East St. Louis, IL: Willows Tower: Pennsy+B&O vs. Southern+TRRA

(Satellite)

Street View, Dec 2024

Jim Butler posted three photos with the comment: "Willows Tower…. Still standing..but her days are #rd           Snowy picture is current,,, old pic from app. 15 yrs ago.             East St.Louis….."

Michael Kerner: One of last Pennsy structures left down here.

Richard Fiedler shared

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Jim Butler commented on this post

Jim Butler commented on his post

Dennis DeBruler commented on Richard's share
https://maps.app.goo.gl/q3KQgHjYirJVcUix9

1974/75 Granite City Quad @ 24,000
Dennis DeBruler commented on his comment
According to this "1974/75 Granite City Quad @ 24,000" topo, the tracks at the top on the right side were the Pennsy. The double tracks further below were, and are, the TRRA. The track the TRRA crosses was the B&O, and the track at the bottom on the right side was the Southern.

St. Johns, MI: 1920 Grand Trunk Depot

(Satellite)

Once again a depot is the trailhead for a trail on the right-of-way of an abandoned railroad.

Street View, Oct 2013

The depot is on the right in this view of the grain elevator.

Street View, Oct 2013

Durand Union Station-Michigan Railroad History Museum posted three photos with the comment:

Today’s featured depot is the Grand Trunk station in St. Johns 🚂

Saint Johns was founded by a man named John Sweegles. He had insider knowledge on the route the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad (D&M) would take as it laid its tracks across the state. Sweegles knew the railroad would drive the economy, boost sales, and bring people to the area - all of which would benefit his business ventures. Sweegles organized a land company and together they worked to find a suitable plot of land to buy. In 1853, Sweegles purchased 80 acres of land in the path of a future D&M line and settled what is now present day Saint Johns.

By 1857 the railroad was fully operational in Saint Johns. A depot was built around this time as well. In 1882, The Grand Trunk Railway acquired the D&M, and the Grand Trunk built a new depot in Saint Johns, we believe, at the end of the 1910s.  

In March of 1920, a tornado came through Saint Johns and demolished the depot - as well as much of the town. Grand Trunk wasted no time and quickly rebuilt the depot.  

In 1987, the rail line from Ionia to Owosso was abandoned by the railroads, and the last train passed through Saint Johns on July 31, 1992. The rails were removed in 1998 and later became part of the Fred Meijer Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee Trail. 

The City of Saint Johns purchased the depot in 1998 and the depot was restored in 2001-2002 with the help of a $325,000 state grant.

The depot officially reopened in 2003 and is still a staple of the community to this day. It houses a depot museum and is also an event venue. 

Citations:

Burnham, Emma & Coon, Olivia. "History of the Depot Video". Facebook, uploaded by City of St. Johns, MI, 03 February 2025. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=578970408466483.  

"Station: St. Johns, MI". Michigan Railroads. https://www.michiganrailroads.com/.../83.../681-st-johns-mi.

"St. Johns Badly Wind Wrecked". The State Journal [Lansing]. 29 March 1920. P.1.  Newspapers.com.

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1965/67 St Johns North Quad @ 24,000

Hillsdale, IL: Lost/CB&Q Depot

(Satellite)

Trent Briggs posted
Hillsdale, Illinois.  CB&Q
Trent Briggs shared
Thomas Whitt shared
Richard Fiedler shared

Given the curve in the track in the photo, I figured the depot was north of Main Street. This aerial confirms it.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

While checking out the town's grain elevator, I spotted a roadrailer.

Street View, May 2023

I wonder why I didn't see any legs in the above view. I guess it is now abandoned. That looks like some pretty good equipment to walk away from.

Street View, Aug 2013

Montgomery, AL: Alabama Union Station

(Satellite)

According to a topo map, in addition to L&N, the Western Railway of Alabama went through this station. And the Seaboard Air Line and Central of Georgia had branches from the east that terminated here.

Looking West:

Street View, Jan 2025

Looking North:

Street View, Jan 2017

Dale Proctor posted two photos with the comment: "Union Station in Montgomery Ala., built by L&N in 1897-1898. I took the photos in February 1990 and in 1992 (train shed)."

Mike Davis: It seems like I heard somewhere that Gustav Eiffel had a hand in the design of the station? Has anyone else heard that or know anything about it?

John Tisdale: I owned the station and the shed until 1999. I was always told that the roof trusses were an Eiffel design, but I have no drawings or other documents to back that up. The L&N Historical Society may have this information in their records.

Jim Kelling shared with the comment: "Union Station in Montgomery Alabama."

Andy Swan: Very nice does either remain?

