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| 20160421 3272 Note the three sailboats going to the lake. |
Historic Bridges (above) not only covers this bridge which was built in 1974, it has pictures of the swing bridge it replaces that were published in 1897 and five links about United States Steel and/or Gary, IN.
USS used to own EJ&E and the purpose of this bridge was to access the South Works. The bridge is always in the up position because the South Works no longer exists.
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| Steve Malachinski posted |
Bridge 710 found on ejearchive.com. I swear this poor bridge was hit at least twice when I worked in South Chicago. It was replaced by the bridge that is there now. Problem is the bridge is more or less stuck in the up position because of burned out motors.Scott Pugh added "Bridge went out of skew because the motors were not serviced and burned up after the CN took over."
Daniel Kopack observed "It must be the same curse as 728, that got hit 3 years ago,10 seconds before I went to raise it,earlier this week, the new fenders got messed up by, you guessed it, same damn boat and captain...."
So they built a new bridge only to become unusable a few years later. It doesn't matter because it has become another bridge to nowhere.
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| Andrew Urbanski posted
Can't recall where i saw it, but i'm looking for a picture of the lift bridge 710 at the gateway to the Calumet, along with the swing bridge it was replacing.
Jay Reitsma This lake boat caught fire last month. Has to be fully rebuilt before it sails again.
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| Andrew Urbanski comment in above posting |
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| C. William Brubaker/UIC Digital Collections, 1969, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Looking northeast along the Calumet River near its mouth at Lake Michigan. |
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| Comment by Dwayne Stenger on a post via Dennis DeBruler, Credit: World Wide Photos |
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| View from 95th Street Bridge |
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| Andrew Urbanski posted EJ&E 446 in 2009 on USS Southworks property, bridge down to the lakefront line over the Calumet. Richard Weber Too bad bridge went o/s when the CN took over the J. |
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| Kevin Piper posted EJ&E Lakefront Line, Hammond, IN, 1960's. PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN [This would have been the line that served this bridge and the U.S. Steel South Works.] |
Michael Bachmann As the supervisor in charge of the bridge in the fall of 2009, I had it lifted and it never moved since. We were having electrical issues and the CN did not want to invest money into it, the end.
Ron Harris The 1st 8yrs. of operation, I was sent over when at times the Westinghouse engineer, The Dutchman, had trouble. Got it going every time. Greg Bailey and I usually adjusted the limits at least twice a year-sometimes more.
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| Tom Hunter commented on Joel's posting |
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| Tom Hunter commented on Joel's posting |
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| Tom Hunter commented on Joel's posting |
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| Lou Gerard posted J train northbound over the old Calumet River bridge in 1974. Ron Harris That's a phony picture. The old bridge and the new bridge were never there at the same time. The old bridge was hit by an outbound ship and knocked 15' off it's axis. Bob White, the operator, was in the sh on the lake side of the pier at the time. I was in the Joliet Line Gang. We were there the next day to secure the electrical equipment. The old bridge was completely removed before the new construction started. Lou Gerard This picture is no phony. I'm insulted by that. I do not post phony photos. Ron Harris You're right. I apologize. After some deep thinking, the old 710 was re-set and used until the new 710 was built. We worked over there quite a bit setting new poles and stringing new telephone and signal lines as the new approach was moved west. Again, I apologize, the photo hit me wrong when I first saw it. |
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Bob Lalich Flickr 1968 Photobridge 710 uss photo
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| Lou Gerard posted Calumet River bridge under construction with Steamer Pontiac coming through, 1/1/74. |
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| Lou Gerard posted Last time I saw a train crossing the Calumet River bridge. August 2009. Frank DeVries Yea, and I got a phone call bitching about how slow the bridge came down.... Lou Gerard I remember watching how slow it came down. |
