Railroads, Chicago-style

“It was 30 years ago today that this infamous event took place; the ship collided with the B&O bascule bridge over the Calumet River, which for some reason was not in the fully open position. The results speak for themselves. Must have made one hell of a noise.”

See the link to the legal proceedings in the historicbridges.com site for all the details of the incident:

http://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=illinois/bocalumet/

(via Bad Day in South Chicago 9 | It was 30 years ago today that … | Flickr)

DO NOT HUMP by rrradioman on Flickr.

Damaged in transit …

Union Pacific U-50- at Proviso IL 1974 by Mark LLanuza on Flickr.

Union Pacific GE U50 locomotive

Proviso, Illinois

1974

Photo by Mark Llanuza

This "DEPENDABLE TRANSPORTATION" was in the dead line

LaSalle Street Station Keystone ‘Chicago’ by WayOutWardell on Flickr.

LaSalle Street Station Keystone ‘Chicago’ 'Chicago’, the keystone removed from the arch over the LaSalle Street Station in 1982 during its demolition, saved by an art instructor at Columbia College and now at the Illinois Rail Museum. Wrecking crane operator Robert Kempczynski, who took it down, said at the time, 'It was unreal. We beat on that arch for 12 hours before it came down, so you know a lot of heart went into putting it up. I usually enjoy my work, but this hurt’.

CB&Q Class FM-14A 94108 by Chuck Zeiler on Flickr.

Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad Class FM-14A 94108 at Eola, Illinois in November 1979. Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. Also seen is BN 436197 stenciled: HEAVY BAD ORDER DO NOT LOAD."

BN Caboose 12240 by Chuck Zeiler on Flickr.

Burlington Northern Railroad caboose 12240 at Cicero, Illinois in October 1979. Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler.

C&NW West Chicago derailment 1977

Caption: “In 1977 westbound Belvidere extra train 99 couldn't stop in time on the center track and slammed into the eastbound train crossing over from track two to track three at West Chicago. The crews jumped in time to safety just before impact during a snowstorm under Route 59. The commuter rush trains only went as far as Wheaton this day, busing everybody to the other stations.”

West Chicago, Illinois

1977

Photos by Mark Llanuza

Caption: “Minor mishap at Illinois Central's junction switch to the Forest Park spur, North Riverside IL, June 1968.”

Photo by Larry Sallee