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ATSF Coaling Towers - Chicago Area

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  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Back home on the Chi to KC racetrack
  • 2,011 posts
Posted by edbenton on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 11:35 AM

I think it was Streator IL that had the Coaling towers you are looking for.  We had mines coming out of the$1***$2everywhere.  We are listed as the most UNDERMINED town in the nation.  99% of this town has a coal mine room that has had the seam of coal removed from it.  Streator had a Roundhouse a Coaling tower Water Tower and everything else for the Pekin District here and we are at MP 89 for the Santa Fe.  We at one time had the GM&O NYC Wabash CB&Q all in this town and all of them wanted one thing the COAL we had for their engines.  Also we were a short distance from Toluca that had a Huge mine that could be brought here to supply the engines without a stop.  I know in some old pics of the town I have seen a coaling tower at the Station here in town.  How long would it take to refill a tender 4 mins or so for both Fuel and water.  Think about it located on a river plenty of Water and plenty of coal for the engines. 

Always at war with those that think OTR trucking is EASY.
  • Member since
    October 2008
  • 5 posts
Posted by Railscenes on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 9:55 PM

Rich, yes that steel & concrete tower looks like the same one in my photo in 1972. I need to figure out how to up load a photo on this website. Or if you send your e-mail address? I already have the slides scanned.

Also noticed someone posted info about Streator coal chute. Yes there was a large concrete coal chute straddling the mainline at the east end of the yard. There was also a coal conveyor located on the roundhouse lead. It looked a little different from the structure at 18th Street, Chicago.

There are photos of the Streator mainline coal chute on the Library of Congress web site. They were taken by Jack Delano (employed by Office of War Information) in March 1943. I also  have a digital copy of a 1941 8mm movie taken by a Santa Fe Brakeman. One of the scenes shows the dumping of the coal into the tender on the main line at Streator, IL. Steve Rippeteau

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, April 5, 2012 5:01 AM

Railscenes

Rich, yes that steel & concrete tower looks like the same one in my photo in 1972. I need to figure out how to up load a photo on this website. Or if you send your e-mail address? I already have the slides scanned.

I sent you my email address.  Check the Conversations feature for the message.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, April 7, 2012 6:36 AM

Railscenes

Rich, yes that steel & concrete tower looks like the same one in my photo in 1972. I need to figure out how to up load a photo on this website. Or if you send your e-mail address? I already have the slides scanned.

Steve Rippeteau

Here is Steve's photo of the ATSF coaling tower in 1972.

Rich

Alton Junction

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