Railroads, Chicago-style

Metra Eastbound in Riverside by Craig Sanders Via Flickr: The village water tower was being renovated in the summer of 2005 as a Chicago-bound Metra train departed from the station in Riverside, Illinois, on the BNSF Chicago Raceway. (Scanned from a slide)

Highball Highlands by Craig Sanders Via Flickr: An eastbound Metra train passes the Hightlands station in Hinsdale, Ilinois, framed by searchlight-type signals that used to stand here. The signals have since been replaced. (Scannned from a slide)

Now Boarding by Craig Sanders Via Flickr: There aren't any passengers visible but the 11:20 a.m. for Joliet via the Suburban Line of the former Rock Island Railroad is now boarding at Chicago LaSalle Street. At the time this photograph was made the trains were being operated by the Regional Transportation Authority. (Scanned from a slide)

Lined at at LaSalle Street by Craig Sanders Via Flickr: Commuter trains of the former Rock Island Railroad are awaiting their call to duty at Chicago LaSalle Street Station. It is not the peak travel time so there are a lot of trains waiting. (Scanned from a slide)

Bi-levels Row by Craig Sanders Via Flickr: “There are three bi-level gallery cars visible in this scene at LaSalle Street Station in Chicago. Once these tracks hosted trains of the Rock Island, New York Central, and Nickel Plate Road, but on this day there were only commuter trains of the Regional Transportation Authority.”

June 29, 1982 

Photo by Craig Sanders

Covered wagons at rest by Mike Danneman Via Flickr: A group of Burlington Northern E9s lay over in the commuter yard at Aurora, Illinois, on June 8, 1991.

Photo by Mike Danneman

ICG - Van Buren Street Station by d.w.davidson on Flickr.

Illinois Central Gulf and South Shore Line trains at Van Buren Street station, looking north and south

Chicago

December 1982

Photos by D.W. Davidson

From the cover of the current issue of First & Fastest:

“Car 427 leads a Wheaton Express out of the DesPlaines Avenue Terminal on September 8, 1954. Overhead are CTA 6000-series cars awaiting departure for the Loop on the Garfield Park Line. — James J. Buckley photo, Fred Lonnes Collection.”

From The Trolley Dodger blog: “This picture of various Chicago, Aurora & Elgin trains was taken around September 1953 at DesPlaines Avenue in Forest Park. Construction is under way to reconfigure the terminal for a new track arrangement, where CA&E trains will no longer head downtown, but will terminate and loop here. The wooden ramp in the background was built so that CTA trains could loop without crossing CA&E tracks, which were no longer going to be connected to the CTA. This new arrangement continued until the CA&E quit operating passenger service on July 3, 1957.”

Norfolk and Western commuter train leaving Dearborn Station for Orland Park

Chicago

August 12, 1968

Photo by Paul Enenbach

Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific 661 by CPShips on Flickr.

Caption: "Rock Island EMD E8A at La Salle Street Station in August 1977 photographed from a Blue Island local leaving the station."

Chicago

Photo by John Hepp

Chicago Surface Lines streetcar on Madison Street in Garfield Park

Chicago

CSL Photo

CTA 6000s, Ravenswood Train, July 1965 by railfan 44 on Flickr.

Caption: "These were early 6000 series cars with double headlights and a top center rollsign. The 6000s were rebuilt PCC streetcars. Roger's photo show them holding down a Ravenswood run in July, 1965. For more on these cars see: www.chicago-l.org/trains/roster/6000.html"

Chicago

July 1965

Photo by Roger Puta

BN Es by Tom Danneman Via Flickr: Burlington Northern E-units wait for the next morning rush in Aurora, Illinois. October 1985.

CBQ9974-690826 Lisle, IL E8A-1-F by Marty Bernard

Burlington Route commuter train

Lisle, Illinois

Photo by Marty Bernard

The Yellow Fleet Takes a Rest by Joe McMillan Via Flickr: Chicago & North Western commuter trains line up on a weekend layover at West Chicago, Illinois, September 14, 1974. Engines: 411, 504, and 514.

Photo by Joe McMillan

Weekend Layover by Joe McMillan Via Flickr: Chicago commuter trains on a weekend layover at C&NW's yard at West Chicago, Illinois

October 19, 1980

Photo by Joe McMillan