Towns and Nature

Saturday, August 13, 2022

Luzerne C: Hazelton, PA: Jeddo Anthracite Coal Mine and Draglines 1450/8700/1250

The Eckley Miners' Village museum is close by.

Matt Martino posted, cropped
1250W “The Anthracite King”. Just outside of Hazelton, PA.

Jadon Cramer: If they decide to park the 8700 and the 1450, I wonder how much we would have to raise to get them to walk up out of the way enough to have a giants of Pa park? If they could get up on already stripped land and make a version of the Big Brutus park, we could keep a big piece of mining and engineering history in our area. South Central Pa (Somerset and Cambria counties) went from having a few dozen machines to none. Hazleton has some of the biggest around and all at one place. Would be worth looking into.

Dylan Wheatley: Unfortunately they are both parked now. 1450 is likely going to the Bahamas and the 8700 will meet the gas axe. I asked the same question as you, the issue ultimately is pagnotti has plans for the land already, and the plans don’t include any of the drags. I believe you’d have to have a serious chunk of money to purchase a plot from pagnotti, and then of course money for purchasing and preserving the 8700 and 1250

Ryan Kubishin posted six photos with the comment: "Bucyrus-Erie 1250-W near Eckley Miners Village."

Cal Herring: Jeddo Highland Coal Co. West Oakdale Operation. Other machines Marion 8700 and B-E 1450. Both were operating until recently on Jeddo Basin. 1250 was reserve machine.

Roch Courreges: 40°59'10.23"N 75°55'29.47"W

Angelo Del commented on Ryan's post
Stockton Pa walked over from Eckley

Nate Nowak posted thirteen photos with the comment: "Jeddo 1450/8700/1250."

[To summarize some comments, they were shut down because of a weak market. But anthracite has uses other than power generation and the market has bounced back. Now they can't keep up with demand. So they are investigating restarting these machines. "I guess we will see within the next few months."

The 1250 Anthracite King started in 1959 and the other two were in 65-66.]

13
Jack Ed: Long live the Anthracite King!!
Michael Wescott: Needs a new tub.
[Some comments discuss the tub replacement and the novel boom design.]

Dennis DeBruler commented on Nate's post
I think I found two of them:
https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4...

Dennis DeBruler commented on Nate's post
This must be the 1250:
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.9862796,-75.9249992,192m/data=!3m1!1e3

5 photos

Hunch Fenceter: I'm surprised they retired that 1250. is the 8700 still working?

Nate Nowak: Hunch Fenceter the 8700 and 1450 have been parked for 6 years. The 1250W parked since around 2004.

Quinn Lickman posted 5 photos.

William Oldani commented on Quinn's post
Back in the Day 50 years ago!
First time I saw it!

Lucibello Heavy Equipment photography posted two photos with the comment: "Rumors are flying! It looks like the 8700 and 1450 are going back to work."

Joseph Anthony: They had them running today.

Anthony Lucibello shared

William Oldani: Definitely a Market, Electrical power system will need a whole lot of upgrading!

BIG Cost!

Anthracite Coal National Park posted

Scott Sajda posted to Anthracite 570 Facebook:

Marion 8700 near Hazleton....remains the largest in the state.

[The comments contain a 20 sec video of it operating.]

Jay Wilson: One of two built. Did they get parts off the other 8700 when it was chopped up ??

Jim Shackelford: Jay Wilson yes sir. I validated that about a month ago. I worked for GE for several years and asked a gentleman that was involved at the time it went to work. The Peabody machine was equipped with Westinghouse Electrical Systems and the other two were GE.

Chris Heck commented on Anthony's post
I had the privilege of an in cab view today!

Chris Heck commented on Anthony's post
Both of them.

1 of 8 photos posted by Bob Olaf
Anthracite King to the rescue! Jeddo, PA 1979.
[The yellow crane (Anthracite King) is rescuing the 8700 and its broken boom.]
Robert DeMarco: Sitting idle on the side of Stockton Road for at least 20 years now. And the 8700 is still down in the hole.
Nate Nowak: Robert DeMarco 8700 and 1450 starting back up very soon!

