There is more diagrams of this junction in NKP Stony Island.
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| Bill Kalkman posted Pullman Junction Tower at 95th & Stoney Island as it looked in service at 2:53PM on 7/5/81 in South Chicago, IL. Jon Roma Not a tower per se, but a very odd mix of switchtender and interlocking that, unfortunately, I didn't explore before it was too late. The signage on the building is Chicago & Western Indiana standard.Carl Englund I can remember back in 1974 going to the South Shore interchange. Pullman Jct was really confusing with the tilting target board and different color lanterns used to hi-ball trains through. One of the only places I have ever seen where a red lantern was used for permission to proceed.David Stricklin i never got to see the jct. From looking at maps of the 1970's, my beloved C&O line from Grand Rapids MI crossed the C&O line from Cinncy. Very Cool. |
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| Gary Sturm posted Conrail #3298 passes through Pullman Junction in southeast Chicago in 1978. |
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| Mike Breski posted
Monon’s Thoroughbred from Louisville is on the last lap to Dearborn Station at Pullman Junction on Chicago’s South Side in September 1965. Monon, IC, CB&Q, NKP, B&O, C&O, RI, BRC, Wabash, and EL movements through this busy junction were governed by gates and signals controlled by switchtenders and operators. Monon passenger service would end two years later in September 1967. Chris Burger photo
Rod Truszkowski The BRC,CSL AND CWP&S also used this junctionRod Truszkowski Also the C&EI Mitch Markovitz I never saw Short Line, C&EI movements there. Rod Truszkowski Mitch Markovitz csl would use it sometimes with trains to get to irondale c&ei would bring coal trains to irondale for the coke plant . Rod Truszkowski I forgot the C&WI would also bring a train down once in a while Rod Truszkowski That whole junction is now restructured, at one time there were 4 switch tenders there every shift. Andre Kristopans At one time CEI would bring coal to CSS for Beth Steel this way. Also PRR had rights from Clarke thru State Line and via CWI to 81st to Clearing. Don't think I ever saw one though. |
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| Gary Sturm posted Belt Railway of Chicago #602 at Pullman Junction in southeast Chicago. This photo was taken in 1972. Rodger Horton I've run that pair all over the south and west side of Chicago. Loved them! Bob Lalich Returning from a South Shore transfer most likely. Craig Cloud Gates and three lights? |
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| Steve Lewandowski posted Rod Truszkowski The shack closest to the locos is where the maintainer lived. Eric Reinert An L&N (former Monon) transfer from South Hammond to Clearing Yard. |
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| Steve Lowandowski posted Bob Lalich Yes, Pullman Jct. The train is SB on the C&WI. I can't make out a name on the caboose though. |
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| Steve Lewandowski commented on his post Easy enough. Here it is dead on. The image has some ghost markings of the negative piled on top in the sleeve. Steve Lewandowski The caboose was on the same strip as posted photograph. Bob Lalich Thanks Steve. The N&W had running rights on the C&WI because of their lease of the Wabash. This train may have been headed for the Wabash 4th District, or it could have been headed for the ex-NKP. A connection between the C&WI and ex-NKP was established at 110th St in the late 60s or early 70s. |
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Diagram from Bob Lalich (source)
Andre Kristopans strange how only small part was interlocked and most was hand throws and flags.Bob Lalich Andre Kristopans - the BRC was owned by the same five railroads that owned the C&WI at the time the bolt lock arrangement at Pullman Jct was installed. The signals only governed movements through the switches between the semaphores. Trains still had to stop and get the required signal for the crossings before proceeding. |
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| Bob Lalich commented on Mike's post Bob Lalich C&EI and successors delivered coal to the South Shore at Burnham for a period of time in the 60s and 70s. The trains would go north out of Yard Center to the C&WI and stop on the main tracks north of 74th St. The power would run around to the other end and then go down the C&WI Mainline to Burnham. There were cabooses on both ends of the train to facilitate the run around move. Here is a photo of a train of empties returning to Yard Center, courtesy of the C&EI Historical Society. |
