Nostalgia & History > Old Big Four depot @ Stonefort, IL

The old depot along the former NS, exx SOU, exxx CR, exxxx PC, exxxxxx NYC, nee Big Four Egyptian Line today @ Stonefort, IL. Was at least used last by the NYC to my knowledge.

Old ROW thru here is now the Tunnel Hill State Trail. The depot is now a museum.

http://www.heritech.com/stonefort_depot/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/17 14:51 by bodkin6071.

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4-6. Other side of the sign said "56 miles to Cairo". Mileposts along here are counted from Danville, IL. Stonefort is @ MP 204.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/17 15:05 by bodkin6071.

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When the tracks were still in place, and the Southern ran the show, sometime in the 70s or 80s. Also it appears Stonefort had a short siding. This work train must have came down from Mount Carmel, as it connected to the Southern's Louisville-STL main line there. Southern (and later NS) called this line the Cairo Branch.

In the distance, I think I can see the overpass of the ICG's Edgewood Cutoff, that went over both the tracks and Highway 45.

Arthur Myracle picture.



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/17 15:15 by bodkin6071.

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It's hard to accept that route is a rail trail now; nice looking station though, glad it survives.
I wonder if anyone see's the ghosts of the Southwestern or Knickerbocker flying through there in the dead of night?
Oh what used to be....

I also have pix of the Big Four depot at Olmsted, IL just about 10 miles north of Cairo, that I might upload in the near future once I locate them on the computer... Has a "NYC" caboose out front, which in actuality was a former ICG Centralia-built one.

Atlpete Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's hard to accept that route is a rail trail
> now; nice looking station though, glad it
> survives.
> I wonder if anyone see's the ghosts of the
> Southwestern or Knickerbocker flying through there
> in the dead of night?
> Oh what used to be....

Congratulations to the folks ho keep the depot in such great shape.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

bodkin6071 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I also have pix of the Big Four depot at Olmsted,
> IL just about 10 miles north of Cairo, that I
> might upload in the near future once I locate them
> on the computer... Has a "NYC" caboose out front,
> which in actuality was a former ICG
> Centralia-built one.
>
> Atlpete Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's hard to accept that route is a rail trail
> > now; nice looking station though, glad it
> > survives.
> > I wonder if anyone see's the ghosts of the
> > Southwestern or Knickerbocker flying through
> there
> > in the dead of night?
> > Oh what used to be....


If you go to Olmstead, go earlier in the day. Lynda's Family Diner is across the street, and it's a nice little place for a bite!

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Atlpete Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's hard to accept that route is a rail trail
> now; nice looking station though, glad it
> survives.
> I wonder if anyone see's the ghosts of the
> Southwestern or Knickerbocker flying through there
> in the dead of night?
> Oh what used to be....

They'd see the ghosts of NYC's "Egyptian" at this depot, at least when it still ran all the way to Cairo, and before it was cut back to Harrisburg in about 1941. The "Knickerbocker" and the "Southwestern" were on the NYC's east-west mainline from St. Louis to Mattoon and Terre Haute, not on the Egyptian line down through eastern Illinois to Cairo.

The "Egyptian's" route was, for my money, perhaps NYC's most exotic passenger service. New York Central where you would never expect it to be, and a route that you would never expect either.

East out of Chicago through Englewood on the main line into Indiana, then a hard right in East Chicago, Ind. to head southward on the Kankakee Line past what was then MC's huge Gibson Yard. Cross the Monon at St. John, then keep scooting right along the Indiana - Illinois border most of the way to Cairo, first in Indiana, then in Illinois. Cross four other NYC important east-west routes: the Kankakee Belt at Schneider, Ind., the Big Four Chicago - Cincinnati main at Sheff, Ind. (one of several true "cornfield interlockers" on the route), the Peoria & Eastern at Danville, and the Big Four St. Louis - Indianapolis main at Paris, Ill. And a sleeper that lasted almost until the service's demise in April 1957, to boot. I've thought many times that if there was an obscure overnight service that I would want to ride in a cozy lower or roomette, this would have been it. Especially when it still ran all the way to Cairo at the very southern tip of Illinois. Interesting to say the least.

Lovely depot at Stonefort. Great to see it so nicely maintained. I've hiked a good part of the Tunnel Hill trail, and it's very worthwhile if you're in the area, especially near the bore at Tunnel Hill (through which you can walk in its entirety). Pretty country, too. I spent a lot of time down there when I lived in St. Louis for many years.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/17 19:36 by ironmtn.

I rode the last trip of 462 and 463 from Robinson to Paris and back. Sad sight seeing all of the farmers picking up their milk cans at crossings.

Wow , when I read defunct Big 4 in Illinois I just assumed the St. Louis line, agree the line to Cairo is one of those "did they really go there?" routes. It's clearly as long gone as the St. Louis too, glad you you set me straight. The only photos I've seen of the branch are in the last 20 pages of Jerry Taylor's book on PC Southern Region, there's a little bit there about the P&E too. Fascinating operations then.
Thanks
Pete