James Stine shared
Alex Taylor: James Stine hasn't all the original 8000-series draglines had a boom failure? 8700, 8800, and 8900?
Larry Barragree: Didn't the 8900 at Dugger, IN. have a boom failure?
Jay Wilson: One of the 8700's, the 8800 and one of the 8900's.
James Stine: Alex Taylor , I think Jay Wilson is correct. The first 8700 had a very short boom of 225’. This machine started at Peabody’s Broken Aro Mine in Ohio. 225 ft boom, 70 yd. Bucket.

Nate Nowak posted three photos with the comment: "Some photos of the Marion 8700 at Jeddo from my collection. Unknown year or photographer."

Nate Nowak: Leo Nalaschi been running about 2 weeks steady now

Nate Nowak shared

1 of 7 photos posted by Nate Nowak
Jeddo as of today 2/15/23
Jim Barker: How do they get that machine out of there ?
Nate Nowak: Jim Barker dozers will push down and make a ramp when we get to the end.
Nate Nowak shared

This video confirms that the draglines walk backwards.

3:28 video
8700 walking for the first time since 2016.
[A comment indicates that it move about 8' during each cycle.]
Matthew Ethier: How many tons is she?
Nate Nowak: Matthew Ethier 4,500 when it was built probably closer to 5,000 tons now.
Nate Nowak shared
David Stigall: why were the big draglines and the shovels were tracked?
Jim Shackelford: David Stigallthe Big or Stripping Shovels sat on the coal whereas draglines were on the high wall or a spoil bench. The shovel had to follow the contour of the coal seam, which could roll and pitch in any direction. By using tracks and jacks on each corner to keep the revolving frame level and follow the changes in elevation. Draglines have tubs that they set on. They are able to keep their road level. The tub distributes the load over a large area that creates low ground pressure. Crawler have much higher ground pressure and could not manage the terrain on the bench. The shoes that are used for propelling the machine also have low ground pressure. Two different applications accomplishing the same outcome; uncovering coal.

0:21 video @ 0:11
Lucibello Heavry Equipment photography posted
Great day at Atlantic Carbon watching the 8700 take it’s first steps in nearly seven years! More photos of the machine in action to come.
Anthony Lucibello shared

Anthony Lucibello shared 7 photos of it digging coal, not overburden. According to some comments, it is digging an almost vertical seam.

Nate Nowak: We are on the south pitch now, it's going deeper as work our way north across the cut then will start coming up again. Anthracite coal runs in basins that could be compared to a spoon or canoe shape. And inside the basin the Vein could run anywhere from flat to near vertical or even inverted, with faults, anticlines, synclines, etc.

William Oldani commented on Nate's comment

Nate Nowak posted ten photos with the comment: "Greasing the 1450W boom."

Jason Schurtz: Cool pics! Love the view of the pits with the 8700.

Nate Nowak shared

Jay Wilson: What are you greasing ?? The point sheaves, rollers, guide sheaves, swivel ?? Can't that be put on air, with a reservoir for the grease and a pump ??

Nate Nowak: Jay Wilson the guide sheaves have to be done by hand pretty much everything else is automatic.

Still have to inspect it even if there's no greasing to be done.

Nate Nowak posted six photos with the comment: "3 giants of Jeddo."

Nate Nowak shared with the comment: "Anthracite mine near Hazleton, PA."

Tom Maydyniak posted three photos with the comment: "Not 100% sure where these pics are taken, have been told maybe Shepton, Harwood, McAdoo from the looks of the car in one of the pics Id maybe date them late 40's? Looking at the 2 story house you can see how massive these drag line shovels are."

Greg Gunshore: Pic was taken in Delano. They moving (walking)it to Hazleton. [How many mines are in Hazleton? That is, was it walked to this one?]

Robert DeMarco: Greg Gunshore how long did it take to walk that thing from Delano to Hazleton?

Greg Gunshore: Robert DeMarco I think about a week?

Butch Horvath: Robert DeMarco walking duck was walked to audried just outside of McAdoo.

Butch Horvath: Greg Gunshore it took almost a year to walk the walking duck to audried.

John Jancewicz commented on Tom's post
Here is a picture of the King. It says so on the side.

