Fabyan Windmill

Two more shots from along the Fox River in May. One is of the fabled Fabyan Windmill, standing along the Fox for nearly a century now. The other is a dramatic shot of a tree highlighted by the sunset at Fox River Bluffs Forest Preserve.

Elgin Tower

The tallest building right downtown in Elgin is the Art Deco Tower, seen here in two shots of the upper floors. With the evening light coming upon it, it is a solid, majestic building. And then I noticed the fire escape, wondefully forming the intial E, for Elgin. I will assume that was designed into the look of the Tower because if it was not, it was too fortunate to believe.

Elgin Twilight

After a near-sunset shot across the Fox River, I hopped into the car and drove up to Elgin to see the sun set and the lights begin to twinkle in Elgin. Here we see the sun's reflection in the river and, then in Elgin, a ramp into the river just north of the riverboat casino.

The most impressive twilit building in Elgin will be seen in the next post.

In the Gloaming

My Saturday visit to the Fox River Valley had some photos of the onset of darkness. Never knew the exact meaning of "gloaming," but every longtime Cub fan knows a pennant was won in 1938 when Gabby Hartnett hit the "Homer in the Gloaming," while the other team protested it was getting too dark to play. Guess that must be the meaning, then!

About Those Details

Walking up along the Fox Valley Trolley right-of-way from Blackhawk Forest Preserve shows the details I mentioned in the previous post, whether it is the old manual switch device, the intricate rail work that is the midst of the switch, or whether it is the road bed itself flanked by the overhead power lines.

Look closely at the top of the tracks and you see that by May, when these photos were taken, the trolleys have not been running for several months. Tracks in current use are polished by every wheel that turns upon them, sometimes gleaming almost clearly enough to see reflections on them.

Blackhawk Forest Preserve

Located on Route 31 south of South Elgin and north of St. Charles, the Jon Duerr-Blackhawk Forest Preserve is the terminal end of the rail track leading from the Fox Valley Trolley Museum. Offering rides on old-fashioned and reconditioned trolley cars, the museum runs cars down to Blackhawk and back. The ride of about three miles is more than worthwhile in enjoyment for railroad fans.

A visit to Blackhawk is also valuable for those interested in the railway. Walking on the right-of-way gives you an unmatched look at details of the construction of railways, how switches and crossovers work, and other interesting items.

Here we have an image of the terminal platform (there is no station at Blackhawk) at the end of the line, as well as the wye-switch that allows two trains to run on a single track. In the next few posts we will be looking at Blackhawk and another forest preserve and take a peek into Elgin at sunset.

Dusk on the Riverwalk

As dusk fell on the Riverwalk, we headed back to find the car and find a great ice cream parlor. We left with the thickening light of dusk crowding in on the river bank while the warm colors of the setting sun rippled through the DuPage.