Coal Center, PA: Vesta Coal Mine #4

(Satellite)

Jackson-Township historical preservation posted
Tipple at Vesta Mine No. 4 near the town of Fayette City, Fayette County around 1930.

John Matty: Vesta 4 came out between California and Coal Center PA. Washington County side of the river.

Dennis DeBruler commented on the above post
June 18, 1952 aerial photo. Harrison Road is along the left side.
[Facebook flagged this comment as a violation of their Community Standard, so I deleted it so that they wouldn't put me in the jailhouse. This has to be an example of AI gone bad.]
[AR1UG0000020032]

Digitally Zoomed

We can still see part of the embankment on which the conveyor belt ran.

Satellite

Ohlman, IL: Lost/Big Four & C&EI Union Station

(Satellite)

Andy Zukowski posted
Union Railroad Train Station Depot at Ohlman, Illinois. 1908

Bill Edrington: Owned by the Big Four; C&EI had trackage rights from Pana to Granite City and its passenger trains made conditional stops at Ohlman at that time.

Dennis DeBruler: Bill Edrington Thanks, I wondered why it was a union station.

Bill Edrington: Dennis DeBruler - Technically I guess it was, but I suspect that if a stranger had asked somebody in Ohlman where "Union Station" was, they probably would have said "St. Louis."

Richard Fiedler shared

Keith Cearlock: Can you share please?

Dennis DeBruler: Keith Cearlock Private groups can't share. But if you click the photo you get to Andy's post, and that post can be shared.

Steven Hooker shared

Colin Harding: According to my 1940 Official Guide on the C&EI and Nickel Plate.

Dennis DeBruler: Colin Harding If you click the photo, you can access the comment by Bill Edrington. He and some maps indicate the tracks were owned by Big Four and C&EI shared the tracks and station. I wonder how the Nickel Plate was involved.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Andy's post
I'm glad I saw Depot Street because I had originally guessed a rectangle on the town side of the tracks. But when I looked again on this 1939 aerial, I could clearly see the platform of the depot. And Andy's photo shows there were no buildings behind the depot. https://maps.app.goo.gl/9j1JZEhJi1GUSVnR6

Bill Edrington posted
This was the depot at Ohlman, Illinois on the St. Louis Division, two stations west of Pana and one station east of Nokomis.
Richard Fiedler shared

Wadsworth, IL: Lost/Milwaukee Depot

(Satellite)

Andy Zukowski posted
Milwaukee Road Depot in Wadsworth, Illinois.  1969

Dennis DeBruler commented on Andy's post
Another bedroom community for which it is hard to determine where the town started. It was along Wadsworth Road to the east of the tracks. 1960/62 Wadsworth Quad @ 24,000

Dennis DeBruler commented on Andy's post
The rectangle in the northwest quadrant of the tracks and Wadsworth Road on the topo map does not agree with Andy's photo, so I got the 1939 aerial photo. It appears it was about a block north of Wadsworth Road on the east side of the tracks.

The town still has a cute feed store. Note the old grain bin on the right side of the photo and the faded Purina checkerboard logo on the left side of the building. 

Street View, Jun 2024

I doubt if they grind any feed here anymore.

Photo, Nov 2023

Amsterdam, NY: Concrete Plant/Adirondack Light and Power

(Satellite)

Street View, Jul 2022

James Bailey posted

This was shot through a dirty, scratched-up window in a fast moving train a couple days ago, but it's worthy of a share none the less.

This is a defunct coal-burning power plant built in the 1920's on the south bank of the Mohawk River (AKA the Erie Canal) just east of Amsterdam, NY.

"The architects were McKee, Kim and White (edit: should be "McKim, Mead & White"), the people who designed the  original Pennsylvania Station and Madison Square Garden in New York City."

To say "They don't build them like that anymore!" is an understatement.  What a beautiful building!  Utilitarian does NOT have to mean "cheap and ugly".

The current company makes concrete blocks and...

Cranesville_block

...precast products.

Cranesville_precast

Carol Flickr, cropped

Old Adirondack Power and Light Plant

This is the old Adirondack Power and Light Plant. This abandoned steam electric plant is now used for storage by the Cranesville Block Co. There are trucks and cement blocks all around inside the fenced in yard close to the plant. This old parking lot right in the front is quite empty these days. This old steam electric plant is located on the south side of the Mohawk River. ( It is thought that Enlarged Erie Canal Lock 26, Phillips Lock, would have been located opposite the western corner of this steam electric plant, near the railroad tracks making it about 1/4 mile east of Lock 27. There is, however, no sign of it today. It was either demolished or buried. Old Lock 26 would have been a double chamber lock, lengthened at the foot on the berme side with an 8.010 lift west. )This shot was taken from 5S near Pattersonville. It is also near Lock 10 of the Erie Barge Canal.

nysarchivetrust
"Medusa white cement was an innovation of the Sandusky Portland Cement Company of Ohio patented in 1903 for its pure white color and resistance to staining."

