CHICAGO LAND SYSTEM - ATTN: Chicago Railfans

[Anonymous]

Ed,

I was floored when I saw that spread in TRAINS. Before I saw the street sign in the corner of the photo, I thought it looked familiar but then figured "Well, it could be just about any old neighborhood in Chicago." Then I quickly spotted the location.

I was so impressed with that photo that a couple weeks later after a new snow, I trudged up the incline and took a digital photo from the exact same location, to see the changes and similarities. I sent it to J. David Ingles just for giggles. The magazine ran my email to him as a letter to the editor in the next edition.

Funny, but when I first got the new photo on my computer monitor with the magazine at my side, I was amazed to see that almost 40 years later it looks like the same resident along the left-hand side of the pictures still doesn't shovel his or her snow!

Anthony

[MP173]

Klooks:

Did you see J David Ingles article in Classic Trains a couple of issue ago? In it he took a picture from a GTW passenger train at Central Park Aven...might be your stomping grounds.

ed

[Anonymous]

Lovin' this topic. Glad I stmbled upon it.

So many jumping off points, it's hard to pick where to start.. Grew up in the 1960s almost alongside the long GTW viaduct that runs along Central Park Avenue. Used to ride my bike to Elsdon Yard and sit on the bench outside to watch the trains.

Lived in Gage Park for a few years as teen , near 56th and Western. Frequently walked a couple blocks east to the elevated B&O/PC embankment. That's where I frist tried my Kodak Instamatic 110 camera on trains and even got a cab ride. Biked quite a bit during that era, visiting Corwith, Brighton Park crossing, and the Roosevelt Road and 18th Street overpasses. Looking back, took more than a few chances even in those slightly more innocent times in terms of personal safety. [:I]

Tons of other experiences around Chicago since then. I've never stopped watching and enjoying trains, and I read everything I can get my hands on regarding Chicago-area railroading.

Enjoyed the recent posts about the Maywood/Bellwood former trackage. Used to see those old alley vestigages while working as a news reporter for a suburban chain in the 1990s.

Klooks

[waltersrails]

i love trains up there that is why i visit during the summer lots of trains and good times.

[Poppa_Zit]

The Illinois Railroad Museum has two rusting steam switchers sitting on a siding west of Sterling, Ill. Any word on what they're going to do with them?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Cway95

Hey all,

In regards to the Maywood-Bellwood path,I have a question. As you go down Mannheim Road northbound from the Eisenhower Expressway,about a mile down or so,there is a path that you can tell used to be a rail line of some sorts. Now,deeper into Maywood near the ComEd substation,you can tell that there was some recent rail traffic. The grade crossing is still railed and there are some old decrepit ties still in the ground...Anybody know when this was taken up and what was delivered to ComEd...

Cway

The right-of-way paralleling Mannheim Rd north of the Ike is the former CA&E Cook County branch, which was turned over to the IHB when CA&E suspended freight traffic in 1959. The IHB used the former CA&E main from about 25th Avenue to Mannheim where it swung south onto the Cook County branch to the connection with the IC. Last service on this line was about 1986.

[Anonymous]

[8D]ridin thru Chicago was fun on those old freights my stompin grounds were glenn yd IC & the old CR yd i belive is now NS the RR bulls knew me as THE BREEZE but they are retired now they done there job clearing yd was always busy last night i was thinking about all the old rail lines ther were a lot in Chicago but now were down to 7
[:(]

[Anonymous]

Hey all,

In regards to the Maywood-Bellwood path,I have a question. As you go down Mannheim Road northbound from the Eisenhower Expressway,about a mile down or so,there is a path that you can tell used to be a rail line of some sorts. Now,deeper into Maywood near the ComEd substation,you can tell that there was some recent rail traffic. The grade crossing is still railed and there are some old decrepit ties still in the ground...Anybody know when this was taken up and what was delivered to ComEd...

