Worden, IL: Worden Coal Mine

(Satellite)

Jim Yasinski posted
Worden, Illinois Coal Mine

Worden Quad

Indexes 2801-03 all had the name "Worden" in their corporate history.

Directory

But I think the dates of Index 453 are more consistent with the photo. This map marks the remains of 453 and 2799 as "mine dump." A contemporary map shows that UP now owns the NYC route. This surprised me, so I dug into it. NYC was the Big Four. And the Big Four and C&EI shared this route. Of course, the C&NW used to be the Litchfield & Madison Railway. The abandoned C&NW, along with the abandoned Illinois Terminal south of town, is now the Madison County Transit Quercus Grove Trail.

1954 Worden Quad @ 24,000

The buildings were removed by 1941, but there was still a lot of work to do before it was a park.

1941 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Trenton, NJ: Trenton Iron and Roebling Wire Steel Mills

Trenton Iron: (3D Satellite, it is the triangle that now contains a sports arena)

Roebling Wire: (Satellite, it was on the east side of NJ-129/Pennsy RR/Delaware & Raritan Canal)

Trenton also had the colonial Trenton Steel Works (satellite). The web page describes the cementation process. It makes you appreciate why the Kelly/Bessemer Process made steel so much cheaper.

Scott Lynn posted
American Steel and Wire.
Later became the US Steel Trenton Works. I worked there for 5 years before they closed the plant. Made bridge cable, crane rope, and other wire rope up to 5 inch! They made cannons and cannon balls for the civil war in one of the buildings. Long gone now😔.
Mark Kennedy: My Father started in Sales there in 50"s and then USS purchased them. Still increasing Steel Spring Sales, Invented and Coined "King and Queenn Size Mattress" Working with Mattress and Furniture Manufactures developed "Flexsteel"
James Torgeson: The wire and cable for "Mighty Mac" was made there!
Scott Lynn: James Torgeson amazing how many different types of cable and wire we made there. The last job I had there was working in “pre-stress.” We would stretch the cable to a certain percentage of it’s maximum capacity to take all of the structural stretch out of the cable. It was amazing the weight that some of them were rated at. It was a really interesting place to work!
Dennis DeBruler: This steel mill is evidently in New Jersey instead of Michigan. Where was it in Trenton? The original plant was near the downtown and was a lot smaller.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.nj1096.photos?st=gallery&c=160
Scott Lynn: Dennis DeBruler that plant was right next to the US Steel one. At the time of this picture it would have been on the other side of the canal. When I worked there the canal had been filled in and there were railroad tracks in its place.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Scott's comment

So there were two companies making wire right next to each other. No wonder I was confused. NJ-129 used to be the Pennsylvania Railroad, which used to be a canal.

1907 Trenton Quadrangle @ 125,000

You worked at what started as Trenton Iron and what is now a sports arena.

http://www.vonbleichert.eu/trenton-iron-american-wire-us-steel/

Part of Roebling Wire would be in the lower-right corner of the photo.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.2090826,-74.7544838,339a,35y,329.43h,53.28t/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

Dennis DeBruler commented on Scott's post

HAER NJ,11-TRET,33-

"Significance: In 1848 John A. Roebling purchased a 25 acre site along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in Chambersburg (now a part of Trenton) for his wire rope business. Roebling designed the buildings and machinery and directed the company until his death in 1869, when his three sons Washington, Ferdinand, and Charles took over. Besides designing, building, and supplying cable and wire rope for important suspension bridges from the 1860s to the 1930s, the company manufactured wire rope and related products for shipping, mining, construction (including the Panama Canal), electrical power transmission, cable cars, tramways, aircraft, submarine netting, musical instruments, elevators, logging and oil drilling. By World War I, the factory was the largest wire rope plant in the world and the company grew considerably in response to steadily increasing demands for its products."

https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.nj1096.sheet

This factory was not the largest. Roebling built three more plants including the 1904 Kinkora Works a little downstream from Trenton.

https://goo.gl/maps/1YKsGJgPu2MHnEBT9

Library Company of Philadelphia - 1
Aerial views of the the American Steel and Wire Company plant. In 1848 John A. Roebling purchased a 25 acre site along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in Chambersburg (now a part of Trenton) for his wire rope business. Roebling designed the buildings and machinery and directed the company until his death in 1869, when his sons took over. The company manufactured wire rope and related products for suspension bridges, shipping, mining, construction (including the Panama Canal), electrical power transmission, cable cars, tramways, aircraft, submarine netting, musical instruments, elevators, logging and oil drilling. By World War I, the factory was the largest wire rope plant in the world and the company grew considerably in response to steadily increasing demands for its products. The company was a subsidiary of the U.S. Steel Corporation. The views show ortions of the plant from several angles with the city of Trenton visible in the distance.

