The Reverse of the photo indicates: "View Looking East from Station 1861 - Feb. 8, 1904 [reproduced from a glass plate in Cincinnati Ohio HQ, and mounted on linen]. Hillsboro IL is west of Mattoon. In later years the CCC&STL constructed a newer alignment, thus the characterization, Old Line. LAB February 2 1904 Another look from the Construction on the Old Line at Hillsboro, IL... No doubt these steam shovels were employed at the Panama Canal in this same year???? - LAB
Thanks Roger. I think old construction photos are fascinating, showing how far heavy equipment has evolved since 1904. Also interesting, these photos show that the concept of a bulldozer had yet to come into practice, even though the steam tractor had been working in agriculture for over 30 years.
Wow, it seems there has been quite a change in rails, ties and ballast in over 100 years, as well. Maybe that was temporary track while the new main was being built? And those are REAL steam shovels, where the name originated.
I suspect the construction crew used whatever was readily available to quickly construct temporary work track. It looks like the rail was single spiked directly onto pine logs with bark still intact. I remember seeing video of a similar construction project where temporary track like this was dragged intact to get it out of the way of the permanent track being laid beside it, but still close enough so the side-dump ballast cars could dump ballast onto the new track.