Cway

[jkubajakiii]

Glad to know I'm not alone out here. Although I live in Centralia now, but I will always consider myself as a Chicagoan.[:D]
I grew up in a southwest suburb of Midlothain, Illinois, so I witness the final days of the old Rock Island Lines. Though I never got a driver's licence, I manage to get around. I've been at Broadway Street in Blue Island (the second busiest railroad junction in the U.S.), Joliet Union Station, La Salle Street Station, North Western Station (although they now call it the Ogilvie Transportation Center), Chicago Union Station, Thornton Junction in South Holland, Illinois (South Suburban College isn't far from there) and Amtrak's Hamond-Whiting, Indiana station.
In a way, I know Chicago's railroad routes (past and present) like the back of my hand. If you open one of my vains, you could divide my blood in to four parts: Hemogloben, Pizza Sauce, Lake Michigan Sand and Diesel Oil. (If it were fifty years ago, it would be coal oil.)[;)]

[Anonymous]

Been a while since the last post but I'll jump in anyway.

In regards to the rail line between Maywood and Bellwood...I often wondered about that myself when I'd be driving down St. Charles Road and crossed the track in the road. On page 223 of "The Living Legacy of the Chicago Aurora and Elgin" by Peter Weller and Fred Stark there is a track diagram of the CA&E in Bellwood. It shows the line as "To CNW Interchange", which certainly agrees with your description.

The same track diagram, along with one on the next page, shows that a total of 4 tracks went south from the CA&E/CGW lines. The first two were a double track line that went south to Westchester. This line was built by the CA&E and was intended to be part of a high speed cut-off to Aurora that would bypass Wheaton and reconnect with the mainline near Warrenville. It only reachd as far as 22nd St. (Cermak Road) and Mannheim Road (site of the current Mid-America Bank building) before work was stopped. The line was not operated by the CA&E but instead by CRT "L" trains. (There was also a car storage yard along this line in what is now Gladstone Park in Westchester, north of Roosevelt Road.)

Of the other two lines, one was the Mt. Carmel branch of the CA&E which ran south to Roosevelt Road and then west to Mt. Carmel cemetery. The other track was operated by the IHB (from the CGW) and reached industries located between the Illinois Central Iowa Division embankment and the location of the Eisenhower Expressway. The track diagram also indicates that there was an interchange track with the IC along this line.

Another excellent source of information on the CA&E lines is "The Story of the Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad Vols. 1 & 2" by Larry Plachno.

[Anonymous]

This thread is old but so am I.
I know of a abandoned rail line in Maywood - Bellwood that must have some story to tell. If you go to maps.google.com and type in Maywood, IL and then find 19th avenue and St. Charles as a starting point I can direct you.


There are no rails, but you can see where the tracks were. Go NW to 20th and Railroad Avenue. The UP/CNW tracks are to the north. You can see an arc leading from the mainline to the alley between 21st avenue in Maywood and 22nd avenue in Bellwood. There was a side track that ran along the south side of the mainline that curved here and went south. I suggest that you tell google you want the hybrid screen. you can then follow the alley south. Note, that even tho the tracks have been gone many years, that alley is whiter, stands out more, than nearby alleys. As you approach Madison Street, Madison angles northwest and it is obvious that the tracks went SW. Skip south to see Maywood Drive. To the north of Maywood Drive is a green area that has what appears to be a path. That is now the Illinois Prairie Path but was the Chicago Great Western on the north part and Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin on the south part of the where the path now runs. The CNW spur coming from the north curves, you can still see where it had to go and then probably joined the CGW and then curves back north to join the Indiana Harbor Belt, elevated. The spur is gone. The CGW is gone. The "Roarin' Elgin" is gone. I remember seeing freights traveling down the alley as late as the late 1950's. I lived at 19th and Oak. It was needing lots of repair and the trains went very slow and usually someone walked along. But then, the CGW was, when I went to school a block away, seldom used and when used it was running extremely slow and I saw derailments.

If you want to follow the CNW spur, CGW, CA&E west you can see what appears to be a bunch of new multi-family units west of the IHB. Georgina street to the north.

