Jackson, MS: IC Coal and Water Towers and Turntable

Dennis DeBruler shared

Tony Howe shared this photo to the group: Illinois Central/Gulf Mobile & Ohio/Illinois Central Gulf Memories. His comment:

Looking north from the new Woodrow Wilson overpass ca1938-40 at North Jackson, MS. The railroad called this point where the line to Canton and the line to Yazoo City split "Asylum".

Thomas Dorman The coaling tower is probably one built by the Ogle Company for IC in 1915, with a 500-ton capacity.

Note a water tower as well as the coaling tower. Wood towers were probably much more common than I had guessed because only the concrete ones have survived to the 21st Century.

Satellite

On a satellite image, we see the turntable still exists. In fact, it looks like they built a couple of new stalls on the roundhouse footprint. If they needed long stalls, why not build them just a couple more stalls clockwise from their current position and avoid having to build "wedge" ends?

Streator, IL: CB&Q Roundhouse and Depot

Railyard: (Satellite, South of Broadway between park and Vermillion Streets.)

Roundhouse: (Satellite? I could not find it on a 1939 aerial photo.)

Depot: (Satellite)

Kerry Bruck posted
CB&Q Roundhouse on the corner of Park and Broadway in Streator Illinois.
Richard Fiedler 2 stalls are elongated with a dormer.
Andy Zukowski posted
CB&Q Roundhouse on the corner of Park and Broadway in Streator Illinois.
Thomas Whitt shared

Note the lever in the lower-left corner used to turn the turntable. Looking closer, I see there is an "armstrong" lever on the other side as well. It makes you hope the pivot in the middle and the rollers on the sides are clean and well greased. Turning the engine that is under the dormer on the right must have been "fun."

Satellite

I remember when studying the railroads of Streator that both of CB&Q's branches, Ottawa, Osewgo & Fox River Valley and Illinois Valley & Northern, met in this area. But the turntable does not show up in this old aerial photo as well as they normally appear.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The roundhouse was the terminus for the OO&FRV branch that came from Aurora and the IV&N branch that connected with the mainline in Zearing.

1927 Streator Quad @ 24,000

 

Digitally Zoomed

Andy Zukowski posted
CB&Q U28B's on Train #85 at Streator, Illinois on February 11, 1967.
Trenton Dominy: I didn’t think this line was strong enough for the U-Boats to operate on.
I know where this is also the industrial spur to the Owens glass plant.

Harold J. Krewer: Trenton Dominy, the BN regularly assigned SDs to Fox River Branch trains because the climb northbound out of Wedron with sand loads was (still is) a killer.

Pre-merger, however, Trains 85-86 originated in Cicero and operated down to Streator and then back northwest up the IV&N to LaSalle. Four-axle units (including braces of F units) were typical on 85-86.

It might also be a case of this was all the Clyde diesel house had to spare.

Trenton's comment caused me to research how the CB&Q accessed the Illinois-Owens glass plant. On the north side of the plant, the CB&Q shared an industrial spur with the NYC, on the left, and the Santa Fe, on the right, on the north side of the plant. The CB&Q also had an industrail spur on the south side of the plant. Given the southern spur was in a residential area, Andy's photo is obviously of the northern spur.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The track for the southern industrial lead has been removed from the dirt, but it still hasn't been removed from the concrete.

Street View, Oct 2022

Not only does the track still exist in all of the crossings, some of them had been rubberized.

Street View, Oct 2022

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Depot

Andy Zukowski posted
Burlington Depot in Streator, Illinois. 1978

Michael Mcclanahan: Where about was this?

Richard Fiedler shared
Andy Zukowski posted again with the same comment

Trenton Dominy: This building is also still standing today it serves as a recycling center.

The old hotel building next to it was torn down in 2001.

Richard Fiedler shared

Kyle Adamic responded to Michael's question

Street View, Oct 2022

Street View, Sep 2015

John Burt posted
The old CB&Q depot in Streator. 1915

Connor Bounds: Currently a recycling center

James Brown: This wooden depot was replaced by a brick depot 1929-1930. The CB&Q depot upgrade coincided with the replacement of the ATSF wooden depot with a more substantial brick structure that still stands today. The CB&Q's 1930(ish) replacement depot still stands as well, and as indicated above in the comments, is a recycling center.

Richard Fiedler shared

That was a lot further south and east than I would have guessed. That is in the Wabash RR area. I got a detailed view of this area.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Cairo, IL: M&O Engine House

John P. Kohlberg posted three photos of Mobile & Ohio's engine house in Cairo, IL with the comment:

Couple of images of GM&O's not often photographed downtown trackage at Cairo, Illinois in March 1967. Images taken by and courtesy of Clyde L. Anderson.

