Bill Molony is the curator of the photo collection of the
Blackhawk Railway Historical Society. The regular
Kirk Yard notes where already getting big, so I have decided to create a new set of notes for Bill's photos. I include the "posted" link only on the first photo because that gets you in the middle of the photos he posted in the
Friends of the EJ&E RR Facebook group.
Some of the photos include a tall, red structure. I have asked what it was, but I have not got an answer. (Update: DanieG's comment explains that it was a sand tower.) But you can use it to spatially correlate some of the photos. A blue diesel fuel tank can also be used to correlate some other photos.
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Bill Molony posted
Elgin, Joliet & Eastern EMD SW1001 #445 was built in July of 1971.
Given the power lines in the background, is this roundhouse in Kirk Yard?
Considering the number of powered overhead doors, I would say yes Gary. Also the 444 and 445 were the first switchers to go with the all green paint.
The 445 had a fax machine in the cab. The yardmaster could fax switching instructions and work orders to the engine. Although the several times I worked the Tin Mill job we never received any faxes.
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How stable would that load have been? Spur track on the hump It's still the same except for the signal bungalow! That's a diagonal gondola. These were used in the Plate Mill, and they didn't require a form 1000, which required the conductor to stop and watch the load between designated bridges due to close clearances, and certain adjacent tracks had to be clear. |
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Bill Molony
Coils out of the tin mill going over the hump at Kirk yard. |
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Bill Molony posted
What was (is?) the tall red structure on the right side? |
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Bill Molony
That is a jet engine snow blower. The J got them in the winter of '78-'79, when we had over 100 inches accumulated snow.
Ron Harris is correcft. But if they did not stay over the switch till it was dry the melted snow sometimes would turn to solid ice. Bring on the chippers. |
The red tower is a sand tower. There are two silver ones off to the side in the one photo. Sand is used for traction....I am assuming you know locomotives sand the rails in front of the drive wheels...
ReplyDeleteGreat pics by the way. When I was on the road running between Grand Rapids and Barr Yard for CSX we went by Kirk on the Conrail from Porter to CP497 when we got back onto the B&O. I was always amused as to how lit up the place was...light towers made it look like a football stadium on the gloomiest of nights...and the nights in Gary can be GLOOMY.
Thanks for identifying the purpose of the red tower. I have some notes on locomotives using sand for traction: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2018/05/locomotives-using-sand-for-extra.html. I learned just recently that many coaling towers also held sand. https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2018/12/steam-locomotive-servicing-towers-coal.html The industry developed the "silver cylinder" design when they started tearing down coaling towers.
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