Dennis DeBruler: Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kzs3xfXaoFuvDfPY9

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Gabriel Craft, Jan 2019

Sammie Bibb, Apr 2024

London Mills, IL: Lost/C&NW/M&StL Depot

(Satellite)

M&StL = Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway (The Peoria Gateway)

Trent Briggs posted
M&StL London Mills

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Digitally Zoomed
Dennis DeBruler commented on Trent's post
It was a half block east of 2nd Street and south of the mainline. 1938 Aerial Photo

1944/62 Avon Quad @ 62,500

This topo map does not mark the location of this depot.

Digitally Zoomed

Trent Briggs posted two photos.

Richard Fiedler shared

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Chatham, NY: Union Station (B&A, NYC and Rutland)

(Satellite)

We see in the left background that this town also has some nice Italianate Architecture buildings.

Street View, Aug 2023

Dave Blaze Rail Photography posted

For Station Saturday here is a portrait of the gorgeous Chatham Union Station built in 1887 by the firm Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge (successors to H.H. Richardson). 

Chatham was once a major junction with the Rutland coming down from the north and New York Central's Harlem Line coming up from points south to meet the Boston and Albany. The last passenger train called in March 1972 and two years later the depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and it survives today as a bank. Rising in the background across Hudson Ave. can be seen the landmark 1872 clock tower that has framed up countless photos of trains over the past century and a half. 

To learn more about this picturesque Columbia County town and then check out these links:

https://visitchathamny.com/walking-tour/

http://www.trainweb.org/rshs/GRS 

https://www.mcwb-arch.com/chatham-union-station

Chatham, New York

Sunday November 10, 2024

David Chapman: I was on the Chatham Village Board and we (the Village) owned the station and Kinder hook Bank did a great job in restoring the building.

The Harlem had, as I am told, a "Ski Train" that would originated in at Grand Central, come north on the Harlem, stopping along the way for passengers going to Vermont skiing. It would stop at Chatham and crossover to the B&A go to Pittsfield, MA and catch the North Adam's branch and met by busses at North Adam's to take them to the Vermont resorts. I don't know how true this is, but even if it is not it's a good story.

John Roy: Beautiful photo of the Chatham Station. I offer a minor correction though. Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge were the architects, so they designed it. Not sure who the contractor was for this station. It may have been the Nocross Brothers. Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge also designed Hartford Union Station, Allston, Ashland, Dalton, East Brookfield, Newton Center, Newton Highlands, South Station, Warren and Wellesey Farms. All of which are still extant. Some Extant Richardson designed stations include: New London, Framingham, Holyoke, North Easton, Palmer, Wellesley Hills and Woodland. Thanks for sharing!

Doug White: The bank has done a wonderful job at restoration / preservation on the inside as well. Highly recommend a visit, but they will not let you take inside pics due to security, which is understandable.

Thom Walters: I didn't realize that the Harlem Line went that far north.

Ralph Puccini: I did not realize how far north Chatham is. For many years, all stations on the Harlem Line north of Brewster (also the northern terminus of the "Old Put") were served by diesel Budd cars until they finally electrified the line as far north as the current terminus at Wassaic.

A before photo.

mcwb-arch

mcwb-arch

Phoenixville, PA: 1954-2011 188mw Cromby Power Plant

(Satellite)

Street View, Oct 2021

That was a small unit. I'm  surprised that it made it into the 21st Century. 

gem

 

temple, May 4, 1977
"The Philadelphia Electric plant in Cromby has been ordered to switch from oil to coal."

Dan Genuario posted three photos with the comment: "Cromby demolition."

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I wonder how close to zero it is now (Mar 2025).

CanaryMedia

Pennsy, instead of Reading, got the coal trains for this plant.

1955/57 Phoenixville Quad @ 24,000

Donavan, IL: Grain Elevator served by KB&S Railroad

(Satellite)

KB&S = Kankakee, Beaverville & Southern Railroad

 

Street View, Jun 2024

This is on the other side of the road. I can see the KBSR reporting mark on the first hopper.

Street View, Jun 2024

Seeing that they just patched the used hopper cars that they bought, I took a closer look at the green hoppers. I'll bet these used to be BN hoppers. They must be getting close to their 40-year lifetime limit.

Street View, Jun 2024

I wonder when their off season is because it looks like sometimes the siding is used to store cars for other railroads.

Industrial Belt Railway posted six photos with the comment:

Good afternoon, everybody!   

I have more photos back in the early 90's at Donavan, Illinois along the Kankakee, Beaverville, and Southern Railroad.

After these photos, I've decided to move onto something else and come back to the KB&S again a little later.

As always, thanks for looking. 

Tim

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