I was amused at a radio conversation heard on my scanner between a yard switcher and the Yardmaster as I railfanned (without success) today. He directed the switch crew on which tracks to use in the yard, including the "Cab Track". I'll bet the last caboose left town 25 years ago, yet the "Cab Track" remains an important spot in the yard. So is the "Oil Track" even though they no longer fuel units there. Do y'all have such storied tracks or routes in your area? I think it's kind of neat that these legacies remain.
The BNSF just to my north has a yard track where they will sometimes route trains. This is the back side of the yard. The yard tracks, (not counting main and siding), used to be ten tracks wide, so it is still called "Ten Track". Even though the yard has only about six remaining tracks these days.
CPKC's ex-Soo yard in Minot, ND once had a wye and 2-track enginehouse. After 2010, it all was removed, but the spur track that remains is called the 'Roundhouse track' and frequently is used to park power.
I hear tell that the CP crews still refer to what's left of the Milwaukee Road yard here (which is really just the line going through and a siding) as "The Milwaukee Yard". The Milwaukee Road depot still stands, however, designed by Otto Kuhler, built in 1942, and restored several years ago. Doug
Thanks, and it is the mid-century-modern architecture we have talked about before. Actually, the very first time I saw the depot, I thought it had to have been built in the fifties and some sites incorrectly state that it was. Slightly ahead of it's time for 1942. It replaced a large depot/hotel that was on the same spot, built in the 1800s. So, for quite a few years, both of Austin's railroad depots (Milwaukee and CGW) were generally this style. Doug
I just remembered that when living in Chicagoland, I could easily hear the MILW's Rondout Tower operator talking to MILW and EJ&E crews as they worked the interchange yard. At least one operator called MILW cars "St. Pauls", as in "Set the St. Pauls over on the far track."
Timeless and getting scarce.... The "Old Yard" east of Minot is losing a landmark tomorrow. The footbridge in the image is being razed for flood protection works. I heard about it this afternoon from a friend, and made the effort to bag my last shots of it this evening at sunset. I took far more shots FROM the footbridge than OF the footbridge. Feb 2023 shots... I used this bridge for many shots, including this one: Back on topic, the Old Yard is a remnant of the old GN yard east of Minot, the one initially built after the St Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba (predecessor to GN) reached what became Minot in October 1886. In 1955, the new Gavin Yard relegated the Old Yard to staging and storage. The two track at far right at the two main tracks of the BNSF KO Sub. Everything else is the Old Yard.
It was sad when they removed the pedestrian bridge over the Milwaukee Road yard here, I believe in the nineteen nineties. Of course, the yard was gone by that time too. The bridge was built in 1895 and was actually well-used. I don't think it was unsafe. There were just factions that wanted it gone so they could run 4th Avenue through. That was stymied anyway because the railroad won't let the city do that. : The bridge can be seen in this photo. I spent many hours up there watching the crews switch: Doug
It was from the GN days near as I can tell, but have no definite date on when it was built. It may have been for the public, too. Years ago, both sides of the old yard were hemmed in by residential development. The north side still is, only because floodwalls are going up. The south side was razed for levees and flood green space.
Sometimes I wonder when "progress" is quite the opposite, and is actually a type of regression. Years from now, when archaeologists explore our ruins, they will have no idea what once stood. We will have stupidly destroyed it, all, in the name of (money) "progress".
Even track names get lost to some. Willard OH eastbound hump had 2 cab tracks, North and South. Had a YM tell me to set an engine "in the cab track". I had to ask her, which one? She didn't even realize or think about it apparently.
They will find foundations and reconstruct whatever type of building they figure sat on top of it like they reconstruct what they feel is the correct dinosaur to go with whatever skeleton they find. Doug
