(Update: an index of IC's Chicagoland yards and roundhouses)
This was before the SCAL was elevated.
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| Illinois Central Railroad Scrapbook posted Interlocking towers, first patented in Great Britain in the 1850's, played a vital role in the safe and orderly movement of trains. One of the busiest Illinois Central interlocking towers in the Chicago area was Weldon tower, which controlled train movements around Central Station. The tower entered service on Sept. 12, 1893, about 5 months after Central Station was completed. This photo, was taken by an IC company photographer on June 5, 1896. It's unknown when the tower was demolished. Cliff Downey collection. Dennis DeBruler shared This is the first photo I have seen of Weldon Tower without the embankment for the "long hill" of the St. Charles Air Line next to it. |
Note that the east connection of the SCAL goes North. (Now it goes South.)
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| 1938 Aerial Photo, overview |
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| 1938 Aerial Photo, at photo resolution |
I originally added the yellow rectangle to this photo to highlight the engine servicing facilities for Michigan Central. But it also highlights the viaduct for the long connection.
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| Bob Lalich commented on a posting Very interesting photo David! Note the small roundhouse near the St Charles Air Line approach, which belonged to the Michigan Central. According to the historic aerials site, the roundhouse was gone by 1962, so the time frame of the photo is between 1955 and 1962. |
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| Thomas Manz posted During the 1920s and later, Mr. Henry Wilhelm was active as a photographer, with a particular interest in documenting the physical assets of railroads, rather than the trains themselves. Some of his work, as seen here, is posted by Dan Maners' on his excellent website about interlocking towers - IC tower just south of Central Station. Is anyone familiar with Wilhelm's work in the Chicago area? Jon Roma The tower at Central Station was known as "Weldon", though I'm not sure how it got that name. The mechanical interlocking was upgraded to a pistol grip-type machine in the Forties. The tower probably closed with Central Station's demise as a passenger facility in 1972. I have seen many spectacular examples of Henry Wilhelm's work, but I'm sure there are many of his images that I have not seen. David Daruszka There were the Weldon Shops and Weldon Yard. As to the naming of those it was more than likely for an employee or officer of the company. Many mentions are made of the shops in various publications but no attribution to the naming of them are given. Jon Roma David Daruszka, there is also a Weldon, IL, formerly located on the Havana District of the IC Springfield Division (later part of the Illinois Division). This line is now abandoned. The presence of a "Weldon" elsewhere on the IC certainly supports your theory that it was named for someone important in the railroad's development. Susan Kroll Jon Roma, the Weldon Yards still exist. They are west of Soldier Field and LSD. Jon Roma I know there are yards there, but does anyone still refer to them as "Weldon"? Alexander Crane Very British looking tower. Lawrence Smith Is that train by Weldon going up ramp to the scal? Dennis DeBruler It's coming down the long hill that goes to Congress Street Yard and the freight houses up by the river. The steel girder overpass in the background is part of that connection. The short hill that went down to the passenger station is out-of-frame to the right. Dennis DeBruler Weldon Tower and the connections to SCAL: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../ic-weldon... I think Weldon Shops has morphed into today's 18th Street Yard: https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../ic-weldon-18th... Jon Roma IC people referred to the passenger connection to Central Station as the "short hill" and the freight connection to Congress Street Yard as the "long hill". Both were rendered superfluous when the IC built the southwest wye connection between the main line and the St. Charles Air Line in the late Sixties, allowing direct moves to and from Markham Yard. I think Congress Street became little more than storage once that was built. I don't know the exact year that both the short hill and long hill connection were severed, but it would probably be in the early Seventies after the coming of Amtrak and closing of Central Station. Raymond Storey posted Dennis DeBruler The comment from another posting: During the 1920s and later, Mr. Henry Wilhelm was active as a photographer, with a particular interest in documenting the physical assets of railroads, rather than the trains themselves. Some of his work, as seen here, is posted by Dan Maners' on his excellent website about interlocking towers - IC tower just south of Central Station. Is anyone familiar with Wilhelm's work in the Chicago area? https://www.facebook.com/groups/1270038776414622/permalink/2865519070199910/ Dan Maners website: http://northamericaninterlockings.com/illinois_9.html Paul Jevert Weldon tower mechanical "Armstrong plant" with pipelines ! Including upper frame deck for observation of Airline traffic which was removed in 1930's after GRS equipment was installed with enunciator chart above machine and lever room moved below. Chuck Earley There was a steam house west of the tower that supplied the heat for the tower and also served as snow melters for the switches. Had worked there in 1974- 75 |
Dennis DeBruler posted two photos with the comment:
This was posted Mar 14, 2016, by NOLA Rails with the comment: "IC Passenger #2021 Chicago IL 1971." The route with the fresh ballast is the south connection to the St. Charles Air Line that would be only a few years old in this photo. On the second photo I added a yellow rectangle to highlight the viaduct of the original Long Hill freight connection that went north past the IC station to Congress Street Yard. One of the IC coach yards is on the right. But I have yet to figure out the exact location and names of the intercity and commuter yards for the IC.
