Railroads, Chicago-style

From The Trolley Dodger blog: "A southbound Silverliner at Belmont."

Note The Vic Theatre at left.

Photo by John V. Engleman

From Classic Trains: “Before the current Chicago Union Station was opened in 1925, trains of the PRR, CB&Q, and Milwaukee Road used a terminal, Monroe Street Union Station, at roughly the same riverfront location. In this 1919 view, CB&Q Lounging Car No. 201 is on the rear of a Burlington train ready to depart south while Milwaukee 4-6-2 No. 6512 pants at the head of a northbound train.” C. Jones Jr. coll.

Chicago & North Western commuter train at Clybourn. Today this is the Metra Union Pacific North Line.

Chicago

April 1979

Photo by D.W. Davidson

From The Trolley Dodger blog:  “One of the two North Shore Line Electroliners heads south from the CTA’s Belmont station on the North-South main line on July 3, 1961. The station has been rebuilt, and instead of an overhead transfer bridge, you cross at mezzanine level now.”

C&NW - Clybourn by d.w.davidson Via Flickr: C&NW Train No. 311 is making its station stop at Clybourn in April 1979.

Even though this is a poor photo, I wanted to show you the sign. B&O Grand Central Station in Chicago, IL, circa 1968 by Marty Bernard

“Chessie loves passengers . . . (and needs a lot more of them.) Go C&O / B&O. Try us. WA 2-2211″

If they sounded desperate, they were. Chicago’s Grand Central Station closed the following year and was demolished in 1971.

Illinois Central Electric in South Chicago, July 1960.

“The South Shore Country Club (today the South Shore Cultural Center) at 71st and South Shore, is visible at left. At right is the station at 71st and Exchange, and check out that crossing tower; the stumps of many of these towers remain in place along the branch today. The IC South Chicago branch, along with the other IC Electric lines, continue in service into the present day as part of the Metra commuter rail system.”

(Also note signs for Standard Oil, Sinclair Gasoline, and Motorola radio and television)

Photo by Bill Vigrass (original slide in collection of John Smatlak)

(via IC South Chicago July 1960 | Illinois Central Electric in So… | Flickr)

Milwaukee Road commuter train (and a passenger train with a Union Pacific locomotive behind it) just north of Chicago Union Station.

April 1967

Photo by George Strombeck

Note the two upright bridges over the North Branch of the Chicago River in the background:

The North American Cold Storage building with the huge Old Forester bourbon advertisement is now a residential building known as the Fulton House.

The Producers Warehouse Co building at left is now the Cassidy Tire building. The surrounding open space is now completely developed. UPDATE: Just today (November 27, 2019), an article was posted regarding plans to replace the Cassidy Tire building with another high-rise residential building. Get your photos while you can.

Santa Fe RS1 switching their coach yard near Archer and Cermak Roads

Note the billboard: “CHEVROLET Jet smoother for ‘66″

Chicago

December 1965

Photo by Paul Enenbach

(via Chicago, December 1965 | As AndyMoose said, that billboard m… | Flickr)

Chicago & North Western Railway F7 412 at Clybourn

Chicago

October 1981

Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler

(via C&NW F7 412 | Chicago & North Western Railway F7 412 at abou… | Flickr)

From The Trolley Dodger blog: “Car 4172 and a very close follower are heading south at Clark and Division circa 1950. . . . At right, there is an entrance to a CTA subway station, which is today part of the Red Line.”

From Classic Trains magazine:

“Before the current Chicago Union Station was opened in 1925, trains of the PRR, CB&Q, and Milwaukee Road used a terminal, Monroe Street Union Station, at roughly the same riverfront location. In this 1919 view, CB&Q Lounging Car No. 201 is on the rear of a Burlington train ready to depart south while Milwaukee 4-6-2 No. 6512 pants at the head of a northbound train.”

Collection of C. Jones Jr.

CTA 9553 has just crossed the Milwaukee Road at Fullerton. Picture taken on 4-1-73 and appears to be a fan trip. Photographer unknown.

(via Fullerton & Milwaukee Road | CTA 9553 has just crossed the M… | Flickr)

(via C&NW F7 419 | Chicago & North Western Railway F7 419 at Clyb… | Flickr)

Clybourn in the pre-Uber/Lyft era

1920s view of the Chicago Rapid Transit (later CTA) station at Lawrence, looking south. In addition to the interesting details on the station platform (penny scale, all kinds of ads including Kingsbury Beer), it also gives a good view of the freight gauntlet track arrangement (the reason for the overhead wire), and If you zoom in on the image, you can see a freight car parked on the warehouse spur next to the Wilson station. That particular freight siding survived well into the modern era. On the roof of the station platform there appears to be a lighted sign, presumably advertising the L.

Purchased B&W print, photographer unknown.

(via CRT Lawrence station 1920s)

Transcontinental Oil Company tank cars, 1922-1925

John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library

Note the Marathon runner logo (BEST IN THE LONG RUN) at the far left of each tank car. This was before the Ohio Oil Company purchased the Transcontinental Oil Company and changed its name to the Marathon Oil Company.