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| Joel J. Sieracki posted Though the signal is red, I don't think anything is crossing Bridge 710 any time soon. East Chicago IN 2:50pm 2/26/18 Andrew Urbanski When the rails get ripped up? Kevin Wright About two weeks ago. Gregory Bailey I’m wondering who is maintaining the pier lights and mid span navigation lights??? Jim Wriston No one. Bridge is out of service and stuck up. Gregory Bailey I would think the Coast Guard would want navigation lights operational as before. Jim Wriston Not sure how they are getting away with it. Someone broke in the took the main contractor as well as other parts. Mike Heiligstedt How do they get away with that ? When the IHB owned the Torrance avenue bridge by the Ford plant, it had to get tested every month, even though it had no rails coming up to it, but because it was still considered an active interlocking by the FRA, Coast Guard, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Andrew Urbanski IHB owned the CWI bridge? That’s interesting. Mike Heiligstedt They got it when they got state line tower. Andrew Urbanski Mike Heiligstedt similar to 55th St. tower that was CWI too. |
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| Andrew Urbanski commented on Joel's posting Feb 2009 last time I saw it down. |
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| Andrew Urbanski commented on Joel's posting This switcher was on Southworks property in 2009. Joel J. Sieracki At least the lumber transload facility is keeping most of the lakefront line alive. |
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| Lou Gerard posted U.S. Steel's Richard V. Lindabury going into South Works with old and new bridge present, 1974. |
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| Lou Gerard posted Steamer Robert Hobson coming under the new J bridge and passing beside the old bridge, July 1974. [There appears to be another boat behind the stern of the steamer.] |
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| Rod Sellers posted New and old EJ&E RR bridges April 10, 1974. Daily Calumet photographer |
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| Joel J. Sieracki posted Though the signal is red, I don't think anything is crossing Bridge 710 any time soon. East Chicago IN 2:50pm 2/26/18 Andrew Urbanski When the rails get ripped up? Kevin Wright About two weeks ago. Stan Stanovich ...it’s the same deal at Rock Island Junction as well where the “J” tied in with the Belt!!! (BRC Commercial Avenue yard) Gregory Bailey I’m wondering who is maintaining the pier lights and mid span navigation lights??? Jim Wriston No one. Bridge is out of service and stuck up. Someone broke in the took the main contractor as well as other parts. Gregory Bailey I would think the Coast Guard would want navigation lights operational as before. Jim Wriston Not sure how they are getting away with it. Mike Heiligstedt How do they get away with that ? When the IHB owned the Torrance avenue bridge by the Ford plant, it had to get tested every month, even though it had no rails coming up to it, but because it was still considered an active interlocking by the FRA, Coast Guard, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Andrew Urbanski IHB owned the CWI bridge? That’s interesting. Mike Heiligstedt They got it when they got state line tower. Joel J. Sieracki At least the lumber transload facility is keeping most of the lakefront line alive. |
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| Andrew Urbanski commented on Joel's posting Feb 2009 last time I saw it down. |
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| Andrew Urbanski commented on Joel's posting This switcher was on Southworks property in 2009. |
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| Zaky Joseph posted # 460 (a former SP switcher) crosses over Calumet Harbor at Bridge 710 on their South Chicago job. August, 2008. |
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| Tony Margis posted AERIAL VIEW, LOOKING NNE. FORMER U.S. STEEL CORPORATION SOUTH CHICAGO ROLLING MILL IN BACKGROUND. - Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad, Calumet River Bridge, Spanning Calumet River, north of Ewing Avenue, Chicago, Cook County, IL. Photo date unknown. Snooky Sroczynski My Grandma's Brother worked for the EH&E. Almost 48 years, I think. Amazing !!! To have worked for one Company all your Life, eh ? Absolutely Amazing . Sonny Kortvely Not only was it common to work for a company for a long time, but some companies employed generations of families an U S Steel was one of them. Back in the day if you could walk, talk, an breath, you could get hired. Linda Dalton Last building standing is #5 boiler house. |
Dave Durham posted three photos with the comment: "EJ&E bridge spanning the Calumet River North. Of Ewing Ave, taken after 1968, Jet Lowe, photographer."
