Several years ago a few of us here were using Google Earth to look for RR Roundhouses. (I have lost track of the thread where it was discussed and the names of those that were exchanging info.) In another recent thread I mentioned my list and it was requested to make it available to others.
I have decided to do it in small increments. There are about 80 States/Countries in the list, some have just one entry and some have a couple dozen; at 487 entries there are too many to list all at once and have any meaningful discussion about them. So, I have decided I will just take my alphabetized list and post a group of about 20 every other day or so. It should take about a month and a half to get the whole list in this thread. After we have gone though my list, I will make the (updated and probably corrected) Google Earth KMZ file and my Excel spreadsheet available to anyone that wants them.
Please note that my fingers sometimes decide to press keys that my brain didn’t select, so there may be some errors in the list (and sometimes my brain directs my fingers wrongly, too… Last night I discovered that the roundhouse I listed in “Caliente, California” is really in Nevada! Oops!).
Also, I sometimes have trouble deciding with which city the place is properly associated, so I may list a city that makes no sense to those that know the real place.
So, if you find a silly mistake, please just point it out without too much snickering or flame and I will correct my list.
If you know of more turntables, roundhouses or transfer tables, please post info about them and I will add them to my list. Please give more information than just that there used to be one in some city, I am willing to hunt for a new place using Google Earth, but try to give some more detail about where it was, like; the direction from the center of the city/town, bounding streets or other landmarks, etc. If I can find specific ev
Thanks, but… Yep, have that one. It will show up in this thread when I get down to “S” in the alphabet. (I am going by the first letter of the State in the U.S., Province in Canada, and Country elsewhere.) I will post the next 38 in my list (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Cuba and Czech Republic) tomorrow
Of your two San Francisco, CA entries, one (the first) was for the State Belt on the Embarcadero – the roundhouse is still intact, having been converted into offices.
What caught my eye was tthe second – the Fisherman’s Wharf terminus of the Powell-Hyde cable car line. There is another similar turntable at the other end of the line, at the foot of Powell Street (at Market Street). I can’t figure out coordinates, but if you search 1 Powell St, San Francisco, CA on a map search program, you should be able to make it out.
Also, the 2 Richmond, CA locations appear to be the same ex-Santa Fe yard. One turntable is still clealy visible. Was their a second, or is the 2nd (slightly to the NE) the location of an old engine house?
Of course there is one more SanFrancisco cable car turntable – the north-end terminus of the Powell-Hyde line at Bay & Taylor Streets. (Both Poweel-Hyde & Powell-Mason lines have the same south terminus, as previously noted, at Powell & Market.)
Some of the other cable car lines go to the California Street line, which goes along California St. from Van Ness Ave to Market St at Drumm St – but neither terminus has a turntable, since those cable cars are double-ended.
The “cable car barn” (and Cable Car Museum) is on Mason St, between Washington & Jackson Streets. Not really a “roundhouse”, and I don’t know if there is a turntable inside the building, but that’s where they park!
First, Thank you to MudChicken for info about the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific that lead to 3 new entries in my list and one correction (all reflected in today’s list).
KANSAS: Ellis, Herington,Hoisington,Pratt, Topeka ,Parsons (TrT &TuT),Syracuse,Coolidge,Elkhart,Belleville,Liberal,Pittsburg, Coffeyville,Chanute, St. Francis (now the turntable at CRRM-Golden CO); Great Bend
Hint: Elkhart: N 36 59’ 49.0" W101 53’ 53.4" (1913-1926 Roundhouse moved after 1926 to Boise City OK (Boise City Terminal N36 42’ 58.8", W 102 30’ 41.6" after Cimmarron/Colmor Cutoff got serious, 4 Stall at Elkhart, 26 at Boise City w/ provisions to double)
Hint: Pratt Kansas had 3 Roundhouses (CRIP ATSF & A&N/WNW) at one point…busy place