Gregory Markle commented on Tom's post
On Google Maps you can see all three...
[Why won't people include the URL. It is easy enough to copy&paste it out of the location field.]

I wish this article or post provided a model number for the dragline.

Anthracite Coal National Park posted
February 21, 1960. Worlds Largest Dragline. Pagnotti Machine edges out Gilberton ex-title-holder
Cal Herring:The 8700 is in the West Oakdale pit along with the B-E 1450. The 1250 is stored on ground level. The 1150 was scrapped at its last location in the Sandy Run/Highland basin.
Cal Herring: 1250 now in storage at West Oakdale (Jeddo Basin)
Robert Friday shared

Nate Nowak posted three photos with the comment: "Jeddo, PA 8700 and 1450W today."

Jay Wilson: How long has the 1450W been back digging ??

Nate Nowak: Jay Wilson just fired back up Thursday [4-18-2024]. [That would explain why there is still a crane by the bucket in the photos.]

Don Kesterson: Have worked on both machines. The 1450W has newer controls on it

1:15 video of the 1450W walking back to work after setting idle since 2016

Friday, August 12, 2022

Havana, IL: 1947+1978-2019 488mw Power Plant and 2020 Coal Loading Dock

(Satellite)

"Units and In-Service Dates: Unit 6: 488.0 MW (1978)" [gem]

Jack Tanner Towing shared John Karl's post
Since we have to say goodbye to our power station that has been a great asset to Havana and surrounding areas.
This a photo from around 1949 before any of the additions were added.
Steve Haare: Those three units were designed by Combustion Engineer. "CE" designed more coal fired boilers in the US than any other company. They (then named Alstom) built their last three coal boilers in the US about 10 years ago and I was lucky enough to help commission one of those in Texas.
90% of the coal carried by the CI&M railroad and barged up river by the Coal Docks was used in "CE" units.
It's sad to see the entire industry going away.
Jan Henderson: what is going to happen to the land it is on?
Hugh McHarry: Vistra is lobbying for huge state subsidies to put battery storage there. Several solar companies are contacting area landowners about installing panels, including adjoining the power plant. There is an enormous ash pond that some radical environmentalist groups targets Havana and Duck Creek over. Eventually, there may be projects to deal with the ash. The pond is lined but the radical environmentalists claim that the lining will eventually fail and heavy metals will seep into the River, which many communities use for drinking water. Basically, a huge shuttered coal fired power plant is more of a liability than and asset. Vistra isn't dumb. I'm guessing they'll find some way to dump it, after junking out as much as is profitable.
Steve Haare: Power plants are full of asbestos, lead paint and worse that the owners can't just open it up to the public . Unless someone forces them to clean it all up, they will probably just keep the fences up and lock the gates. I'm not sure what they will have to do about the Ash Pond.
Patty Noble Gilbreath: Does anyone know when exactly the plant began being built, and when it became operational?
Pat Schad: Patty Noble Gilbreath Original plant was 47. The new unit was 78. 31 yrs after the original unit and 41 yrs from now.

Jack Turner posted
Something you don't see often at all here on the Illinois River!! An ocean tug (M/V Miss Katie) pulling 2 barges while a inland tug (M/V Stephen L) is pushing! 4 giant boiler like objects. Each one seem to be around 35 ft tall and over 100 ft long!! Just another interesting day in Havana!!
[This is one of thirteen photos of the tow. Rob Smith explains that these 4 pieces were unloaded at the Exxon Refinery at Channahon.]

Jack Tanner Towing posted, cropped
A little tow work Sunday.

One of 50 photos of and from the smokestack posted by Jack Tanner Towing, cropped

safe_image for Closed Havana Power Plant and out of service tracks
David Jordan: By design, EPA regulations and lawsuits are the primary reasons for power plant closings. Has much less to do with economics than some would like to believe. Out of necessity, coal will make a comeback someday.

Michael Hertter posted, cropped
Havana il
[The US-126 Lucas Bridge is in the foreground.]

Dave Fillman commented on Michael's post

capexel

Denny Fortney posted three photos with the comment: "looking north along the il river at the old havana power plant."

