F-Unit From The Tower Friday
Here is a wonderful photo taken by C&EI operator Robert W. McQuown of northbound CMStP&P "Southeastern" train #77 at Delmar tower. Milw #109C is on the point with 2 others. Date is unknown, but it looks like somewhere between 1955-1965? View is looking S/S/E from the tower. There is a 2nd photo he took from the roof of the tower with the train order signal in the immediate foreground and a view of the end of the train clearing the Kankakee River in the distance. I will post that one tomorrow.
Info:
Delmar Tower-built in approximately 1906-ish, abandoned in 1979, dismantled in 1981 or 1982. Sat in the N/W quadrant of the Milw-NYC diamond, with 2 wye tracks running behind it, connecting to the NYC and to the CM&G. There was also a stub track on the north side of the tower. Delmar was located at MP 53.05 0n the Milwaukee Road (nee-CTH&SE, nee-CS) Terre Haute sub and MP 86.95 on the NYC (nee-CI&S, nee-II&I) Kankakee Belt. Telegraphic call sign was "DA".
Northbound #77-This train was always a morning train here. From my CMStP&P timetables, I gathered this info on this train:
1934-Due here at 5:15 am
1939-Due here at 5:20 am
1944-Due here at 5:30 am
1946-Due here at 9:55 am
1947-Due here at 5:40 am
1957-Due here at 7:45 am
1963-Due here at 10:00 am
1970-Due here at 9:00 am
1973-Due here at 2:25 am
Since I don't have a date on the photo, I can only guess this was taken around 1963, considering the shadows in the photo look like it was around noon. It also looks like fall. This was a time freight that ran from Hulman Street yard in Terre Haute, Indiana to Bensenville, Illinois.
The RR's-There were 2 rail lines here. If you want to consider Milw's CM&G line as a railroad, then there were 3.
CMStP&P-The Milwaukee Roads Terre Haute Line ran north and south. At this time, there were probably 6-10 moves maybe more? through here. Guaranteed trains through here during this time were #'s 71, 77, 82, 84, 173 & 184.
NYC-The New York Centrals Kankakee Belt crossed the Milw here at grade, just under the photo. Built through here by the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa RR on a roadbed made from the dirt that they dredged the Kankakee River from, this line is still in service today and used by the Norfolk Southern. The NYC had numerous freights going through here at this time, but probably not more than 20 moves a day.
CM&G-Connected to the Milw here and was purchased by them later as well. There was a small 3-track yard that all railroads could access. In older days, there was a connection from this CM&G yard that connected to the Milw in the S/W quadrant of the crossing. I had never seen any evidence of this myself other than an old track chart showing it, then the Barriger collection came out and showed "Gary Jct", which was just south of this photo.
CMStP&P F7A #109c was built by EMD, a long time ago...I don't know when it was repainted into the Milw orange, but it was still in original paint here.
NB Milw #77
Delmar, Illinois Tower
Robert W. McQuown photo, courtesy of the C&EIHS, Danville Chapter
Circa 1960
F-Unit From The Tower Friday
Here is a wonderful photo taken by C&EI operator Robert W. McQuown of northbound CMStP&P "Southeastern" train #77 at Delmar tower. Milw #109C is on the point with 2 others. Date is unknown, but it looks like somewhere between 1955-1965? View is looking S/S/E from the tower. There is a 2nd photo he took from the roof of the tower with the train order signal in the immediate foreground and a view of the end of the train clearing the Kankakee River in the distance. I will post that one tomorrow.
Info:
Delmar Tower-built in approximately 1906-ish, abandoned in 1979, dismantled in 1981 or 1982. Sat in the N/W quadrant of the Milw-NYC diamond, with 2 wye tracks running behind it, connecting to the NYC and to the CM&G. There was also a stub track on the north side of the tower. Delmar was located at MP 53.05 0n the Milwaukee Road (nee-CTH&SE, nee-CS) Terre Haute sub and MP 86.95 on the NYC (nee-CI&S, nee-II&I) Kankakee Belt. Telegraphic call sign was "DA".
Northbound #77-This train was always a morning train here. From my CMStP&P timetables, I gathered this info on this train:
1934-Due here at 5:15 am
1939-Due here at 5:20 am
1944-Due here at 5:30 am
1946-Due here at 9:55 am
1947-Due here at 5:40 am
1957-Due here at 7:45 am
1963-Due here at 10:00 am
1970-Due here at 9:00 am
1973-Due here at 2:25 am
Since I don't have a date on the photo, I can only guess this was taken around 1963, considering the shadows in the photo look like it was around noon. It also looks like fall. This was a time freight that ran from Hulman Street yard in Terre Haute, Indiana to Bensenville, Illinois.
The RR's-There were 2 rail lines here. If you want to consider Milw's CM&G line as a railroad, then there were 3.
CMStP&P-The Milwaukee Roads Terre Haute Line ran north and south. At this time, there were probably 6-10 moves maybe more? through here. Guaranteed trains through here during this time were #'s 71, 77, 82, 84, 173 & 184.
NYC-The New York Centrals Kankakee Belt crossed the Milw here at grade, just under the photo. Built through here by the Indiana-Illinois-Iowa RR on a roadbed made from the dirt that they dredged the Kankakee River from, this line is still in service today and used by the Norfolk Southern. The NYC had numerous freights going through here at this time, but probably not more than 20 moves a day.
CM&G-Connected to the Milw here and was purchased by them later as well. There was a small 3-track yard that all railroads could access. In older days, there was a connection from this CM&G yard that connected to the Milw in the S/W quadrant of the crossing. I had never seen any evidence of this myself other than an old track chart showing it, then the Barriger collection came out and showed "Gary Jct", which was just south of this photo.
CMStP&P F7A #109c was built by EMD, a long time ago...I don't know when it was repainted into the Milw orange, but it was still in original paint here.
NB Milw #77
Delmar, Illinois Tower
Robert W. McQuown photo, courtesy of the C&EIHS, Danville Chapter
Circa 1960