Saturday, February 3, 2024

Aberdeen, SD: Milwaukee Roundhouse, Railyard and Depot

Roundhouse: (Satellite)
Railyard: (Satellite)

(After I wrote most of this, I learned the roundhouse was torn down in Sep 2020.)

Street View, Jul 2012
[Street View has two more views that have better focus. But there is a cut of freight cars obscuring the  roundhouse in each view.]

David Szymanski posted
closer view of the MILW roundhouse in Aberdeen in 1969. unknown photographer
Dave Gale: That’s a better picture now you can see the east end of the yard and the yard office.the tank cars on upper left side is how we got our diesel fuel and it was pumped from the cars into the large tank In background. The buildings behind the roundhouse was the old Hub City foundery. The building and cars to the right of the roundhouse is where Carmen repaired freight cars it’s not there anymore.

David Szymanski posted three images with the comment: "Just joined this group, it seems really great. Here's a few photos of the Milwaukee Road Aberdeen S.D.  Roundhouse & Station/Freight House in 1969, plus a map of the MILW yard from the 1950's. The blue X is where I lived in conjunction of the MILW yard. Unknown photographer of the yards & map."
Roger Eyrich shared
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Terry B. Carlson commented on Roger's share
This is as close as I can get to the original photo.

I count four spokes for C&NW, four for Milwaukee and one for Great Northern. All of the C&NW and the northern spoke of the Milwaukee is abandoned. The remaining three Milwaukee spokes are now owned by BNSF. The Great Northern spoke is now owned by Dakota Missouri Valley Western.
1960 Aberdeen West and East Quads @ 24,000

This is the second roundhouse that I've seen recently that replaced the turntable with a set of turnouts. I counted tracks for five stalls. (The Depew, Lancaster & Western Railroad in Batavia, NY was the first.)
Dennis DeBruler commented on Dale's comment
Given the touch of color at the end of some of the locomotives, I presume the roundhouse is now used by the Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western Railroad. Is the classification yard used by DMVW, BNSF or both?
 https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4643617,-98.4967663,177m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu
Dave Gale: Dennis DeBruler No other railroads come into Aberdeen just BNSF. The line curving off south of the roundhouse leads to where the Carmen’s repair track is now located. I can see a patch of orange on one of the locomotives and I assume they are all BNSF. Just about everything you see in this picture is gone now. The roundhouse was torn down about three years ago and a one stall building put up. I retired nine years ago and your picture is what it looked like then. If you can find a newer photo you will see quite a difference.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Dale's second comment
Thanks for the update. The website for the DMVW still shows that they use the former Great Northern route to access Aberdeen. http://www.dmvwrr.com/maps.aspx Google Earth shows that the roundhouse building was removed between Sep 2014 and Oct 2022.
Dave Gale: Dennis DeBruler Yes the DMVW operates on our old north line. I think their headquarters is in Oakes, ND. I worked in the roundhouse till 2015 when I retired. I’m guessing it was around 2021 when it was torn down.
The roundhouse was torn down in September of 2020.
 
David Szymanski posted
Here's picture I found of the Milwaukee Aberdeen SD yards. this is from 1969. The house I grew up in just to the left below the 2nd yellow line. unknown photographer
Russell Dingman: I went to Aberdeen a few years ago to pick up some farm equipment and saw the Milwaukee depot but did not realize the vastness of the rail yard.
Austin Dreyer: Russell Dingman yeah even with the realigning that has been done. It is still the biggest rail yard in South Dakota i believe.
Mark Hutchinson: Picture is taken looking north, with the east-west mainline at the top of the photo. The line going south goes to Mitchell SD. The highway at the bottom of the photo is US 12.
Paul Zuber: One of the lines going north and south is the abandoned M&STL line that went thru the yards to Leola.
[The yellow line at the top is the roundhouse.]


Depot


David Szymanski posted
Aberdeen SD MILW station in 1969. unknown photographer
[This view is looking Southeast.]