Deney Fortney posted four photos with the comment: "few pics of the power plant along the il river at havana."

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Toronto, ON: 2004,2022 Cooling Downtown Buildings with Lake Water

This project probably anticipates the expansion of Toronto's downtown by converting the land of Villers Island from industry to office buildings.

Central cooling plants for downtown buildings are not unusual. For example, Chicago has plants that make ice during the evening so that chilled water can be pumped to buildings during the day. That allows the use of cheaper electric rates. And Indianapolis uses steam from a power plant to directly drive water chillers. Toronto uses a heat exchanger to extract "cold" from its water supply.

It is the largest of its kind and displaces 55mw of energy a year from the grid. [enwave] "Compared to a chiller, Deep Lake Water Cooling can reduce electricity use by ~80%" [enwave2]

"There’s a back-up system for the city’s closed loop, when necessary: 14,000 tons of additional back-up cooling can be provided by two steam-powered centrifugal chillers and two traditional electric centrifugal chillers. This may be required during high-heat days. In routine circumstances, the heat from the loop will be removed using lake water alone and flow through the downtown loop will by-pass the four supplemental chillers." [buildipedia]

2 of 29 photos and a video posted by Bobby Dzz with the comment: "Towing a pipeline almost 3 kms in length from Hamilton where it was built, to Toronto for its Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) expansion project. It is the worlds largest lake water cooling system, and at the moment helps to cool over 100 buildings in downtown Toronto. Fun fact: The Scotia Bank Arena is 100% cooled with this system and has no AC installed. With this expansion it will be able to provide 60% more capacity for future growth. What a fun and exciting day with Janey and Dion."

a
[The pipe is going under the 1962 Canal Lift and 1958,1988 James Allan Skyway Bridges at Burlington, ON.]

b
Janey Anderson: you can see the "connectors" on the barge getting ready for attachment - love this shot!
[A comment on another photo stated that a connector was added every kilometer.]
Bobby Dzz shared

Janey Anderson posted

Let the pipe sinking begin in the Toronto outer harbour for the 4th section of the deep Lake Water Cooling Expansion project.

This is the Amy Lynn D. And Ocean A.Gauthier tugs, with a combined pull by both tugs to hold the pipeline extended in position for sinking of 44 tons.

This will be an all-night project. These crews have worked tirelessly for the last 3 days.

Photo credit: Peter Lee - Captain on Ocean A. Gauthier

Cynthia Rooke: Will the water be recycled back to the deep?
Janey Anderson: Cynthia Rooke yes! Using intake pipes that extend deep into Lake Ontario, cold water is pumped to the Island Filtration Plant operated by Toronto Water. The cold water is treated for use as drinking water before it's conveyed to the John Street Pumping Station. There, large heat exchangers transfer thermal energy between two systems – the potable water for the city is minimally heated as water supplied to downtown buildings is chilled. After the chilled water has circulated through and cooled the buildings, Enwave recycles the heat, returning the warm water to the pumping station to repeat the process.
John Decker: What’s the Depth?
Janey Anderson: John Decker not entirely sure; 70-90 m I have heard.
Dennis DeBruler: John Decker The current system is 83 meters.
"Enwave’s three intake pipes draw water (4 degrees Celsius) from 5 kilometres off the shore of Lake Ontario at a depth of 83 metres below the surface."
https://www.esci-ksp.org/archives/project/deep-lake-water-cooling-system

I presume this is one of the heat exchangers between the water-supply pipes and the closed loop chilled-water pipes.

CHAcompanies
"The cold water from deep in the lake eliminated the taste and odor problems of Toronto's summer drinking water."
[I know that Chicago sometimes has problems with its water, which is sourced from Lake Michigan, being "weird".]

Janey Anderson posted three photos with the comment:

UPDATE ON ENWAVE PIPELINE PROJECT:

Well, the tugs have left (other than Radium Yellowknife) and now Dominon Diving (from Dartmouth, N.S.) takes over. Their ROV system FMV-40 was launched yesterday afternoon after the pipe was sunk in the outer harbour of the Lake. These shots were taken at 67 metres depth along the floor of Lake Ontario.

The final phase will involve - removing the pipe's end cap, swivel hood, and slings & then complete the final survey.