The backside obviously did not use the special concrete mix, and it makes you appreciate the effectiveness of that mix.

Street View, Aug 2021

ArtsAndCluture, miSci- Museum of Innovation & Science
1927

The Mohawk Valley Through the Lens posted

Former Adirondack Power & Light

1920s former coal-burning power plant built on the Mohawk River/Barge Canal in the town of Florida, Rt.5s, just east of Amsterdam, NY. It was purchased by Cranesville Block Company in 1964 and is currently used for manufacturing and storage of stone products.

Captured: April 12, 2018

By: Jenny Kielbasa Galough

Rob Martinez commented on the above post
Travel this road a lot. Love the building. And have taken many pics of it. Would like to go inside someday 🙂

Granville, IL: NYC and Milwaukee Union Depot

(Satellite)

Andy Zukowski posted
Union Depot in Granville, Illinois. C.1910

Robert Weber: Thanks Andy. Never seen this before. Anyone have any idea where it was located? I know in the “Y”.

Kam Miller: Robert Weber, I am guessing here, but I would say at the end of Church Street on the portion of the street that dead ends.

Robert Chitwood: Robert Weber 1911 atlas shows the depot on McCoy Street on the east side, so the photographer is standing on McCoy then.

Steven Hooker shared

Dennis DeBruler commented on Kam's comment
I think it was a block further west, https://maps.app.goo.gl/sWEzqguJvysDKU3d7. Given the curve in the photo, I think we are looking east and the track on the far left is a house track. 1939 Aerial Photo

1913/48 La Salle Quad @ 62,500

The Rutland, Toluca & Northern must have been another name for the "M R AND SW" that is on the above topo map.

Andy Zukowski posted
The Rutland Toluca & Northern Railroad in Granville, Illinois

Larry Candilas commented on Andy's post

Mascoutah, IL: Lost/L&N Depot

Original Location: (Satellite, L and N Ave. was built on the L&N RoW.)

Current Location: (Satellite)

Andy Zukowski posted
Louisville & Nashville Railroad Depot at Mascoutah, Illinois. C.1910
Richard Fiedler shared

Andy Zukowski posted
Louisville & Nashville Railroad Depot at Mascoutah, Illinois. 1960
Steven Hooker shared
The Depot has since been moved to the City Park and still exists today.

 

Dennis DeBruler commented on Steven's share
They have also preserved a caboose. https://maps.app.goo.gl/qyUwo4iki8jzoiu6A

 

Andy Zukowski posted
L&N Railroad Depot in Mascoutah, Illinois (1965)

Michael Donohue: And well preserved in the park. They were still unloading farm implements in the mud 70's.

Thank you for posting, anymore Mascoutah/Renchler pics?

Dennis DeBruler: Michael Donohue Andy Zukowski posted a couple more yesterday. I have noted them as well: https://towns-and-nature.blogspot.com/.../mascoutah-il...

Jacob Hortenstine shared
Richard Fiedler shared

Bill Balint commented on Andy's post
The L&N depot relocated to Scheeve Park in Mascoutah, IL. Not my picture.

1940 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

1954/59 Mascoutah Quad @ 24,000

The local grain elevator has a rather unique design that based on a couple of long conveyor belts.

Street View, Oct 2023

The leg on the left in the above view feeds a conveyor belt, but the one to the right of it feeds a couple of more bins and a loadout.

Street View, Oct 2023

Boston, MA: NYNH&H/New England & New England Roundhouse

(Satellite, once again, roundhouse land is now used for a parking lot.)

NYNH&H = New York, New Haven & Hartford

Tim Starr posted
South Boston waterfront view of the New York & New England full circle roundhouse, 1925. Gone by 1940. (Boston Public Library)

I studied the New York & New England RR to help find its route on the topo maps.

Wikipedia
"The earliest predecessor [of the New York and New England RR] was the Norfolk County Railroad, chartered April 24, 1847."

This map shows the Norfolk County Railroad.

LoC, published 1849

1893/93 Boston Quad @ 62,500

The lake was filled in and NYNH&H used that land for expansion.

1944/44 Boston South Quad @ 24,000