Pontiac, MI: CN/GTW Yard, Turntable, Coaling Tower and Depot

Yard: (Satellite)

Turntable: (Satellite)

Coaling Tower: (3D Satellite)

Depot: (Satellite, the topo map implies it was on the northeast side of the tracks.)

GTW used to enter Pontiac from five different directions. Only two of those directions still exist.

Tim Shanahan updated
Pontiac Michigan coal tower

This would have been the predecessor.

Jim Gilmore posted
Pontiac, Michigan coaling tower

James Price posted
Pontiac coal tower

Rick Shilling posted
1977 Grand Trunk Western Railroad Roundhouse, Turntable and Yard, Pontiac, Michigan.

 

Terry B. Carlson commented on Rick's post

1999 approximately 10 stalls were still covered by the RH. By 2002, it had all been demolished. The TT is still in use.

Google Earth Imagery Date: 6-8-2023

Location: 42.656214,-83.3180313

Charles Geletzke Jr. posted
This was the 10-stall-roundhouse at Pontiac, Michigan as it looked 54 years ago on August 13, 1962. Notice the "original" turntable operator's shanty, which was replaced in July 1967. Certainly a different era!
Todd Harrelson Looks the same as when I got there in 1977
David Cenci I spy one of the RS1's straight ahead..and an SW1200(RS) 3rd from left. Nice shot!

Nina Almbair posted
The GTW yard had a turntable which is still in place but not operational. You can see it clearly from Cass Avenue. This photo is 1967

Charles Geletzke Jr.: This is a C. H. Geletzke, Jr. photo, which has been published several times. I would appreciate you giving the photographer credit at all times when you use their work!

Satellite

 

James Price posted

Matt Stiner: Do they use the turn table still [Mar 2025]?

James Price: Matt Stiner yes

Craig Hensley Photography posted three photos with the comment:

CN Pontiac Terminal 

I really enjoy capturing yard shots with the drone, and while out in the Pontiac area I had to grab a shot of CN yard. The aerial perspective really defines the track and switch layout, and also highlights the relics from the past. I find it fascinating that throughout all the years of modernization, the coaling tower still stands on the far side of the yard. You can also see the remnants of the roundhouse and the turntable that is still there as well. Even though this yard may not seem busy, but I'm sure there is still plenty of rail traffic that cruises through coming out of Detroit.

Tech: DJI Mavic Air 2s

Symbol: N/A

Engine/s: CN 5662 (EMD SD75I)

Date: 5/30/21 4pm

Location: CN Pontiac Terminal, Pontiac, Michigan

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Craig Hensley Photography posted
What remains of the former GTW roundhouse and turntable at the now current CN yard in Pontiac, MI.

Dave Kuntz Drone Photos: I was concerned about jail proximity. You are braver than me lol

Craig Hensley Photography commented on Dave's comment
The yard is unrestricted airspace. As long as you don’t fly directly over the jail, no one should bother you. If you move sightly north your in restricted airspace and requires an FAA authorization with for PTK.

Dave Kuntz Drone Photos commented on Craig's comment
Thanks. Glad I got it from the side at least but top down is cool!

Richard Hueston -> Grand Trunk Western Historical Society

Brandon Mooney posted
GTW 4925 switches Pontiac yard on a misty morning.

Update: Pete Bloom posted two photos with the comment: "Where the roundhouse used to be. And where the long unused coaling tower still stands. Pontiac, Mi. Feb 2017."

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Robert Werth posted two photos with the comment: "Here is the old coaling tower and the old roundhouse at the Grand Trunk Western yard in Pontiac, MI. I took these pictures in the late 1980's or the early 1990's....."
Chad Thompson Pontiac Coal Tower still stands. The roundhouse came down in 1996.

The compressor and drop table went to MSTRP (now Steam Railroading Institute). I believe that they in turn scrapped the compressor and sold/traded the drop table to another preservation entity.

