Attica, IN: Gravel Pit and Steam Powered Equipment

(Satellite, the land is now the Badlands Off Road Park)

Jeffrey Bossaer posted six pictures of a gravel pit operation with the comment: "The large gravel pit south of Attica, Indiana was always served by the Wabash Railroad. It was on the branch line to Covington. Pictures courtesy of the Linden Depot Museum."
Jeffrey posted again

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Satellite

The scars left by the operation have been turned into an asset as the Badlands Off Road Park. The branch line still goes through Attica and past an ADM Grain Elevator.

Was this the same gravel pit? I know the C&EI had some tendrils into Indiana. But I can't find Attica on any of their maps. The oldest topo map available is 1953, so that is not going to help find the CA&S.

Jeffrey Bossaer posted four photos with the comment: "A north and south railroad in Warren County, Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad many years until 1921, then Chicago Attica and Southern Railroad, 1922-1946. A local history magazine article, the gravel pit near Kickapoo, and train wrecks near Kickapoo."

Jeffrey Bossaer shared

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Ron Mahoy posted
Old railroad “filling tower” in what I think was a sand quarry at one time…

In repsponse to Ron's post above, Jeffrey Bossaer put together a couple of posts of images for the Indiana Railroads & History Group: 17 images about the branch and and 11 images about the gravel pit that is now the Badlands Off Road Park.

Romulus, MI: Wabash & PM Union Station and Junction Tower: CSX/PM vs. NS/Wabash

Tower: (Satellite)

Depot: (Satellite)

Peter Dudley shared
Here's a c. 1930s (?) view of the east / west Wabash Railway mainline at Romulus Junction, where the north / south Pere Marquette Railway (PM) crossed at right angles (J.M. Cave photo).
Today's Norfolk Southern Railway / CSX Transportation double-track rail lines still cross here, but the depot and the interlocking tower are long-gone.
Some favor a railroad park here.

Comments on a post

Doug Hefty posted

Photo credit:  Mark Hinsdale

🎶"Blinded by the light...."🎶 I've noticed Romulus is one of the most-photographed locations on the Michigan Division, and Mark got this nice shot of a northbound passing the tower in February 1979.  Unfortunately, the tower operators' days are numbered here and the tower will close in a few months -- September 1979.  If you look to the left of the train you can see part of the new cantilever and signal mast as part of the installation to automate the interlocking.  Before the changeover, a panel on our CTC concole in Saginaw was modified to include the switch to double track and associated signal icons.  A signal coded-in by us north or south did not line in the field until our train was on the approach -- around New  Boston for NB and around Palmer Rd Wayne for SB (provided Wayne Jct was lined).  In the meantime, N&W could get the signal if they beat us to the punch.  The days are also numbered for N&W.  In July 1980, N&W would be folded into Norfolk Southern.  I missed working with the operators at Romulus after the tower closed, no longer hearing them announce "Romulus--northbound!"

Mark Hinsdale: Life-long friend Erick Facknitz trying to “exit, stage left,” from the picture. Erick dispatched for many years at GTW, in Pontiac and Troy. Mostly the 2nd Trick, “TD-2” position.

Tim Shanahan shared

Romulus Michigan

Jim Kelling shared

Romulus Michigan (C&O/Wabash crossing)

Charlie Whipp posted

First of all, most of my railfan friends know from first glance where this was taken. I wrote the caption for Flickr keeping in mind many out of State and overseas folks that have never set foot in Michigan and know that Romulus was the first king of Rome but have never heard of Romulus, MI. That said, I simply pasted my Flickr caption here because being basically lazy, I didn't want to write another one

"One of the slides that were a little difficult to scan I recently picked out to is this one, taken at Romulus, MI MP 19 (From Detroit) on the ex-Wabash main line that stretched between St. Louis and Detroit, then into the Buffalo gateway via CN trackage rights through Ontario.

The 3483 is an ex-Wabash GP7 that I caught on a quick stop on a circle trip that I used to enjoy taking in south eastern Michigan that hit as many towers as I could in a day. I usually spent a limited time at each spot, moving on if there wasn't anything happening. The sun obviously wasn't in the greatest position for this photo but I'm glad that I decided to snap it. It shows the old Wabash depot that would burn a few years later, Romulus tower not lasting too much longer after the depot went by the wayside.

With a little fiddling around in Photoshop, I was able to bring out some details in the shadows that only Kodachrome could have rendered. 11-6-1975." Yesterday's Flickr photo

Charlie Whipp shared

CSX/C&O/PM is the north/south route. Building I-94 must have gutted what was between I-94 and the Wabash tracks so Goddard no longer crosses the tracks. We are looking west along the Wabash. Historic Aerials indicates the buildings were removed between 1973 and 1999.