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| 1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Mike's post I added a red rectangle to this C&WI map to show where Pullman Jct. is. This map reminds me that the former name of the Monon was Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville and the former name of the Nickel Plate was New York, Chicago & St. Louis. Map source: http://images.indianahistory.org/.../collection/dc035/id/227 Looking at the caption's list: Monon, IC, CB&Q, NKP, B&O, C&O, RI, BRC, Wabash, and EL Monon, C&O, Wabash and EL (Erie) would be true because they were the four owners of C&WI that used this eastern branch. NKP is the north/south route through the junction. BRC and RI are the other two east/west routes. B&O used the Rock Island to get from their old passenger line near Rock Island Junction to the B&OCT at Beverly Junction Junction. But I question CB&Q and IC using these tracks unless the IC ran transfer/run-through trains here. And the list is missing the fifth owner in this junction, Pullman Railroad. C&WI and C&EI trains would use the C&WI tracks. Rod Truszkowski, did Chicago Short Lines (CSL) and Chicago West Pullman and Southern (CWP&S) use trackage rights on the Rock Island? CWP&S is gone because it was the International Harvester railroad that went between Wisconsin Steel Works and Plano Works. Does the CSL now use trackage rights on Chicago Rail Link (CRL), which now has the Rock Island assets in this area? Pullman Junction: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../pullman... Rock Island Junction: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../rock-island... Beverly Junction Junction: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../beverly... Pullman Railroad: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../pullman... CSL: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../chicago-short... CWP&S: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../chicago-west... CRL: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../chicago-rail... The labeling of five Team Track locations on the map illustrates the importance of team tracks before the advent of interstate highways and intermodal yards. |
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| Bob Lalich commented on Rod's comment on Mike's post Rod Truszkowski Csl and cwp&s used rock island tracks thru the junction, the ic would use when delivering coal to irondale. Cb&q used it to deliver to calumet yard. Csl owns r.i. mains from r.i. junction to pullman jct. Raillink owns r.i. mains to r.i. metra mains. Pullman rr trackage was part of r.i. but it is now ns rr. Ns runs the old r.i. mains for csl and also now runs pullman junction Bob Lalich Here is a CSL map showing trackage rights through Pullman Jct. |
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| Steve Lewandowski posted Eric Reinert Pullman junction for sure, looking North on the C&WI. Rock Island transfer caboose.Rod Truszkowski Yes it is one of 4 switch tenders shacks. There was also a maintainers shed that an old man lived in there also. He worked for the C&WI. |
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| Ean Kahn-Treras posted Marty Gatton: Finkl Steel, formerly Verson Allsteel Press and before that a NKP Maintenance facility (if I recall correctly) Bob Lalich: Marty Gatton - yes, some of those buildings were NKP's shops - part of Stony Island Yard. Stony Island Yard was NKP's original Chicago terminal. A freight yard, coach yard, locomotive terminal and car repair shop were located there. The locomotive terminal and coach yard lasted until the early 1950s, when replacement facilities were built within Calumet Yard. Evan Waters: are these coal trains a regular occurrence now or something? Ean Kahn-Treras: They show up very regularly, just often under the cover of darkness. The mill out at Burns Harbor needs coal to spit out steel products. Matt Lastovich: Evan Waters the BRC changed how we pickup and hand off coal to the UP and BN at Pullman. It’s all based off class one shenanigans for crew calls and availability. Which has been going on for the last year. |
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| Gerry Grzyb posted The latest from a half-century-old shoot. Can you say where? Pretty distinctive! Joel J. Sieracki This is eastbound at Pullman Jct. Cool location where the Rock crossed the C&WI main to State Line and the NKP connection to the IC at Kensington. The BRC line to South Chicago is in the right background. Controlled by gates and a switch tender since it wasn't interlocked.
Bob Lalich In the pre-merger era, there were three switchtenders (C&WI, BRC, and NKP) and a C&WI operator stationed at Pullman Jct. The Rock Island, being the senior road, did not have a man stationed there.
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| Mark Llanuza posted I'm at Pullmen Jct IL on Chicago's south side with four E-units [I assume I have the correct "Pullman Junction."] |
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| Josh Lemier posted
Here in this photo it's November 4, 1967 and we see Erie Lackawanna 814 being handed orders at Pullman Junction in Chicago.
Photo Credit To Barry Lenon.
