Mexico, MO: Chicago & Alton plus CB&Q and Wabash Depots and a Biodiesel Plant

C&A: (Satellite)

Wabash: (Satellite)

ADM Grain: (Satellite)

ADM Plant: (Satellite)

The C&A route is now owned by the Kansas City Railroad and the Wabash route is owned by Norfolk Southern. Burlington Northern abandoned the CB&Q route.

GM&O/C&A plus CB&Q:

Street View

Wabash:

Street View

When I saw this building, I wondered if it was a depot.

1 of several photos posted by Michael Parker
M-VNKC   Mexico MO
[A comment on another photo with a similar view indicates that the train is waiting for a recrew.]

Not only was that building the Chicago & Alton Depot, across the intersection from it is the former Wabash Depot.

WayMarker via WayMarking

Before I did a Google search, I used a topo map to determine which railroads were in Michael's photo. I was surprised to learn that CB&Q seemed to terminate at this town.

1932 Mexico Quad @ 62,500

In fact, it joins the C&A route to Kansas City.

Dennis DeBruler

HowdyYall confirmed that CB&Q ran some passenger traffic through this town.

Ebay1

Ebay2

Ebay3

Carl-char Hirst posted five photos with the comment:

Cliff Kiersted shared

One Wabash shot.

1

2

3

4

5

While looking for a street view of the C&A Depot, I noticed there was a substantial grain processing facility in the town.

Street View

"Welcome to Mid-America Biofuels, Missouri's first major biodiesel production plant. Located in Mexico, MO, Mid-America Biofuels, LLC is a joint venture of Biofuels, LLC (a farmer-owned biodiesel business), Ray-Carroll County Grain Growers, MFA Oil Company, Growmark Inc, and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM)." [Mid-AmericaBiofuels] Missouri soybean farmers started funding research in biodiesel in 1992. This plant shipped its first load in 2006. [about] These plants should reduce the transportation costs for farmers. Not only is it a short haul to take their beans to market, their diesel fuel has a short haul back to the farm.

Satellite

1 of several photos posted by Michael Parker
M-VNKC   Mexico MO
Gary Olden shared

Dennis DeBruler posted three images with the comment: "While looking for street views of depots in Mexico, MO, I noticed that there is a grain conveyor built over a Class I railroad mainline. In fact, it is over two mainlines. The tracks on the left are the KCS/GM&O/Chicago & Alton and the tracks on the right are the NS/Wabash. The facility on the left (North side) is a regular ADM grain elevator. The facility on the right is the first biodiesel plant built in Missouri. It was built during 2005-06."

Kevin Priest: That's cool, Decatur Michigan has a tunnel under an amtrack track to connect the plant..

1
https://goo.gl/maps/tF232HurrfwGco718

2
https://goo.gl/maps/Mw35vrE5V4r1HaY16

3
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1688836,-91.8799342,329m/data=!3m1!1e3

Brunswick, MO: Wabash Depot and Liquid Cow Feed Plant

Depot: (Satellite)

Liquid Cow Feed: (Satellite)

I included the signal because the parent post of Drew's photo below contains a lot of photos of the traditional Wabash signals that were on the line. This street view shows the modern signals that replaced them when PTC (Positive Train Control) was implemented.

Street View

Drew Barteau posted
Wabash Depot In Brunswick, MO

As I generally do when looking at depots in small towns, I also look for the grain elevators in the town. To the east of the depot is a normal grain elevator, but it doesn't look like it gets rail service. 

Satellite

But further east I spotted an animal feed plant that had more tanks than silos. And there were a bunch of tank cars at the plant. I think the facility north of the tracks is a regular feed mill. But the North Star Feeds facility south of the tracks produces liquid feed supplement. They own those tank cars and they also own semi-truck tank trailers. They produce customized feed supplements and ship to distributors. For example, when I accessed their web page, the featured distributor was headquartered in South Dakota. I'm still trying to determine how the feedlots apply the supplement to their hay and/or grain when they feed the cows.

Satellite

Clifton Hill, MO: City Hall/Wabash Depot

(Satellite)

There are no grain elevators in this town.

Drew Barteau posted
Clifton Hill Depot

The street view is very disappointing. Normally it captures a better image.

Street View, Jun 2008

I include a view with the signal because Drew Bartow's post has a lot of other photos of the signals along the railroad. Searchlight signals have generally been replaced by "traffic light" signals because of PTC (Positive Train Control). 

