Most of the views of Rock Island's freight house, which was on the east side of this piggyback yard are in Rock Island and NYC Freight Houses at La Salle Station. Those notes also contain photos of NYC's Flex-Van service because that yard was west of the NYC freight houses where NYC used to have their team tracks.
Rock Island built a piggyback yard between their LaSalle Station tracks and B&OCT's tracks.
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| Marty Bernard posted 5. CRIP U28B 263 and U33B 289 from the Roosevelt Road Viaduct, Chicago, IL on March 25, 1977. The camera is pointed south and a little west. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's post A nice view of Rock Island's 12th Street Piggyback Yard. It used to be their 12th Street Coach Yard. Blackhawk Railway Historical Society posted with the comment: "One of the Rock Island's newly acquired GM Aerotrains, outbound at Roosevelt Road." |
Note the freight house in the right background.
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| Bill Kalkman posted Photographer unknown, Rodney Peterson collection. Rock Island BL2-425 is switching at LaSalle Street in Chicago, IL. Love the '63 & '58 Chevys. 10-11-63. Bobbi Mayhugh: It looks to me that there are passengers on that train. In typical RI fashion, almost anything could be handling a dummy. If the date is correct, this is my 18th birthday., but this picture has a morning vibe, and I won't be going back home to Joliet until the 3:10. Bob Wittmaier: Love those BL-2’s (Branch Line-2) |
Before the Chicago River was straightened.
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| MWRD posted on Jan 2, 2023 Freight sheds for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway located along the South Branch of the Chicago River on April 27, 1904. |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its 1977 with inbound rush hour train with a mix of Rock Island Bi Levels and Amtrak coaches with E-7 leading the way. [Note the piggyback action in the background.] |
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| John J Kulidas posted Rock Island Rocket from Peoria nears Chicago La Salle Street Station. May 1971 Photo by Robert Jordan. Jimmy Flynn: Great picture! I especially appreciate the old TOFC’s, before the double stack days. James Thornton: Jimmy Flynn several railroads ran TOFCs with passenger trains, including the Rock Island. Martinez Rodrigues: The Rock Island E Unit leading it's train into Chicago and changing times. Rock Island would not become part of Amtrak, for it couldn't afford the entry fee. To the left ripped up and removed track leads to the many numerous abandoned railroad freight houses and docks. To the right glimpses of the future in TOFC flats with their trailers being lined up to pickup and load/unload trailers "Circus Style by ramps utilizing the Clijon Dolly trailer system |
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| Marty Bernard posted Even though RTA 104 is pushing, the train shouts Rock Island. July 3, 1978 shot from the Roosevelt Road Viaduct, Chicago. Marty shared Dennis DeBruler: This photo also shows that Rock Island turned their coach yard into a piggyback yard. Marty shared Rob Garst Sr: I worked in the meadow gold building 23/24 years ago installing new elevators and removing old ones. This is when they were making it condos. Dave Hammer: Interesting shot. What is the deal with all of the TOFC next to it? [I replied using Mark's and David's photos above.] |
This is the first view I have seen of the yard from the B&OCT (West) side. The office part of the Erie freight house is in the right background.