Dave Durham: I did see that these photos were taken by Lowe in summer 1999, part of the NPS Chicago Bridge Recording Project. [I wish I knew more about that project.]
Marty Gatton shared
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| Larry Candilas commented on Dave's post Weird the powerhouse is out there all alone! I understand the CN embargoed the bridge since due to how "frugal" they are and they never bothered lowering and raising it to keep the bearings in shape. I'm sure they didn't care since the EJ&E didn't pay for the bridge - you and I did with our tax dollars. Here's the old bridge which obviously was fine until 1974. |
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| Tony Margis posted Date unknown....Scudding mist, Calumet river from 92nd St. Bridge. A cold day!! Christopher Buoscio Feb. 18, 1941.http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/results/detail.do... Christopher Buoscio Tony Margis you can search that site by location. Cushman took a lot of great images in Chicago. http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/search/advanced.do Jeff Zupan Just look at the pollution in that sky! We living on the East Side basically lived in a steel mill ! We were surrounded on all sides by HEAVY industries and pollution of all sorts. Not sure if it made us tougher or shortened our lives, but hey my dad is 87 today, still in the same house and doing pretty damn good. Spent his entire life living and working in and around those mills! Yes they gave us a living , but at what cost? Hard to say?Greg Trock EJ&E Rail Road turntable bridge sat in middle of river when open to shipping. Worked there as bridge operator one summer with Buildings & Bridges dept.Emily Lalich Ziegler Jeff Zupan, living in the polluted, south side of So.Chicago, most definitely cut short the lives of many loved ones. My brothers died early death's at, 32, 40, 50, and my dad was 46 yrs when he had his first stroke! They all worked at the Steel Mills and lived in Slag Valley! I survived, as I left home for the clean air & sunshine in sunny, California at the age of 19 yrs! Many other friends died a young death, as well! Its ironic in that the Steel Mills helped generations of families with the ability to feed and house us, yet, on the other hand, also cut our lives short from the poisoned air and working in that environment! |
Michael Mora posted four images with the comment:
Some closeups of old and “new” Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway Bridge 710 at mouth of Calumet River. Old swing bridge served Illinois/US Steel South Works in South Chicago for almost 80 years, 1896-1974, connecting it to Gary Works and other rail lines via lakefront through East Side. Replaced March 1974 by vertical lift bridge, which served South Works until plant closed in March 1992. EJ&E continued using bridge for freight traffic with other rail lines until 2009, when Canadian National Railway bought them out. Bridge has been raised and out of service since fall 2009.Bob Lalich Was the lift bridge span erected at Great Lakes Dredge & Dock?
Michael Mora Bob Lalich don’t know but most detailed source I read said it was erected about a half mile up river on barge. Article by RF Beck chief engineer of EJ&E at time. Link https://archive.org/.../proceedingsofann761975amer/page/432
Dave Wielosinski Bob Lalich yes it was... I was an inspector for it. The "lift" bridge was built at their yard at 92nd street and floated to the site.
