Towns and Nature

Sunday, March 9, 2025

Montgomery, AL: Alabama Union Station

According to a topo map, in addition to L&N, the Western Railway of Alabama went through this station. And the Seaboard Air Line and Central of Georgia had branches from the east that terminated here.

Looking West:

Street View, Jan 2025

Looking North:

Street View, Jan 2017

Dale Proctor posted two photos with the comment: "Union Station in Montgomery Ala., built by L&N in 1897-1898. I took the photos in February 1990 and in 1992 (train shed)."

Mike Davis: It seems like I heard somewhere that Gustav Eiffel had a hand in the design of the station? Has anyone else heard that or know anything about it?

John Tisdale: I owned the station and the shed until 1999. I was always told that the roof trusses were an Eiffel design, but I have no drawings or other documents to back that up. The L&N Historical Society may have this information in their records.

Jim Kelling shared with the comment: "Union Station in Montgomery Alabama."

Andy Swan: Very nice does either remain?

Dennis DeBruler: Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kzs3xfXaoFuvDfPY9

Gabriel Craft, Jan 2019

Sammie Bibb, Apr 2024

London Mills, IL: Lost/C&NW/M&StL Depot and Old Gas Station

Depot: (Satellite)

Gas Station: (Satellite)

M&StL = Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway (The Peoria Gateway)

Trent Briggs posted
M&StL London Mills

Lance Lowe posted
London Mills, Illinois C1909
Richard Fiedler shared
M&StL.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Digitally Zoomed
Dennis DeBruler commented on Trent's post
It was a half block east of 2nd Street and south of the mainline. 1938 Aerial Photo

1944/62 Avon Quad @ 62,500

This topo map does not mark the location of this depot.

Digitally Zoomed

Trent Briggs posted two photos.

Richard Fiedler shared

Lance Lowe posted
London Mills, Illinois

Dave Nanninga: https://illinoishighschoolglorydays.com/.../london-mills.../

Richard Fiedler shared

Old Gas Station

In the webpage provided by Dave, there are a couple of photos of an old gas station. So I found it. As with many old gas stations, this was built on an 45-degree angle at a major intersection. It is interesting that Main Street runs east/west in this town.

Street View, Aug 2019

Chatham, NY: Union Station (B&A, NYC and Rutland)

(Satellite)

We see in the left background that this town also has some nice Italianate Architecture buildings.

Street View, Aug 2023

Dave Blaze Rail Photography posted

For Station Saturday here is a portrait of the gorgeous Chatham Union Station built in 1887 by the firm Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge (successors to H.H. Richardson).

Chatham was once a major junction with the Rutland coming down from the north and New York Central's Harlem Line coming up from points south to meet the Boston and Albany. The last passenger train called in March 1972 and two years later the depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and it survives today as a bank. Rising in the background across Hudson Ave. can be seen the landmark 1872 clock tower that has framed up countless photos of trains over the past century and a half.

To learn more about this picturesque Columbia County town and then check out these links:

https://visitchathamny.com/walking-tour/

http://www.trainweb.org/rshs/GRS

https://www.mcwb-arch.com/chatham-union-station

Chatham, New York

Sunday November 10, 2024

David Chapman: I was on the Chatham Village Board and we (the Village) owned the station and Kinder hook Bank did a great job in restoring the building.

The Harlem had, as I am told, a "Ski Train" that would originated in at Grand Central, come north on the Harlem, stopping along the way for passengers going to Vermont skiing. It would stop at Chatham and crossover to the B&A go to Pittsfield, MA and catch the North Adam's branch and met by busses at North Adam's to take them to the Vermont resorts. I don't know how true this is, but even if it is not it's a good story.

John Roy: Beautiful photo of the Chatham Station. I offer a minor correction though. Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge were the architects, so they designed it. Not sure who the contractor was for this station. It may have been the Nocross Brothers. Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge also designed Hartford Union Station, Allston, Ashland, Dalton, East Brookfield, Newton Center, Newton Highlands, South Station, Warren and Wellesey Farms. All of which are still extant. Some Extant Richardson designed stations include: New London, Framingham, Holyoke, North Easton, Palmer, Wellesley Hills and Woodland. Thanks for sharing!

