Updated January 16th, 2021.
Ashkum, IL
"Looking to the future, honoring the past"
Ashkum is a farming railroad town which features a large grain elevator and silo complex. It currently is one of the few areas where you can still see a standing Illinois Central switch tower with signal gantry. Ashkum also still has its old depot around with a historic downtown. The depot was restored sometime in the 1980s and has since been untouched, it follows a similar style as most IC depots in small towns.
|
The Depot
The Depot is original from as far as I can find. The building was cosmetically restored sometime in the 1980s with little work done since then. There has been talk of turning it into something, but usually this doesn't progress into anything. The depot remains in its original location along the IC mainline immediately south of the Main St. grade crossing.
South Ashkum
Ashkum tower was built to originally to house a signal and switch operator which was required when there was still two mainlines and the siding. Now Ashkum is where the Ashkum siding comes to an end. The siding runs north and cut back to single main just south of Clifton, IL. There is a switch south of downtown where the track lead to the elevators cuts from the main. The overall idea is this is South Ashkum and the switch north of town, closer physically to Clifton, IL is known as North Ashkum. There is one switchback to a spur that runs off to a gas tanker facility that is no longer rail served. In the summer of 2018 CN executed its plan to upgrade signals along the line including North and South Ashkum. The gantry was replaced along with relays, switch heaters, crossings and more. Below are original photos followed by updated photos.
Below are new photos from Christmas of 2018 of the replacement signals installed. Note the old gantry and signals are still in but are turn away so that crews only see the new LED signals. Interestingly, CN has kept a gantry installed here. Unlike Kankakee and
Otto, IL where CN had moved for wayside signals to replace gantry signals.
Otto, IL where CN had moved for wayside signals to replace gantry signals.
Zachary G. from RRSignalPix.Com has uploaded an original blueprint of the Ashkum tower here...
http://www.rrsignalpix.com/pdf/Ashkum_Tower_sec.pdf
This will show the "as-built" appearance of this tower. Note IC used similar designs for other brick towers including Otto, IL.
http://www.rrsignalpix.com/pdf/Ashkum_Tower_sec.pdf
This will show the "as-built" appearance of this tower. Note IC used similar designs for other brick towers including Otto, IL.
North Ashkum
This is where the siding meets the mainline to the north of Ashkum. Original signals have been replaced for PTC equipment.
Industries
The main industry in Ashkum is the Tri-Central Co-Op who is a traditional local grain elevator. Their website describes them well, and I quote:
"Tri Central Coop is a locally owned cooperative. Its owners are customers that farmed or have owned land at one time in the Ashkum, IL area. The original corporation was started December 7, 1909. The Ashkum Farmers Elevator Co. commissioners at the time were B. Alberts, F. Tascher, C. H. Fortemps, W. Poskin, T. B. Nephew, and E. Tatro. Tri Central has history over 90 years in the Ashkum area.
Present day involvement includes dealing with grain, purchasing grain, marketing grain, storing and drying grain, a farmers marketing program, chemicals, fertilizers, crop scouting, soil testing, spraying, and site specific applications."
This makes the Tri-Central Co-Op a real long customer of the Illinois Central and the subsequent Canadian National. It's actually pretty refreshing to see an area where the original grain elevator Co-Op still works and ships by Class I, a scene slowly fading away across Mid-Western rail operations.
"Tri Central Coop is a locally owned cooperative. Its owners are customers that farmed or have owned land at one time in the Ashkum, IL area. The original corporation was started December 7, 1909. The Ashkum Farmers Elevator Co. commissioners at the time were B. Alberts, F. Tascher, C. H. Fortemps, W. Poskin, T. B. Nephew, and E. Tatro. Tri Central has history over 90 years in the Ashkum area.
Present day involvement includes dealing with grain, purchasing grain, marketing grain, storing and drying grain, a farmers marketing program, chemicals, fertilizers, crop scouting, soil testing, spraying, and site specific applications."
This makes the Tri-Central Co-Op a real long customer of the Illinois Central and the subsequent Canadian National. It's actually pretty refreshing to see an area where the original grain elevator Co-Op still works and ships by Class I, a scene slowly fading away across Mid-Western rail operations.
Resources:
“About Tri Central Coop.” Tri Central Coop, AgHost, 26 Apr. 2006, 12:41:35PM, www.tricentralcoop.com/index.cfm?show=10&mid=5.
Quoted article for describing business practices and history.
Quoted article for describing business practices and history.