Train Watcher's Guide To Chicago Soft Cover Supplement And MAP

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Train Watchers Guide To Chicago By John Szwajkart

183 Pages

Contents

INTRODUCTIONIII

PART I Chicago's Railroads1

Introduction3

Section 1 Class 1 Railroads6

Section 2 Short Lines27

Section 3 Electric Lines38

Section 4 Pool Operations44

PART II Train Watcher's Guide49

Introduction51

Section 1 Downtown Stations54

Section 2 Chicago Junctions, Stations66

and Crossings

Section 3 Suburban Junctions, Stations96

and Crossings

PART III Passenger Train Departures And Arrivals147

Introduction149

Section 1 Departures152

Section 2 Arrivals160

PART IV Museums, Displays And Clubs169

Train Watchers Guide To Chicago Supplement Signed

Contents

PART ICHANGES IN THE GUIDE1

Chicago's Railroads

Class 1 Railroads1

Short Lines10

Electric Lines12

Pool Operations14

Train Watcher's Guide

Downtown Stations15

Chicago Junctions, Stations16

and Crossings

Suburban Junctions, Stations17

and Crossings

Passenger Train Departures and Arrivals

Introduction20

Departures21

Arrivals23

Museums, Displays and Clubs26

PART IIADDITIONS TO THE GUIDE

Introduction30

Chicago Crossings

Pacific Junction31

Hawthorne Crossing33

Bridgeport35

47th Street Junction37

Beverly Crossing39

South Chicago Crossing41

Suburban Crossings

Leithton Crossing43

Spaulding Crossing45

Turner Junction47

Argo Crossing49

East Joliet Crossing51

Thornton Junction53

Calumet Park Crossing55

Whiting Crossing57

Train Watchers Guide To Chicago Map Measures approx 37 3/4 x 24 1/2 inches

Foreword

Chicago today still remains one at the best train watching places in the country. This is true even after all the changes that have taken place In the current railroad scene. Twenty years ago there were railroads such as the Rock Island, Milwaukee Road. Chicago Burlington And Quincy, Wabash, Nickel Plate Road, New York Central and Pennsylvania. Now all are gone, either bankrupt and sold off, or part of some megasystem encompassing nearly half of the United States.

With these losses it would appear that great changes had taken place In the Chicago Railscene. They have, but not as one would normally suspect. Throughout the Nation, the new megasystems have reduced and eliminated the ranks of the old roads, along with consolidating facilities and operations. Duplications that once existed are now gone. In some areas these attempts have succeeded well beyond all original plans and now there are a few states in which a single major railroad operates with no competition. Happily, Chicago has not been included in this, and the City has retained its diversity. True, the roads that run in the area are not the same ones that existed oven as recently as Five to ton years ago. Nevertheless Chicago retains its title as the railroad Capital of the the United States.

It diversity remains, what changed? One was a change in traffic patterns, resulting in an unclogging of the congestion originally attributed to Chicago. Until recently Chicago was a place all the major roads went to, but not through. Not so today. A few mergers have resulted in lines that go through or around Chicago, making Chicago just another place on the route. Others have lines that and in the area. But operations were restructured so that trains can run direct to key points. There, power and crews may be changed, then the same train continues on out of the area. These run-through trains effectively diminished the need for yards, eliminated the operation of many transfers, and reduced the need for many of the belt linos that once dominated the Chicago railscene.

A second factor contributing to these changes was a change In the type of traffic handled by the railroads. Today unit trains with solid consists of grain, coal and other commodities, requiring little switching enroute, are common. Included are container and solid piggyback trains along with the next evolutional development, the stick train. These trains require minimal terminal switching, thus negating the need for large makeup yards. Couple this with the runthrough concept, and the need for transfer runs is eliminated, but use of belt lines to reach connections is greater.

Megamergers, now operating patterns and single commodity trains all have resulted in the concentration of traffic on specific lines and losses on others. The Railscene in Chicago. too, has been affected by these changes and thus the need for a new revised Train Watcher's Guide To Chicago. The old familiar crossings, junctions and some of the stations still remain, but the railroads using them and the operating patterns through them have changed, dramatically in some cases. Thus, the new Guide brings the fan familiar with Chicago, up to date on the changes in the area. Where as the fan not familiar with the area and the recent changes, will find the Guide a necessity. For as the experienced fan knows, the Guide will get you where the trains are running and also provides the detailed information needed to get into the areas of most interest. As previously, the Guidd is intended to help you get the most enjoyment out of your train watching time In Chicago.

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