There were patterns saved out of the pattern shop. Those since were sold by SRI to a private collector.

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Ward J McGinnis commented on Robert's posting
Taken in 2013

William D G Baker commented on Robert's posting

Charles Geletzke Jr. posted
The GTW 5038 at the Pontiac, Michigan coal dock on March 25, 1960. (Roger J. Meade photo)

Greg Powell: That was the tallest smoke stack in Oakland county.

Robert Werth posted
I took this picture on a cold December day in the 1980's in Pontiac, MI.
Jeffrey Dobek Off to the right you can see some of the ex-PRR "Keystone" cars that SEMTA purchased, but never put into service. Some of these later ended up on the Coe Rail dinner train in Walled Lake, MI.
Jeffrey Dobek The cars on the left are a mix of ex-UP and ex-PRR cars that SEMTA used on the Detroit commuter trains.

Larry Burk posted
One more from Pontiac. The hill at Durant Ave was a good spot to railfan.
Note the passenger cars center left. When Blue Water Chapter used to have their stuff at the car shop in the yard.
Geri Climer Dunkle: Larry Burk is anything Bluewater still going?
Gabriel Wehner: Geri Climer Dunkle Dissolved in 2019, many cars from the chapters glory days are now in the hands of museums and private owners. Many went to Gary Southgate of Saskatchewan for his CN “Supercontinental” trainset.
Geri Climer Dunkle: ‘Twas grand riding to Port Huron, Cadillac, Fort Wayne and Bellevue… the last two with 611 for steam power❣️🚂
Tim Shanahan shared
Pontiac Michigan
Larry Burk posted
GTW Pontiac, MI yard.  July 1986.  The yard is to the right, looking down toward the engine facility with the roundhouse off to the left.   The passenger cars belong to an NRHS group that used Pontiac for storage.

One of nine photos posted by Terry Cummins.

One of nine photos posted by Terry Cummins.
Rodney D Zona The canopy over the diesel fuel pumps at the Pontiac yard. The building on the right was part of the old roundhouse.
Chad Thompson Roundhouse was razed in 1996.The drop table and air compressor went to Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation (SRI).I believe the compressor was later scrapped and the drop table sold?
Terry Cummins What is a drop table?
Dennis DeBruler Terry Cummins It is in a pit under a locomotive in a Diesel Shop that facilitates replacing axle sets. Can you see these photos of the BNSF drop table in Galesburg, IL? They are in a private group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/402599380076756/permalink/1010253219311366/
Chad Thompson Dennis DeBruler - they had them in roundhouses as well for steam locomotives.

Dave Kuntz Drone Photos posted four photos with the comment: "Another impressive relic from the last steam passenger train in the US:  The forlorn GTW coaling tower in Pontiac MI.  You can see the turntable and roundhouse foundations behind it in some of the photos."

Tim Shanahan shared

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Chad Thopson commented on terry's post
I have this ad in my collection, but it shows what was in a typical class I roundhouse.
[Note the ""CHANGE THOSE TIRES" description on the right side. ]

Eric Seitz posted three images of the coaling tower.

Depot

Charles Geletzke Jr. posted
GTW depot in Pontiac, Michigan.

Nick Stone: Where would have this been located?

Charles Geletzke Jr.: Nick Stone: Immediately railroad west of Huron Street.

Walter Jung posted
Grand Trunk Depot, Pontiac Michigan - postmarked 1913.
Tim Shanahan shared

1952/54 North Pontiac Quad @ 24,000

I got an aerial photo to confirm the topo map mark.

Jun 1, 1951 @ 23,600; AR1PN0000010157

Decatur, IL: Wabash Freight House

(Satellite, it is now trees and brownland.)

It is in the foreground of this view. It has the classical freight house design of a short two-story office attached to a long one-story freight handling part.

History of the Heartland posted

1978 aerial of the Levee District area around the former Wabash stations.  At bottom right labelled "N&W Depot" is the former passenger station, no longer active at the time of the photo.  This building has been repurposed as the Wabash Antique Mall.