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| American-Rails.com posted Taken from Chicago's Roosevelt Road Bridge, Baltimore & Ohio RS1 #9186 totes a single baggage car along Grand Central Station's lead tracks on December 26, 1967. Roger Puta photo. Bob Lalich There is so much to take in here! The Rock Island single TOFC car train looks to be a transfer. Wonder which of the eastern roads it went to? I remember seeing those outside braced cabooses around the area. James Corbett Started out as a C&O Unit, switching Huntington WV. Marty Bernard posted a photo with a different exposure Baltimore & Ohio RS1 9186 and a baggage car near Grand Central Station, Chicago, IL. Photo taken from Roosevelt Road Bridge on December 26, 1967. Note The Rock Island piggyback yard and coach yard with daytime layover commuter coaches and the leads to LaSalle Street Station. A Roger Puta Photograph Marty Bernard posted1. Baltimore & Ohio RS-1 9186 near Grand Central Station, Chicago, IL. Photo taken from Roosevelt Road Bridge on December 26, 1967. Roger Puta photo. Brian A Morgan: The engine is facing Northbound on the station South leads near the Taylor Street tower and the Rock Island Junction track. This photo shoot is located roughly at 16th Place thirty yards from the lift bridge turn. [Some comments discuss why trucks took over the LCL freight business.] Marty Bernard posted Baltimore & Ohio RS1 9186 south Grand Central Station, Chicago, IL Photo taken from Roosevelt Road Bridge on December 26, 1967. Note: The Rock Island Piggyback Yard and coach yard with daytime layover commuter coaches and the leads to LaSalle Street Station. A Roger Puta Photograph on Flickr James Lewnard commented on Flixckr: Always great to catch an RS1. Chicago had many RS1s switching the passenger terminals, including GM&O, ATSF, C&WI, Milwaukee, and even the C&NW 1066 series. |
Another view from the B&O side instead of the Rock Island side.
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| Victor B. D'Agostino posted 1964 Ronald Shearer: What a great photo. Chicago Great Western switching a CGW boxcar right next to B&O passenger equipment, with SP/UP Pacific Fruit Express trailers in a neat line behind them. Can only find this kind of blend of regions in Chicago, the heart of American railroading. Carl J. Marsico: Ronald Shearer I'm at a loss to figure out what CGW was doing at Grand Central in 1964 given: 1)their passenger service out of Chicago ended in 1956; 2) my understanding was that CGW only had trackage rights on B&OCT east of Forest Park (plus the lease of Chicago Transfer Yard, etc) where any local freight service would have been handled by B&OCT rather than CGW (or Soo Line, C&O) Richard Fiedler shared Carl J. Marsico: Both the date and location appear to be correct...but what was CGW doing at Grand Central in 1964? Brian A Morgan: Carl J. Marsico. The Chicago Great Western operated out of Grand Central and the CGW freight house was right next door to the headhouse of Grand Central Station. Four Railroads operated out of Grand Central; Baltimore and Ohio, Pere Marquette ( C&O.), Soo Line and the Chicago Great Western. This particular unit was photographed at the Rock Island connection at South Clark Street and West Taylor Street. |
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| 1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
Paul Enenback Flickr photos from 1968: looking northwest, looking southwest.
William Wozniak posted a question about the horror movie OmenII:Damien that had a scene made in this yard. George Lamore posted the clip.
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| Bill Molony posted New York Central Railroad EMD E7A #4028, assisted by an E7B, leading an eastbound passenger train out of La Salle Street Station. Undated, but most likely circa 1965. [The building in the middle is some remnants of a Rock Island Freight House. By 1965, LCL freight was killed by trucks. That is why Rock Island developed piggyback service to try to compete with trucks. Since the Interstate Highway system was not yet ubiquitous, they stood a chance to compete with trucks.] |
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Bill Molony shared
Grand Central Terminal, Wells and Harrison, 1969
Brian Watt also posted
I found this picture on Pinterest ...Grand Central Station, 1969. This photo is part of a collection of historic Chicago photos from the archives of the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF). I find the background of this picture to be equally interesting.