Street View, Jun 2008

Tobyhanna, PA: Museum/Lackawanna Depot and Interlocking Tower

Depot: (Satellite)

Tower: (Satellite)

Second of six photos posted by Marty Bernard
Karl Miller photo circa 1990.
Jim Kelling: Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania (Lackawanna) now restored

Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's post
 https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m6!1e1!3m4...

Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's post
Evidently it is now a train museum that includes a model railroad layout.
TJ Prabhu, Jul 2022
https://goo.gl/maps/3QWPjf1ErJ1Fevcf9

Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's post
And across the street from the depot, an interlocking tower is still standing.
 https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m6!1e1!3m4...

Street View

Al Tillotson posted
Poured concrete interlocking tower at Tobyhanna PA, constructed by the Lackawanna RR.  Tuesday afternoon September 9, 2025.

Edward Joseph Szela: Cool little museum and train club across the street at the train station too.

I.e. Xam commented on Al's post

Here is the depot across the street. I took picture in 2011. DL&W-1904

Tom Rich posted three photos with the comment: "Traveling through NE PA on Aug 31, 2023; Photos of Tobyhanna Tower."

1

2
[Note the depot in the background.]

3

Fred Parris posted two photos with the comment: "Tobyhanna Pennsylvania."

1

2

Al tillotson posted
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western interlocking tower, Tobyhanna PA, Thursday morning May 2, 2024.

1 of 5 photos of the tower posted by Al Tillotson
The former DL&W Tobyhanna tower in Tobyhanna PA now sports Lackawanna style signs.  Located on the Delaware-Lackawanna RR, views are from Thursday May 2, 2024.

Houston, PA: ATI/Allegheny Ludlum/Bethlehem/Lukens/Washington Steel

(Satellite)

This plant was evidently a branch location for Washington Steel, and it became part of ATI.

Tim Soom posted two images with the comment: "This was the old Washington Steel/ Lukens/Bethlehem/Allegheny Ludlum Steel Mill...Melt Shop in Houston, PA. "

Kellen Hodge: Was on JJ's crew. Melt shop leveled. Caster still standing. ATI can still get a tax write off. Storeroom still there. Rolling mill still standing. Easier to leave it rot then to reclaim it all.

Dave Jaap: Kellen Hodge what a shame. Such a great place to work. Finishing Mill up town is completely gone but the warehouse. [Judging from some other comments, I think "uptown" was Washington.]

John Stanish Jr.: Caster building and rolling mill are still standing. Rolling mill shut down in 2015.

1

2

Steve Kashuba posted 15 photos with the comment: "This is what Washington Steel melt shop used to look like. There's nothing but weeds and empty ground now."

1
These are the ladles preheating. Getting ready to pour Into.

2
These people are getting the furnace ready to charge by shooting a protective coating inside the furnace.

3
After a furnace taps it is repoured into the AOD where argon and oxygen heat it up to over 3000 degrees and other material is added to get the specific grade of steel/

4
This is a bucket of cold steel scrap going into the furnace.
Jeff Berkoben: How many buckets of scrap was used per heat?
Steve Kashuba: Jeff Berkoben one on the cold charge and one on the back charge

5
This is what it looks like at a craneman's view. Always smoky

6
This lady is taking the temperature in the AOD.

7
These are 2 very special ladies of steel. They always tried to work harder than the men and usually did.
Jeff Berkoben: What year did woman begin working in the mill? 1976 where I worked.
Steve Kashuba: Jeff Berkoben when I worked in Homestead they started in 1970.
Fran Iddings: Jeff Berkoben 1981, There were two of us, the first two in the melt shop! I loved it there, miss those days.

8
This is the crane adding materials to the AOD to make the special spects of the order

9
This is the AOD slagging off. The crane is holding a slag pot under the vessel.

10
This is a view of her pulling the slag out of the vessel with a long steel pole.

11
Just before the vessel dumps its load the ladleman pours sand into a gate at the bottom the ladle to preview from leaking.

12
The full ladle is put on a electric transfer car and sent to the caster where it is poured and made into slabs.

13

14
This us one of two electric furnaces
Trebor Nirom: What was the capacity?
Steve Kashuba: Trebor Nirom one was 40 ton and one was 65 ton. Little compared to the 350 ton furnaces at Homestead.

15
When the empty ladle comes back from the caster the crane dumps the slag and the ladleman conditions the ladle for the next use.