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EJ&E and C&NW relationship

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  • Member since
    February 2014
  • 4 posts
Posted by RouteOfTheElectroliners on Saturday, February 1, 2014 8:13 PM

I apologize for bumping an old thread, but I've a bit more information on the subject (I grew up along the "J" just south of Waukegan). The C&NW and EJ&E also worked together to switch coal trains in the Waukegan Generator.

Additionally, in North Chicago, the two railroads at one point jointly owned and operated the "North Chicago Switch Railway" which basically consisted of the industrial lead west of Sheridan Road, by the old Hardware Foundry and Fan Steel plant.

http://casr.dhke.com/casr501.htm

  • Member since
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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, December 8, 2013 5:06 AM

Bruce, I was looking on Google Maps at the area and spotted the old turntable.  It is near the lower left of the photo, just south of the yard.

I also found this passage about the interchange:

"Taconite trains were once interchanged from the CNW in Waukegan, IL during the 70's. The interchange track was pulled years ago. There is a stub remaining with a red stop board, just a little southeast of the old CNW turntable. CNW C-628's were often used on these trains, and before that, the trains used CNW Alcos. Once on the J, as many as three EJ&E center-cabs or SD38's took the train out of Waukegan. It's been reported that a pair of EJ&E GP38-2's would often be used on the rear of the trains, to help push them up the 1% grade out of Waukegan. Due to this grade, the Upton wye that had been taken out in the 60's was put back in during the early 70's, so the trains could go that way instead. EJ&E power would run to Upton to get the trains."

Rich

 

Alton Junction

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Posted by Blind Bruce on Saturday, December 7, 2013 6:28 PM
Thanks all, and to Rich, I have printed that map. I spent many hours all over that area when I was supposed to be in class. Many rolls of 35mm film shot there but alas, my mom threw them all away when I got married and left home. Boo hoo.

73

Bruce in the Peg

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  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Saturday, December 7, 2013 6:01 PM

Bruce, I am a bit surprised that you have not received any replies on the Classic Trains forum, now that I have suggested that you post there.  I see that there are only 42 Views so far, but I believe that someone will come forward with some substantive information.

I do have an Illinois track atlas with some highly detailed maps and track configurations in the late 1940s.  The EJ&E line ran up to Waukegan from Joliet, crossing diagonally from Cook County into Lake County at Barrington and continuing on a northeasterly route, crossing the Soo line, the Milwaukee Road line, one line of the C&NW at Lake Bluff, the CNS&M line, and finally another line of the CNW at North Chicago.  It then ran parallel to that C&NW line on the east side of the C&NW tracks to Waukegan, the north terminus of the EJ&E.

Here is a map of the interchange and yard at Waukegan.

http://www.ejearchive.com/images_maps/inter01waukegan.gif

Rich

Alton Junction

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  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
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Posted by dknelson on Saturday, December 7, 2013 5:27 PM

What I do know is that at in the 1960s at the Bucyrus Erie plant in South Milwaukee, WI on the Chicago & North Western "old line" they received many EJ&E cars, flats and gons with steel, and shipped out a fair amount also on EJ&E cars.  In other respects the foreign road cars at B-E probably traced the general volume of a railroad's cars in the general pool -- so lots of NYC, PRR, UP, ATSF, C&O, SP, etc.  But it does seem the EJ&E might have been disproportionately represented.  And many of those B-E loads, and routed empties, would be seen on the Waukegan Turn that left Milwaukee and returned in late afternoon.  I assume at Waukegan the cars were either set out for forwarding to the CNW's own Proviso Yard, or I  imagine that some were interchanged there with the EJ&E.

Dave Nelson

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Friday, December 6, 2013 9:14 PM

Check this site, and see if it helps you at all. 

http://www.dhke.com/CRJ/index.html

 

Mike.

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: SE Minnesota
  • 6,847 posts
Posted by jrbernier on Friday, December 6, 2013 5:51 PM

Bruce,

  I do not think there was any kind of financial/business relationship between the two.  The 'J' was basically a belt line around the outer suburbs of Chicago.  The EJ&E eventually became part of the CN system.

Jim

Modeling BNSF  and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 6, 2013 3:41 PM

No, not Classic Toy Trains forum.

You want the Classic Trains forum.

http://cs.trains.com/ctr/f/3.aspx

Rich

Alton Junction

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    January 2005
  • From: Winnipeg Canada
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Posted by Blind Bruce on Friday, December 6, 2013 3:29 PM
Rich, all I can find is classic TOY trains and their site is as messed up as this one. I found NO forums at all. Do I have the right site ie toy?

73

Bruce in the Peg

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    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, December 6, 2013 3:00 PM

Bruce, you might want to consider moving this thread to the Classic Trains forum.   Some of the guys there are pretty knowledgeable on such matters.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Winnipeg Canada
  • 1,637 posts
EJ&E and C&NW relationship
Posted by Blind Bruce on Friday, December 6, 2013 2:36 PM

Many MANY moons ago I watched the EJ&E switcher ply its trade alongside the C&NW tracks in Waukegan, Illinois. My layout is a switching type and I wonder how the two roads worked together.

Any information will be appreciated.

73

Bruce in the Peg

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