Dennis DeBruler posted
I was updating my notes concerning freight houses that were in the South Loop and I came across this photo. It is worth sharing.Of course we have the intended subject of the Grand Central Station and its huge clear-span train shed. But note the Rock Island tracks in their 12th Street Yard for piggyback service. Even more interesting is the land south of Roosevelt that has no tracks and is being used for trailer storage. This is the original route of the South Branch of the Chicago River. It was filled in after the South Branch was straightened. It doesn't have tracks because it is "new land" that was created decades after the tracks were laid for Grand Central Station, La Salle Street Station, and Dearborn Station. (The original reason for straightening the river, creating more north/south roads through the area, never happened. I had assumed the river was straightened to help navigation. But I learned that was not the case. Thinking some more about it, if a ship can get around Wolf Point, it can get around the curves that used to be in the South Branch.) This is one of the photos where, the more you look, the more history you find. Note all of the fire protection water towers that were still on top of the buildings and the Chicago Housing Project buildings in the background. We have already discussed in thi group the conversion of the Meadow Gold Butter cold storage building into condos. I can't figure out what the smokestacks were for that are to the right of the "butter house." |
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| Bill Molony posted Rock Island EMD E9A #662, pushing two Pullman-Standard bi-level cars towards La Salle Street Station in July of 1972. John Foster Its great to see a locomotive/ bi-level consist that matches liveries. |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its the year 1975 overlooking the Rock Island Roosevelt yard in Chicago .By 2009 it was full of trees and deep weeds .So much more has changed since 2009 with more Town houses along Clark st and Roosevelt Rd at this same location i should go back again. Mark posted again Clifford Nickerson How did that one pole survive? |
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| Steven J. Brown shared Rock Island E8 650 arrives with one of the Rockets at Roosevelt Rd in Chicago - April 3, 1977. Dennis DeBruler It also provides a new view of the Erie freight house and RI piggyback yard. Matt McClure Looks so different today one would think the other side of the world. I like the signal bridge on the ex-CWI tracks leading toward moribund Dearborn Station. Den Adler They weren't exactly putting out a train that enticed people into riding it. |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its 1974 I'm on top of Roosevelt Rd bridge with eastbound over view of the Rock Island Roosevelt Rd piggy back yard in Chicago .I went back last week 2018 to line up my photo and only three tracks remain of the once very busy yard and what it used to be. [The empty lot is where the B&OCT tracks that served Grand Central Station used to be. The B&O tearing down one of the better looking buildings in Chicago helped spur the development of Historic building lists. It is ironic that the land remained worthless for about a half-century. This view should be changing again because plans to develop it are finally being announced. At least they are mowing it so that it no longer a haven for undesirables. I would hate to think about how many rats use to live in the "wilderness" that used to be there.] |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Rock Island SW1 4804 (built 1946 as IC 9025, became Metra 2) with RTA F40PH 107 at Roosevelt Road in Chicago - Circa 1978. |
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| William Brown posted From the J Quinn Collection, RI 492 leads on a Train of 2400/2500 Series Commuter Coaches. The 492 is painted in the Material Services Red/Yellow Paint Scheme. The 492 is an Alco RS3 built for Suburban Services in November of 1951. It was Traded to EMD in August of 1970. The photo was taken in the Coach Yard behind the Freight House adjacent to Roosevelt Road in Chicago, Illinois. No photographer noted. [The piggyback yard is in the background. Room is needed for just commuter coaches because intercity passenger trains are no longer run.] |
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| Gary Sturm posted [I put a red rectangle around a container gantry.] |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its 1974 a dark cold winter day at Roosevelt Rd yard. |
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| Rick Covert shared RI passenger train with E-8 #644 at Chicago IL, July 1965. Dennis Ryan Sr Photographer on that day in 1965 was Ted Ellis. [Note the container loading in the middle of the photo.] |
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| Mark Llanuza posted eastbound pulls into Rock Island's Roosevelt rd yard with three E-units 1973 Dennis DeBruler Thanks for taking other scenes in addition to passenger trains entering and leaving the depot. |
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| Dave Arganbright posted The haphazard intermodal "facility" next to La Salle St. was a sloppy mess in 1978 (much like the rest of the railroad). Here, on a surprisingly sunny day, SW8 832 is waiting for its next assignment. Whenever I look at this picture I can't help but be reminded of the possessed locomotive scene in Damien Omen II, filmed here during the same year....🤔😱😂 My photo. Paul Hopkins: the 12th st office was under the Wells st ramp which was condemned. I often at night shot rats with my .22 Tad Dunville: I assume this operation was closed about the same time the IC closer their ramp under the art museum. It’s crazy to think customers wanted their trailers delivered downtown, just to drive them out to the suburbs. |
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