Friday, March 25, 2016

Rock Island's Polk Street Tower, LaSalle Street Station

(Satellite, it was in the corner of the elevation)
NorthAmericanInterlockingsphoto photo photo photo
Chicago and Northern Indiana Railroad Interlocking Towers (click the marker for the correct information)

BRHS posted the question: "From time to time on this page, mention has been made of the POLK STREET TOWER. Is that a reference to the tower on Dearborn Station, or was their an interlocking tower by that name?"
Bob Lalich commented on BRHS's post
Interlocking plant for La Salle St Station.

Dennis DeBruler commented on BRHS's post
 It appears that Sherman is now Financial Pl and it was in the northeast corner of Sherman and Polk on the track elevation.
https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/.../object/umsl%3A315574
https://www.google.com/.../@41.8724418,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3


Dennis DeBruler commented on BRHS's post
In this photo provided by David Daruszka on a post, you can see it hiding behind the Rock Island outbound freight house.
https://www.facebook.com/.../a.20036.../2003636813215638/...

Dennis DeBruler commented on BRHS's post
In this 1938 aerial photo, the shadow shows up better than the roof.
https://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/.../0bwq08049.jpg

Steven J. Brown posted
Rock Island F7 677 departing LaSalle Street with a Saturday afternoon commuter train to Joliet viewed from the steps of Polk Street Tower - December 4, 1976.
Dennis DeBruler It is one of the best views I have seen of the smokestack.

Steven posted another photo from that tower.
Robert Crickman I remember they had to chip away the concrete off the ceilings in the center that was for the smoke and fumes to escape to accommodate the bi level coaches.

Bill Molony posted
The New York Central's streamlined Twentieth Century Limited at La Salle Street Station on June 15, 1938, before its departure on its first run.
Dave Rodgers Polk St. Tower to the left, neat photo.
Elizabeth Mulume Fraser A 3D animation of the Dreyfuss Hudson 😊: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR93bXkFSvo

Genesee Valley Transportation Co., Inc. posted
Nickel Plate Road ALCO PA locomotives 180 & sister bring a 'head-end' heavy train out of Chicago's LaSalle Street Station circa 1960.
[Note the interlocking tower peaking out over the top of the ALCOs. At first, I could not reconcile the curve in the tracks shown in the photo with the location of the Polk Street Tower. But then I noticed the 111 W. Jackson and Bank of America Buildings in the background. That made me realize that the photo was taken with a rather long telephoto lens and we are looking at the telescopic compression of this curve. All of today's buildings south of the station did not exist in 1960 to block this view.]

One of six photos Marty Bernard posted
CRI&P commuter on the LaSalle St. Staion leads taken from the Sears Tower on March 19, 1975. The unit looks like E6A 630.
Patrick McNamara: Polk Street Tower, lower left.
Sam Sandoval: Leaving LaSalle Street Station Near The Piggyback Yard of The Rock Island. On The Right Of Train . Chicago, IL
Marty Bernard shared


Joe M McMillan posted his March 7, 1981 photo of Polk Street Tower with a fresh coat of Bankruptcy Blue.
Fred Mohr It was painted beige when I worked there in 1986. Torn down in 1992.
Jon Roma It controlled the terminal trackage at La Salle Street Station.


2 comments:

  1. I agree with Dennis DeBruler. I have never seen such a good picture of the old smokestack that served the station complex. Nice shot!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Dennis DeBruler. I have never seen such a good picture of the old smokestack that served the station complex. Nice shot!

    ReplyDelete