Knox, IN: Two NKP Steam Locomotives near Starke county Farm Co-Op

(Satellite)

Steven J. Brown posted
Nickel Plate 2-8-2 587 and Nickel Plate 2-8-4 765 are heading to Chicago pulling the Norfolk Southern Independence Limited to the NRHS Convention in Chicago somewhere in, near or around Valparaiso, Indiana - July 20, 1993.

Jason Cook: I'm not 100% certain but the only elevator that I can find on the NKP out that way is the Starke County Co-Op between Knox and Valpo.

Steven J. Brown: Jason Cook The train appears to be in a curve. The track looks straight through there (now). I could be missing something.

Dennis DeBruler: Steven J. Brown Facebook didn't think this comment was relevant. I found it later. As I have noted, you were using a strong telephoto lens a little east of the elevator. I don't think vibration reduction for lenses existed back in 1993. I'm trying to figure out how you avoided camera shake. You couldn't use a tripod for that shot.

Ben Nicholas: A historic moment when two NKP steamers pulling a train together. It's too bad 587 is still in pieces but hope someone returns her to steam.

Sou Railman: The very last Independence Limited.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Jason's comment
A telephoto lens exaggerated the curve that is east of the elevator, https://maps.app.goo.gl/qSPDWc46DftZNDzw6.

This confirms that the elevator has two steel bins between the silos and the tracks as shown in Steven's photo.

Street View, May 2024

Shelby, MT: Some Grain Elevators and Fertilizer Supply

(Satellite, the elevator in Seven's photo below. The rest of the elevators are west and south of this one.)

Steven J. Brown posted
Amtrak Empire Builder #8 at Shelby, Montana - February 26, 2002.

The railyard in Steven's photo is on the right in this view. It doesn't look like it has been used for a while.

Street View, Sep 2025, looking Westish

The elevator is now owned by CHS. And even if the yard is not used, something in town is getting rail service.

Street View, Sep 2025 (Satellite)

This is Nutrien Ag Solutions, which sells some of the many chemicals that are now needed for American agriculture.

Street View, Sep 2025 (Satellite)

The elevator on the left is another view of the CHS elevator. The building on the right is also a CHS facility. Judging by the trucks parked by it, this building probably holds bulk fertilizer.

Street View, Sep 2025, looking Eastish (Satellite)

CHS has another storage elevator down the road. It has a fall protector, so it gets rail service.

Street View, Sep 2025 looking Eastish (Satellite)

And Ardent Mills has an elevator in this town.

Satellite

Great Northern had two routes through this town.

1954/67 Shelby Quad @ 250,000

BNSF still owns both routes.

BNSF

Russell, KY: Brewery/C&O Depot, (RU) Cabin (Tower) and Caboose

Depot: (Satellite)

Tower: (Satellite)

C&O used the term "cabin" instead of "tower." I labeled this tower as "towerYard" instead of "towerMain" because it is at the east end of the Russell Yard.

Wow, the cabin is extant. In this view, the cabin is on the right, the depot is in the middle and a caboose is on the left.

Street View, Oct 2015

Steven J. Brown posted
Nickel Plate 765 and Pere Marquette 1225 at the C&O depot and RU Tower in Russell, Kentucky - August 4, 1991. The pair are heading to Huntington for the NRHS Convention.
Steven J. Brown shared

Jon Roma: Even with a structure like this, the C&O referred to its interlocking stations as "cabins." This location is thus "RU Cabin." Many of them retained this designation long after they were remote-controlled and the structures were demolished. As far as I know, RU Cabin has survived since its closure.

Pam M, Jun 2018

Mike Bartram, Sep 2023

This aerial taught me where to look. The roundhouses are in Russell Yard.

Apr 15, 1957 @ 24,000; AR1VPP000010125

Galata, MT: Wood Grain Elevator

(Satellite)

Steven J. Brown posted

 

Dennis DeBruler commented on Steven's comment
One of the wood grain elevators is still standing, https://maps.app.goo.gl/P986netxyran1tdY8.

This railroad was the Great Northern.