Mark Hinsdale posted

"Run Through"

Back in the 1960's and 70's, a railroad's locomotives didn't often leave home rails, except in a few exceptional and specially arranged circumstances. So, when Nortolk and Western started operating foreign power to and from Detroit, by way of its western connections in Kansas City and St. Louis, it was a notable event for local railfans. Over time, of course, the standardization of radio technology, accounting methods and the locomotives themselves, brought us to where we are today, with power from any given railroad just as likely to be seen far from "home" rails as it is on it's owning road. It wasn't always that way, though, and I recall being pumped whenever an encounter on N&W (or other lines) would yield a photograph of "exotic" power not often seen where I lived. A case in point: a westbound N&W merchandise train blasts across the Chesapeake & Ohio's Toledo Subdivision at Romulus MI, two days before Christmas in December, 1978, led by a pair of Southern Pacific and SP subsidiary Cotton Belt units. Union Pacific power was also regularly observed on this former Wabash main line. December, 1978 photo by Mark Hinsdale.

Mark Hinsdale posted

Mark Hinsdale posted
A high nosed GE U28B in charge, a westbound Norfolk & Western manifest train is crossing Chessie System's Saginaw to Toledo main line at Romulus MI, on the former Wabash in March, 1975.  The Romulus depot visible to the far right did not have long to live, it was demolished within a year.  March, 1975 photo by Mark Hinsdale.
Mark Hinsdale shared

Marty Bernard posted six photos with the comment:

Bill Howes spent some time at Romulus, MI the afternoon of August 25, 1972. Romulus is where the C&O and N&W (now CSX and NS) cross and is about 25 miles west and a little south of Detroit.
Captions with photos.

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The N&W Local about to cross the C&O. N&W 1366 was a high hood GP 40. Bill Howes photo
Winston Beech Classic ball herald fade on locos from this time period. The herald was solid yellow with the inverse half moon logo painted over it - when it faded you just got the "sunshine" version. Most common on GP40s for some reason. I did that on my 1349.

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2 and 3. The N&W Local switching the C&O interchange.

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2 and 3. The N&W Local switching the C&O interchange.
Ray Schloss Omg remember when boxcars looked this clean.
[And the "green light" in the O of SOUTHERN.]

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The N&W Local again at the Tower. Bill Howes photo
Dennis Holmes Wow. Cool old '68 Ford Country Squire!

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An N&W westbound manifest about to cross the C&O ~2 PM. The leader, N&W 8532, was a high hood U30B. Bill Howes photo
John W. Lyon Probably DK13

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An N&W westbound manifest about to cross the C&O ~2 PM. The leader, N&W 8532, was a high hood U30B. Bill Howes photo
Bob Finan James -ex Wabash streamlined cupola caboose #2808.
Mark Hinsdale Passing Romulus (MI) Tower westbound, crossing C&O.
Colin 't Hart https://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=133810
Winston Beech Class C18 caboose; made by OMI in brass and Wright Track in resin.

Jeff Mast posted
Jumping way back again to Romulus, Michigan - September 6, 1975 and there are more flowers than sunshine, however this N&W train KD-12 (Kansas City to Detroit) was doing the best to set some land speed record as usual on the former Wabash. The diamond with the C&O was in pretty bad shape, being "low" and I was really surprised how fast this eastbound was approaching. I see the tower operator Harry who would usually watch trains from the middle landing on the stairs, had the same idea I had which was get ready to run in case the train decided to distribute itself across downtown Romulus.
[And another view of the depot. Did they move the depot to make room for the double track?]

Roger Riblett shared

Comments on Jeff's post

Industrialmodels posted
2/66 ...Emery Gulash was at Romulus MI
Tim Shanahan shared

Darren Reynolds posted seven photos with the comment:

Wabash/C&O

"Romulus" tower 

Romulus, Michigan 

This tower is no longer standing

Doug Hefty: The tower burned. I was working 3rd Asst Chief in Saginaw. Burned through our code and communication lines. Fun night.

The RRHX site says the tower burned in January 1980.

Tim Shanahan shared

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On May 1977 a C&O Eng # 3784 passes "Romulus" tower

Photo by: Doug Leffler

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A Chessie caboose crosses the Dimond at "Romulus" tower on Oct 30,1978

Photo by: C.H.Geletzke Jr.

Sean Atteberry: That became my caboose in Ludington.

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A picture of the model board at "Romulus" tower 1960's

Photo by: Emery Gulash

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The operator at "Romulus" tower takes a break in between trains 1960's

Photo by: Emery Gulash

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The interlocking machine (Armstrong leavers) inside of

"Romulus" tower 1960's

Photo by: Emery Gulash

Doug Hefty: The levers by the window controlled the C&O train order signal.

