Random Railfan Prototype Photos For All

Hardcoaler Mar 26, 2015

  1. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    CSS&SB at Chicago, about 1975. Car 102 entered service in 1926 and was modernized and lengthened after WW-II. It was scrapped in 2023, being too far in ruin to save.

    1970s Mid 001b CSSB Chicago IL - for upload.jpg
     
  2. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    From about 1976, Elgin, Joliet & Eastern's No. 6 at Barrington, IL. The "J" was owned by U.S. Steel at the time. [Nikkormat FTn, Plus-X]

    1970s Mid 078b EJE Barrington IL - for upload.jpg
     
  3. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Watseka IL, April 1987

    1987-04-17b Watseka IL - for upload.jpg

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Mike VE2TRV

    Mike VE2TRV TrainBoard Member

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    That's a beautiful station in Watseka. Would make a great house to live in. :love:

    Still close in appearance to the old photo, excepting the missing semaphore mast and, of course, that row of big tractor tires lying on the ground...:cautious:

    One of those would make a cool tire swing...:D
     
  5. Mike VE2TRV

    Mike VE2TRV TrainBoard Member

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    Just noticed something in the older Watseka photo, as the :coffee: is starting to work on my little gray cells (I think mine are little dark roast cells...):
    CNor boxcar behind Watseka station.jpg

    A Canadian Northern boxcar is sitting behind the station! :)

    It's partially hidden, but the lettering is clear, clearer now that I enhanced a part of the photo.
     
  6. BNSF Hi Line Sub

    BNSF Hi Line Sub TrainBoard Member

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    SPS 700 Spokane, Portland & Seattle Steam 4-8-4 at Garrison, Montana

    The Steam excursion is on leg 2 (Missoula-Bozeman) of a three day trip across western Montana. Former SP&S 700 and MRL F45 392 lead the train toward Mullan Pass.

    8776.1284426641.jpg
     
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  7. BNSF Hi Line Sub

    BNSF Hi Line Sub TrainBoard Member

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    Montana Rail Link GP9 no. 111 leads the Paradise Local as it splits a pair of classic former Northern Pacific semaphores at milepost 207.3 on MRL's 4th Subdivision near Donlan, Montana.

    This set of blades came down only a few months later and were the last semaphores to fall on MRL.

    de2d994b072619812bb46b916f3f8c0e.jpg
     
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  8. BNSF Hi Line Sub

    BNSF Hi Line Sub TrainBoard Member

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    #229 Great Northern 2313 - Montana Western 31 Gas-Electric Rail Motorcar

    Oldest-surviving Electro-motive Company (EMC) gas-electric rail motorcar and the oldest with Lemp control

    Great Northern 2313, later Montana Western 31, is the oldest surviving Electro-Motive Co. (EMC) gas-electric rail motorcar, which reduced operating costs by 50 percent over the steam-locomotive trains it replaced. This 32-ton car features a Winton gasoline engine and General Electric generator and traction motors. The early EMC cars made the first major use of Hermann Lemp's control system (developed when he was at General Electric), which controlled the electrical and mechanical parts of the power train with a single lever and kept them in balance. His first patent for this was in 1914, but it was the third patent (#1,589,182) of June 15, 1926, when he achieved an all-electrical solution. Lemp's control saw widespread use in diesel-electric locomotives for over 50 years. The same principles are used today in the control software for diesel-electric locomotives with DC-traction motors.

    Hermann Lemp (1862-1954) worked in the laboratories of Thomas Edison when first coming to the United States from Switzerland. Subsequently, he worked for Schuyler Electric Company and Thomson Electrical Welding Company before working with General Electric (in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania), where he developed the electric transmission for diesel-electric locomotives. He later became chief engineer to the locomotive department of Ingersoll-Rand, and from 1938 to 1940, he was involved in railroad building for the New York World's Fair. He received the George R. Henderson Medal from the Franklin Institute in 1951.

    From 1925 to 1939, this motorcar operated on the Great Northern between Marcus, Washington, and South Nelson, British Columbia. After it was sold to the Montana Western Railway, it ran between Valier and Conrad, Montana. In 1966, the car was donated to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum.

    229-Great-Northern-2313-Montana-Western-31-Gas.png
     
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  9. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    April 1987 at Decatur, IL. This was on the B&O's line between Indianapolis, IN and Springfield, IL.

    1987-04-11 003b Decatur IL - for upload.jpg

    October 1990, Peotone, IL on the IC main. It's since been refurbished as an antique store and still stands today.

    1990-10-26b Peotone IL - for upload.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2025
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  10. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    October 1990, Monon station at Roachdale, IN. It looks like the B&O's line had been torn out. Station is gone today I think.

    1990-10-26b Roachdale IN - for upload.jpg
     
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  11. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    Between Valier and Conrad stand the remains of the bustling metropolis of Williams MT.
    Williams once had a general store, bank, hotel, lumber yard, and three grain elevators.
    The post office closed in 1958.

    [​IMG]
     
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  12. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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  13. BNSF Hi Line Sub

    BNSF Hi Line Sub TrainBoard Member

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    Been there 100s of times...even more impressive in person
     
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  14. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    Englewood Yard in Houston back in the days before the SP was consumed by the BORG.
    englewood.jpg
    Bonus Rio Grande van on a TOFC in the background.
     
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  15. Mike VE2TRV

    Mike VE2TRV TrainBoard Member

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    With the slogan "the ACTION railroad"! :cool:
     
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  16. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    Well durn it all. I went back and found the original slide that I scanned for the above image. It is not labeled in any way, no dates or development information. I don't know what kind of film or who developed it but I seem to recall that I was using Seattle Film Works at one point. By looking through the other slides in the generic box I found this one taken at the same time. The clouds in the sky are the same. Looks like the BORG had already choked down the SP. So it had to be after September 11, 1996. :(
    englewood (3).jpg
     
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  17. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Could probably put this in the cab of a Big Boy, lol!
     
  18. Mike VE2TRV

    Mike VE2TRV TrainBoard Member

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    That's the Big Boy's lifeboat! :ROFLMAO:
     
  19. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I am really enjoying seeing those old stations and other buildings. :D
     
  20. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    Tower 115 in Eagle Lake, Texas. 1994. Santa Fe's abandonment of the former Cane Belt line to Sealy in 1990 eliminated the need for the tower which was decommissioned shortly thereafter. The building remained standing through 1996 and was then pulled down.
    tower115.jpg
     

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