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Tanith Harley posted Hi All. I am researching the New York Central Line (Chicago to Danville ?) that went through West Union, Illinois in the 1920s. In particular looking for the Big Four map / timetable for West Union station in 1925-1926. Can anyone please help? Photo of West Union, Illinois Big Four Station for reference. Thank you all so much! Bill Edrington: Kendel Robinson - The line between Danville and Cairo was part of the Big Four and was considerably older than the line between Indiana Harbor and Danville, which was part of the Chicago, Indiana & Southern, a subsidiary of the NYC-controlled Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. Both the LS&MS and the CI&S were merged outright into the NYC in 1914, but the Big Four, while under NYC control, was not. The Indiana Harbor-Danville line was built soon after the turn of the 20th century, primarily to handle northbound coal from the newly developing mines in the Harrisburg district, and the portion of the Big Four‘s Cairo Division between Danville and Harrisburg was heavily upgraded at that same time, including the construction of Lyons Yard. The CI&S/NYC did operate local passenger trains north of Danville for a number of years, in addition to a through overnight Cairo-Chicago train in conjunction with the Big Four. I believe the Cairo-Chicago train was shifted back to its traditional C&EI route north of Danville by the USRA, a federal agency that took control of the railroads during World War I. The train continued running on the C&EI for several years after USRA control of the railroads ended, for some reason. I do know that it permanently shifted back to the NYC route through Sheff, Kentland and Schneider by 1927, though, because by then the “Egyptian” was running as a through train from La Salle Street Station in Chicago all the way to Cairo, including an Evansville section that operated over the Big Four’s EM&N Branch from Mt. Carmel to Evansville, in direct competition with the C&EI. Hope that helps. Dennis DeBruler: This webpage has some maps. http://madisonrails.railfan.net/big4memories3.html |
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1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
None of the street view drivers got off IL-1 and covered this town. So I can't get any good views of the elevator.
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Satellite |
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