Towns and Nature

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Barberton, OH: 1890 Moved/Erie Depot, Ohio Canal and Babcock & Wilcox Plant

Original Depot Location: (Satellite)

Current Location: (Satellite, Anna Bean Coffee Company)

Street View, Jun 2024

Roger Smith posted two photos with the comment: "1890 Erie depot in Barberton, OH. This was transplanted from the diagonal corner. Today this is home to the Anna Bean Coffee Co."

1
The ABC Railway passes here several times weekly
Dennis DeBruler shared

This map indicates that it used to be in the southwest quadrant of 4th Street and the tracks. It is now in the northeast quadrant. Note that the Ohio & Erie Canal ran just east of the Pennsy. The 2004 SPV Map identifies the plant along the bottom as Babcock & Wilcox. According to the SPV Map, ABC is Akron Barberton Cluster and it owns parts of the routes of the Erie, Akron & Barberton Belt Railroad, and B&O in this area.

1958;59 Akron West Quad @ 24,000

Six years before the topo map, Van Street did not exist. 4th Street is near the middle of this excerpt.

Mar 30, 1942 @ 17,000; AR1PH0000040009

This excerpt shows the B&W plant and part of the Ohio & Erie Canal.

Mar 30, 1942 @ 17,000; AR1PH0000040009

Between Joseph City, AZ: and Holbrook, AZ: 1962-2025 1.1gw Cholla Generating Station

(Satellite)

Street View, Mar 2024

The total capacity was 1,128.8mw.

gem

Ethan P posted

Cholla Generating Station near Holbrook AZ. I took this picture almost a year ago, really great view of the place from I-40. It’s supposed to be shut down here in a couple months [posted Feb 23, 2025].

Is there anyone in the group who previously or currently works there?

nsenergybusiness

The power plant has a total of three flue stacks. Unit one has a tray tower scrubber with lime reagent for the removal of sulphur dioxide (SO2), while units three and four have spray tower scrubbers for controlling SO2 emissions.

All units of the plant are also fitted with fabric filters for controlling particulate matter emissions.

Rosa Duncan, Jun 2017

I grabbed a satellite image while there is still a coal pile.

Satellite

And a view that still has something coming out of a stack.

Street View, Nov 2015

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Beaverville, IL: KB&S/NYC/Big Four Depot

(Satellite)

KB&S = Kankakee, Beaverville & Southern Railroad

I realized that I never knew the location of one of the namesake towns for the KB&S until now.

Andy Zukowski posted
New York Central and Milwaukee Railroad Depot in Beaverville, Illinois. 1917

Larry Graham: The Southeastern ran to the west of Beaverville. Pole vaulted over the Big Four north of Iroquois.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Larry's comment
I'd call it to the east of Beaverville. Nonetheless, the depot would be for just the NYC/Big Four. 1956/56 Danville Quad @ 250,000
Larry Graham: Dennis DeBruler You're right! My bad.

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

This map does have a square that is parallel to the tracks, but it is on the wrong side of the tracks. But that is a common compromise when the scale of the map does not allow the square to be placed at the correct location.

1964/65 Beaverville Quad @ 24,000

1800s+1979 Sonoma, CA: Museum/Southern Pacific Depot

(Satellite)

This former Southern Pacific route is now a trail.

Street View, Aug 2024

Tom Weber posted three photos with the comment:

Sonoma Depot Museum in Sonoma, CA was originally built sometime between 1875-1880 by the narrow-gauge Sonoma Valley Railroad located in Sonoma Plaza.
The station was relocated about 1000 feet north of its original site in 1890 as the town grew. In 1907, the Sonoma Valley Railroad Company became the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company.
Passenger service ended in 1942, and the last train arrived in Sonoma in 1968 with the station remaining as crew quarters until the early 1970’s.
The city of Sonoma acquired the depot to preserve it as a historic site with the depot being added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1975. Ironically the building was destroyed just a year later in a fire. The depot was completely rebuilt in 1979, and operates today as a museum.
Southern Pacific 1130 on display outside the Sonoma Depot is a C-40-3 cupola caboose built by SP between 1940-1942.

It appears to be an accurate replica, at least on the exterior, because it has a freight handling door.

Helen Chen, Jun 2022

Stoddard, WI: Lost/CB&Q Depot

(Satellite)

The slight curve in the tracks confirms that we are looking South. The cross street is Center Street.

Trent Briggs posted

Onboard CB&Q

Stoddard, Wisconsin

The depot was not obvious in this aerial, so...

1939

...I got a more recent aerial.

3BB-260, 10/06/1961

In the 1961 aerial, we not only see the depot, but we also can see the parking lot between it and Center Street.

Digitally Zoomed

I could not find any grain storage in this town, but the co-op handles a lot of chemicals.

Street View, Jun 2023

co-op

Monday, March 3, 2025

Troy, NY: Union Station (NYC and B&M)

(Satellite)

John Bulmer posted

Union Station, #TroyNY // 1907

Colorized and restored.

The grand interior of Troy’s Union Station, seen here shortly after it opened in 1907, was once a bustling hub of travel and commerce.

For decades, Union Station was the heartbeat of the city, a place where arrivals and departures shaped the rhythm of daily life. Business travelers, immigrants, soldiers, and families passed through its doors—some heading west for new opportunities, others simply making their way home.

Built to serve multiple rail lines, the station stood at the crossroads of commerce and industry, its location on River Street and Sixth Avenue making it a gateway to Troy’s booming economy. The architecture reflected the era’s ambition—soaring ceilings, grand facades, and intricate details meant to inspire a sense of movement, progress, and possibility.

At its peak, Union Station pulsed with life: trains rumbling in and out, steam rising from locomotives, porters hauling luggage, and vendors selling newspapers and hot coffee to passengers waiting under the cavernous roof. For generations, this was the city’s front door.

But like so many historic stations, Union Station couldn’t outrun the rise of the automobile. As highways stretched across America and rail travel declined, the once-bustling hub fell into disuse. The station was eventually demolished in 1958.

Source unknown. Original and a sample train schedule from 1862 in comments.

Glenn Brown shared

John Bulmer commented on his post
Original image.

John Bulmer commented on his post
Arrivals and departures on October 2, 1862

Donna Muckle commented on John's post

Espyn Blayze Horton commented on John's post
After extensive research I can tell you WITHOUT A DOUBT, this is where Union Station sat. 1801 6th Avenue.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Espyn's comment

Actually, it was east of a wide alley. 1952 aerial photo

Someone else agrees it was on the east side: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bTBDnVyhpJV6K2uj6.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Espyn's comment
I have doubts. A topo map shows it was east of 6th Ave. 1953/55 Troy South @ 24,000

Espyn Blayze Horton: Dennis DeBruler Union Station isn't even labeled on that map.

Espyn Blayze Horton commented on Dennis' comment
All sources I can find put the rail station at either 1800 or 1801 6th Avenue.

Dennis DeBruler: Espyn Blayze Horton I can agree with 1800. That building is built on the land that the station used.

Orion, IL: Lost/CB&Q and Lost/Rock Island Depots

CB&Q: (Satellite)

Rock: (Satellite, this building has reused the land of the depot.)

CB&Q Depot

David Sebben posted
A 1909 view of Orion's Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad depot.
Trent Briggs shared
Trent Briggs posted

The depot was a little south of 11th Avenue and east of the tracks. Thanks to the shadow, we can see that the king-post truss bridge in the right background of the photo was for 13th Avenue. That street no longer crosses the tracks.