Then and Now in Mattoon, Illinois
This is the first of a series of then and now photographs involving Amtrak's National Limited. All images were made in Mattoon, Illinois, which was not on the regular route of Nos. 30 and 31. But track work and derailments on the train's normal route via Effingham, Illinois, sometimes sent the National Limited via Mattoon on a former New York Central route.
In the top image, No. 31 is arriving in May 1977. Track work on the Effingham route had the National Limited detouring via Mattoon on weekdays for about two weeks.
In March 1982, Conrail abandoned the former NYC line through Mattoon and pulled up the tracks a year later. The bottom view shows the same location where the train was photographed in 1977. Not only are the tracks gone, but the buildings on the left right side of the top images have been razed to make way for a YMCA. The parking lot of the Y occupies part of the railroad right of way. Also gone is the remnant of the platform of the NYC passenger station.
Then and Now in Mattoon, Illinois
This is the first of a series of then and now photographs involving Amtrak's National Limited. All images were made in Mattoon, Illinois, which was not on the regular route of Nos. 30 and 31. But track work and derailments on the train's normal route via Effingham, Illinois, sometimes sent the National Limited via Mattoon on a former New York Central route.
In the top image, No. 31 is arriving in May 1977. Track work on the Effingham route had the National Limited detouring via Mattoon on weekdays for about two weeks.
In March 1982, Conrail abandoned the former NYC line through Mattoon and pulled up the tracks a year later. The bottom view shows the same location where the train was photographed in 1977. Not only are the tracks gone, but the buildings on the left right side of the top images have been razed to make way for a YMCA. The parking lot of the Y occupies part of the railroad right of way. Also gone is the remnant of the platform of the NYC passenger station.