Hello all,
I would like to model Chicago's Grand Central Station (B&O, C&O) in the mid-late 1960's. This will be a rather large two tier with helix layout that will focus on passenger trains, but will have some freight lines as well.
I was born in 1968, so I never got to see any of this first hand. I'm going all off photo's and research. From what I can tell, there was a freight yard just to the south/southeast of Grand Central. I think it was the Rock Island/12th Street Piggyback yard. I think it spurred off of the mainline and bridge just after it crossed the Chicago River.
Any ideas where I could find out more on this? I'm having a hard time finding much info on frieght yards and freight houses that served the Baltimore and Ohio in the area.
Thanks,
Ed
Semi newbie HO scale modeler coming from the O scale world
You might try the B&O/C&O historical societies for info. Also, I believe MR or Trains put out a special issue on Chicago in the last year or so. It might focus more on modern operation, but you might be able find something of use in it.
If you need a birds eye view of what was around Grand Central at the time you are modeling, try the website Historic Airials.
As you probably know, Grand Central Station served not only the B&O and C&O but also the Soo Line, the CGW, and the Pere Marquette. At one time, the Pere Marquette had a large freight house south of the train shed.
The Rock Island, running out of LaSalle Street Station to the east of Grand Central Station, had a large freight yard and river side freight house just south of the station and just southeast of Grand Central Station.
At the time Grand Central Station was completed, passenger trains approached the terminal by crossing the Chicago River from the southwest over a bridge between Taylor Street and Roosevelt Road, constructed in 1885. This first bridge was replaced by a taller structure in 1901 to accommodate larger boats and ships on the south branch of the river.
There are photos taken at the time of the Chicago River straightening project in 1929 that show the Harrison, Polk, and Roosevelt Road street bridges spanning the south branch of the Chicago River. A railroad bridge just north of the Roosevelt Road street bridge used to run diagonally from southwest to northeast. My understanding is that the bridge was owned and operated by the Baltimore & Ohio railroad at that time.
When the Chicago River was straightened and widened in the 1930s, the United States Department of War insisted that the Baltimore and Ohio build a new bridge adjacent to that of the St. Charles Air Line Railroad which crossed the river between 15th and 16th Streets. The new bridge's location, about seven blocks south of its previous crossing, further complicated the circuitous route of the B&OCT tracks leading to Grand Central Station.
Both the B&O bridge, and that of the St. Charles Air Line immediately adjacent to it, were built in 1930, and both are bascule bridges.
Today, the B&OCT bridge remains unused. However, it was not dismantled and currently sits locked in the "open" position. Because they are bascule bridges, both the B&OCT and the Air Line bridges each have a counterweight of their own, and in this case, they share a common third counterweight between them. This design allowed them to operate in unison, with an operator from the B&OCT in charge of operating both bridges. The CSX, successor railroad to the B&O, owns the bridge that it cannot abandon, because the bridge is needed to continue operating a second bridge it does not own.
Are you wedded to the notion of modeling Grand Central Station? An alternative is to model nearby Dearborn Station which had 5 owner roads and one tenant road. There were 11 freight houses at one time, all dealing in LCL freight.
Rich
Alton Junction
You can go here:
https://historicalcharts.noaa.gov
and find coast and geodetic surveys (maps). They tend to have every railroad track on them. And the above source has them for various years. So you might find yerself a very nice map of the tracks (and buildings) for a year close to the one you want.
A good source of info is www.historicaerials,com has aerail photos as well as topographical maps for different years I have photos of CGC if you are interested.
You might snoop around for an old copy of Train Watcher's Guide to Chicago by John Szwajkart. This little 1969 softbound had basic track plans for all major stations and crossings in the Chicago area. I still see copies once in a while at train shows.
For inspiration, there is also a new book from Morning Sun Books titled Illini Rails by Robert J. Yanosey. The majority of the photos are from the Chicago area, and include C&O passenger trains. The wonderful variety of trains in the area is shown, and the book really brings back memories of my early train-watching days in Northern Illinois.
Bill
Beach Bill Chicago area
Russell
csxns Beach Bill Chicago area Is it safe to train watch in Chicago.
Is it safe to train watch in Chicago.
richhotrainIt's a lot safer in the suburbs
mrrdadAny ideas where I could find out more on this?
Mostly I-C photos and a little earlier than the era you seek, still, good to see things "as they were" back in the day:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/albums/72157690635424082
For instance, how about a billboard spanning the tracks? "They never did that, did they?
LakefrontReport Appendix F-144 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr
Hope that helps, Ed
It has been many years since I photographed trains around Chicago, so I have no timely recommendations. Around 1980, my father was still with the IC as a conductor on the Broadview switcher and I was a police officer in Roanoke, Va. Dad was surprised when I was visiting up there that I had gone down into the South Side to photograph the Chicago Short Line; Chicago West Pullman & Southern; and the Baldwin diesels at Rail to Water Transfer. Of course, I was only doing that in the daytime and as a full-time officer was also trained with and authorized for concealed carry.
Retired now and those things are put away. When I do go train watching I am still alert to surroundings, though, and try to do some research ahead.