1954/67 Shelby Quad @ 250,000

Algonac, MI: Walpole Island Ferry and Russell Island Ferry

Walpole: (Satellite)

Russell: (Satellite)

Steven J. Brown posted
M/V City of Algonac ferry (built 1990) unloads during high water at Walpole Island, Ontario - July 21, 2019. This ferry sails all day from Algonac, Michigan to Canada. The trip takes less than ten minutes.

Ramsey Nicholson commented on Steven's post
I took the Walpole ferry a few times last year commuting when the Bluewater Bridge was a disaster with construction traffic. It’s a fun drive on either side to get there.

It is a rather big ferry.

Rengesh K, Jun 2025

Rengesh, Jun 2025

Is Russell Island like Mackinac Island in that they don't allow cars on it? This ferry looks like it can't handle much more than people and bikes.

Wikipedia, Public Domain

Ogallala, NE: Three Grain Elevators and US-30 (Lincoln Highway)

West: (Satellite)

Middle: (Satellite)

East: (Satellite)

Grain Elevators

I checked out the town because of the wood grain elevator in this photo.

Steven J. Brown posted
Union Pacific SD60M 6207 (built 1989, became UP 2360) at Ogallala, Nebraska - June 27, 2002.

West, Kelly Bean

Street View, Aug 2024

It looks like they handle edible beans.

Photo, Mar 2022

Middle, CHS Grainland Ogallala Feed Store

 

Street View, May 2012

Street View, Jul 2024

The feedstore is across the highway from the grain storage facility.

Street View, Jul 2024

East

This one also has a wooden elevator. This town has a lot of bolted-steel silos.

Street View, Aug 2024

Is this elevator part of this seed company, or is this seed company a fourth grain facility in this town?

Street View, Jul 2024

US-30 (Lincoln Highway)

It looks like US-30 still uses the original Lincoln Highway route through town. I used Street View to "cruise" the town from east to west.

An old motel is still viable.

Street View, Jul 2024 (Satellite)

They still have the original sign that bragged about TV. But they have probably replaced a "Color TV" with the "Cable TV" sign.

Photo, Dec 2016

Brian Butko posted
Harmon's Tourist Camp on the Lincoln Highway in Ogallala, Nebraska, c. 1930. Men and women’s outhouses can be seen in back with a train running behind them. The senders marked their postcard with "Our cabin." Loaned by our late friend Carol Ahlgren for the LHA's centennial photo book.

Dan Young: Good grief what a barebones operation that was.

Jay Lutey: Dan Young .... 1930. Lots of places with outhouses. Thousands of Nebraska farms didn't have electricity until after WW2. Or running water unless they had a windmill and cistern on a hill above the house. JL

[The gas station pumps still have the glass cylinder tops.]

Unlike many of the towns along US-66 (Route 66), the economy of this town is not dependent on tourist traffic. But they do have some facilities that cater to tourist traffic.

Street View, May 2018 (Satellite, it is labeled a steakhouse and saloon.)

OgallalaFrontStreet

This caboose was not in the previous Oct 2022 view.

Street View, Jul 2024

Did this use to be a car dealership? It is now a Petrified Wood Gallery.

Street View, (Satellite)

Is the Paradise Motel really open? The Oregon Trail Motel across the street is open.

Street View, Jul 2024

And it still has the COLOR TV sign that I remember seeing as a kid. We also have another view of a wood grain elevator in behind the office.

Street View, Jul 2024 (Satellite)

And a sign that is bragging about both Color TV and Air Conditioning.

Street View, Dec 2025 (Satellite)

The style of lodging is even older. I've seen this style called Motor Courts.

Street View, Dec 2025 (Satellite)

A&W used to be root beer stands.

Street View, Aug 2024 (Satellite)

I liked their root beer floats.

Photo, Mar 2024

Is someone planning to make a museum, or is this just old stuff lying around.

Street View, Dec 2025

Washington, IA: Preserved/Milwaukee Depot, CB&Q Action and RI Lost Depot & Freight House

Milwaukee: (Satellite)

RI Depot: (Satellite)

RI Freight: (Satellite)

Street View, Dec 2021

Steven J. Brown commented on a post
It was a beautiful thing! She hit both whistles approaching the depot!
[The CPKC excursion train in 2024.]

