Nostalgia & History > Scales Mound, Illinois

Scales Mound, Illinois is a village in North West Illinois. It is also the highest point in Illinois with an elevation of 955 feet above sea level. The 2020 census indicates that 436 people reside there.  Scales Mound made it on the map when the Illinois Central laid track there in 1854.  The rail line at that time originated in Cairo, Illinois, went north to Freeport, Illinois and then west to Galena.  At that time, Galena was the largest city in Illinois. Other fun facts about the Illinois Central:  The Illinois Central was the first " Land Grant" railroad in the United states. Many famous people helped shape the future of the  Illinois Central including Abraham Lincoln ( IC RR Lawyer), EH Harriman (Vice President of ICRR 1887) and Stephen Douglas. Interesting to note that Harriman had controlling interest of ICRR prior to his tenure with Union Pacific starting in 1897.

Illinois Central owned and operated the rail line from Chicago west to Sioux City, Iowa and  Omaha/Council Bluffs until December of 1985 when it was sold to the Chicago Central and Pacific Railroad.  I don't have any shots of the original IC at Scales Mound. My interest in RR photography had only started in 1982.  CC&P operated the " Iowa Division" lines for eleven years when it was repurchased by the Illinois Central RR.  I hope you enjoy a few pictures from " the Mound" as it was referred to by the CCP dispatchers.  Also of note, it is one hell of a climb to get from Dubuque to Scales Mound. It is the toughest grade on the line and will slow heavy trains down to 10-15 MPH from Galena East to the crest of the hill at Scales Mound.   Thanks for looking.   Dave 

Images 1-3  All at Scales Mound  Taken in the early years of the CC&P   Check out those high hood geeps (stencilled  Do Not Occupy).  

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Images 4-6 All take in 2005/2006   CN has invested heavily in new Signals and improved roadbed. 

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Scales Mound is one of the longer sidings on the railroad.  M337 and M338 are daily through freights. Also, you can expect unit grain and ethanol trains that run almost daily. 

Dave 

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Excellent bunch.
JB

Interesting location - Thanks for sharing these images.
Bob

Wonderful views, thanks for the look.
—Mac

I should also mention that scheduled M337 and M338 are usually monster sized trains.  Typically, they only meet at Dubuque or on the double track south between Portage and East Cabin ( Illinois side or East Dubuque)  or Freeport ( Wallace Yard).  However, 337 and 338 can meet a grain or ethanol train at any siding as they typically are around 100 cars.  

Dave

Nice series on a very pleasant location.

Bob

Nice interesting series!

Larry

I like these. That looks like an awesome place to watch a train with the curvy hill.

Fascinating. The "Do Not Occupy" geeps were treated as B-units, I gather?

Great history shots!  Anyone familiar with the orange bulkhead flat in the first picture?

Rick Bacon
Windsor, CO

rnb3 Wrote:
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> Great history shots!  Anyone familiar with the
> orange bulkhead flat in the first picture?

The lettering on the bulkheads was T-R-T, which stood for Truck-Rail-Truck.  I recall it was steel plates and other flat steel products, trucked to a ramp or transload site on the IC or CC mostly in the Chicago area, then these particular cars on the Iowa Division went out to Council Bluffs.

Edit:  Enjoyable shots, thank you!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/24 20:54 by brighteyes.