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| 1 SD9 601 locomotive taking lakefront transfer run across old EJ&E swing bridge in 1966. J Milepost Magazine cover, June 1966, Neal Stringer collection,ejearchives.com. By late 1940s EJ&E did up to 24 lakefront transfer runs daily between Gary and South Works. |
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| 2 New bridge span sails to site, full page spread in Trib, March 21 1974, photos by William Kelly and Walter Neal – Caption: “Ironworkers yesterday floated a new bridge span into position on the Calumet River. The 242-foot-long, 600-ton-span will replace the old Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway which has carried traffic to U. S. Steel's South Works since 1896. The old bridge was a navigational hazard for ships heading for the Calumet District Port wharves. The new span was fabricated at U. S. Steel's Bridge Division's Gary plant and erected on a barge a half-mile upriver from the bridge site. The river channel was closed to shipping while the span was placed in position.” |
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| 3 New EJ&E lift bridge span being towed down river, passing under 92nd Street bridge, March 20, 1974. By Michael Marlow, John Eagan Collection,flickr.com. |
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| 4 October 1974 shot of same old SD9 601 taking lakefront transfer run across EJE 710 vertical lift bridge. By Michael Marlow, John Eagan Collection,flickr.com. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Michael's post Little Rock, AR, has converted both of their lift bridges to trails. The first one was done with stairs in each tower. The Rock Island one (photo) was done with ramps up to the raised span. Because of access for the disabled and for bikes, you would want ramps. I think this river is still used by Lakers. Not a lot, but it only takes one to require that the lift span remain high. Sailboat masts and articulated barges also would require that the span be preserved in a raised position. However, maybe the span could be lower than its current stuck position. Nonetheless, the span would have to be high enough that the ramps would be long. Wayne Garritano Thanks Dennis. If the state has the money and the desire to do it- it can be done. Unfortunately, I do not think Illinois has the money or the desire to do it. |
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| Rod Sellers posted Where am I? Keith Mcdonald E J & E Bridge 710 right outside of U.S. Steel South Works on the Calumet River.. My father Henry "HANK" Mcdonald, built and ran that bridge for over a decade. |
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| Rod Sellers commented on his post Answer: Hard to disagree with Keith! EJ&E Railroad Bridge 710 across the Calumet River. Original photo was taken on the South Chicago side of the river. The elevator lift bridge was built in 1974 and replaced a swing bridge built in 1896. The swing bridge continued to be used while construction of the new bridge proceeded. Attached photo shows new and old bridges c1974. Keith Mcdonald Thank you... I have hundreds of memories on that bridge.. My father put a 8 foot STAR of lights on the southern tower and lit it during christmas time back in the day. I was actually on it once when a small boat tried to go under it when it was down. It stood approx. 2 - 3 feet off the water when it was down and the boat tried to turn at the last minute and it literally cut off the whole left side of the boat.. Luckily, no-one was hurt. Larry Grzywinski Rod it is called a Vertical Lift Bridge. I worked as a bridge tender in Joliet. There was one Vertical Lift north of Joliet on the EJ&E now the CN and one in the city on the former Rock Island. Also the are 5 highway bridges in Joliet and one in Rockdale. |
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| Rod Sellers commented on his post Legislation to allow the Chicago and Blue Island Railroad to build the original bridge passed Congress in 1893 but was opposed by East Side residents because a connecting track would have to be built from 100th Street to the Calumet River along the lakefront. One comment in the paper on February 22, 1895 stated "The new bridge of the Illinois Steel company will spoil the view from the 92nd street bridge." By the time the bridge was finally built the Chicago Lake Shore and Eastern was the railroad using the bridge to serve South Works. It became the Elgin Joliet and Eastern RR a few years later. Here is another view of the bridge from the other side of the river. |
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| Ken Morrison posted Looking south towards the entrance to the J's South Chicago lift bridge... |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Ken's post One of the "always up" bridges in Chicago. |
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| Ken commented on Dennis' comment |
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| Last of nine photos shared by James Torgeson and posted by Barry Chapman Barry Chapman: Left side is for bridge, right is for the rail turnouts and signals. |
Bing Owens shared five images:
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Geoffrey Moreland shared nine photos by Bing Owens:
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| 1 of 22 photos posted by Michael Siola Dennis DeBruler: I noticed that the bridge did not have a lift span! Then I noticed the crane on the left and the open swing bridge on the starboard side of the freighter. This must have been taken in 1974 when they were building the lift bridge. |
A posting with a couple of orange engines has an informative comment: Justin D'So D'Aloisio We go out at 0300 every morning. Run to South Chicago and back. I assume they ran from Kirk Yard.
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