Questions about NYC and B&O crossing in Tower Hill Illinois

[DPI]

 I have always been a fan of the long-gone B&O Springfield-Flora line through central Illinois. There doesn't seem to be much info out there (online) about this line. Recently I was able to explore this line around Tower Hill IL. I've always wondered where the B&O crossed the NYC St Louis line. I knew the two lines paralleled each other from Pana to Tower Hill where the B&O line turned south. Using my handy iPhone, I was able to locate where the lines crossed just west of downtown Tower Hill. It looks like the lines went east through town then split up. Does anyone have any info about this location? What kind of interlocking was used? Anyone know of an online source of older satellite images? Any pictures??

Thanks in advance. 

[wanswheel]

Excerpts from "Pana, Illinois, City of Roses, Centennial 1856-1956"

Serving the city are 4 lines, the Illinois Central, New York Central, Baltimore & Ohio, and the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroads. In bygone days when transportation for long-distances by auto and bus was unheard of, the railroads of Pana accounted for a tremendous passenger service. At the height of this passenger trade in 1913, a total of 38 passenger trains a day served the citizens of Pana. Since that time passenger service in the city has dwindled to 4 trains a day, 2 eastbound and 2 westbound, all of the New York Central system. The remaining 3 roads plus the New York Central handle freight.

While passenger service has hit its lowest mark in the history of the city, freight tonnage has sky-rocketed through the years, this being the result of the development of local industries, of which mining is the leader in freight tonnage. The 4 roads serving Pana run a total of 28 freight trains through the community a day. The New York Central leads with 18, the C&EI second with 5, the Illinois Central third with 4, and the Baltimore & Ohio alternating directions each day of the week with one freight.

Pana has always been known as a railway center. The Illinois Central built to Pana in 1854, the New York Central in 1855, Baltimore & Ohio in 1869, and the Chicago & Eastern Illinois in 1904. The city housed the shops of the Illinois and Southeastern Railroad, which was taken over by the Ohio & Mississippi Co. in 1876. The shop employed 150 men who specialized in general repairing and rebuilding of railway equipment. The road later became the Baltimore & Ohio and the shops were removed in 1900.

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was built through Pana in the year 1869 under the name Springfield & Illinois Southeastern Railroad. The road was originally chartered in February of 1827, and was America's first common carrier line. Originally built from Baltimore to the Ohio River, the railroad expanded its system by acquiring railroads already built or in the process of building. This is true of the line which runs from Shawneetown to Beardstown, crossing the main line at Flora. The line from Pana to Beardstown was originally chartered as the Pana, Springfield & Northwestern Railroad Company on Feb. 16, 1865. The line south of Pana was known as the Illinois Southeastern Railway. Though the S&NW was never built it was consolidated with the Illinois Southeastern Railroad on Feb. 7, 1869, to form the Springfield & Illinois Southeastern Railway Company. The new corporation completed the trackage between Beardstown and Shawneetown by March, 1871. It was operated by this company from March 27, 1871, until a receiver was appointed in September, 1873. The line was operated by the receiver until Jan. 30, 1875, when acquired by the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, running from Cincinnati to St. Louis. In 1893, the Ohio & Mississippi was consolidated with the Cincinnati & Marietta Railroad to form the B&O Southwestern, which is today a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. During the 1890's the Baltimore & Ohio had general repair shops located in Pana but removed them in 1900. The shops were located in the northeastern portion of the city along the B&O tracks.

The B&O shops were built, according to Ed Folks, by the township upon the condition of employment of more than 100 persons for 20 years. A year after the 1873 erection, he relates, the shops were laid waste by tornado, rebuilt and occupied at near capacity intended employment until 1894, when the force was cut to about 40. The division point was moved to Flora in 1899, and thereafter the buildings used otherwise. They have disintegrated and been razed.

The settlement of Tower Hill stems from the village of Westminster which was located one mile or more southeast of the Eiler Cemetery or in northwest corner of Section 33, in 1848. The construction of the Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad, now the New York Central, proved to be a death blow to the prosperity of the village, as Tower Hill was laid out on the line of this railroad, within 3 miles of Westminster. Eventuallv the place was disbanded and all buildings and businesses moved to Tower Hill. Tower Hill was surveyed by Elias Smith, County Surveyor, in June, 1857. It is said the village was named for the "Tower Hill Prison of London." During the time the railroad was constructed, a track was laid from the main line to the side of the hill to obtain gravel. All of this was man and mule labor, and most of the laborers were Englishmen. This may have reminded them of their English Tower Hill Prison, and hence the name Tower Hill.

[inch53]

 

I thought I remembered reading the B&O ran along the south side of the Big 4 [NYC] until they Pana, where they cross. If my memory is close to right, the diamonds used by all the RR's there were controlled by the IC tower [which is still standing].

Also about a ½ mile east of Pana, the B&O and NYC bridges are still standing [or at least they were 4 months ago] on the south side of IL-16

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/83268/ppuser/4309

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showphoto.php/photo/83267/ppuser/4309

inch

[DPI]

Thanks for the info guys. I found a timetable from the B&O and it shows the interlocker at Tower Hill so I know that the two lines crossed there and not in Pana. The B&O was the line closest to RT 16 east of Pana. I had the the great misfortune of seeing both lines being torn up. The NYC went first in the early 80's. The B&O made it to about 1989 when it was taken up.