Street View, Jun 2022

Newport, PA: Pennsy Depot and Port Tower

Depot: (Satellite)
Tower: (Satellite, I think the signaling equipment cabinet has reused the foundation.)
 

Street View, Oct 2023

AltoonaWorks posted
Friday Flashback to 1986
Port tower just west of Newport, PA on the Conrail main line.  Notice in the background new signal masts are in place to replace the eastbound signal bridge.
Photo by Dick Bregler
Dan Geedey: I used to run Port tower from 1976-1984. Westbound train had a plug door sticking out and ripped off boards from the front of the tower making a loud boom!
Rob Shuma: Is there still talk of moving the tower by 17th street to the Museum? [I couldn't find a 17th Street in this town, so I wonder where he is talking about.]
Tim Shanahan shared

I thought this was another example where a topo map marks the location of a railroad tower. I included the bend in Oak Hall Road and Buffalo Creek to help correlate this map with today's satellite images.
1952 Newport Quad @ 24,000

Since the location of the signaling equipment cabinet (see Satellite link at the top) did not correspond to the topo map's location, I found an aerial photo. The photo agrees with the location of today's cabinet.
EarthExplorer: Apr 20, 1951 @ 23,600; AR1OW0000010008

Darren Reynolds posted four photos with the comment: "PRRs 'Port' tower Newport, Pennsylvania."
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"PORT" tower was at the crossovers of a 4 track main
Line.
Photo by: Steve Salamon August 3, 1985

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An PC train passes "Port" tower May 27, 1974
Photo by: Unknown

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"Port" towers interlocking machine and model board
August 3, 1985
Photo by: Steve Salamon

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"Port" tower back in May 1932
Photo by: Henry Wilhelm NRHS
All images from North American interlockings States A to Z and Canada..


Friday, February 2, 2024

Reading, PA: Pennsy Reading Tower

(Satellite, it was a little south of the middle of the library.)

Robert Wanner posted
Pennsylvania Railroad Schuylkill Branch Sunday-only passenger Train 686 departing Reading, Pennsylvania aside Reading Tower on May 4, 1952. Believe that's E-6 #1611 that day most likely brought over from the PRSL at Camden, NJ to head the train. Switch and signal rods [signaling pipelines] shown extending from Tower. Photo by Robert Wanner.
Timothy Gierschick: Where was this tower located ?
Robert Wanner: Timothy Gierschick About foot of Franklin Street and the Schuylkill River, where the RACC Library is now located.

Richard Bernardon posted nine photos with the comment:
Robert Wanner  with another great one about my favorite railroad...
October 4, 1953 last day of passenger train service on the Pennsylvania Railroad using the Schuylkill Branch from 30th Street in Philadelphia to Reading, Pa. Lots of festivities that day in Reading under the Penn Street bridge. PRR 4-4-2 #1600 and three coaches had the honors that day exactly 69 years ago. Photos by Robert Wanner.
Matthew Planer: Reclaimed roadbeds and trails would make a perfect resurrection of a commuter line from north of Reading to Philly. And would be cheaper than some of the other plans in the past few decades.
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The Pennsy crossed the river here. The brown line on a satellite image in front of the library was an industrial spur that went south on the east side of the tower. The cartographer did note the location of this railroad tower. Cartographers will typically note depots, but not railroad towers.
1956 Reading Quad @ 24,000

Fortunately, the sun caught the south side of the tower's roof so it is easy to spot.
EarthExplorer: Apr 24, 1951 @ 24,000; AR1OY0000020050


Lena, IL: Lost/IC Depot and Wood Grain Elevator

(Satellite, the walls of the foundation are still standing next to the pizza joint.)