The long building running diagonally across the bottom of the photo is the former Wabash Freight Station.  The right side of the building held the administrative offices where less than carload freight shipments were managed.  The long extension to the left is the dock area where boxcars would be unloaded for transfer to trucks for the "last mile" to the final destination.  The Wabash freight office closed in 1963 when the railroad exited the less than carload business.  At the time of the photo it was used by Sol Tick & Company for scrap operations.  The building was later razed.

In the center of the photo the circular area still visible as an imprint in the earth is the location where the Wabash roundhouse had stood for 97 years between 1856 and 1953.  The track stalls so deeply impacted the earth that even today the ruts are visible. By 1978 the turntable, which survived the razing of the roundhouse in 1953, had also been removed.

Three Class I railroads were still very active at the location at this time:  The Norfolk & Western operated over the former Wabash trackage running east-west (top to bottom); the Illinois Central Gulf ran north-south (left-right) on trackage that dated back to the very beginning of that railroad; the Baltimore & Ohio yard on the right side of the photo connected to tracks running east along Eldorado and then Route 36 out of Decatur, linking to Indianapolis and the east coast.

Photo: H&R

Terry Howley: B&O yards are to the right center of this photo , Southeast of WABIC tower , along with their turn-table which is still standing just west of the Jasper st underpass . Amtrak used the N&W depot from July 1, 1981 until July 10, 1983 when service to Decatur ended
Richard Fiedler: Adam White actually 5 class one railroads operated there then: The N&W, B&O, Illinois Central, Illinois Terminal (via trackage rights on the N&W), and Penn Central (former Pennsylvania RR via IC trackage rights)..
Leonard Perlmutter shared
Looks like that old dinner that Sol Tick scrapped there at the old frieght station is there. I remember the folks at Monticello wanted acesss to it, but don't know if it ever happened.
History of the Heartland: Richard Fiedler this is partially correct. By the time of the photo the Penn Central had sold their Terre Haute to Decatur line to the Wabash Valley shortline. Their successor Conrail sold the Peoria to Maroa section (north of here) to the Illinois Terminal soon after.
Nick Fitzgerald: Do you happen to have an easy to read map of the tracks entering and leaving the Dearborn Station in Chicago.
Dennis DeBruler: Nick Fitzgerald I just uploaded C&EI1964ChicagoDearborn-300lg.pdf to the files section of this group.

This photo has been moved to here. (I had the wrong town!)

Jonesboro IL: 1876 Library/M&O Depot

Bart Hileman posted

Unlike the open freight platform in Alto Pass, the depot in Jonesboro has a standard closed freight handling area even though it is further south on the M&O route.

The picture in the comment indicates that it has been saved as the town's library.

Bart Hileman commented

Andy Zukowski posted
ICG's Sparta District at Jonesboro, Illinois. This is a J. David Ingles Dupe Slide made from his trip with Bill Wylde from Murphysboro to Tamms on March 13, 1980.

Andrew Waldo posted

Jonesboro, Illinois: Passenger & Freight Station, Mobile & Ohio Railroad. M&O’s Passenger & Freight Station at Jonesboro Illinois was estimated built in 1876 and photographed on 25 May 1916.

Credit: National Archives & Records Administration, ICC Engineering Field Notes, Mobile & Ohio Railroad, Illinois. Digital Image Collection of Andrew Waldo.

Aaron Qualls posted
Ex-IC “Side Door” caboose no. 9765, in Jonesboro.

Aaron Qualls posted
The GM&O’s depot in Jonesboro, now the town’s public library.

Alto Pass, IL: M&O Depot

(Satellite, this trailhead reused the depots land)

Bart Hileman posted
Alto Pass
[The horse&buggy and train order signals indicate it was taken in the early 20th century.]