Doug White: The bank has done a wonderful job at restoration / preservation on the inside as well. Highly recommend a visit, but they will not let you take inside pics due to security, which is understandable.

Thom Walters: I didn't realize that the Harlem Line went that far north.

Ralph Puccini: I did not realize how far north Chatham is. For many years, all stations on the Harlem Line north of Brewster (also the northern terminus of the "Old Put") were served by diesel Budd cars until they finally electrified the line as far north as the current terminus at Wassaic.

A before photo.

mcwb-arch

Saturday, March 8, 2025

Phoenixville, PA: 1954-2011 188mw Cromby Power Plant and Event Space/Reading Depot

Power: (Satellite)

Depot: (Satellite)

Street View, Oct 2021

That was a small unit. I'm surprised that it made it into the 21st Century.

gem

temple, May 4, 1977
"The Philadelphia Electric plant in Cromby has been ordered to switch from oil to coal."

Dan Genuario posted three photos with the comment: "Cromby demolition."

I wonder how close to zero it is now (Mar 2025).

CanaryMedia

Pennsy, instead of Reading, got the coal trains for this plant.

1955/57 Phoenixville Quad @ 24,000

Reading Depot

Street View, Aug 2018

Vinny Martino posted
The Philadelphia & Reading Railway (P&R) station was built along the Schuylkill River (just off of Bridge St) in the 1860s. Service ended in 1981; the former station was subsequently adapted for reuse as an event venue, initially named "Columbia Station."
Ed Johnson shared

Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area posted two photos with the comment:

Pennsylvania Railroad Station, circa 1910.
The Pennsylvania Railroad passenger station was located on Vanderslice Street, just west of the Gay Street Bridge. The station was built by the PRR in 1883. It was an attractive landscaped depot with separate men's and women's waiting rooms. The distinctive building shown here was ultimately converted to freight use after passenger service ended in the early 1950s. It survived until a fire and was demolished in 1986.

Ed Johnson shared

I think those are cabooses by the depot.

United States Railfan, Nov 2024

Photo, May 2025

Donavan, IL: Grain Elevator served by KB&S Railroad

(Satellite)

KB&S = Kankakee, Beaverville & Southern Railroad

Street View, Jun 2024

This is on the other side of the road. I can see the KBSR reporting mark on the first hopper.

Street View, Jun 2024

Seeing that they just patched the used hopper cars that they bought, I took a closer look at the green hoppers. I'll bet these used to be BN hoppers. They must be getting close to their 40-year lifetime limit.

Street View, Jun 2024

I wonder when their off season is because it looks like sometimes the siding is used to store cars for other railroads.

Industrial Belt Railway posted six photos with the comment:

Good afternoon, everybody!
I have more photos back in the early 90's at Donavan, Illinois along the Kankakee, Beaverville, and Southern Railroad.
After these photos, I've decided to move onto something else and come back to the KB&S again a little later.
As always, thanks for looking.
Tim

Kalamazoo, MI: 1874 Pennsy/GR&I and Amtrak/MC Depot

Pennsy: (Satellite)

NYC/MC: (Satellite)

GR&I = Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad

Raymond Storey posted
KALAMAZOO MICH.

Jim Kelling: 1874 depot is still standing today

Dennis DeBruler commented on Jim's comment
Found it: https://maps.app.goo.gl/X8uUxrnZFVip1kSv6

I spent some time looking around "The Depot," but I couldn't find the building in the postcard. Then this map showed me that I should look about a block further south.

1916/56 Kalamazoo Quad @ 62,500

Michigan Central (NYC/MC)

Robert Mortell posted

Street View, Jun 2012

I.e. Xam posted
Kalamazoo MI-MC,1887