Thank you Matthew Lohnes for keeping me posted on your progress. Fascinating project from start to finish.

Indianapolis, IN: 1893 20mw Citizens Energy Group Steam and Cooling Plant

(3D Satellite)

Perry K. Generating Station

With an annual steam sales of $6b, this is the second largest steam district in the US. [video]

The focus for this plant is to provide steam to buildings in the city and to centrifugal chillers (see below) rather than to turbines that generate electricity.

"Units and In-Service Dates: 15.0 MW (1925), 5.0 MW (1938)" [gem]

"The plant was one of the first in the country to install electrostatic precipitators (1937)." [i2sl]

Street View, Aug 2019

It must have converted to natural gas because the rather small area for a coal pile is now empty. Indeed, it converted in 2015. [video @ 1:43]

3D Satellite

This site started generating electricity in 1893 and started distributing steam in 1905. In addition to the expected uses of steam for heat, hot water, industrial processes, etc., it helps power chilled water facilities. [CEG-history] "More than 250 commercial buildings and industries depend on steam for heat and more than 60 utilize chilled water for cooling from Citizens." [CEG-thermal]

Steam powered centrifugal chillers are used to supply the chilled water.

process-heating [paycount 2]

process-heating [paycount 2]
Steam-turbine-driven chillers have been around for almost a century. Now with a stable supply of low cost natural gas in the United States, they are becoming a popular choice particularly for large combined heat and power (CHP) applications. Steam-turbine-chillers are also attractive when the cost of steam is relatively low compared to the cost of electricity.

Ron Gratton posted
Lucas Oil Stadium from the banks of the White River in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Downtown steam plant.

Ron commented on his post

One of several interior photos via Zach Dobson's blog

The tracks closest to the plant were the Pennsy's.

1948 Indianapolis West Quad @ 24,000

The water intake for the plant is just upstream of a dam on the White River. [video @ 3:00]

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Edmore, MI: Pere Marquette Depot and Junction Tower

Depot: (Satellite, it was L-shaped in the southwest corner of the junction)

Train Order Shack: (Satellite, McDonalds now uses that land)

Dave Stroebe posted
Abandoned Edmore Mich Depot 1977. Where two PMRR lines crossed. This depot was abandoned in 1973.

Three of the 30 images posted by Maxwell Crosby with the comment:

