised that the Wabash mainline looks like it is just a single track, but the IC branch has two tracks. But if the Wabash is using CTC while the IC is still using train orders, that would explain the difference. The road overpass in the background allows me to determine that the camera is facing NNE. So the tower is northwest of the crossing. You can see a black square there in the 1939 aerial photo. Note that they are constructing what is now IL-29 and IL-54. The overpass is a "bridge to nowhere."

Peter Zimmermann also posted.
"Starnes" tower controlled the crossing of the Illinois Central Chicago to Saint Louis line with both the Wabash Railway Detroit to KC main line and Illinois Terminal main line. Only the old IC and Wabash lines remain here today as CN and NS respectively.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Update: 

Mark Barnett posted
This is one of my personal favorites of Starnes in Springfield, don't know who took it, but I'm glad it was taken.
Mike Nolan Not familiar with it. What is the location?
Mark Barnett Mike Nolan Springfield, the train is northbound for Peoria crossing the IC and Wabash on the northeast side of town.
Jeffrey L Smith Crossing the 2 track Alton then the one track Wabash. What about the siding in the back was that for freight?
Mark Barnett Jeffrey L Smith its not the Alton, the IC Green Diamond route. In the distance is the line to Decatur.

 

Scot Wirth posted
Three lines are shown here on the north end of Springfield, IL. The single line on the right belonged to the Wabash RR, whose logo can be seen on the right. The Illinois Central is the double track line and the Illinois Terminal curves and crosses both tracks. The IC and IT also had their logos in this area as well, which was known as Starnes Junction. Note the semaphore signal in the foreground.

Mark Hinsdale posted
Illinois Terminal's daily southbound train from Peoria is arriving Springfield on ICG trackage rights. The train has just cleared Starnes Tower on the northeast side of Springfield and is about to yard at the small IT facility there. June, 1975 photo by Mark Hinsdale

Rich Barnes posted
Starnes Tower, in Springfield, Illinois. I have no idea when I took this, but it was some time in the mid '80s.

Steven Kent posted
Rich Barnes I think I'm the one that took that photo, and it was taken in the mid to late 1980s.

Edward Peters Looks like late 80’s. I shot ICG pictures through those windows.

Dave Durham posted two photos with the comment: "Same Road, Different Era's. C&IM @ Starnes Tower. Photos courtesy of Jim Sarnes."

1

2

David Harris posted
Starnes Tower in Springfield, IL - February 1982
Randy James appears to be gm&o gp38-2 in the background
David E Harris posted again

Looking northeasterly along ICG(IC) at Starnes Tower toward N&W(Wabash) KC main xing.

IT once crossed IC and Wab, just a little in front of where I stood to make photo.

That's N Dirksen Pkwy bridge, with ICG CK-1 approaching i  the distance.

Springfield, IL - February 1982

Charles Call: This was my last working station on the ICG. I see a GM&O GP38 approaching and going South.

Stephen N. Brannon posted
For those of this group who worked Starnes Tower in Springfield, here is another view showing the track configuration. Here an IT has just crossed the Wabash Detroit-Kansas City Main and is about to cross the IC Chicago-St. Louis Main. Train Order signals for both IC and Wabash were still the double bladed semaphore type. Classic railroading!

Ken Jamin: What is the diagonal track nearest the tower please? Is that the Wabash DET-KC and the IC Chgo-STL is double MT?

Stephen N. Brannon: Ken Jamin Correct.

Richard Fiedler shared

Mike Switzer: Are we looking North or South?

Allen Miller commented on Stephen's post
Here's an order copied at Starnes.

Stephen N. Brannon posted
Southbound IC at Starnes Tower on the NE side of Springfield, Illinois. Order Board is out for both directions, and the engineer's arm is out the cab window ready to snare the orders from the top fork of the train order stand. IC Chicago-St. Louis main crossed the Wabash Detroit-Kansas City main at Starnes. At one time the IT also crossed here. Highway Bridge carries the old U.S. 66 over the railroad action.
Dick Vant: Nice to have a train order stand. I didn’t always have that. And I’ll tell you it’s a scary thing to stand there and hold a train order fork to an engineer. Going thru at speed

Randy James posted David Harris' photo