Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Taylorville, IL: C&IM Roundhouse and shops destroyed by tornado

(Satellite)

Larry Senalik posted
Taylorville Yard

John Pescitelli commented on Larry's post, cropped
Took this in 03
I saved a satellite image since it will change. The Chicago & Illinois Midland tracks run across the north part of the property. The NS/Wabash tracks are along Calvert Drive. The C&IM used to connect to the Wabash here. Judging from some comments, Taylorville was the main town for C&IM maintenance until they moved that function to Springfield, IL.
Satellite

Satellite accessed Jul 2020
 
That always was a rather small yard.
1938 Aerial from ILHAP, at photo resolution

Dave Durham posted
August 1922 Sanborn Taylorville C&IM Yard map.
Dave Durham shared
 
Dave Durham posted
Another shot from the PR booklet of the old gals slumbering in the roundhouse at Taylorville.

Sammy Smith shared a post
Looks like the old C&IM roundhouse in Taylorville took a direct hit in the Saturday night tornado. I was trying to see if it effected the old Frisco steamer at the old C&IM shop. I didn't know there was a old roundhouse till I looked at Google maps. Confirmed on a Wabash group.
Sammy Smith Wasn't there a diesel shop where the Frisco steamer is stored. That is still ok.
Paul Brewer Sammy Smith It was basically just an engine shed with an inspection pit . . . could only do minor servicing there. The big two story brick depot sat immediately to the northwest of the engine shed with a concrete walkway in between. Even after the C&IM moved to Springfield, my Dad would get his paycheck there. I believe that mobile home in the photo later became the office for the Taylorville agent. Thanks Sammy!Sammy Smith Paul Brewer the switch was taken out several years ago, and I think a trestle is out between the power plant and Taylorville.

Erik Spoonmore also shared this photo
Bill Crisp posted three photos with the comment: "The tornado in Taylorville yesterday was devastating. Luckily no fatalities. However the old C&IM roundhouse and backshop were destroyed."

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Bill added a "before" photo as a comment on his posting
They have allowed so many trees to go around it that I would not recognize it as a roundhouse from the street. And yet there are no trees in the satellite view at the top. Trees don't grow real fast so I'm they don't show in the satellite image.
Street View
Dave Durham posted ten photos with the comment:
Here are a few pics from inside the former C&IM roundhouse and backshops which had been owned and preserved by Taylorville resident Rod Sheedy. I am scrambling to find my thumbdrive of video taken there as well, these will have to do for now...Rod, thanks for keeping the roundhouse alive for as long as you did, AND for the guided tour. IT WAS AWESOME;GREAT JOB...
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The comments on a Connor Taylor posting about the tornado damage discuss how much of the route is still used. David summed it up:
David Jordan Cal trains for the Kincaid power plant are routed BNSF-Pekin-IMRR with actual interchange at the Illinois & Midland RR's Crescent Yard, just southwest of Pekin at Powerton.

Connor Taylor posted two photos with the comment: "The Taylorville roundhouse, April 28th, 2018. Unfortunately I was not aware of the significance this building holds to C&IM history at the time, and I've regretted the lack of photos ive taken ever since it was destroyed in a tornado."
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Dave Durham posted seven photos with the comment: "7 C&IM RR photos,First National Bank calendar, Taylorville Public Library, unknown photographers."
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Peoria, IL: Walnut Street (BR) Tower: Rock Island vs TP&W

(Satellite)
John Stell posted
TP&W 901 Westbound at Walnut Street (BR) Tower Peoira, IL. October 1967 unknown photographer.

John Stell posted
TP&W 901-902 lead a westbound No 121 at Walnut Street tower in Peoria in 1967. Tower was known as BR tower. Al Chione slide John Stell collection.
Since the TP&W train is coming off of its bridge, the tower is in the southeast quadrant of the junction.
1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

John Stell posted
TP&W-RI Walnut Street Tower (BR) at Peoria. TP&W manned and RI maintained controlled RI crossing and Illinois River Bridge. John Stell collection.

