I've wondered how most passenger trains got backed into their respective stations. Specifically the Lasalle street station. Lasalle is a stub end with tracks departing to the south, but many of the its users, NKP, NYC, RI arrive from the south. Is there a wye where this was done? as I believe the NKP and NYC arrived from the southeast via Grand Crossing but I haven't see any info on how they trains get turned around to back in???
I will leave it to those more expert than me to confirm it, but NKP and NYC passenger trains pulled directly forward into LaSalle Street Station.
After passing through Grand Crossing, these passenger trains turned north at Englewood Station and proceeded to LaSalle Street station on a pair of NYC main line tracks that paralleled the Rock Island main line tracks.
Both the NYC and NKP had coach yards south of LaSalle Street where passenger cars were cleaned and serviced before being returned to LaSalle Street Station. I assume that both coach yards had turntables to turn the locomotives before backing them into LaSalle Street Station prior to departure for points east.
Rich
Alton Junction
Curiously Chicago never had a through passenger terminal. All were dead ends. Some would argue that this was protracted to force tourist business onto the street along with the Parmalee transfer coach company that would move passengers from one terminal to another to proceed on their train route.
I'm not sure how the Dearborn Street station got it done but the Union Station had a Wye south along the river between 16th and 18th streets. The Burlington Zephyr used this turn around until the end of company owned service.
Although the track work has been changed, the Wye is still visible on Google Maps.
The Northwestern used a Cummins push pull system on their commuter trains to the western suburbs so they made no effort to turn things around.
see ya
Bob
For the road passenger trains:
NYC had yard jobs from their 44th St Coach Yard handle the trains to and from LaSalle St. The road power (steam and diesel) ran lite to and from 63rd St Roundhouse.
RI (diesel era) road engine crew went to work at 47th St (The Rocket House) two hours before depot departure time, got train and initial terminal air test at 51st St Coach Yard with the help of a switchman/backup pilot. Some trains (Golden St, Rocky Mtn Rocket) headed north out of the coach yard and turned everything on the Root St wye which was the connection to the CJ (CR&I). Some of the shorter trains did not get turned, they backed out of the coach yard.
The pilot used communicating whistle to stop you past west switch of wye. He then hooked up his tail hose, lined the switch and got in position on the rear car. When he was ready to go he pulled the cord (communicating signal line) three times and made a big brake pipe air reduction with his tail hose valve, then released it. If the engineer saw that brake pipe reduction on the engine gauge he'd whistle back up and start shoving. If the engineer did not see the reduction he didn't move and the process was repeated. This was to make sure there wasn't and angle$1****$2turned somewhere in the train. After you'd gone about five to ten car lengths the pilot would make his running air test, if he didn't you stopped and fireman started walking back to see why. From that point the pilot handled the brakes until you stopped at the bumping post at the depot. When stopped at the depot the carmen would cut the engines off after fireman turned off the steam (heat), you'd pull west of the depot (Polk St) interlocking and wait while depot switch engine put head end cars on the train. When they were done the tower would line road engines back to the train and the carman would tie on the engines and cut in the air, signal line, and couple steam pipe/hose. Fireman cut the steam in and you waited for the brake test.
Arriving trains just reversed the procudure except they did not turn at Root St. In steam days the Rock Island road engine crew backed up lite to and from LaSalle St. I don't recall ever seeing the NYC turn trains at Root St and I can't remember if they had a turntable at the coach yard. Anybody wondering where/how they hooked up the tail hose if the train had an round end observation car? They didn't, there was a removeable panel in either the floor or rear wall that had a conductor's valve and communicating signal for the pilot to use.
RI suburban trains used 12th St Yard as a coach yard and they had a turntable and servicing at 16th St. In diesel days long morning and evening trains were shoved to and from depot with the road engine crew and backup pilot. If you where a short mid day train with a engine that didn't need to be turned, the procedure was as follows. After passengers unload fireman shuts off lights (steam if used), pull light plug from head car, then car man cuts engine off. Depot engine pulls train out of depot and suburban engine follows, Polk St Tower runs you out of way and depot engine shoves train to bumping post. When they are out of way suburban engine runs back to carman to couple onto train. Do air, lights and steam, then air test. Hopefully there's time to make a coffee run if the engineer is buying. Maybe even time to check out the oppisite sex, In steam days the engines had to go 16th St to be turned and because the depot was so busy I don't know if the depot engine shoved (midday) train back in the depot or if it went to 12th St Yard.
As far as the NKP. I've heard they'd have a yard crew go to LaSalle St and tow train and engines to and from Calumet Yard, but I don't know that for fact.