Bob Poortinga Looks like it is probably orders to run against the current of traffic.Rick La Fever Running on C&WI. The gates were to protect the interlocking. |
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| Robert Daly posted CB&Q #244 and wooden caboose at Pullman Junction, Dec 20 69. Probably returning from a transfer run to one of the eastern railroads. The junction was controlled from a ground level cabin with the operator in charge of manual semaphores, gates, and rotating lights. Learning what device controlled what route must have been a nightmare. Bob Lalich Cool photo, thanks for sharing Robert Daly. Likely returning from a transfer to ex-NKP Calumet Yard. This was a non-interlocked junction and all trains had to stop before proceeding and wait for clearance. At this time, nearly all the switches in the junction were hand thrown by switchtenders. Art Lemke great post Bob. I never got there enough - but always liked when I did. |
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| Bill Molony shared (cropped) Monon F3A #208 leads train #6, the northbound "Thoroughbred" (Louisville - Chicago), at South Chicago, Illinois in 1965. Roger Puta photo. Mark Bilecki Sr. Nice, right near Pullman Junction. You can see the Verson Press water tank in the picture.Bob Lalich To be more specific, this is just west of Pullman Jct. |
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| Sam Carlson posted Pullman Jct. (Chicago) June, 1976. [Note the Verson Press water tank. So the L&N/Monon is eastbound and the Amtrak is westbound since Verson Press was north of the tracks.] |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its 1967 photographer Mike Schafer captured this cool shot at Pullman Jct IL crews waiting to get across. Rick La Fever Many people who see this shot will ask about the gates blocking the train. Pullman Junction was the only place in Chicago that I am aware of that had these gates into the diesel era. Earlier on probably other junctions had these gates but where they were, I don't know. Glen Koshiol A switchtender controlled this on the C&WI,the gates were just one of the methods of controlling moven. Glenn Burgess To get through Pullman Jct. you needed the gates up switches lined a high ball from the switch tender green south, yellow north and an if I can remember the light on the signal mast. the CWI crossed the Rock Island and the Nickel Plate Railroad on the left. This is the first puzzle switch I ever saw! [Other comments indicate that Glenn Burgess is the person standing in the doorway. So he ought to know how to get through this junction. Since the C&WI route through here has been abandoned because four of its five owners (Wabash, C&O, Monon, and Erie) that used this route have been abandoned. Since two locomotives are pulling one Swift refer, there should be no problem getting the train moving again once the gate is raised.] |
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| David Daruszka enhanced a photo posted by Bill Molony Nickel Plate Road Alco RS-36 #868 and EMD GP9 #482, leading the seven-car Chicago-to-Buffalo New Yorker through Pullman Junction - June 1962. Bob Lalich The train on the BRC in the background didn't leave much clearance. Stan Stanovich ...the remains of what was once their passenger mainline across Pullman Junction to what we’ll call Grand Crossing for access to the Central, for years now has been known as the “Verson Lead!!!” Dennis DeBruler And now it would be the "Finkl Lead." |
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| Bob Lalich Flickr Pullman Jct - Erie I bought this photo at a RR show, photographer unknown. The writing on the back of the photo states the train is the Erie Limited. It is seen here WB at Pullman Junction, along with all the archaic crossing protection that was used for the non-interlocked crossings. |
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| Bob Lalich Flickr, Nov 1981 Chessie at Pullman Jct An EB train out of Rockwell St Yard passes through Pullman Jct on the BRC, 11-81. [Caught the little tower with the gate. Verson's water tower is in the background. The tower now has the Finkl Steel symbol.] |
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| Bob Lalich Flickr, Oct 1994 Pullman Jct BRC Alcos smoke up Pullman Jct heading back to Clearing with an empty coal train, 10-94. |
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| Bob Lalich Flickr, Oct 1994 Pullman Jct 10-94 An NS train from St Louis coming off the IC at Burnside waits for a WC transfer on the ex-C&WI about to enter Calumet Yard. The NS train will follow the transfer into Calumet Yard. At this time part of the plant had been interlocked but several switches were still manually operated by the train crews. |
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| Bob Lalich Flickr, 1994 Amtrak detour at Pullman Jct Passenger trains at Pullman Jct were an everyday sight in the old days. By 1994, there were no regularly scheduled passenger trains on any of the routes. On this September day of 1994, Amtrak trains were rerouted over the BRC due to bridgework at Englewood. Another big change compared to the old days was that the junction was interlocked in the late 80s or early 90s. A legacy from the old non-interlocked operations is the gate protecting the crossing of the former CRIP and NKP in the distance. |