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A C&O train passes by "Romulus" tower on Oct 30,1978

Photo by: C.H.Geletzke Jr.

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"Romulus" tower on the right and the depot on the left

At Romulus, Michigan

Photo & Date: Unknown

Attica, IN: Old Aerial Views and 1873 Map

(Update: Jeffrey reposted these two photos and added a couple of old maps.)

Jeffrey Bossaer posted two photos with the comment:

1869 aerial view of Attica, Indiana showing the main line railroad built in about 1855, the wood covered bridge across the Wabash River, and spur through town to Mill Street. Everything is now as it was then except the bridge is a more modern design and the spur extends all the way to the south edge of town to a large grain facility.

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[Looking East]

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Railroad spur to Mill Street in red, Wabash and Erie Canal in yellow. The railroad put the canal out of business by the early 1870's, so in 1881 a railroad was built on the canal towpath from Attica to Covington. It operated until 1932 to Covington and to the gravel pit south of Attica until the 1970's. This branch line never made a connection in Covington, but connected to two other railroads in the vicinity of Mill Street in Attica. The depot is at the Fourth Street crossing at the north edge of town, nearly cut off in this picture

Jeffrey Bossaer posted
This undated map of Attica, IN shows the Indiana North and South Railroad possibly connecting with the (Wabash Railroad) at Mill Street. Notice this was before the north and south railroad was extended across the Wabash River and on further northward, and before the Wabash and Erie Canal ceased operating about 1875. After the canal was abandoned the railroad branch to Covington was built on the towpath in 1881. I'm guessing this map to be 1873.

Millbrook, IL: Lost Wood Grain Elevator and CB&Q's OO&FRV Branch Operations

If you are here because of "Neilson Junction: BNSF/CB&Q vs. UP/C&EI," then go to there.

(Satellite)

OO&FRV = Ottawa, Oswego & Fox River Valley RR

Don Crimmin posted
It is hard to believe that Illinois Railway's Ottawa branch has been operating for 28 years as a shortline.  BN 2978 and 2928 are westbound passing the now-razed wooden elevator at Millbrook, IL, on September 12, 1997, during the branch's final year under BNSF stewardship.

Street View, Sep 2016

I had to fire up Google Earth to find a satellite image that still had the elevator and steel bin. Thus Jul 2022 image has it. They were gone in the next image, Apr 2023.

Google Earth, Jul 2022

Comments on Don's post

More comments on Don's post

Harold's photo of the bridge over the Illinois River.

Danville, IL: CSX/.../Big Four (Egyptian) Lyons Railyard, Coal Dock, Water Towers & Roundhouse and Hobbs Tower

Actually, the yard is south of Danville. It is so long that it passes by two small towns: Hegeler and Belgium. Satellite images are below.

Coal towers used a bin elevator or skip hoist to raise the coal into the coal storage bin. An alternative was the coal dock where the coal was raised by shoving the cars up a ramp.

New York Central System Historical Society posted

Evie N Bob Bruns posted
NYC 7612 at Lyons yard (Danville) 6/25/1950

Satellite

This remnant of the Egyptian line is still used today. Lyons Yard is gone, but it is still mostly "brownland" east of the mainline between Spelter Ave. in Hegeler, IL, and Hickman St. in Belgium, IL. with Lyons St. crossing its middle.

1940 Aerial
Photo from
ILHAP

The engine servicing facilities starting with the roundhouse were just south of Lyons St.

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Satellite

You can still see traces of some stalls and the western half of the turntable.

Eric Berg posted three photos with the comment: "New York Centrals Hobbs tower located on the south end of Lyons yard in Danville, Illinois.  All taken on May 30th, 1919 by an unknown photographer.  Probably NYC Company shots...."

Seth Lakin: It was 200 feet south of Hickman St, on the south end of Lyons yards according to valuation maps.

James Kehn: I call this a 2X style stilt Big Four tower. Note the stairway entrance on the side. It goes straight into the door and doesn't hug the side of the building like most. I wrote a two- part article on building a similar tower in O scale in NYC MODELER e-zine back in 2018.

Rick Giles: James Kehn Variations on a theme. I never noticed the pronounced overhang of the cabin over the legs of the support structure on the 2X size towers. Gives it even more of a spindly appearance than usual. Really makes the tower look like it wouldn't take much to make the whole thing collapse. The larger 3X and 4X towers don't seem to have that from what I've seen in photos.

Seth Lakin: During WWI the US government “nationalized” all of the country’s railroads in 1917. Part of the deal is that they would be returned to the private companies with in 24 months of peace in the same condition as when they were taken. Part of that was a valuation survey was conducted on every inch of the county’s railroads. Track diagrams were taken, all structure sketched and larger ones photographed. It appears that these photos are part of that survey.

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