John Stell posted
Walnut Street Tower in 1958.  John Stell collection.
Wes Birkey: Rock bring passenger trains into Pekin?

Peoria, IL: BJ (Bridge Junction) Tower: IAIS/Rock Island vs. TZPR+TP&W/P&PU

TZPR = Tazewell and Peoria Railroad
TP&W = Toledo, Peoria & Western
P&PU = Peoria and Pekin Union

3D Satellite

Steve Drassler posted
BJ (Bridge Junction) Tower and views upstream and downstream of the Illinois River in Peoria, Illinois. The Rock Island crossed the Peoria and Pekin Union (PPU--ol' stinky) here. Now The Rock is an ADM industrial lead and the PPU is the Tazewell and Peoria Railroad. Taken about 2001
Dean Cunningham Reminds a bit of my old day's with the Peoria & Pekin Railroad. The Strauss Bascule Span was our bridge before this lift span over the Illinois River. The major owner of the P&PU at that time was the Illinois Central. Our President was Gideon Willingham from the I.C. My boss Ora Carrol the Chief Engineer and I his Assistant Engineer where both are from the AT&SF Railway Company. I started in 1959. Worked there for 10 years and enjoyed it. I assume it is still a small switching railroad terminal?. Railroad? I believe the next Chief Engineer was named Rada? After the TP&W Illinois River Bridge was destroyed by a river barge they started using this bridge. Thanks for sharing Steve.
David Jordan Looks like this was taken just before the north track was severed on either end of the bridge.
Rick Barnes It is a total different track arrangment now only one main now I lived there many time and train watch that spot of years.
[bridge]


Sunday, December 2, 2018

Peoria, IL: Turntable and Rock Island's "New" Depot

Turntable: (Satellite )
New Depot: (Satellite)

An older depot is now The Blue Duck Barbecue Tavern.

Erik Rasmussen posted
Rock Island F7A 111 poses for pictures on the turntable in Peoria, IL on a nice day in April of 1969. R.J. Wilhelm photo from the Bill Riebe collection. Scanned by myself.
Walt Del Calle Is that the one by the "new" depot north of town?

Street View

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Update: The new depot was yet to be built in 1949. The old depot is in the lower-left corner.
USGS 1949 Peoria East Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

The new depot is the rectangle along the tracks near the upper-right corner. The old depot is still in the lower-left corner.
USGS 1996 Peoria East Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

week.com
Public input sought on what should replace railroad turntable at Riverfront Park

"The Monticello Railway Museum will remove the inoperable turntable at no cost to the city. The museum will then refurbish the device and put it back into productive use in its railway system."

Paul Jones commented on a post: "When was the Rock Island round house built/ torn down?"
David Jordan: Paul Jones The roundhouse already existed when the 90-ft. turntable was installed in November 1928. It is possible some form of early roundhouse existed there after predecessor Peoria & Bureau Valley RR ran its first train into Peoria on November 7, 1854. The Rock Island's original yard was on the downtown riverfront, but the City owned the land and later forced the railroad to vacate. The Rock Island built its "Levee Yard" upriver in 1907-1908.
Paul Jones: David Jordan we finally got some engineering information for the turntable from Peoria so hopefully we can begin some restoration work toward making it a functional piece.
David Jordan: Paul Jones Forgot to mention the roundhouse was probably torn down after the City of Peoria bought the riverfront property in 1983.

While looking for the turntable, I noticed that the USACE has a storage facility on the riverfront. It had a ringer crane in storage.
3D Satellite
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New Depot


Ross Brocksmith posted four images with the comment:
New Rock Island Station
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Was this located just north of downtown Peoria?
Edit: located along Bond Street between Evans and Morton.  New in 1967.  The building is presently owned by City of Peoria. 
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Image Source/Credit: 
Ernest Grassel Collection
Only seen in-person in the Local History Collection
Downtown Branch of Peoria Public Library
#peoriapubliclibrary  #peorialocalhistory  #ernestgrasselcollection
From Grassel’s volumes titled TRANSPORTATION
Richard Fiedler shared
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