Somewhere in there, the CA&E had a branch line going south. Originally it went just to the cemeteries in the area of Roosevelt and Mannheim in Hillside (and farther west to Mt. Carmel at Wolf Road). Later it went to near 22nd (Cermak) and Mannheim. That line doesn't show as well but if you see Bellwood Avenue go south and you will see Cernan Park. It ran where that park is today. you might be able to track it north or south from there. It is fairly easy to see where the cemetery trains went west just north of Roosevelt. There is a park there and you can see its shape. South, in Westchester, you can see how the road curves and the open area east of the road where the old tracks were.

Sort of like Archeology?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP173

Hegewisch:

I got lost on the SE side this morning and stumbled onto the OmniTrax facility on 104th street...I believe they are also known as Chicago Rail Link.

Do you know anything about them? I have an appointment with them tomorrow for business. I havent really paid much attention to them.

ed

That was originally the head office and engine facility of the Chicago West Pullman and Southern, which switched Wisconsin Steel when that mill was still in existence. It now serves as the offices of Chicago Rail Link, I believe. I drove past there a few years ago, and all sorts of odds and ends were stored near there. The steel mill was closed and torn down years ago, and I don't know where their local customers are now.

[MP173]

Hegewisch:

I got lost on the SE side this morning and stumbled onto the OmniTrax facility on 104th street...I believe they are also known as Chicago Rail Link.

Do you know anything about them? I have an appointment with them tomorrow for business. I havent really paid much attention to them.

ed

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Some changes are in store for the Metra Southwest Service, ex-Wabash. Freight service hasn't really changed but double track has been extended with service to be extended to Manhattan and frequencies expanded in January, 2006. New timetables should be available in December.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Paul : at least thats a start ; maybe someone will know if the 20th Century Railroad Club is still active and how to get ahold of them?????[bow][bow][bow][4:-)] >>>glennbob

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The 20th Century Railroad Club has/had its offices in a medium-rise building at 18th St and the South Branch. One side faces north and immediately overlooks Amtrak's 18th St. facility. I don't know if the offices are still located there and what the guidelines for access are.

[Anonymous]

I think i read once there is a rail fan club / coffee house located in one of the highrise buildings in chacigo you can look down into the yard and they have a big window to take pictures ;;;dose anyone know where this is/[?][?][?][:P]>>>glennbob

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Right now, what's left of N&W's ex-Wabash line hosts Metra's Southwest Service, a tri-weekly freight turn to Manhattan, and some transfers in and out of Landers which pick up the IHB at Chicago Ridge. When the line was abandoned south of Manhattan, N&W/NS was down to one through freight and one local freight each way between Chicago and Decatur.

[Anonymous]

Thats why that bridge is always up! Every time I visit Chicago, there is a bridge in the air. Thanks for clearing that one up.

Im moving to New Jersey from the UK in the next month or so, and since I havent seen my family in Chicago in about 2 years, Im going to head that way for a week...camera and scanner firmly in hand. Anyone know if NS finally gave up on the Metra SWS line and just gave it to Metra? Last time I was in the area, the only other movements on that line (aside from Metra, that is) was a one unit CR light move. Back when I was a kid, NW and then NS used to have lots of trains. I really miss those days...stupid growing up and time passing.

Matt

[tom mann]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nucat78

Does anyone know if the line to Navy Pier is still in operation. There is a drawbridge over the Chicago River that is tucked into near northside buildings...sure would be an interesting photograph.

Anyway, lets keep this thread going.

ed

No, the Navy Pier Line is not in operation. The line has not been used since 2000, when the Sun-Times plant moved their printing operation. The bascule bridge has been in the upright position every since.

[nucat78]

Does anyone know if the line to Navy Pier is still in operation. There is a drawbridge over the Chicago River that is tucked into near northside buildings...sure would be an interesting photograph.

Anyway, lets keep this thread going.

ed

[ndbprr]

The PRRT&HS Chicago chapter meets at the Pullman Visitor center quarterly and they gave us a tour of the plant and hotel last year. There isn't much left. The facade of the main office building is propped up with I beams and the area directly behind it is being rebuilt. they have the same problems most museums have with funding. It is going to take fifty years before anything significant is achieved. the hotel will never reopen as a hotel. it doesn't meet current code requirements, doesn't have air conditioning, the rooms are tiny and have common baths. They indicated it might reopen as a Bed and breakfast some day but not for several years.

