Bunker Hill, IN: Pennsy(Panhandle) vs. NKP(LE&W), Depots and Grain Elevator

Towers: (Satellite) In 1941 it was in the southeast quadrant, but in 1959 it was in the northeast quadrant.

Pennsy Depot: (Satellite)

NKP Depot: (Satellite)

Grain Elevator: (Satellite)

This town is another example of a town that has lost both of its railroads.

Dave Arganbright posted

From another webpage. Bunker Hill on the I&MC!

"This is the tower that controlled the Pennsy and Nickel Plate crossing at Bunker Hill, Indiana. This 1941 view is looking west and you can see the Pennsy depot and the Elm Street overpass. A person would not be able to identify this location today, as the tower, tracks, depot and bridge are gone. Photo is courtesy of M. D. McCarter Photographs"

Update:

Diagram via NorthAmericanInterlockings

John Troxler posted
I picked up this cab view Kodachrome a few years ago on ebay, pre-COVID. Based on Google Earth, the location is the former NKP line facing northbound at Bunker Hill, IN. The train had just crossed SR 218. The building on the left side with the white garage door is the BHVFD. Slide is dated 09/1974 which would be the time frame of N&W ownership. Not sure whose locomotive is leading but has a red short hood with white grab irons. John Troxler collection, photographer unknown. The locomotive appears to be a GE product. EDIT: Mystery solved. The 1974 Preamble Express. Was in Indy 07/23/74 and then Detroit 07/24/74. Routed on the N&W from Indy to Detroit. Probably connected to the N&W Wabash line in Peru then headed to Detroit.
 https://www.freedomtrain.org/preamble-express-timeline.htm
The D&H GE 2312 locomotive which pulled the train had a bright red hood and this photo is of a freshly painted loco. 

Dennis DeBruler commented on John's post
The fire department building was removed between Oct 2008 and Sep 2009.
 https://goo.gl/maps/fKFruhZNv5EMYcjN8

Note a covered hopper is being loaded at the grain elevator.

Digitally Zoomed

EarthExplorer: Nov 22, 1959 @ 24,800; AR1VYB000010076

I noticed the foundation of three grain bins. The above aerial shows that there used to be several bins outside the connector between the Pennsy and the NKP. There were also several more bins down by the NKP depot.

Satellite

Gibson City, IL: NKP 526 (GLP9), Depot, disposition of LE&W's east/west route

Photo from Robert Daly's posting

Photo from Robert Daly's posting

Charlie Whipp posted three images with the comment:

Two photos today of the old Lake Erie and Western RR's Gibson City, IL depot on the old Peoria Division which ran between Frankfort, IN and Peoria, IL. 

I used to try to remember to take at least a depot slide or two when visiting places like Gibson City, train or no train. Little wooden stations like this one were disappearing fast from the railroads as local freight agencies closed and the buildings became surplus. The tracks didn't have long to go before abandonment when I took these. 

LE&W once had a main line that stretched from Sandusky, Ohio on Lake Erie all the way through central Ohio, Indiana and into Illinois. It was once an vital part of the Nickel Plate Road, which acquired it in 1923 from the New York Central. 6-1989

Richard Fiedler shared

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A Roger Puta Photo
Marty Bernard: Nickel Plate Road (NKP) 526 (GP9) swtching way freight at Gibson City, IL on November 24, 1962.

I first learned about the Lake Erie & Western when I researched why I saw NKP 426 in Tipton, IN. LE&W had both a north/south and an east/west LE&W route through Tipton, IN. The east/west route is still owned by Norfolk Southern between Lafayette and Portland, IN.

Today's operation of the segments of the east/west route of the LE&W. The colors define the segments on the map below.

• NS (blue): East Peoria to Gibson City
• Abandoned (red): Gibson City to Cheneyville, IL
• KB&S (yellow):  Cheneyville to Lafayette, IN (It must have shared trackage with the Big Four between Templeton, IN to Lafayette.)
• NS (blue): Lafayette to Portland, IN
• RJ Corman's Western Ohio Lines (RJCW) (orange): Portland to Lima, OH
• NS (blue): Lima to Fostoria
• Abandoned (red): Fostoria to Sandusky

Rails and Trails plus Paint

Rochester, IN: Erie Depot

(Satellite)

Mark Llanuza posted
long time friend photographer Don Ellison captured this eastbound coming into Rochester Ind eastbound 1976

It looks like the depot still exists. The freight house side does not share a roof line with the agent office and waiting room. Furthermore, the freight platform still exists.

Main-RR-11_V1

FCRR is Fulton County Railroad. EWR is Elkhart & Western Railroad. The FCRR interchanges with NS/NKP in Argos. FCRR and EWR are remnants of the NKP's Lake Erie & Western. There is a remnant of the Erie to the west of FCRR to US-31. It probably was saved for this grain elevator, but judging from a satellite image, the main purpose of the spur now is to store cars.

Gibson City, IL: Junction Tower: NKP(LE&W) vs. IC vs. Wabash and Interlocking Machine

(Satellite)
NorthAmericanInterlockings: 1989 1982

See Wabash Depot for the current status of the Wabash route.

