This steam locomotive is shown adjacent to the Chicago & Northwestern signal tower located at the Kellogg Avenue crossing.  The photo of this class H engine was taken in the 1950s before this crossing guard tower was removed.  Shortly after this picture was taken the crossings at Duff and at Kellogg were controlled by a single tower located between the two.

Railroad switch lamps from the Ames switching yards immediately south of Main Street.  Removable lamps illuminated the colored Corning glass lenses.  The fonts had to be filled with kerosene and wicks trimmed regularly to assure a dependable light source.

This portion of the Ames 1902 plat map shows the location of both the original 1865 depot next to the grain elevator and the present depot.  Also shown is the Chicago & Northwestern switching yard which has since been moved east of Ames.