Library Company of Philadelphia - 2
[Part of Roebling Wire is in the middle right of this photo.]

Library Company of Philadelphia - 1

Du Bois, PA: B&O Backshop

(Satellite)

This town is now served by the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad.

Raymond Storey posted two images with the comment: "DuBOIS PA."

1

2

Today, Buffalo & Pittsburgh operates the B&O and Pennsy routes in this town.

1944 Du Bois Quad @ 62,500

Dennis DeBruler commented on Raymond's post
Apr 10, 1965 @ 27,000
https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/scene/metadata/full/5e83d8e4870f4473/AR1VAYR20010011/

Dennis DeBruler commented on Raymond's post
It looks like Eagle Railcar Services is now using the backshop building, including the transfer table.
https://goo.gl/maps/gRm2oDDAAa8Nb4J3A

Enfield, IL: Consolidated Grain and Barge Grain Elevator

(Satellite)

Jim Pearson Photography posted
This week’s Saturday Infrared photo is of Consolidated Grain and Barge 9202, as they load grain cars at Enfield, Illinois on May 22nd, 2023. From what I can find online this is probably a GP8 locomotive, ex-CMGN, RCO, but don’t quote me on that. I’m not really a power guy, but more of a visual one. I’m always hesitant to say what the power in my photos because there’s so many variations of locomotives. If you have any inputs or thoughts, please feel free to add them to the comments!
Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Nikon 10-24mm @14mm, f/5, 1/250, ISO 200.

When I saw that a USGS map labeled the east/west rail as CSX, I dug deeper because I expected that line to now be the Evansville & Western Railroad (EVWR). I was right because that route was the L&N. And the spur for the grain elevator is a remnant of a B&O line.

1944 Enfield Quad @ 62,500

 I found their locomotive parked on the siding.  I also saw that the B&O remnant is now a small yard. As Jim indicated, CGB loads their own hoppers. But they don't have to fill a complete unit train. EVWR is willing to take cuts of hoppers from multiple grain elevators along their route and consolidate them into a unit train for delivery to CSX in Howell Yard in Evansville, IN.

Satellite

I confirmed that the B&O line is the abandoned route that used to go from the Ohio River to Springfield, IL.

DavidRumsey

Ridgway, PA: Preserved B&O/BR&P and Pennsy Depots

B&O/BR&P: (Satellite)

Pennsy: (Satellite)

This town is now served by the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad.

B&O Depot

Street View, Nov 2015

 

Mark Hinsdale shared his post

Raymond Storey posted
RIDGWAY, PA
Vincent Workman Sr: 10 miles per hour through Ridgway.
Dennis DeBruler: Ridgway has also preserved the Pennsy depot.
https://goo.gl/maps/nUhve87TMyKNK5zu9

Pennsy Depot

Street View, Aug 2018

Buffalo, NY: 1930 Cargill/Canadian Pool Grain Elevator

(3D Satellite)

Most of Buffalo's grain elevators are along the river. But this one was on the lakeshore.

Bill Kloss posted
Aquarama laid up in Buffalo, NY. 3/2006 She went to scrap [in India] from here.
Entered Great Lakes service Oct 1956 conducting post-season excursions out of Detroit MI. Began regular summer excursion service 1957 operating between Detroit and Cleveland OH.
Laid up at end of 1962 season at Muskegon MI and did not operate again.
Sold 1987 to North Shore Farming Co., Port Stanley ON for use as a hotel and towed to Sarnia ON for refit. The project was cancelled. Towed to Windsor ON 1989, then to Buffalo NY 1995. Sold for scrap 2007 to Indian shipbreakers.
Steve McManus: The Aquarama was supposed to replace the Milwaukee Clipper on the Muskegon to Milwaukee run, but couldn't maneuver the Milwaukee harbor due to draft.
Ken Morrison: Steve McManus So you're saying that the Aquarama had a deeper draft than a footer. Than the John D. Leitch full of slag. Than the Algoma Intrepid full of salt. Than the CSL Laurentian full of grain. Ships and loads I've witnessed in Milwaukee Harbor. That kind of draft issue.Steve McManus The Viking Octantis, which visited Milwaukee's Inner Harbor several times in 2022, has a draft of about 20 feet. The Aquarama was 21 feet; both about half of the other ships I've mentioned. If there was a draft issue concerning the Aquarama, I'd be curious to know what it was, is all.
The Viking Octantis, which visited Milwaukee's Inner Harbor several times in 2022, has a draft of about 20 feet. The Aquarama was 21 feet; both about half of the other ships I've mentioned. If there was a draft issue concerning the Aquarama, I'd be curious to know what it was, is all.
Harry Nowak: Are those grain silos?