[dinwitty]

My model railroad in the planning will include chicago action with South Shore, North Shore, EL, NKP, NYC, C&NW, BRC, in a somewhat freelanced way.
Chicago is a fascinating town full of the railroad experience.

BTW, the old Pullman plant had heavy wood structure use, a welding crew
were working on bolts, apparently a red hot bolt flew away and smolded in some wood and no one knew, everyone left, later on, the whole place was in blazes

[DPD1]

Howdy,

I spent age 11 to 18 living right by the EJ&E through Warrenville. The Warrenhurst siding was still in use back then, which had a drywall dealer, and a commercial fertilizer place. Either way down the line was nothing but corn fields back then. We use to walk along the line either towards West Chicago and the CNW, or towards Eola and the BN. Back then, there weren't very many J trains... The 70's/80's were lean times for the RR. There was the one #21 train that ran to Waukegan and back late at night, about three times a week or less. So watching at Eola was usually the preferred spot. If we could get a ride, we'd go to Winfield or Wheaton as well, and sometimes Naperville Station... The original one that is, not the Rt. 59 one. Back then of course, there was next to nothing actually on Rt. 59. We thought the people that built the Fox Valley Mall were insane, because it was in the middle of nowhere and mostly empty back then. Little did we know. And we of course we tried to attend the Du Page fair ground show each month.

I don't live in the area anymore, but I have a web site dedicated to the EJ&E, and we also have an e-mail list with over 500 people now. Unfortunately I haven't been able to visit back there as much as I would have liked. I always wanted to see the old MILW street running stuff downtown, among other things, but never got around to it. I also like the BRC and Harbor.

Dave
-The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Photo Archive & Email List-
http://eje.railfan.net
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[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pkielty

Your question #1, about the Cragin Line. As of last winter, I know that there is one customer that is north of Devon,and I'm pretty sure south of Touhy, but I never traced it past Pratt. The rumor is that the customer uses a chemical that is best transported via rail, but I used to see the local pass our business maybe once a week.

As for watching, a good place is in Glenview/Northbrook, anywhere between Downtown Glenview and Techny. You can see the Metra locals, and Amtrak, and whatever freights come down into the City, while eating an ice cream or yogurt from the famous "Dairy Bar". Your mom or dad would even enjoy that.
At Willow Road and Shermer Rd, the UP goes over the highway and MD-N about 1/2 mile apart,and you will see a lot of unit coal trains going up to Kenosha on the Milwaukee Subdivision, and vice versa,a lot of traffic coming down from Wisconsin. Sometmes the power parks by the CP interlock by Shermer Road, and I have seen the engineers getting a beef sandwich at Mario's, or at the Subway which is right there on Shermer.
Sometimes you will witness the CP which interlocks onto the New Line from Techny. I think the best time is between 9 and 4 pm. because the New Line feeds into Bensenville, where there is an evening METRA rush hour. That may answer why you might see SB freight (CP) going into Chicago, because going into bensenville on the CP can get backed up at early evening. I never hang out at Techny, but if you get the Amtrak schedule, and the METRA schedule, you'll can see a lot of trains in a short time. the nice thing about Downtown glenview is you can get the ice cream and catch the Empire Builder stopping, and the NB freight in the evening. There also is a new station called North Glenvview, whih is on Lehigh just souht of Willow RD.
I live in Arlington Hts and at 10 PM plus or minus a few minutes, you can see the freight that someone mentioned from Janseville, I just don't know how many nights it is scheduled, and if your lucky you see the sand or stone trains that feed the Aztec Ready Mix yard, which I think is about Kimball or Belmont right along the Kennedy. That train must pass your Gladstone Park address.
Occassionally, you might ses the DM &I on the Soo line, the old wisconsin Central, but I don't know wher the best place to see that at. Maybe at Mannheim Rd and Higgins before they come into the CN yard. (Des Plaines). Good luck with all that. Try Glenview for some instatnt success.