Both Rock Island and Milwaukee went east/west through town and CB&Q terminated in this town.

1969/1971 Washington Quad @ 24,000

Milwaukee and RI crossed on the west side so the northern tracks were Milwaukee. Thus the extant depot would be Milwaukee and the RI depot was south of the tracks.The CB&Q depot appears to be south of 3rd Street inside the wye. According to the 2004 SPV Map, ICE uses RI to the east and Milwaukee to the west. RI to the west is now the Kewash Nature Trail and Milwaukee to the east is abandoned.

1969/1971 Washington Quad @ 24,000

CB&Q Action

John Harker posted three images with the comment: "When Charles Franzen took these slides in July 1965, The CB&Q was still providing daily, except Saturday and Sunday, mixed train service between Burlington and Washington, a distance of a little over 52 miles.  Seen in these two views on the CB&Q wye in Washington, eastbound mixed local train 22 was ready to leave for Burlington.  This local arrived earlier, if on time at 10:30 AM, as westbound train 23 with two freight cars and a coach for passengers and as a caboose.  After completing switching and running around the wye, the local would depart as train 23 at 11:30 AM.  The first image shows NW-2 9219 with only a coach, so there must have been no freight going back to Burlington on this day.  Mixed service on this branch ran until the end of May 1967, after which it became freight only.  RI GP7 1250 must have been waiting for the mixed local to leave so it could move back through the interchange to home rails.  John Harker image editing and collection"

Richard Fiedler shared

John Harker also posted with the same comment and images.

John Harker also posted with the same comment and images.

John Harker also posted with the same comment and images.

Robert Hafliger: The CB&Q also had mixed service from Ft. Madison to Donnellson, Farmington and further west. Anyone know what year that service ended?

John Harker: Robert Hafliger The mixed service would have ended about the same, the end of May 1967. After that only limited freight service. The line from Viele, west of Fort Madison, to Bloomfield was abandoned on September 22, 1968.

Steven Kakoczki: Any idea what street is this?

John Harker: Steven Kakoczki The engines are sitting on North 2nd Street.

1
[Note the depot in the left background.]

2

3

Note the grain elevator in John's second photo with the checkerboard logo. That elevator has grown since then.

Street View, Sep 2013

John Harker posted
Charles Franzen watched and photographed as BN NW-2 540 was switching some cars on the west leg of the Washington, Iowa Wye on August 19th, 1970.  This unit had just been freshly painted and renumbered from CB&Q 9243.  Behind the NW-2 was caboose 13744 which still retained its CB&Q heritage and number.  After switching was done, this local as east bound train 22 would get ready to make the 52.5 mile run back to Burlington at 11:30 AM.  The scheduled running time was about 3.5 hours with an average speed of a little over 15 mph.  If some work was scheduled along the way it might take a little longer.  John Harker image editing, research and collection

Jenna Shadowz: Interesting. I had never seen narrow stripes like this before on a BN locomotive.

Washington was at the end of a twig off a branch from Burlington.

1902

Lost RI Depot

John Harker posted four images with the comment: "I edited these images from photos that Charles Franzen had taken from 1944 to 1949 of the old Washington, Iowa Rock Island passenger depot.  Image one shows a view of the depot in the summer of 1944 looking to the northeast.  Train #3 the west bound Golden State limited had made its scheduled mid-day stop with some activity around the depot.  Image two looks to the west with an east bound double headed freight approaching.  Note the angled roof sections on the depot which were made for house track clearance.  After the new brick replacement depot was built in 1948, image three shows a 1949 view of the old depot looking east.  By then I believe it was used for storage.  Over the RI hoppers on the house track to the right, you can see a partial roof line for the freight house which still stands.  An IAGMS 1930s aerial photo is included for reference.  John Harker image editing and write up."

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2

3

4

RI Freight House

Street View, Dec 2021

Today

Just the CP/Milwaukee route is left.

National Rail Network Map