Bill Molony posted
The Gibson City, Illinois interlocking tower - circa 1930.
Photographer unknown.
From the Blackhawk collection.
Mike Sypult: Looking east along the LE&W, later Nickel Plate, NW?
Dennis DeBruler: Mike Sypult No. Here is an explanation based on information provided by Harold J. Krewer in another post.
The photographer is standing on the IC looking toward Gilman. The track crossing in the foreground is the ex-NKP/LE&W between Frankfort and Peoria. The track behind the tower is the ex-Wabash.
Charlie DeWeese: Do not see the train order signals that were present at later pictures. Earlier train orders were handled at the individual depots?
Stephen N. Brannon: Charlie DeWeese I was wondering exactly the same thing.

Charlie Whipp posted

I re-scanned this photo of the Gibson City (IL) tower that I posted several years back in a attempt to bring out some details that were lacking in my previous attempt. When the photo was taken in June,1989 the interlocking and diamond layout was largely unchanged from the steam era. It was great to stumble across gems like Gibson City before the Internet era, these days everyone can find out what you had for lunch yesterday 🙂 

The IC crossed the the Wabash and NKP (Lake Erie and Western) here in the pre-amalgamation era that's ruined the diversity on the railroad map with the mega mergers. This photo looks down the ex NKP (LE&W) at the IC and Wabash diamonds.

Mark Egebrecht: The diamonds were removed about a year later after NS severed the Wabash north of Risk.

Richard Fiedler shared

Tim Shanahan shared

Charlie Whipp posted
Continuing on with the visit to Gibson City, IL and its interesting interlocking plant, here is a view looking down the former Lake Erie and Western RR's (later NKP) main line towards the Peoria gateway. The Wabash and IC diamonds are in the distance, the section gang building to the left belonged to the IC RR. What a great place to visit that somehow hung on in the late 1980s, maybe because it was in an out of sight, out of mind location helping it to escape the plant reduction that was happening in so many locations. June 1989 Kodachrome.

Dan Mitzel: Wow... a rod-connected dwarf semaphore (sans blade) there at the left.

Tim Shanahan shared

Phil Martin commented on Dan's comment
I have this dwarf in my collection. It came from the estate of the last tower operator there.

Nik Nikolić commented on Charlie's post
Was just there last week! [Jun 2026]

Richard Koenig posted
Richard posted again
[The comments have some additional photos.]

Richard posted to ask for the location of this tower. The consensus was Gibson City, IL. Harold Krewer explained:

Train is northbound on the ex-Wabash toward Chicago. Ex-NKP from Frankfort to Peoria in foreground. Photographer is standing on the IC looking toward Gilman.

Richard commented on his second post

Joseph Petric caught a corner of the tower when he captured a northbound Wabash Blue Bird in July 1969. Joe caught all of the tower in a black&white view he took before publications had switched to color printing. Jim French posted a 3/4 view of the tower.

Carl Venzke posted
Illinois Central Railroad: Gibson City signal tower

Note the various angles taken allow you to see a couple of train order semaphores and some "iron men" (train order hoop holders).

Since five of the six "spokes" still exist, it is easy to locate where this crossing was in the town. I put a red rectangle around the tower in the following aerial. (The red dot is an editing mistake that I did not notice until later.)

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Update:

Photo from Robert Daly's posting

Photo from Robert Daly's posting
Harold J. Krewer NKP order board and hoop stand. They had a hoop stand just like that at BN Target in Bloomington, wonder how prevalent that style was on the NKP?
Robert Daly I grew up along the old NKP Buffalo-Cleveland and don't remember seeing order boards like this.

 Raymond Storey posted six photos with the comment: "Gibson City ILL...The IC,Wabash and NKP."

Rick Powell I remember the old NKP line that went east from here through Paxton and on to Indiana. They were down to about 1 train a month before the line was abandoned.

James Maltby Last regular RR job I worked 1969.

Jon Roma I have a bunch of more recent pictures of Gibson City tower, taken near the end in the early Nineties at https://www.flickr.com/.../in/album-72157600994975093/, though I need to redo the scans with a better scanner.

The model board, the levers, and the interlocking machine below the floor from Gibson City were preserved, and were used in the replica tower constructed by volunteers the Monticello Railway Museum several years ago.

I had the privilege of designing the mechanical locking for the track layout at Monticello, and James Maltby (who commented above) has been one of the regular volunteers who operate the tower and demonstrate to museum guests about the importance of towers' role in railroading has been.

As a result, bits and pieces of Gibson City Tower survive today as part of MRM's living railroad.

Dennis DeBruler I haven't bothered to go to that museum because I'm not that interested in sheet metal. But if one can see an interlocking machine, I need to visit that museum.

Jon Roma Dennis DeBruler, I don't understand the reference to sheet metal.

Dennis DeBruler Jon Roma The standard railfan action of locomotives pulling trains. I don't care for railfan photos where the locomotives fill the frame. But I do enjoy railfan photos if they include some of the railroad infrastructure such as towers or big bridges. But even photos of the interiors of towers don't include the first floor interlocking machine. I still can't imagine how they worked.

