Engine Servicing: (Satellite) Long gone.
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| McHenry County Historical Society posted This 1955 east bound view of the station area in Crystal Lake is interesting for three reasons. Note the large black water tower in the center left of the photo. This was used as a water station for commuter steam engines. The foundation of that tower can still be found at the southeast corner of the Main Street crossing of the tracks. Beyond the water tower the coaling tower used to fuel steam locomotives can be seen. Note the truck at the far right of the photo. That is a Railroad Express Agency truck, a predecessor to United Parcel and FedEx in the days when packages came by rail to local communities. Finally, note the passenger railroad car located at the far left of the photograph. That is a very early bi-level passenger car, similar to those used today. That car came into use in 1955. Kevan Davis: I see two water tanks, and im not counting the one on the building. [I saw two as well.] William Lambe shared Paul Hillmer: Kalmbach Model Railroad Planning issue last year had a great article on making a model of that area. Bob Jungmann: Had they used their heads when they remodeled the train station within the last 10 years they COULD have moved it across the tracks and turned it 180 degrees so that commuters had a warm place to wait for trains. The little "shelters" with the "toaster oven" heaters 5 feet above the heads of commuters just don't make it in our Winter season. In Barrington they moved the entire brick train station 3 blocks and away from the tracks and made it into a restaurant---why didn't they move the C.L. station to be more "user friendly ?? If you cross the tracks when the lights are flashing the fine is $500.00---that "cash cow" would have disappeared had the station been moved into a better position to serve commuters. With many people now working from home, maybe those commuter trains will go the way of the steam engine. Doug Murphy posted I hope you enjoy this 1955 east bound view of the station area in Crystal Lake which is interesting to me for three reasons: 1) the large black water tower in the center left of the photo. I think the foundation of that tower can still be found at the southeast corner of the Main Street crossing of the tracks. Beyond the water tower is the coaling tower. 2) Note the Railroad Express Agency truck at the far right. Finally, 3) note the early bi-level car that was new in 1955. Tyson Park: In addition to multiple Metra trains UP runs a unit grain train to and from Janesville on this line. It originates in Evansville, WI, runs loads southbound then returns with empties. A way freight also out of Janesville comes all the way down once or twice a week to work local industries and will pass the Crystal Lake downtown depot to back up onto the wye just to the east then head up to the Terra Cotta Industries (TCI) plant on the line the McHenry line, going under the Harvard Subdivision. A very rare train that passes through Crystal Lake is movement of massive marine engines from the Fairbanks-Morse plant in Beloit. UP runs specials for them with idler cars on the end. William Moyer: Thanks for posting! There are actually two water towers in the photo, but the camera angle makes it difficult to distinguish one from the other. The tank in the foreground held 75,000 gallons, whereas the taller tank behind it held 125,000 gallons. Both tanks were erected in 1927. Toward the left side of the photo, between the tracks and the platform shelter, there's a penstock for filling the tenders of locomotives on the left-hand track. Out of the picture, to the right of the tracks and behind the photographer, there was another penstock for filling locomotive tenders on the right-hand track. I vaguely recall seeing men using a torch to cut up those water tanks in 1962, when I was a kid |
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| Street View |
I checked out a topo map before looking on the satellite because I didn't expect an old building to still be used. I was surprised to see the black rectangle on the south side of the tracks since UP/C&NW runs left-handed. Bob's comment confirms that the depot on the south side is an issue. Note the turntable over by the junction. This would be part of the engine servicing facilities than included the water towers and coaling tower. Crystal Lake is no long the terminus for the commuter service. See the junction notes for more information about the commuters.
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| 1962 Crystal Lake Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 |
Most commuter trains go beyond Crystal Lake, but a number of them are short-turned here.
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