Jerry Hund posted the following three photos with the comment:
Several interesting photos from Jim Rueber of the interlocking tower on the CGW/ IHB main lines in my hometown of Bellwood, Illinois. Here's patt of his description as he recalls it. Today, all that remains is the IHB mainline.
The CGW depot book shows this building was 24 X 36 and was jointly owned by the IHB. This tower was always manned by CGW men when I was working for the CGW. I was only in this building a couple of times. The agent along with the operators and clerks were all located in this building.
Jim L Rueber
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| 1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
Recently, I posted about the interlocking tower located in Bellwood, Illinois which was about 1/4 mile West of 25th Ave-@13 miles West of the CGW yard in Chicago. With permission I want to share Jim Ruber's recollection of this tower and the ones in Iowa he worked in. It gives a better perspective of what when on in these towers and their importance.
Hello Jerry -
I think in the early days all the interlockings were mechanical. They consisted of several levers that were connected to long rods that were inside pipes that were mounted on short pedestals spaced along the track out to a signal or switch. The signals were of the blade type that had a green and a red lens, and a kerosene lamp was located in the top of the signal that was lit at night or stormy weather, and if the blade was in the upright position the green light would show and if the blade was extended then the red lens would show. The levers for the conflicting route had to be set at the stop position before the levers could be moved to line up the route for the other road. If there were some switches and derails involved, then a lever would be attached to a rod that controlled these items. Everything had to be in the right position before the levers used to line up the signals for a route, could be moved. As you can imagine, those rods had to be well oiled all the time and a strong leverman to move some of those levers. There was also a time clock connected to these interlockings, so that the operator could not change a route once he had it lined up, until he ran the clock down, usually 3 or 4 minutes. Once a train passed the clock would go back to zero and you could then line up another route right away.
The only interlockings I worked at were at Tower A in Waterloo and at Talmage, Iowa and these were electrical. At Waterloo the tower man also controlled the signals at 3 street crossings. We also copied train orders and sent and received messages and worked up the interchange report each day.
The June 1st, 1899 employee timetable shows at Bellwood a crossing of the CJ. Does not say that it is interlocked. I would guess CJ was the Chicago Junction RR.
The July 7, 1907 employee timetable shows at Bellwood a crossing of the CJ Interlocked.
The Jan 18, 1925 employee timetable shows at Bellwood a crossing of the IHB Interlocked.
The 1952 timetable does not show any crossings at Bellwood. I don't know when a bridge was built at Bellwood so that the IHB went over the CGW. There was a long ramp on the south side that went from the CGW up to the IHB and that is how cars were interchanged.
Jim
James Rueber
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| Jerry Hund commented on his posting Here's the view looking South before the elevated tracks. Note the cables in the ground from the old interlocking switch tower. |
Mark Llanuza posted two phots with the comment: "Its 1976 I'm at the old l IHB CGW interchange at Bellwood IL"
Jerry Hund posted two photos with the comment:
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its 1976 I'm at the old IHB CGW interchange at Bellwood IL Berne Ketchum I spent a lot of nights looking down that track for the EB train in the '60s. It had a bunch of reefers of meat to set out for the IHB every night, supposed to be in by 1:15, cut off by 1:30 a.m. Almost never made the time, but it was my job to convince the IHB dispatcher that it had. I got called every kind of liar you can think of, but usually managed to get the time recorded as 1:30 a.m., the contract time for arrival. (The cut-off time was important because if it was before 1:30 a..m., the IHB was responsible for any damage claims for spoilage; after that time, the CGW was responsible.) As a relief operator I usually ended up working both day and night jobs at Bellwood and Chicago Transfer, which meant I was there pretty much the whole summer. I slept on an army cot in the basement of Bellwood tower at CGW track level. That saved me a lot of money for university tuition. |
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| Flickr from John W. Barriger III IHB Album |
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| Flickr from John W. Barriger III IHB Album
Bellwood looking north I believe. CGW and CA&E connection curving to the left.
The power lines are consistent with the previous view we saw of Bellwood.
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Jerry Hund posted two photos with the comment:
50 years apart. Chicago Great Western Railroad.Dennis DeBruler The wood trestle is gone, but you can still see the concrete flyover that connected the IHB with the trestle.
Approximately 1935-1985. We are in Bellwood, Illinois looking East at the Indiana Harbor Belt overpass. On the right is a trestle that came down from the mainline and served local industries in Hillside. It’s amazing to see the condition of the roadbed during these two time frames. Today, with the exception of the IHB, this is all gone. Photographers unknown.
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| william Shapotkin posted We are in Bellwood, IL as loco #110-A leads an E/B CGW frt about to pass under the B&OCT/IHB trks. At left is connecting trk betw CGW and B&OCT/IHB. View looks west in this slide dated Sept 1960. Photographer Unknown. Courtesy of C&NWHS Collection. CNW Slide 74255. Edward Kwiatkowski shared |
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| Bob Lalich shared
Can anyone identify the precise location of this photo? It must have been somewhere near the IHB in Maywood or Bellwood. The CA&E signal is a good clue if anyone can decode the number.
Bob Lalich The IHB crossed the CGW on a bridge just north of Madison St and west of 25th Ave. There was an interchange track which descended from the IHB and ran between the CA&E and CGW. The bridge over the CA&E for the interchange track is still standing. The subject photo was either west of the junction of the interchange track with the CGW, or east of the IHB. I suspect the former, but I'm not certain yet.
Jon Roma It just dawned on me that I have no idea where CA&E's mile 0 was located. Their downtown terminal was at Wells St. next to the Loop "L", but their ownership actually began at Laramie Ave. (5200W).
If their signal numbering was milepost-based (as is often the case), 5 miles west of Laramie would be around Maywood, but I can't be more precise than that without an employee timetable at my fingertips. |
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| Jerry Hund commented on Bob's post I believe it was around 17th Ave. It can’t be West of 25th Ave. as there were no homes in that area. Look at the left area of the photo shown here. |
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Thanks Jon and Jerry. Based on your responses I have concluded that the photo was taken in the vicinity of 15th Ave in Maywood. The building seen above the second and third F-units is still standing at 17th Ave and N Maywood Dr. Here is an IHB map of the area showing the yard tracks seen behind the CGW mains. |
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| Street View |
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| Bob commented on his post The CA&E signal seen in the subject photo would have served as a WB approach signal to the interlocking in Bellwood for the branch to the cemeteries in Hillside. Photographer and source unknown. Jon Roma I can't say I've ever seen this good a view of the interlocking. Bob Lalich Jon Roma - I presume the tower was behind the photographer, correct? Mitch Markovitz Bob Lalich Yes. And to the left, across the street |
I recall old-timers on CNW said there was a connecting single track at JN Tower just west of 25th Ave. that lead to the CGW and CAE. It is now an alleyway having been abandoned. I think it was retired CNW IL Div. conductor Pete Bonete who told me that. Anyone have any info on this? You can see the track coming out of Proviso at JN and then proceeding South on the engineering drawing of the area above.
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