River Branch Junction=CP509: Pennsy/Calumet River vs. Pennsy/PFW&C

Tower: (Satellite)

Branch's turnout: (Satellite)

Branch turning south: (Satellite)

PFW&C = Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway

Robert Daly posted two photos that include the tower with the comment:

PRR and NYC bridges over the Calumet River, Feb 18 1974, looking northwest. Tower controlling the PRR bridge was known as River Branch. Shortly after the PC merger in 1968 the NYC bridge was closed and put in the raised position, where it remains to this day. The PRR bridge continued in service through Conrail and now NS. B&O had a parallel bascule bridge to the right, which was rammed and partially destroyed by a lake boat some time in the 1980s.

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RailfanGuides

Steve Lewandowski posted
Riverbranch

Steve Lewandowski posted
Another River Branch
Jon Roma Paul Musselman, it is. This is now known by Norfolk Southern as CP 509 on their Chicago Line.
Here is a picture of the dispatcher panel that replaced the tower.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonroma/2228029167

Darren Reynolds posted seven images with the comment:

Conrails (Ex-PRR)

"River Branch Jct" tower

Chicago, Illinois

This tower is no longer standing

Sakoi Smith: Now CP509

Dennis DeBruler shared with the comment: "The sixth photo shows all four bridges, although the one that is going to be removed is in the raised position. That is why the counterweight is down by the tracks. The fifth photo shows them removing that Pennsy bridge."

Dennis DeBruler: The photos show that the tower was between the two Pennsy bridges: https://maps.app.goo.gl/b6zRMzo69KaHwHbX8. The northern two bridges were NYC. I've read several times that this single track is now a bottleneck for NS and Amtrak.

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"River Branch Jct" tower in Chicago, Illinois and was on the Chicago Division...1974

Photo by: Mike F. Dunne

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A PRR track and interlocking diagram for "River Branch "

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Inside of "River Branch Jct" tower still with some Armstrong leavers and a S-8 interlocking machine

Photo by: Mike F. Dunne

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SCL passenger train Passes by "River Branch Jct" tower

1974

Photo by: Mike F. Dunne

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"River Branch Jct" tower in 1968

Photo by: Jack Tomisek

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The bridge and tower at " River Branch Jct" 1964

Photo by: Jack Tomisek

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One last look at "River Branch Jct" tower now CP-455

1980

Photo by: Mike F. Dunne

In a 1938 aerial photo, the tower is lost in the shadow of a grain elevator.

1976 Flickr of CSL train about to cross the Pennsy Calumet River Bridge.

d.w.davidson  

In PRR days this was River Branch Jct. My January 15, 1972 Penn Central Western Region ETT refers to this tower as River Branch Jct. In Conrail days it was called CP 509 (Moveable Bridge). It is possible that the two-letter telegraphic designation for this tower was CR for Calumet River. The B&O Tower which controlled the B&O Calumet River bridge destroyed in the ship collision was definitely called CR Tower.

John Smatlak Flickr 1988 Photo of two Chicago Short Line locos pulling a coal train off the bridge and down the branch. "The dark sky is due to the strong winds that day, which were really blowing up the dust off the Coke piles in the area."



Marty Gatton posted videos and photos of NS switching Gulf Sulphur Solutions with the comment:

Two locations...same job...1 pm 6/4/19
NS 645 and 1408 approach 126th street on the Calumet River Line.
The crew will throw the switch to back down onto an industry spur which crosses Carondolet Avenue at 122nd street.
They will drop a cut of tank cars and leave with a single loaded tank car from a sulphur processing facility.

Dennis DeBruler Thanks for the good location description. That made it easy to find the plant being switched.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/PVS+Chemical+Solutions+Inc/@41.6730437,-87.5501901,134m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x880e2742b55d8fdd:0x46acdd2f898f0e86!8m2!3d41.6720709!4d-87.5498617

Marty Gatton Dennis DeBruler no problem... believe it was actually the place to the north...
The exchange was actually being witnessed by some federal agency...

Dennis DeBruler Thanks for the correction. It looks like Gulf Sulphur Solutions. It is interesting that Google Maps doesn't label it.
https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m6!1e1!3m4...