Ray Ferguson I remember that tower well. My Dad was a Trainmaster at Gibson City we went there occasionally. I went to school with the opertors Son. We lived in Elliott, Il. 5 miles away. The Nickel Plate RR was right in back of our house. Their freight trains flew through the little town of Elliott population 200 wide open. I knew what time it was when I heard the blow without looking at a watch.

Jon Roma One thing I want to point out to anyone interested in Gibson City is that I have a handful of photos of the tower in a https://www.flickr.com/.../jonroma/albums/72157600994975093. I have more that have never made it through the scanner or onto Flickr.

[Jon Roma also posted photos of the interlocking machine and described how it works.]

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17 photos

Dunreith, IN: Junction Tower: Penn vs. NKP

Mark Hinsdale posted
On a typical gray, gloomy late winter day in central Indiana, an eastbound Penn Central merchandise train passes "Dunreith" Tower in the tiny hamlet of the same name. The ex PRR Columbus to Indianapolis main line crossed a lightly used N&W (NKP) branch here, and by this date the tower was manned only on first shift, Monday through Friday. This once vital east-west artery is completely gone today. March, 1974 photo by Mark Hinsdale

The NKP branch was part of the Lake Erie & Western. Both routes are now abandoned.

INDOT 2005, zoomed

Darren Reynolds posted six photos with the comment:

Penn Centrals "Dunreith" tower.

Dunreith, Indiana

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Kokomo, IN: NKP/LE&W Water Tower

Jacob Hortenstine posted
Found this on internet says 1920 NKP Kokomo Indiana so that would be during TStL&W times IS THIS Kokomo need help as never been there knowledge of Clover Leaf in Indiana very limited
Darrell Sherrod Actually LE&W and Kokomo Belt junction, also known as "Marshall", a couple of miles south of Clover Leaf. Present day location is Deffenbaugh St and Home Ave...view is toward SE
Ron Buser Definitely not in downtown Kokomo were the Clover Leaf would have been. I believe Mr. Sherrod is correct, too much out in the country. That means the track crossing the IMC main and Sdg. would be the PRR Belt track. Also, notice the station with the Order Boards above the water tower. Great photo, nice find.

It looks like those houses and the water tower got replaced by industry by the 1950s.

1960 Kokomo West and East Quads @ 24,000

EarthExplorer: Oct 8, 1952 @ 69,000; ARA000950121908

NS has the NKP/Clover Leaf to the southwest and the NKP/LE&W to the south. WSR (Winamac Southern Railroad) has the PRR/Panhandle to the northwest and CERA (Central Railroad Co. of Indianapolis) has the NKP/Clover Leaf to the east. (MAIN-RR-11_V1) The NKP/LE&W to the north and the PRR/Panhandle to the southeast are abandoned.

INDOT 2005, zoomed

I now (Jan 2022) have all three corners of the triangle in the middle of the map:

• upper: L&EW vs. Panhandle
• lower-left: L&EW vs. Cloverleaf
• lower-right: Panhandle vs. Clvoerleaf

Cheneyville, IL: Junction Tower: NKP/LE&W vs. Milwaukee, NKP Depot and Old Grain Elevator

Tower: (Satellite)

Depot: (Satellite)

Elevator: (Satellite)

The "spoke" to the west is abandoned, and the other three are now owned by KBS.

 

Eric Berg posted

Eric's comment:

CMStP&P's Cheneyville Tower (Pronounced Chain-ee-ville) in the summer of 1969. This view looks N/N/W with the Milwaukee tracks at left. Cheneyville was where the Milwaukee Road crossed the NKP's LE&W line. The interlocking was manned by Milwaukee men and the call sign was "CY". Like Humrick, West Dana and Webster, Cheneyville was reduced from a 2-story tower to a 1-story cabin. This location was approximately 3/4 mile west of the town of Cheneyville. Wyes were located in both the S/E and S/W quadrants of the diamond. CY was located at MP 101.95 in Vermillion County, Illinois. Sometime before 1952, a wye track was installed just south of here at MP 104.40 along with coal and water facilities, and was named Coalton. Also installed was 3 miles of double-track. Now, the KB&S owns both lines with only the S/E wye in place. The diamond is gone and the NKP's former main does not extend any further west than this point. In the LE&W days, there was a water station here also. This was located at MP 88.7 on the NKP. Photo by John Fuller. Posted for Jack Shoemaker.

Thanks to KBS, Cheneyville has 3 of it original spokes. The west spoke, NS/NW/NKP/Lake Erie and Western, was abandoned to Gibson City by NW.

Eric Berg commented on his above posting
Here is the John W. Barriger shot of Cheneyville, looking north from a passenger special in 1938. Train was southbound.
[The tower still had both stories.]

Richard Howard posted, cropped
Cheneyville depot.
Richard Fiedler shared
Richard Fiedler shared

It must be the rectangle in the southwest quadrant of main road and the tracks because if it was the rectangle in the northeast quadrant, we would see a grain elevator in the background.

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

All of the grain bins on the west side of town are gone, but they did add to big silos.

Satellite