Second St.Elmo Depot?

[Robert McFarland]

In "The Alpine Tunnel Story" by P.R. Griswold the St.Elmo depot in the photo was identified as being the second one.According to the caption the first one burned down.First time I heard that.Have you any info on the depots?

[South Park]

  If this is true, the first one burned early.  What shows in photos into the 20th century
is a Romley-looking structure, still wearing early style telegraph entries.  I have the
insulator seen in the well-known photo of the depot as an upgrade train approaches
on the curve beyond.  The insulator dates to the mid-1880's.



  Left, mid-1880's replacement glass from St. Elmo depot, right, original 1880 construction
glass, recovered along ROW below the Palisades.

[Rick Steele]

Hi Robert,

According to the information that I have, the same frame depot shows standing in 1886 and 1894 as well as the Valuation in 1917.

I wonder if Griswold got mixed up on the St. Elmo Depot and the Romley Depot, as Romley's was moved down from Hancock, burned and then replaced by another building.

Rick

[Robert McFarland]

Are there pictures of it in 1886 and 1894?

[South Park]

  Wasn't the St. Elmo depot originally an Illinois Central freight house in Huber Heights,
Illinois and moved to St. Elmo ?  

[Rick Steele]

No, the B&B books were not illustrated. You use the footprint and dimensions.

No, not Illinois Central... That was for Alpine. St. Elmo was an ex Chicago and North-Western from McHenry, Illinois.