Tuesday, January 2, 2018

IC 43rd Street Tower: IC vs. NYC/Chicago Junction

(Satellite)
NorthAmericanInterlockings:  none
Chicago and Northern Indiana Railroad Interlocking Towers (click the marker for the correct information)

A photo with lots of signalling pipelines.  An overview

Since the purpose of the 1915 Smoke Abatement Report was to argue for the electrification of the railroads in Chicago, this tower existed before electrification.

Bob Lalich commented on a David Daruszka posting
Note the double slip switch. This location was an interlocking plant controlling the connection to the Chicago Junction RR.
The NYC/Chicago Junction/Union Stock Yard and Transit Company provided access to the Union Stock Yards.

David Daruszka commented on a share
This was the original tower that controlled the CJ. I'm not sure when it was abandoned.
Bob Lalich David Daruszka - I believe the tower in your photo was replaced as part of the electrification project in the 1920s.
Michael Brandt posted
Looking Northeast at the IC 43rd Street interlocking tower from 1896.
David Daruszka commented on ashare
 The view looking north. The 43rd Street Station is on the left.
[So as part of the electrification they replaced all of the double slip switches to Chicago Junction with a flyover. That evidently simplified the junction enough that they were able to remote the control of the junction to the 51st/47th Street Tower.]
The Chicago Junction came over from the west at 41st Street, but the ramp to the south did not connect with the IC until 43rd Street.
1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP
This connection became obsolete when the Union Stock Yards closed. Part of the CJ route is used by the Green and Red lines. And part of the CJ route is still visible as a treeline.

Satellite

Percy Sloan 1925 Aerial, cropped ,via Newberry
[We can see the Chicago Junction start in the lower-right and go east until it starts it jog to the north.]


Jack Ferry commented on a post
ICRR Track Profile (1964) at 43rd Street showing connection with the Chicago Junction Railway to the Stockyards.


William Shapotkin posted
You may recall that in an earlier post of mine (Nov 28, 2018) [below] there were pix of the IC's 43rd St suburban station which included view of the 42nd Pl Kenwood 'L' station and the IC-CJ connection. Well darn it if another view of the area has surfaced. From the facebook page "Hyde Park Classics" come this view -- looking north from 47th St. Dated 1961, the IC-CJ connection can be seen in its entirety. Also note that the Kenwood 'L' has been (at least partially) demolished. A closer look appears to reveal that the IC's 43rd St Station has not yet been demolished.
Paul Jaenicke Torn out in early 80's
[The connector from the IC to the CJ would be the curved flyover that is near the center of the photo.]

William Shapotkin posted
In order to gain access to the Stock Yards, a connection betw the IC and the CJ (Chicago Junction) existed near 41st St in Chicago. The connection can be seen in this view (circa 1961 (?)) looking north from 47th St of the one-time connection.
Sam Yacono Nice picture of the past shoreline.
[I was surprised to see so much sand by the lakeshore.]]
William Shapotkin posted five photos with the comment:
Many of us are aware that the IC once had a "suburban" stop at 43rd St (in Chicago) -- where, if one was so inclined (no pun intended), could walk over and catch a train on the Kenwood 'L.' What many do not remember (although it lasted later) was the bridge connecting the IC and CJ (allowing the IC to serve the Stock Yards). All pix from the Wm Shapotkin Collection.
William also posted in the Chicago Railroad Historians (CRH) group. I include comments from that posting as well. Brandon McShane commented that the CJ-IC connection was removed in 1975.
Bob Lalich Nice views of a very interesting feature! Before electrification, the CJ connection crossed all the IC tracks at grade. The grade separation was incorporated into the electrification project and relocated the junction to a new interlocking at 51st St. Does anyone have a diagram of that interlocking?

1
View of an E/B CSS train passing 43rd St IC station (right) and the Kenwood 'L' (left). View looks north on May 11, 1958. (Service on the Kenwood 'L' ended December 1, 1957.)
John Morris Great shot and you can see the still standing Kenwood “L” on the left. Below appears to be the 43rd St. IC platform.Tim Senesac Back when there was 6 electric tracks between 11th Street and Hyde Park....Interesting

2
An E/B CSS train passes IC's 43rd St Station. View looks N/E in the 1950s.

3
A S/B IC train has just x/o under the IC/CJ connection and approaches 43rd St Station. View looks north on July 24, 1957.
(CRH) Ean Kahn-Treras yup an excellent view of th CJ ramp at 43rd St. Great photo!