Dennis DeBruler commented on Harry's comment
 Yes, but I could not find this grain elevator on a satellite image. This is the only elevator that has a large body of water and a breakwater in the background. But it doesn't have the tall headhouse. I used Global Earth to go back to Apr 2002, and it sill didn't have the tall headhouse. Nor could I find the bridge in the foreground. And there are other elements of the photo that don't agree with that elevator.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.8720104,-78.8804941,215a,35y,39.4t/data=!3m1!1e3
[Bubba Dubs responded: "That’s the Cargill Pool grain elevator, the only Elevator in Buffalo located directly on the lake. Here’s the map coordinates:"
https://maps.apple.com/?ll=42.840025,-78.859209&q=Dropped%20Pin&t=h]

Dennis DeBruler responded to Bubba's comment
Thanks. I had searched the lake shore from Buffalo River north to the Erie Canal, including what the Erie Basin used to look like. But I forgot to look south along the shore.
1950 Buffalo NW Quad @ 24,000

Street View, Oct 2022

 

Deborah Brown posted
Good Afternoon Buffalorians 🚶🏿‍♀️ Canadian Pool Elevator, originally called Saskatchewan Cooperative Elevator 1932 🌾🌾
Salvatore Palermo: It was common to see these , Great , Great Lake freighters docked in the buffalo harbor , back in the 60s & 70s my dad worked on them back in late 50s.
Brian R. Wroblewski: Salvatore Palermo we don't get a "couple" a year. We typically get between 65-75 vessel transits a year & we just had the busiest January in decades with 14 boats for the month.
Tara AndBrian Kemp: That’s Bouquard’s, boat livery in the foreground, it’s been in their family for generations and still looks the same!
Jim Myers shared
Karen Limardi: I can't make out the name of the ship ...really cool photo !
Brian R. Wroblewski: Karen Limardi Hoschelga

There is quite a bit of discussion in the comments on Deborah's post concerning Articulated Tug Barges including this one.

Brian R. Wroblewski commented on Deborah's post

The WILTRANCO

I would like to touch on a subject not written about much in the popular Great Lakes press and media. The concept of the lake freighter turned tug-barge is a fascinating subject that doesn't get much coverage in local historical circles. Back in 1962 the Wilson Marine Transit Company took on a project that in hindsight appeared to have been about 30 years ahead of its time. The aging 588-foot steamer HORACE S WILKINSON had run its course as a powered vessel. Having been built in 1917 she was mechanically worn out to the point that Wilson could no longer run her at a profit. The company had been known for their forward thinking when it came to technology with many past ships having introduced firsts such as bow thrusters, radiotelephones, and one-piece hatch covers to the Great Lakes. Wilson decided at that time to try and convert the WILKINSON to a 535-foot prototype laker-tug-barge, which, if proven successful, would be copied throughout the fleet. The ship's old superstructure was removed, a stern notch created for a push tug, and auxiliary power installed to run her deck equipment. The old engine room housed water pumps, electric generators, and an air compressor to run the deck winches. In the bow it had a 500hp diesel to run the bowthruster. The large tug BRIAN MCALLISTER was contracted to push her on the Great Lakes, and the combination went into service in June of 1963. The barge was then renamed WILTRANCO as an abbreviation of the Wilson Transit Company. The first season ended uneventfully with the barge being sent to Buffalo with a grain storage cargo for the winter. At only 3,000 horsepower the MCALLISTER proved to be underpowered since she had trouble handling the WILTRANCO and was eventually returned to her owning company in favor of a new build tug called the FRANCIS A. SMALL. This tug was a better match for the WILTRANCO since she was rated near 6,000 HP but the barge had a mind of her own and proved to be even too much for the SMALL.