1

This is the map that taught me that M&O's facilities were on the west side of Cairo while the Big Four's were behind the M&O and on the south part of town. (The IC was on the east part of town.)

2

3

DeKalb, IL: Junction Tower: CM&G vs C&NW + CGW

(Satellite, all three routes are now abandoned.)

CM&G = Chicago, Milwaukee and Gary

Matt Overstake posted, William Shapotkin collection
DeKalb Jct. 1908
William Shapotkin also posted

Did you know that the MILW once operated a rail line betw Rockford and Delmar (Momence), IL? Commonly known by its predecessor name, the Chicago Milwaukee & Gary, this line operated in a N/W-S/E diagonal route betw the above-named cities.

The line crossed the D&SI (interurban), CGW (De Kalb-Sycamore branch) and C&NW (Northern Illinois Line) at a point N/E of De Kalb, IL at a placed called "De Kalb Junction." Here is a picture of the tower this little-known location, which once controlled the MILW xings of the CGW and C&NW. Sadly, of the four railroads mentioned, none remain at this rather remote location today.

Raymond Storey posted
Mike Breski posted

A different exposure and cropping:

Andy Zukowski posted
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific] Watchman's Tower, DeKalb Jct, Illinois. 1908 Photo by Waite Embree

There was a C&NW branch between DeKalb and Sycamore and a CGW branch from Sycamore to DeKalb. These two branches and the CM&G are now abandoned. The C&NW branch was part of C&NW route that went from South Beloit to the coal country of Spring Valley. The segment form DeKalb to Troy Grove, IL is still served by UP because of the sand mines in that area.

Note that Matt's posting also has photos of three CM&G freight houses.

Evie Bob Bruns posted the facts: "Dekalb (CGW) Union S&S. permit/opened 3/23/1905. 18 levers."

Update:

Jason Leverton posted
This photo shows some remaining track on the CM&G right-of-way on the east side of DeKalb. Going northwest from Peace & Pleasant, there is about a quarter-mile of track that remains intact. This was kept in place for the C&NW to serve the GE plant at Peace & Pleasant after the Milwaukee pulled out. The track my son is walking on would have been the wye to connect the C&NW to the CM&G. Note the three pole lines - these are on the right-of-ways of three north-south rail lines that were once here in addition to the bisecting CM&G route: the C&NW line up to Sycamore and beyond, the Chicago Great Western branch into DeKalb from Sycamore, and an electric interurban line that once connected DeKalb and Sycamore.

The title should have been CM&G vs C&NW + CGW + DKSI where DKSI was the DeKalb Sycamore & Interurban Traction. According to my SPV Map, that would be the order of the routes from east to west. It appears that after C&NW acquired control of the CGW, they abandoned their own tracks and kept the CGW tracks.

The above picture is significantly more recent than 1908, but it is still rather old because all four routes in this crossing are now abandoned. The GE plant closed in 2015.

A Flickr photo of GM&G's water tower, pump house with derrick on top, and a wooden coal trestle. (posted: Wayne DeMunn Actually, The Junction crossing was just south or south-east of these structures but it was all part of the same locality.)

See the 1936 view of the Wurlitzer Piano Factory for a view of the tracks between DeKalb and Sycamore still being intact. Also note that the plant was on the edge of the town at that time.

Peter Zimmerman shared a Flickr link of the same tower that is pictured in the top photo on this page. Peter's comment:

Picture says De Kalb Illinois on the description. This would be the interlocking plant of the East-West Chicago & Northwestern Railway main line with the Spring Valley to South Beloit coal line of the Chicago & Northwestern.
The coal line still exists from De Kalb to Troy Grove but from De Kalb to nearby sycamore was abandoned in 1984 and from their north to near South Beloit was abandoned back in 1942.
De Kalb was also home to a branch line of the Milwaukee Road and Chicago Great Western Railway, both these lines are long gone. De Kalb also had 2 electric interurbans, the Chicago Aurora & De Kalb Railroad which from Aurora to De Kalb and was abandoned in January 1923 and the De Kalb & Sycamore Traction company, abandoned in 1924.

Peter's comments would put the tower here. But because of the rural surroundings of the tower and the angle of the tracks, I'm sticking with Matt's interpretation of the location.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

This topo map indicates the tower was in the east quadrant. The CGW branch was northwest of the parallel C&NW branch.

