These views were taken from the turnaround at the end of 63rd Street.
Looking West. Note the building and smokestack of the Ingredion/Corn Products plant in the background.
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I took a video to show that both an eastbound and a westbound were passing through the yard when I was there. And to show, once again, that trains move slowly on the IHB.
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Unlike most yards, this yard seems to be about as big today as it was in 1938.
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| 1938 Aerial Photo form ILHAP |
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| Jerry Jackson posted SF30C 9561 is going south by direction on the IHB, passing through Argo yard Summit, IL in 1991. The stone processor at the quarry in McCook can be seen in the background. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Jerry's posting One of the few towers in the Chicagoland area that still looks nice, Sept. 23, 2014. |
Joseph tuch Santucci posted two photos with the comment:
On a couple separate days in 1995 I captured a couple of shots of IHB’s Argo Tower in Summit, IL. The tower closed in the early 90’s but remained standing as the first floor is the headquarters for the CSX maintainer assigned to this line. Plus there’s a base station radio here on the second floor used by IHB dispatchers.The vehicle train in the first photo is on main one. The tracks to the right but left of the tower are the old yard. The two tracks to the right were, at that time, known as the Argo-Oakley industrial tracks. These were the original stock yard lead tracks that went to the stockyards in Chicago back in the day. They also connected to the NYC’s line to go into Ashland Ave which was their subsidiary Chicago Junction Railroad.At this point in time (1995) they went as far east as Harlem where they became a single track to Cicero Ave where it connected to the BRC line that went east to Lawndale. The old IHB right of way was sold to become part of the CTA’s Orange Line in 1986 and IHB gained rights in the parallel BRC. In the mid 90’s IHB was going to the stockyards area to switch a couple of industries. In 1996 the line went as far as Narragansett where they connected to the BRC and eliminated their own track between there and Cicero Ave.IHB used Conrail’s 49th Street industrial track (known as the 49 line) from Lawndale east and the parallel GTW main to reach the industries they switched. It was a once or twice a week move and usually an extra switcher called to make the move as it could easily take eight or more hours to get there and back account all the other traffic encountered at Narragansett, 55th Street, Lawndale, the 49 line and the GTW main. I made this move multiple times and recall more than once barely making it back to Argo before going dead with a total of ten or twelve cars handled all evening. We would gather our cars out of the new yard to build our train, get our air test and then wait on our turn to cross both IHB mains at Argo to get onto the stockyard branch and head east.
Larry Candilas: This doesn't look like the Argo Tower at the ex GM&O and IHB crossing was this just a yard tower in Argo Yard?
Joseph Tuch Santucci: Larry Candilas this is the actual Argo tower. The one at the GM&O/ICG crossing was called Argo Tower on the GM&O/ICG. It was called GM&O tower on the IHB. Argo controlled all the switches at Argo; the crossovers between the mains, the switches connecting to the new yard and switches connecting the west leg of the wye from BRC’s Clearing Yard to the IHB. All of the Argo plant was given to the IHB dispatcher at Gibson. The switches to the stockyard branch were also controlled by Argo. While it’s still pretty busy here it’s not like it was back in the days when IHB moved livestock down the stockyard branch to processing plants and moved loaded reefers out.
Glen Koshiol: That GM&O/IHB crossing became CP/CANAL. That later had three wye connections to the GM&O/ICG.
Joseph Tuch Santucci: Glen Koshiol it became CP Canal after the tower closed. There were two connections there for years. The last one was built after CN took over and then acquired Wisconsin Central.
Stan Stanovich: Joseph Tuch Santucci …I can recall the GM&O tower operator identifying himself and the location as “Argo Tower” on the IHB radio frequency prior to it’s closing in either late ‘93 or early’94. Ironically, this portion of the IHB was joint trackage with CSXT predecessor B&OCT. The tower had a CSX operator…
Joseph Tuch Santucci: Stan Stanovich an amazing unusual arrangement going back over a hundred years. This was indeed B&OCT track. An IHB predecessor was building a line to compete with this route and an agreement was worked out between the two roads which stopped construction of the competing line. The line fell under what is now IHB with their rulebook and timetable and special instructions in effect and their dispatchers controlling it. B&OCT and later, CSX handles all the maintenance and upkeep with the exception of the limits within CP Ridge which comes under IHB’s care. Another unusual agreement that actually in part, dates back to the days the cross line was Wabash.
As an added note, a stretch of I-294, the Tri-State Tollway is built upon what was part of the planned right of way for the competing rail line.
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| Flickr from John W. Barriger III IHB Album
Archer Ave?
Yes, before the overpass was built.
The southeast end of Argo Yard is in the left background and a crossing guard tower is in the right foreground.
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| Nick Hart posted CP 686 heads east through Argo with a DM&E SD40-2 (former Milwaukee Road) in charge. In Argo Yard, an SW1500/slug set waits to go about yard duties. At Blue Island, 686 will exit IHB rails and hop on the CSX Barr Sub. Summit, IL 02-23-15 [The two silos in the left background are part of Ingredion.] |
Edward Kwiatkowski posted an IHB bay window caboose parked in the yard.
