Re: [CBQ] Hinckley, IL Depot

["Don Winn" <donswinn@gmail.com>]

Hinckley info requested:

I'm planning to write an article about the Hinckley depot for the Zephyr magazine.  If anyone has photos, info or stories to share for the article, please send them to me at:

    donswinn@gmail.com

Thanks for your help!

Don Winn

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 12:10 PM Don Winn <donswinn@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Louis and all,

From what I have found, yes, the depot was moved about a block to the east.   

When I came up for the Rochelle meet a few years ago I found that you can still make out the outline of the 'new' foundation, including the toilet drains for the 2 bathrooms.  It's part of a downtown parking lot today.   Photos I've found of the depot in the BN era show the relocated depot right on milepost 55, and the foundation imprint matches that.  

The story line that I have pieced together suggests that immediately after the scheduled passenger stops ended in 1947, the depot was picked up and moved.  It was also remodeled at that time for its new life as a MOW facility (see 1950 drawing including the archives depot drawing book -- a great resource).  The freight end changed from a raised platform to a split level, allowing truck delivery of supplies on the new concrete end platform, but also allowing a ground level home for a speeder.   

Not sure why it was moved, but as you can see in your photos, space was really tight between the downtown buildings, the depot and the tracks.  I imagine the city fathers encouraged moving it so that there would be easy alley access and parking behind the buildings on that block.  And it made sense for the railroad as well.  

And, Yes, assuming that we are able to hold our fall meet this year, I'll plan on bringing the depot model, along with my currently in-process Eola yard office and anything else I can get built by then.

Don Winn 

On Wed, Jan 13, 2021 at 11:26 AM Louis Zadnichek via groups.io <LZadnichek=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

January 13, 2021

 

Don - From the BRHS Flickr Collection, I've attached two undated images of the Hinckley, IL, depot that probably were taken during the 1910s.  From the differences in the backgrounds comparing against the 1957 view, I wonder if the depot had been relocated prior to 1957? The depot structure had been modified over the years, too. The depot probably appeared more like the earlier version than the 1957 structure when your mom was waiting for the train in 1941 - Louis

 

Louis Zadnichek II

Fairhope, AL

 

In a message dated 1/13/2021 10:13:24 AM Central Standard Time, donswinn@gmail.com writes:

 

I just want to thank everyone who shared information with me on the Hinckley depot.   I finished scratchbuilding it, and like how it turned out.

My layout represents 1966 when the depot was used as a MOW facility (and flag stop), but I did a minor timewarp to show my mother waiting for the train in 1941.  She started going into the big city (Aurora) when she was 14 to shop for clothes.

Thanks for helping me to get this right!

Don Winn

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