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| Richard Jahn posted Slide labeled as Chicago - PJ. Would this be Pullman Junction? Richard Haave: We're looking east, the white building is Pullman Jct. The switch in foreground is east and west leg entrance to 97th Street Yd and the old Pullman Railroad and even further is Port Yard out near 130th St. |
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| Bob Thamsen posted 1978 Aug08 - Rock Island U33B's 291-292-285-296 are westbound at Pullman Jct IL returning home from Belt Railway's Clearing Yard. [According to the comments, the caption is wrong. This would be a train going westbound from South Chicago Yard to the UP at Council bluffs.] William L. Brushaber With all that high H.P. power, this is #57 leaving So Chicago yard west for Council Bluffs -UP. The Rock island transfer from BRC-Clearing enters at Gresham Jct at 87th St. and Vincennes Ave. and goes to Burr oak yard. Harold J. Krewer Not to mention the BRC yard "over by dere" as we say in Chicago is Commercial Ave., not Clearing. Four big burners and the time of day (noonish) tells me Brush is right on, this is 57 launching out of South Chicago. Ingrid Drozdak 1300 horse power must have been a long train. Harold J. Krewer 13,200 to be precise, Ingrid! There was probably going to be a GTW block tacked on the rear at Burr Oak with the train stopped on the main. Also by this late date I'm sure the power desk wanted to make sure there was enough HP to maintain 60 MPH to the Bluffs even if a unit shot craps. |
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| Jacob Diorio posted BRC’s South Chicago Job heads timetable north at Pullman Junction, having just departed Commercial Avenue Yard for Clearing. A pair of ex-MoPac SD40’s are power for the day, different from the normal leasers that have been used for the last few years. 4/29/22 |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Jacob's post Dennis DeBruler The concrete silos in the background caught my eye. It is nice to find a rail-served industry. Those silos must hold plastic pellets. Thanks for including the timetable direction. When I asked the question of what timetable directions the belt railways use, the answer I got was that all of the belt railways use east/west. But then I noticed that BRC uses north/south. I need reminders that BRC is an exception. At the risk of having another brain burp concerning east/west, I'm going to say that this train is geographically westbound. |
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| Gary Sturm posted Rock Island and Milwaukee Road trains at Pullman Junction in southeast Chicago in 1974. Ean Kahn-Treras: Fantastic look at the Milwaukee in an odd spot. Probably a run to N&W Calumet Yard. Bob Lalich: Ean Kahn-Treras - another possibility is that the Milwaukee Road train may have been headed to the EL at Hammond. I know the EL ran transfers to Bensenville in this time frame. I don't know the specifics of the agreement, but it may have been pull cars both ways, then switch off after so many months. Mark Bilecki Sr.: Ean Kahn-Treras I agree with Bob Lalich |
The Milwaukee train going to EL means it would have to go from the Belt to the C&WI. I got curious as to how this was done so I checked one of my favorite maps, a Pennsy map from 1916. It turns out, Pullman Junction is where the eastern branch of the C&WI leaves the Belt. This reminds me that the Belt used to be part of the C&WI until the C&WI sold its freight operation. Obviously, C&WI maintained trackage rights over the Belt from their north/south route to their route to Indiana.
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| The web site from which I obtained this map no longer works. |
Some comments on a post:
Andre Kristopans Pullman Junction was another "stop and proceed on flag man's signal". The guys who worked these jobs were not operators, they were considered switch tenders. Not sure even if they were under dispatcher direct control or if they received their orders from yardmasters. Most moves were simply first come first served except as indicated by timetable.
Bob Lalich Andre Kristopans - Pullman Jct had an operator under control of the C&WI dispatcher. The operator issued train orders.
A photo from David Wilson's Photoset.
Lou Gerard posted a 1974 photo of an N&W train approaching Rock Island diamonds.
Pullman Junction Flickr Group
Jun 2024: CREATE EW3 - Segment A project
Bob Lalich Andre Kristopans - Pullman Jct had an operator under control of the C&WI dispatcher. The operator issued train orders.
A photo from David Wilson's Photoset.
Lou Gerard posted a 1974 photo of an N&W train approaching Rock Island diamonds.
Pullman Junction Flickr Group
Jun 2024: CREATE EW3 - Segment A project
According to an article and comments on a Facebook post, federal taxpayers get to help pay $37m to replace track that the railroads ripped out a few decades ago. This project is expected to be completed in 2027. (Progressive Railroading used a photo of the Forest Hill project instead of this junction. It is bad enough when the Chicago Tribune or myself makes a mistake like that, but it is quite bad for a railroad publication to make a mistake like that.)
I worked for the cwi rr 1979-1980
ReplyDelete1st hired as a towerman for 2 weeks, then I was a switchtender and then returned as a towerman, I was the last switchtender hired and the last towerman I was 19 in 1979 and 20 in 1980.