SDfourD
Ghosts of Greats @ EStL
A place I consider very much "up there" as far as hallowed ground goes. Illinois Central's Hump Yard, this location just off to the West of what was considered the B Yard (Thanks to John Kohlberg for the great information in his book.)
East St. Louis and surrounding areas such as Madison and Granite City were once a destination that many steel highways led to. Classics like the Wabash and the GM&O were major players, the Pennsy had Rose Lake that was a Western terminus for hotshot TrucTrain traffic out of the East, and of course the SSW and the famed Blue Streak Merchandise train that departed like clockwork. Like many major hubs, the IL side also contained a terminal railroad by the name of the TRRA, which holds to this day. The other major player is an East St. Louis native, Alorton proper, and that is the Alton & Southern which is currently wholly owned by the UP, though its roots go back to the founding of the Aluminum Ore Co., which sold the railroad in 1968 to the Missouri Pacific and the C&NW jointly.
But this location, this place with the slightly raised locomotive service tracks, is one of my favorites. I can remember watching slides with soft jazz in the background as the GM&O black and white GP30 roster shot comes into focus, or an ICG SD40-2 in orange and white. For such a non-descript looking area, it cannot be duplicated. You always know when you are looking at a roster shot here.
As the wind of change blows yet again, I stopped in to find a stellar set of Geeps patiently waiting out the evening. The short lived GWWR mailbox remains, while the fresh look of the KCS corporate image strikes a melancholy chord for the photographer. The 2809 is a noticeable veteran of the Western Pacific's class of 1966. While it cannot be a GM&O SD40 or an IC GP28, this is quite the acceptable substitute for this guy.
Ghosts of Greats @ EStL
A place I consider very much "up there" as far as hallowed ground goes. Illinois Central's Hump Yard, this location just off to the West of what was considered the B Yard (Thanks to John Kohlberg for the great information in his book.)
East St. Louis and surrounding areas such as Madison and Granite City were once a destination that many steel highways led to. Classics like the Wabash and the GM&O were major players, the Pennsy had Rose Lake that was a Western terminus for hotshot TrucTrain traffic out of the East, and of course the SSW and the famed Blue Streak Merchandise train that departed like clockwork. Like many major hubs, the IL side also contained a terminal railroad by the name of the TRRA, which holds to this day. The other major player is an East St. Louis native, Alorton proper, and that is the Alton & Southern which is currently wholly owned by the UP, though its roots go back to the founding of the Aluminum Ore Co., which sold the railroad in 1968 to the Missouri Pacific and the C&NW jointly.
But this location, this place with the slightly raised locomotive service tracks, is one of my favorites. I can remember watching slides with soft jazz in the background as the GM&O black and white GP30 roster shot comes into focus, or an ICG SD40-2 in orange and white. For such a non-descript looking area, it cannot be duplicated. You always know when you are looking at a roster shot here.
As the wind of change blows yet again, I stopped in to find a stellar set of Geeps patiently waiting out the evening. The short lived GWWR mailbox remains, while the fresh look of the KCS corporate image strikes a melancholy chord for the photographer. The 2809 is a noticeable veteran of the Western Pacific's class of 1966. While it cannot be a GM&O SD40 or an IC GP28, this is quite the acceptable substitute for this guy.