As far as handling the WILTRANCO, that seemed a mystery. Even with her adjustable skegs, the barge was a tough pusher. She also liked to wander all over the lake when being towed and the wires had to be kept short to maintain headway using all the tug's available power. When moving through Buffalo Harbor on her dedicated coal run from Toledo to Tonawanda, the SMALL would tow the barge, and have a G tug on the stern, the reason was that they did not have the proper cables to rig up the SMALL in the notch. On the way downbound in the Black Rock Canal, the SMALL and G tug would tie up the barge at the East wall before the lock. The SMALL and the G tug would then lock through together without the barge. The barge winched itself into the lock for passage, and when she reached the proper water level, the lock gate would open and the SMALL would hook up on the bow of the barge. The G tug would wait until the barge cleared the lock gates and would get the stern towline on the fly. They turned her around just at the red buoy abreast of Semet Solvay dock. She was docked pointing up river. There were a couple of plant employees waiting to help tie up, and there was a catwalk to land on across the mooring dolphins at the coal dock. The tug SMALL would tie up alongside the barge as she was worked over by the unloading rig. The overhead unloading crane was stationary, so they just shifted up and down the dock to be unloaded. It took between 16 to 18 hours to unload. The unloader was a bridge type with a small cab with an operator inside that rode on two rails under the tramway that extended over the barge. The small cab had a couple of spools of cable with a clam bucket to lift the coal to a conveyer belt that ran under River Rd. to a pile on Semet Solvay property.

The WILTRANCO's first major accident took place on 6-30-67 while they were coming back to Buffalo loaded with coal for Semet Solvay. It was found that there was a hole in the WILTRANCO due to grounding on some unknown object and that she had been taking on water. The Captain beached the barge on the West side of the canal just before the Peace Bridge heading North. There, a salvage diver stuffed the hole with old bed mattresses and they proceeded to Semet Solvay to unload.

The tug-barge combination was doing pretty well until they lost the WILTRANCO on 10-26-67, in some bad weather. By this time the SMALL had the proper cables rigged in the notch, and she was going out the North Entrance light. Bad weather kicked up the lake making the going rough, a cable parted and the barge broke loose from her tug. The WILTRANCO drifted, and ended up stuck on a shoal near Wanakah. Wilson's insurance carrier wrote off the barge as a total loss. The tug SMALL ran out of work to do, was eventually sold off lakes, and then lost in the Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast. The WILTRANCO was salvaged by Clyde Van Enkevort and placed back in service after repairs were made in 1970. She was pushed by the tugs OLIVE L MOORE and LEE REUBEN before being taken out of service in 1973 for the last time. The barge was towed to Santander Spain for scrapping in September of 1973.

Hindsight is 20-20 but looking back on the WILTRANCO, some small improvements may have made her a more viable carrier for her timeframe. Even though modern tug-barge coupling technology was still years away, a few modifications may have helped the WILTRANCO. A deeper notch and a better cable system might have given her push tugs a more secure connection at the stern of the barge. A higher horsepower tug with better cable handling equipment on deck right from the start may have given her more control over the barge. A slightly larger crew of possibly 10 men instead of 8 may have lessened the workload and made her a more efficient carrier. All these factors have been worked out over the last 30 years resulting in the very successful articulated and integrated tug-barge units we have today based on almost the same concept as the WILTRANCO, but with a slight tweak here or there. Information from the lake operations of the WILTRANCO was eventually applied to Litton Industries Integrated Tug-Barge Unit PRESQUE ISLE, originally designed for operation by Wilson Marine Transit Company.

Many people have the impression that the WILTRANCO's short career was a disaster, and rumors of harsh conditions for the tug crew persist to this day. Most of this can be attributed to the fear of something new coming along since the tug-barge concept at that time was initially seen as a threat to lake sailors used to working on powered vessels. Time has proven this untrue since there are currently a growing number of tug-barges in service with more on the way, but still peacefully co-existing with ships of all types on the Great Lakes and Ocean trades. Once seen as a failure, the WILTRANCO was a concept far ahead of its time that represented the look of things to come.

Chris Mac posted
The Cargill Pool Elevator, 1489 Fuhrmann Blvd in Buffalo
Chris Mac shared

 

James Cavanaugh Photography posted
From my Archive. A 2005 view of the SS Aquarama berthed at the Cargill (Canadian Pool) grain silo in Buffalo's Outer Harbor. It remained there a number of years. The ship's owners hoped to restore the ship but they were eventually unsuccessful.
John Davis: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2078012889188344/?ref=share&mibextid=Na33Lf
She was my favorite vessel back in my youth. It's unfortunate that she lived a troubled life and was never very profitable for her owner's. The Marine Star aka Aquarama was eventually towed to Turkey for scraping.
Jim Cavanaugh shared

 

Chuck Terranov commented on Jim's share

Brian R. Wroblewski commented on Jim's post
One I took before they shifted her over to the Cargil pier.