Andy Zukowski posted

GM&O Depot, Alto Pass, Illinois

View along the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio on the stretch between East St. Louis and Cairo, Illinois. The view is looking north towards East St. Louis. 5/22/1968

Photo by Barry Lennon

Brad Craig: There was a neat antique shop there. So, packed with goodies you had to turn sideways to go down the aisles, until it burnt to the ground. 1970s or early 1980s.

Alto's depot was interesting with the loading platform for fruits and vegetables on one end.

I was surprised it wasn't saved. Looks worse for wear in the 1977 picture [below].

It was in fairly good condition in 1974, I remember.

LaDonna Eastwood: Now there is a nice park with shelter where the tracks were and at the south end is a hiking trail on the old railroad bed. It is called Quetil Trail. Bluffs on one side and woods on the other. Very tranquil.

Larry Candilas commented on Andy's post
MP 539.6 Murphysboro District; a 1977 picture after the Illinois Central got hold of it.

Andrew Waldo posted

Alto Pass, Illinois: Passenger & Freight Station, Mobile & Ohio Railroad. Much-photographed over many years, M&O’s Passenger & Freight Station at Alto Pass, Illinois was estimated built in 1902. This photograph was taken on 26 May 1916.

Credit: National Archives & Records Administration, ICC Engineering Field Notes, Mobile & Ohio Railroad, Illinois. Digital Image Collection of Andrew Waldo.

Mark R Paul commented on Andy's post

The Country Store also has some history.

Street View, Sep 2025

I could not find a grain elevator in this town. Zooming out on a satellite images, there are too many hills in this area to farm.

1947/70 Cobden Quad @ 24,000

Wauseon, OH: NS/NYC/LS&MS Depot

The Wabash was a few blocks north where Dickman Road is now. The DT&I was closer to the depot. 1943 Wauseon Quad @ 62,500

Jim Etchie -> Railroad Depots, Shops & Structures of North America

(Satellite, 25 photos)

Hopefully, this is a permanent link, because this was one of several pictures of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern depot, most of which were interior shots.

Sheldon Nicholas Photography posted
The station at Wauseon, Ohio
Art LH shared

Colin Harding: According to my 1940 Official Guide on both the Wabash & NYC.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Colin's comment
The Wabash was a few blocks north where Dickman Road is now. The DT&I was closer to the depot. 1943 Wauseon Quad @ 62,500

Street View, Oct 2013

Freeport, IL: East Tower: IC vs. IC

Jim Datt -> Illinois Central Railroad Heritage Association
Either the Hawkeyes or Land o Corn at east junction in Freeport, and don't know when it was taken, as I was not the photographer. Sorry about the quality. I had to take a picture of a picture.
Jim French: This is great Jim. Only shot I've ever seen of East Jct Tower." Michael Ferris observed: "Looking at the details on the E unit I'd say somewhere between 1960-63.

A problem with following railroad specific Facebook groups is that they take for granted that all of the members of the group would know the details such as where the "East Tower" was. I'm assuming it is where IC's new route from Chicago to Freeport joined the original "Charter Route" up the middle of the state to Freeport that then turned west to Galena. (As I have mentioned before, in the mid 1800s, the river town of Galena was considered to be more important than the swamp town of Chicago. But, of course, Chicago became more important, and IC then felt a need for a route directly from Chicago to Freeport.)

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The resolution of the 1938 aerial photos is not good enough to see tracks and ties, so it is sometimes hard to distinguish between a freshly ballasted railroad and a concrete road. I know the line coming in at an angle on the right is the new line built from Chicago because it still exists on contemporary maps. I can tell the line coming up on the right side of the picture to join it was the charter line because it changes from black (a train) to white (just the RoW). The line cuming up from the middle of the bottom is the Milwaukee Road. It appears to go under the IC tracks. That is, there is no junction between the IC and the Milwaukee.

The black rectangle in the upper-left corner of the following would be the shadow of the tower. The tower itself is a barely grey blob.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP