Boone, IA: C&NW Roundhouse and Lost 8th Street Tower

Roundhouse: (Satellite)

Tower: (Satellite)

Brent Hegstrom posted
Boone, Iowa, Chicago North Western Railroad, Roundhouse, Turntable
Patrick Hansen shared

 

Dennis DeBruler commented on Patrick's share
It is easy to determine that the roundhouse was southwest of the turntable. https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0617213,-93.8648511,356m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

It appears that part of the roundhouse had been removed by 1965.

1965 Boone East Quad @ 24,000

So I got the oldest aerial available even though the scale was only 1:70,000 to confirm that it was larger than is shown on the 1965 topo map.

EarthExplorer: May 22, 1950 @ 70,000; ARA000700292868

I then got a higher resolution aerial to confirm that part of the roundhouse had been removed per the topo map. But it was still intact in 1963.

EarthExplorer: Dec 3, 1063 @ 17,000; AR1VAUD00020139
Dennis DeBruler commented on his comment
I updated the satellite image to include the concrete pad that is south of the roundhouse remnant because that appears to be a backshop in this 1963 aerial photo with a scale of 1:17,000.

Did they reduce the roundhouse between 1963 and 1965? Maybe so. I got the next available aerial and the roundhouse is smaller. But the topo map shows the wrong remaining segment of the roundhouse. I also learned that a scale of 1:101,389 is good enough to see roundhouses and backshops.

EarthExplorer: Apr 23, 1971 @ 101,389; AR6171000704510 

John Sprecher posted
Found this post card on eBay

Tim Starr posted two images with the comment: "Chicago and North Western roundhouse and shops in Boone, Iowa in 1868 and 1916. On the 1916 map, Eighth Street is north of the map at the Delaware Street intersection, which means the roundhouse and shops were moved and rebuilt. The turntable still exists on the west end of the (now Union Pacific) yard even though the roundhouse is gone."

Richard Shulby: Tim: Great posting! You might want to note for those that don't realize it, that the 1868 Birds Eye View is of the old shop location near 9th and Tama, whereas the 1916 Sanborn map is of the replacement shops near 9th and Delaware. Certainly alot of changes over the years...

Tim Starr: Richard Shulby That's a good point

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John Harker posted two photos with the comment: "A C&NW freight was photographed in this scene moving west out of the Boone, Iowa yard passing the 8th Street tower on November 4, 1978.  Two SD40s, 875 and 892 were on this west bound.  Attached for reference is an aerial view showing the position of the tower.  This image was scanned and edited from an original Kodak Ektachrome processed slide with no photographer listed."

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Chad Kersten commented on John's post

Dave Yetter commented on John's post
When I worked on the trains westbound mostly we changed crews out just about where the building stood as the yard office sat across the tracks...

Dave Yetter commented on John's post
Here's another picture of a crewman ready to get off at Boone near the tower...