Ghosts of Prosperity
Edmore, trains nevermore
It’s been a while since I’ve done another one of my little historical writings where I talk about a place of interest that has a railroad connection that I find particularly fascinating. Tonight I am gonna discuss a place that I have wanted to do a piece on for quite some time, and only have some recent findings and semi frequent visits to the location due to my job have really spurred my interest in this once bustling center of railroad activity. It absolutely boggles my mind that a location once bustling with railroad activity and an important link in the development of Central Michigan has essentially zero commemoration of the very resource that so many places thrive on. Many towns have lost their railroads in Michigan over the years, some with junctions. Many have continued to honor the legacy that came with these era’s in their history. Places such as Thompsonville have its Diamond and caboose on display while Reed City replicated its unique depot and incorporated the Diamond into the rail trail system. While these equally sized and smaller towns take great pride in their once bustling past times, Edmore has not. It seems as though the town has tried to move on and forget, yet it’s so easy to look at history right out in the open in plain sight, so easy to see and so easy to find.
In order to learn about Edmore’s story we must
go back to when it all began. Real estate man Edwin B. Moore plotted the location for what was to be the Village of Edmore in 1878 (a combination of his name). Situated in the far Northeast corner of Montcalm County, Edmore was in a prime position for success. Always on the smaller side of the spectrum, Edmore in terms of size and population is about the same now as it was during its heyday. However despite all of these things, Edmore was known for basically one thing; being a railroad junction that connected various railroads that would later call under the control of the Pere Marquette. At the location where the Diamond once lay, an iconic “L” shaped depot once stood in the SW corner as a silent sentinel that not only hosted the many passenger trains of its day, but also the trainmaster for the area on the second floor of the structure. The Diamond was guarded by manual train order signals that were controlled by this train master. Connector tracks that formed a “Wye” were located in the NE and SE corners of the junction, the latter later becoming part of the mainline later on. During its peak years a water tower and coaling tower also stood in Edmore, demonstrating its importance as a service stop in the area for trains. A small four track yard sprung up for staging just east of the junction on the edge of Edmore village limits. It was in some form of use until the very end.
While most towns either sprung up along existing lines or petitioned for the railroad to build to them, Edmore was in the right place at the right time by having not one but two railroads coming to town within a year of its incorporation. The first railroad came into town from the south and was the Ionia, Stanton and Northern Railroad. The line began at Stanton Junction (later known as Haynor), just north of Ionia and proceeded through towns such as Fenwick, Sheridan and Stanton in 1872. In 1878, the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad took over the ailing IS&N and extended the line from Stanton, through McBride to Edmore in 1878. From there the DL&N line was extended north and west to Wyman, Blanchard, Millbrook, Remus, Mecosta, Rodney and Big Rapids where it connected with the Grand Rapids and Indiana and Chicago and West Michigan Railroads. Not leaving any stone unturned in the area, the DL&N continued to expand and built branches from Rodney to Chippewa Lake in 1883, Remus to Weidman in 1893, and from Mecosta to Barryton, also in 1893. This network would create a sort of “Iron Spiderweb” all throughout Central West Michigan. In an era before cars and well established roads existed, the DL&N was the main connecting artery to the rest of the country for all of these towns, and proved its worth during this short window of dominance.
A second rail line approached from the east and by 1873, the Saginaw Valley and St. Louis Railroad built from Saginaw to St Louis. Rail construction commenced at a feverish pace in 1875 when the Saginaw and Grand Rapids Railroad connected St. Louis and Alma. Also in 1875, the Chicago, Saginaw and Canada Railroad built the line between St. Louis, Alma, Elwell, Riverdale, Vestaburg and Cedar Lake. In 1878, the CS&C, in receivership, extended the line from Cedar Lake to Edmore where it connected with the DL&N. In 1879, the CS&C extended the line through Six Lakes to Lakeview. In 1883 the CS&C (later reorganized as the Saginaw and Western) extended the line through Amble to Howard City where it connected with the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad and another D&LN line through Greenville to Ionia. In 1897, the S&W, the S&GR and DL&N were reorganized as the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western. In 1899-1900, the DGR&W merged with several other large Michigan based companies that would create the famed Pere Marquette Railroad. The peak of trains in Edmore however would be short lived. By 1918 however there would be at least a dozen numbered passenger trains calling on Edmore, 6 in each direction respectively. This did not include freights.
In 1901, The PM built a connecting line from Greenville through Sidney to Stanton. This line shortened travel to the city of Grand Rapids, however by doing so it made the old IS&N, from Haynor to Stanton, redundant. It was abandoned by the PM in 1933, one of the first major casualties in the area. More highways, trucks and personal cars reduced the area's reliance on the railroads, and as time went on the Pere Marquette’s “Iron Spiderweb” began to loose its grip on the area and the Diamond at Edmore saw less and less importance to the overall footprint of the Pere Marquette. The line between Greenville and Ionia was abandoned in 1942 and torn up for World War 2 scrap drives. Other low volume PM lines included in the “Iron Spiderweb” met a similar fate during this time; including the neighboring line between Greenville and Howard City abandoned the following year. Also abandoned in 1943 was the line between Lakeview and Howard City, effectively killing the Village of Amble. The line between Big Rapids and Remus, including the Blanchard Branch soon followed in 1943. The Weidman branch was pulled in 1944. By doing so the junction at Edmore was reduced from 4 through routes to just 2; west and north of the Diamond were demoted to branch line status. The PM became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in 1947 with a revolutionary merger that officially ushered in the “Merger Era” that would dominate railroads for the next 50 years. What remained of this line was became a part of the C&O’s Grand Rapids Division.
While the 50’s and 60’s were otherwise devoid of major changes to Edmore, the slow and steady demise of this once important junction continued. The C&O abandoned the line between Lakeview and Edmore in 1973, the last customer being the Six Lakes Grain Elevator which still stands today. Continuing to remove long stub ended lines, the line between Remus and Edmore was removed in 1981, once again the lone customer being the elevator in Remus (agriculture was and still is one of the big commodities in the area). Despite talks of preservation, the Diamond and iconic depot were also victims of “progress” in the 1980’s. Despite this, rails lasted long enough to see one more major rail company in Edmore with the formation of CSX Transportation in 1987, but this was not to last. Controversy even surrounded the last remaining stretch of rail line in the area in its final years. With the desire of the C&O to abandon its northern Michigan trackage, tactics to purposely destroy service integrity along the route and discourage the few remaining customers were enacted by the C&O and finally CSX to make a case to the FRA to show the supposed “lack of customers” along the remaining route. Despite pleas to the FRA from these customers, some cars took as long as 3 months to be delivered and nothing changed for the better. Edmore’s last railroad was pulled off life support when the remaining line between Greenville to Elwell via Edmore was ripped up in 1988, ending 110 years of railroading in Edmore. The remains of these lines soon followed suit. The line from Alma to Elwell was abandoned in 2003. The line was removed between Greenville and Elmdale in 2006, minus a small portion from Malta to Lowell still in use today. As of this writing, no active rail remains in the whole area of Montcalm County (Rail to Carson City is officially OOS).
Today all that remains is the Fred Meijer Heartland Trail which occupies the ROW coming into town from the South out of Greenville and to the East of town to Alma, but neither of these use the former junction site as a trailhead due to development. Resale of former Railroad Property in recent years has seen the former location of the junction nearly wiped off the map, or made it nearly impossible to get similar angles of in the modern day and age.
There are no memorials, no monuments, no tributes, no commemorative plaques to mark the site of Edmore Junction. All that remains are pictures, recollections and memories of people current and past that can speak on behalf of the once proud depot and junction in the now sleepy settlement of Edmore.
Check out the accompanying photos to see how things were, and what they have come to today.