1937 Sycamore Quadrant, 1:62,500
Dennis DeBruler commented on Raymond's post
It was in the east quadrant of where the Milwaukee/Chicago, Gary & Milwaukee crossed branches of the CGW and C&NW.
1937 Sycamore Quadrant, 1:62,500

I used the topo map to confirm that Peace Road uses the CG&M route between Pleasant Street and IL-38.

One of seventeen photos posted by Wayne DeMunn
Looking north-east, the Gary line coal dock , water tower and engine house can be seen near the center as line approaches the DeKalb Junction. Floyd Ritzman Photo dated 1936. — in DeKalb, Illinois.

One of seventeen photos posted by Wayne DeMunn
C&NW and CGW lines to Sycamore, The Gary line junction and Tower can be seen in the distance, Wurlitzer to the right. Floyd Ritzman photo Circa 1936. — in DeKalb, Illinois.
Wayne DeMunn For those who don't already know, the Wurlitzer building was recently demolished.

A closeup of the coaling dock, water tower and junction tower

Wayne DeMunn shared
A 1996 aerial of the DeKalb Junction, aka,"The B" . The angle is looking northward towards Sycamore Rd (Rt 23), before the area filled in with homes and businesses. The Gary line ran along the tree line to the left and the CNW and CGW ran to the right. All of these lines were no longer running at the time of the photo.

Bill Angus posted (source)
In 1910 the CM&G used the CGW depot and their own freight house. This according to an article by Charles Stats published in the Winter 1992 issue C&NW historical society magazine.

Cairo, IL: Mobile & Ohio Freight House and Depot

John P. Kohlberg posted
There's just not a whole lot of downtown Cairo stuff. I do not know who took this image, but it is supposedly dated 1967.

The comments explain that GM&O moved their passenger depot to North Cairo after World War II but kept their freight operations down in Cairo.

John P. Kohlberg commented on his posting

The "blank space" between the indicated tracks and the levee was full of Big Four tracks. The triangle on the right in this 1938 aerial is 8th, Cedar and Jefferson.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Andy Zukowski posted
Gulf Mobil & Ohio Railroad Depot in Cairo, Illinois. 1972
Richard Fiedler shared

Springfield, IL: Railfanning Spots

Joseph Partain posted a question concerning good railfanning spots in Springfield, IL. I'm recording some of the answers for my reference.

Adam DeJaynes Most traffic converges at Hazel Dell on the south end of town. That's where the NS and UP operate a short section of joint track north to Iles. UP traffic is up substantially with their intermodal facility opening in Joliet. Plus they host 10 Amtrak trains daily. Further north, both roads are crossed by the former C&IM on the north end of town.

Alex Moon Hazel Dell and Isles are decent spots, KCS runs on Wednesdays, CN 3 times a week and IMRR usually has 1-2 coal trains a day plus the roadswitcher.

Todd Pearson Where is KCS coming from? Never seen them. Might have to pay attention
Alex Moon From the south, they run via NS to CN connection at Iles, work in Springfield for a couple hours then head back.
Eric Fromm Todd Pearson They come from Roodhouse. They interchange with the CN at Cockrell which is just southwest of SPI. They also go to SHOPS (IMRR) to interchange with IMRR.
Blake Dooley Todd, if you take the big curve at Hazel Dell going west you'll hit another CP called KC Junction. That's where they come from.

Adam DeJaynes KCS (former GWWR) and CN (former IC) also use that joint trackage but appearances are much less.

Blake Dooley Hazel Dell and Iles are the best spots in Springfield you are gonna get in terms of total traffic. Every railroad in Springfield with the exception of the I&M passes through those control points. Iles is the morning spot, and HD is the evening spot. Other cool photo locations are Shops Tower on North Grand and the abandoned CNW bridge that goes over the NS in Curran.

Kenneth Baker on the ne side of spfd theres the nsw that heads east through riverton the old it/ ic that runs to clinton il, on the north side is up/amtrak
to the nw , theres the i&m to havana il
up and nw exiting spfd to the so. and west to the so theres the i&m/ cn to cimic and eastward

Danville, TN: A town torn down by the TVA

While studying the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad, I came across a statement that the first trains started running in 1861 when the bridge across the Tennessee River was completed. But I had a hard time finding Danville. When I Google it, the closest one offered was in Kentucky. Later, I discovered that if I explicitly specified "danville tn" I got the correct area. The problem is that the town no longer exists. It was torn down in 1942 by the TVA to make room for the Kentucky Lake when the Kentucky Dam's reseviour finished filling in 1945.

When the 120 residents were notified in 1937 that there town was going to be wiped off the map "up to 24 trains per day passed through in the 1930s. The community boasted a steamboat landing, several stores and saloons, a post office, hotel, and Masonic hall." [ExploreKentuckyLake]