Another good spot in Glenview is behind Costco, where the New Line goes over the C&M line on a bridge. You miss the CP trains but still a nice quiet spot. The Janesville train can also be seen in the daylight in Des Plaines, north at 2:30p and south at 8:30a. Janesville trains run daily 2 each way. What is DM&I on the old WC?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The C&NW Navy Pier line is defunct. The Chicago Sun-Times was the last customer on the line and they moved their operations about a year ago.

[Anonymous]

I've seen the Northbound running in the afternoon on a Saturday once. I saw it around 1:00 or 2:00. It had a Green BN Caboose on the rear. A Santa Fe Bluebonnet B23-7 was leading it. I always see the Southbound during the week. I also see a local coming into Lockport Northbound sometimes. It comes around the curve, goes a little ways down the line, and then heads back to the grain faculity. Then it switches for a while. I was at Joliet Union Station last week, the local stopped right in front of me. [:)] On Railpictures.net, you said you were at the Jackhammer's game while I was there. Here one of my shots of the local passing a westbound BN SD40-2 #7868 M-IHBGAL. It had the ATSF Caboose 784 at the back. Take care. [:)]
Nick

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jimitrain

The local is usually Southbound through Joliet in between 5:00 and 7:30 P.M. That's when I usually see it, but I'm not sure about the Woodridge/Romeoville Branchline. I'm at Joliet Union Station all the time. I've there two or three times a week. I live about 15 minutes from the station. Hope this helps. [:)]
Nick

Any idea when it runs northbound? I've seen the local a few times but have never thought to note when it was. I'd like to see it around Lockport, switching the one factory or running upgrade to Woodridge. I just had a memory though. I think I saw a local working the Woodridge/Romeoville branch once, fairly early in the morning. Like I think before 10:00, but that was a good 4 years ago. I think it also has to run caboose first. I'll have to get out early one morning and try and get pictures of it. The question is though, does it work Lockport first or on the way back, and what days does it run? Nick, what days do you usually see the local on?

[pkielty]

Your question #1, about the Cragin Line. As of last winter, I know that there is one customer that is north of Devon,and I'm pretty sure south of Touhy, but I never traced it past Pratt. The rumor is that the customer uses a chemical that is best transported via rail, but I used to see the local pass our business maybe once a week.

As for watching, a good place is in Glenview/Northbrook, anywhere between Downtown Glenview and Techny. You can see the Metra locals, and Amtrak, and whatever freights come down into the City, while eating an ice cream or yogurt from the famous "Dairy Bar". Your mom or dad would even enjoy that.
At Willow Road and Shermer Rd, the UP goes over the highway and MD-N about 1/2 mile apart,and you will see a lot of unit coal trains going up to Kenosha on the Milwaukee Subdivision, and vice versa,a lot of traffic coming down from Wisconsin. Sometmes the power parks by the CP interlock by Shermer Road, and I have seen the engineers getting a beef sandwich at Mario's, or at the Subway which is right there on Shermer.
Sometimes you will witness the CP which interlocks onto the New Line from Techny. I think the best time is between 9 and 4 pm. because the New Line feeds into Bensenville, where there is an evening METRA rush hour. That may answer why you might see SB freight (CP) going into Chicago, because going into bensenville on the CP can get backed up at early evening. I never hang out at Techny, but if you get the Amtrak schedule, and the METRA schedule, you'll can see a lot of trains in a short time. the nice thing about Downtown glenview is you can get the ice cream and catch the Empire Builder stopping, and the NB freight in the evening. There also is a new station called North Glenvview, whih is on Lehigh just souht of Willow RD.
I live in Arlington Hts and at 10 PM plus or minus a few minutes, you can see the freight that someone mentioned from Janseville, I just don't know how many nights it is scheduled, and if your lucky you see the sand or stone trains that feed the Aztec Ready Mix yard, which I think is about Kimball or Belmont right along the Kennedy. That train must pass your Gladstone Park address.
Occassionally, you might ses the DM &I on the Soo line, the old wisconsin Central, but I don't know wher the best place to see that at. Maybe at Mannheim Rd and Higgins before they come into the CN yard. (Des Plaines). Good luck with all that. Try Glenview for some instatnt success.