Maxwell Crosby shared

1
Two PM trains meet at the depot, most likely passengers transferring from one train to another. From what I can gather this was an eastbound coming from Howard City running to Alma.

2
What I presume is a northbound train stopped at the junction with an eastward facing photo, showing the water tower.

c
This old train order shanty stood just east of the former Diamond. Not sure when it was built but it obviously replaced the office in the former depot. Note the water tower in the background, visible in most of the eastward facing photos I take, this however is looking west. That house on the left still stands Today. This is where the McDonald’s now stands.

1964 Edmore Quad @ 24,000

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Sayreville, NJ: 1929+1955 Abandoned/Raritan River Power Plant

(3D Satellite)

It was owned by Jersey Central Power and Light.

Street View

Dave Fillman posted
The old Raritan River Generating Station

Rich Romano Photography posted

The original brick portion of the Sayreville Generating Station in Sayreville, New Jersey, opened in 1930 and was owned and operated by Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L).

The large, metal-clad generating structure was added in 1953 to significantly expand the plant's capacity, followed by the addition of gas turbine units between 1972 and 1973.

After more than seven decades of service, the facility was officially decommissioned in 2004.

This photo is from a few years ago - has it been dismantled / demolished yet? I can’t find any articles about it newer than 2024.

Thomas Kirkbride commented on Rich's post
Most of the building is gone now. The turbines are now sitting out in the open still in place. The basically demolished the building around them. I was there years ago when it was intact.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Dave's post
I'm surprised that a plant that big generated only 100mw.
https://sayrevillehistoricalsociety-blog.tumblr.com/
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4786269,-74.3571155,256a,35y,90h,39.43t/data=!3m1!1e3
The brick building is from 1929 and the metal structure is from 1955.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/penny_carlson/49417079286
Michael Berindei: Dennis DeBruler Units 4 and 5 were rated at 125 MW each, 100 MW is definitely not accurate. Maybe that's referring to the still active outdoor peaking units that are on the property.

SayrevillehistoricalSociety
"Like its sister-powerhouse, the E. H. Werner Power Station in South Amboy, the Jersey Central Power and Light Powerhouse in Sayreville, once capable of producing 100,000 kilowatts of electricity, today sits peacefully over the Raritan."

It was served by the Raritan River Railroad.