4
View of the IC/CJ connection -- this time looks south (from either CSS or IC train) on May 4, 1974.

5
Another pic of the IC's 43rd St station (and Kenwood 'L') has surfaced. View looks N/W on May 11, 1958 (same date as photo #1).
92.  OH connection to Chicago Junction RR at 43rd St.
[OH must mean "overhead." He is referring to the girder viaduct in the background. I wonder what station had the platform in the foreground.]

124.  "Jump-over"  IC to CR&I at 40th St.

151.  IC freight tracks near 43rd St.
152.  IC "Jump-over" connection to Chicago Jct. RR at 43rd St.

153.  IC inclined approach (left) to Chicago Jct. RR at 45th St.

156.  IC lead to Chicago Jct. RR connection at 51st St.
[157.  IC lead to Chicago Junction RR leaving freight tracks at 51st St.
158.  IC lead to CJ RR at East 47th St. (looking south)]

159.  IC inclined lead to Chicago Junction RR at  43rd St.
[160.  IC approach to CJ RR at East 41st St.
161.  Junction IC and Chicago Jct. RR tracks on "Jump-over" at E. 41st St.
162.  Chicago Jct. RR track leaving 42rd St. "Jump-over" looking east.
Photos continue along the CJ past the stockyards to the CJ roundhouse. Last number is 183.]

A little to the east of the flyover was a coal yard and a terminal yard for the Kenwood "L".
John Smatiak posted
[162]
Andre Kristopans The tracks going right going to the coal yard I assume?

John commented on his post
Correct- here is the map

John commented on his post
And also a photo illustrating the interesting aspect of the 42nd St. CJ yard trackage- it passed underneath the L tracks. Note the coal piles under the L- no fire hazard there! B&W print in my collection, photographer unknown, date 11/12/28.
Andre Kristopans John Smatlak photo looks like 1930s? After 1943 no more steel cars on Kenwood. Also, by 1943? All Wilson-Kenwood equipment apparently based at Wilson end as the Kenwood area had become really bad and dangerous and CRT was afraid to use the yard for fear of vandalism.
John Smatlak Thanks for the reminder, I forgot to put the date- November 12, 1928.
Andre Kristopans John Smatlak I was pretty close. That area I understand was very uppity in the early 20s and went totally to pot during the Depression. Now it is VERY fancy again.
Scott Greig Andre Kristopans First I'd heard of that (basing all service out of Wilson)...though it makes some sense. Plus, the number of cars on the roster had shrunk by then (all of the early South Side Spragues gone) so I'm sure there was more storage available around the system. Though that would have made for some serious service issues (either a LOT of deadheading or the service began/ended in only one direction!)

Kenwood strikes me as the sort of area dominated by big Victorian/Edwardian mansions, that were dependent on servants and gradually became unworkable as "cheap" labor faded after World War I. Similar to what happened to Prairie Avenue at the same time.
Andre Kristopans Scott Greig by the 30s Kenwood Yard only had two tracks, maybe 20 cars total could be laid up there. Wilson-Kenwood was 24 hours until 1948. Possible some runs might have come out of 61st, but seems unlikely. After 1949 Indiana was made a reporting location and turn in location, though seems a bit of a waste to have a clerk there. Maybe ticket agent took in the shuttle crew receipts?


Daniel Bovino posted
Ok, so I ask my railroad go to expert, Paul Jevert if he would know about where this photo was taken on the IC's Suburban District. Here's the answer Paul gave me.
"Hi Danny,
That photo is at 43rd Street Suburban Station, probably taken in the late 20's after the Electric Suburban Electrification of 1926. The building on the west side of Suburban #1 is the Old 43rd Street Steam Suburban and through Passenger Station. It was now connected by a tunnel and stairway to the new Suburban Hi-level platform between Suburban #3 & 4 (Local tracks). The Through trains (KKK- Champaign- Memphis- Jackson, MS- New Orleans) still used the ticket office and waiting room in that building at the foot of 43rd Street.
The surfacing-ballast-crossties-weed control of the Right Of Way all indicate this was pristine conditions shortly after the Electrification Roll-out ! At that time Suburban had 6 rails between 11th Place and 51st Hyde Park Interlocking with "wire" over them ! It was quite a system with very high capacity, 380 trains a day, 10 minute service on the So. Chicago Dist., 20 minute on the BI District, 30 minute on the Mainline to Matteson ! Wow ! 70 engineer assignments, 70 Suburban conductor assignments, 150 Suburban collectors and flagmen assignments ! A lot of WORK and a "Hell of a Schedule offered for the public!"
Hope this helps!
Paul Jeveret
Paul Jevert shared





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