Larry Foht posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot
Lena Illinois
With Train
Note the round IC logo on the box cars to the left.
Larry Foht collection :
Joseph Hazinski: Fox River Trolley Museum has a motorcar that was stationed at Lena on the Iowa Division.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Larry's post
The passenger platform, sidewalk along the side of the building and dormers agree with the building that is northeast of the main track and close to Center Street extended. Note that a house track used to go behind the depot. There are four or five grain elevators within a block of the depot.
1939 aerial photo,
 https://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/webdocs/ilhap/county/data/stephenson/flight5/0bxh02073.jpg

A better exposure.
Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot in Lena, Illinois. 1913— with Todd Temperly.
Todd Temperly: It was destroyed by a derailment when I was a toddler. My father told me the train was hauling meat, so the whole village was scavenging the wreck for free meat.

Bill Molony posted
The Illinois Central depot at Lena, Illinois.
[Note the milk cans and the freight door on freight handling side of the depot.]

Dennis DeBruler commented on Larry's post
I think the foundation walls are still standing. And so is one of the old grain elevators.
 https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3792832,-89.8251288,114m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

I found the old grain elevator while checking out the foundation walls.
Street View, Jun 2023

Philadelphia, PA: Budd Manufacturing Co.

(3D Satellite)

3D Satellite

Michael Maitland posted five images with the comment: "Budd Manufacturing, Philadelphia and Red Lion PA.  This company was famous for many steel applications, but most noted for the "Shot Weld" technology for assembling stainless steel.  They did all 642 Amtrak Amfleet cars, most of which are still running 40+ years later.  The Downtown Budd complex is being repurposed.  The Red Lion plant is a brown field. Bonus - on the topo map #1 is the famous Tastycake plant, still standing and #4 is Midvale Steel (gone, but famous for specialty steels and military applications.)"
Marc ONeill: Sad the Detroit plant had an Independence Hall replica as the office recently torn down.
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Both Reading and Pennsy went by the plant.
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Joe Brown, Nov 2023

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Chariton, IA: Lost/CB&Q and UP/Rock Island Depots

CB&Q: (Satellite)

CB&Q Depot


I checked, Amtrak doesn't stop in this town.

Tom Nelson posted
C.B. & Q. Passenger Station, Chariton, IA (unused postcard). Sometime before 1914.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Tom's post
The black rectangle in the yard was probably the location of this depot. We can see from the photo that it had tracks on both sides.
1918 Chariton Quadrangle @ 1:62,500

Street View
Dennis DeBruler commented on Tom's post
I think this building reused the depot's land. Note that it has an "agents bay window."
41°01'09.3"N 93°18'47.3"W
 
Michael Emerson Avitt posted
Former CB&Q depot at Chariton, Iowa in March 2004.

Raymond Storey posted
CHARITON IOWA

This is on one of the few CB&Q branches that still exist in Iowa.
1902 CB&Q

Rock Island Depot


Michael Emerson Avitt posted
September 27, 2014 - Rock Island depot at Chariton, Iowa.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Michael's post
It looks like UP is still using it, Apr 2023. https://maps.app.goo.gl/NH2xrjxhv7V7BXtK9

Addison, IL: Lost/IC Depot

(Satellite)

Larry Foht posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot
Addison Illinois
Larry Foht collection :
Chris John: Was this just north of Lake Street?

Dennis DeBruler commented on Chris' comment
The IC did have a spur that went North past Lake Street. But the spur would not be double tracked. So I think the depot was down in the wye in South Addison. Specifically, south of North Ave and north of the tracks where those two meet.
1953 Elmhurst Quad @ 24,000
My notes have the aerial photos that led to that conclusion, https://towns-and-nature.blogspot.com/2024/02/addison-il-lostic-depot.html

Andy Zukowski posted
Illinois Central Railroad Depot in Addison, Illinois. 1909
Richard Fiedler shared

This is what it looked like around Lake Street. None of the buildings along the track struck me as the one in the photo. And then it occurred to me that the spur would not be double tracked so...
1939 04006 Photo from ILHAP

...I looked down by the wye. Given the direction of the platform in the photo, I think it is the rectangle on the west side of the triangle that is bounded by North, Addison and the tracks, and the train is heading West.
1939 01041 Photo from ILHAP

I checked another photo to see if the rectangle was more clear. It is a little better, but not much.
1939 01040 Photo from ILHAP