Towns and Nature: Chesterton, IN: NS/NYC/LS&MS Water Tower, Water Pans, 1914 Depot and Freighthouse

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Chesterton, IN: NS/NYC/LS&MS Water Tower, Water Pans, 1914 Depot and Freighthouse

Depot: (Satellite for the depot from the road in the vintage photo)

Wayne Hudak posted two photos with the comment:

Chesterton, 1997. Right across from the Northside Diner right after the BNSF merger. New GE's to be delivered in Chicago still in ATSF paint, hastily relettered for BNSF sitting on the Coffee Creek bridge. Nose door was open, engineer saw me and closed it for photos. Then asked me if I wanted to come up. HELL YEA! By the time I packed away all my equipment (I even had a video camera) they got the call to move on! crap!
B&W photo is same location 91 years earlier. Photog is on top of a railcar. Northside Diner would be out of camera to the right. Of course it didn't exist in 1906. I would be standing just to the left by where the water stand is for my photo. 111 years later the Railroad Park (now Thomas Park) still exists!

The water tower is of particular interest because it has spouts on both sides.

2
Joe Barron also posted

Raymond Storey posted five photos with the comment: "Chesterton Ind...Photo credit Alan Coslet."

2
[Note the track pans.]
Raymond Storey also posted
Joe Barron also posted, but without the brown petina and lettering
Raymond Storey also posted a B&W copy

Brent Keen posted
One of my favorite picture of downtown Chesterton. The road in the crossing is calumet rd. Picture is from 1906Wayne Hudak Called Valparaiso Road at the time. Building on right is most likely a pump house for the water tank, taking water from Coffee Creek. Photo is also a favorite of mine.

Of the three railroads that Calumet Road crosses, this is the one that is near Coffee Creek.

Joseph Stachler posted
More scans courtesy of the Westchester Township History Museum.Brent Keen Couple years ago scrapers stole the copper gutters off the building.Brent Keen The building is on historical register when they where stolen the town had to replace them to original specs.

Since it is on a historical register, it is still standing.

Joseph Stachler posted
More scans courtesy of the Westchester Township History Museum.

Both of these pictures are labeled Lake Shore Depot. But they are clearly not the same building. Is the second picture an older depot or is actually a freight house? It has freight doors and a loading platform rather than a bay window for the agent's desk.

Joe Barron posted
Lakeshore & Michigan Southern Railroad (later New York Central) trackpans near Chesterton. The trackpans were designed to allow the tender to fill with water by means of a scoop, without stopping. 1915.

Raymond Storey posted

Raymond story posted four photographs with the comment: "CHESTERTON IND...SOURCE PORTER COUNTY HIST SOC"

Tim Shanahan shared

Noah Haggerty posted

Here is a photo from fifty years ago in May of 1976, of the old New York Central depot in Chesterton, Indiana. The depot was built in 1914, passenger service ended in 1959, with newly-formed Conrail being the owner of the rail line.

Today the building hosts the Chesterton/Duneland Chamber Of Commerce, and a small display of old cars has been added. Behind the photographer to the right sits the NYC freight house, now known as "Riley's Railhouse", a bed & breakfast along the busy Norfolk Southern line.

J. David Ingles Photo, Thomas Dyrek Collection.

The freighthouse is on the right, and the depot is in the background.