 Doug O. Dean commented on Jim's post
Realizing her fate...

 Doug O. Dean commented on Jim's post
Preparing to be broke.

This photo was taken from the elevator rather than of the elevator. The comment provides the opening date of 1930.

Antonio Medina posted
Bouquards Boat Livery, taken from the roof of the brand new Canadian Pool Elevator. Buffalo, NY 1930.
[Some comments confirmed that the steel mill in the background was the Hanna Furnace.
Bouquard's Boat Livery is now a boat ramp.]

Vinceenes, IN: B&O "VN" Tower: Bridge Control

(Satellite, it was in the eastern quadrant of the crossing)

The tower controlled the swing span in the bridge over the Wabash river. The track that crossed the mainline was an industrial spur.

Darren Reynolds posted
B&Os "VN" tower...Vincennes, Indiana
Chuck McAbee: When I worked the Operator's position at Vincennes in 1966-67 the position was housed in the corner of the Depot where the C&EI crossed over the B&O at grade - not at the Wabash River bridge.
Greg Amerman: That is a old picture, didn't even know there was ever a tower there but, I guess there had to be one for the turntable on the bridge.
Larry McLin: My dad Ralph McLin, turned one span of that bridge once a year. B&O Road Electrician.

1944 Vincennes Quad @ 62,500

According to the above topo map, the industrial spur connected with both the B&O and the C&EI. It still connects to CSX because Wabash Steel still uses rail service.

Satellite

Moundsville, WV: 1971 1.6gw Mitchell Power Plant and Marshall County Coal Mine

Power: (Satellite)

Mine: (Satellite)

Barge Loading: (Satellite)

"Units and In-Service Dates: Unit 1: 816.3 MW (1971), Unit 2: 816.3 MW (1971)" [gem]

This is a new view of a power plant.

Shane's Snapshots posted
W.M. Robinson the boat working at Mitchell Power Plant at MM 113 on the Ohio! Thanks to Bradley for the pic!

The plant has installed a dry fly ash handling system that stores what can't be sold to cement companies in a lined landfill. But there is still the problem of how to deal with the wet ash storage that is on site, and how to fund it. Rate increases have become a political football in Kentucky. [wvpublic] West Virginia has approved the rate increase, but Kentucky has not. Scanning the search results, it seems every they plan to run until 2028, and some think it should run until 2040.

While looking at the satellite image, I noticed that there were more, and bigger, coal piles than is normal for a power plant. I wondered if this was a mine mouth power plant. I did find that the facilities on the east side of Energy Highway are Marshall County Coal.

Satellite

The power plant is on the left and the coal mine is on the right in this street view.

Street View, May 2023

If it was a mine-mouth power plant, then there must have been a disagreement because the coal mine now has a big barge loading facility. Note that it has two loading docks. I included the Kammer Plant land in the lower-left because I have seen evidence that a power plant used to be there. Or maybe Mitchell wasn't a mine-mouth power plant. Maybe the power plant and mine are collocated because this happens to be a flat spot along the river.

Satellite

When one does a Google search for "marshal coal mine," one learns that there is an underground coal mine in Colorado that is burning. Also, Illinois has a Marshall County that has a lot of coal mines. But a search with "marshall coal mine wv" was productive.

Anonymous member posted three photos with the comment: "Photos of Unit 1 at Mitchell Power Station in New Eagle PA that flew apart after over speeding. The other is the 300MW unit 3 at Mitchell that produced 288MW after powering all auxiliary systems. The plant closed down in 2013."

1

2

3

Comments on the anonymous post

This photo is the evidence that there used to be two power plants here. The one in the background is this Mitchell Power Plant. The one in the middle is gone. The facility on this side of the abandoned power plant is the Marshall barge loading facility. Note that there is the Ohio Valley Transload facility on the Ohio side of the river.

acnrinc

The transload facility on the Ohio side is also labelled Murray Energy Corporation. It can both load (left side) and unload barges. But I don't see any decent rail service nor significant storage capacity. So I don't know what the purpose of this facility is.

Satellite

When I was checking out the CSX/B&O railroad to confirm that this plant uses just barges for coal, I did find some rail service. But it is tank cars.

Satellite

Harsco is now called enviri. I found evidence that they do something with coal piles. But I don't know what they do with them nor why they would need tank cars.

enviri