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Two blocks of comments on Dennis' post followed by the seven images at higher resolutions.
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The caption on these four topo maps indicates the date of the Jackson Park Quadrangle. They clarify how the connection used to go North, but now goes South. The detail is not good enough to show that there were short and long connections to the North.
We can see that it was a single track that forked off just past Indiana Avenue and started its descent down to the passenger yard.
The freight tracks continue east using this bridge to cross the passenger tracks and to curve north. In this view looking north we can see Central Station in the background.
Now I focus on photos going up the short hill.
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Mark caught a train on the south connection in 1995.
David caught in the 1970s and we can see the vacant land in Mark's photo was a yard.
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its 1995 I'm at 18th street bridge in Chicago with rare GP-28 leading. |
David caught in the 1970s and we can see the vacant land in Mark's photo was a yard.
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| David Charles Lindberg posted Outbound Panama Limited |
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| Steve Lewandowski posted Looks like the Sears Tower (old habits never die) is still under construction. |
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| By request, Steve provided an earlier photo on his post Kevan Davis so this is ICG? Matthew Chapman Steve Lewandowski Bingo! And that makes this photo all the more interesting -- shows GM&O trains using this route. Must be post-ICG merger? |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Steve's post By analyzing the height of the "tubes" in the Sears Tower, I determined that we are southeast of the tower. So is the Amtrak train on the South Wye and the tracks on the right are replaced by the McCormick Place Busway? |
I think this photo was taken from the pedestrian bridge we can see in the photo above that was posted by Steve.
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| Robert Daly posted Southbound IC suburban train approaching 23rd St, February 1971. Rights of way for the former fifth and sixth tracks that ran as far as 50th St are visible. In the distance the IC mainline tracks cross over the suburban line. The tracks are still in place but this area is now completely covered by the expanded McCormick Place. |
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Jeff Ayersman commented on Dave's post
It used to actually go north around Central Station, but a long term legal battle to address the sheds/warehouses on Indiana Ave around the St. Lukes hospital complex required them to reconfigure the tracks to what you see today.
Found this in hospital year book.
David Daruszka And the old Michigan Central Roundhouse is still there in this photo.Here is view looking south in Indiana toward 15th/16th |
The freight tracks continue east using this bridge to cross the passenger tracks and to curve north. In this view looking north we can see Central Station in the background.
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| St. Charles Air Line, 1899 IRR&WC Report posted by Dave Durham |
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| John W. Barriger III Flickr Jon R. Roma: This looks south from near IC (Central) Station in Chicago. The tracks to the left lead toward IC's lakefront main. The overhead bridge takes IC's Iowa freight traffic to and from Congress Street Yard (about a mile to the rear of the photographer). This was termed the "long hill". The tracks up the incline to the right constitute the "short hill" and take IC's Iowa passenger trains onto the St. Charles Air Line toward 16th/Clark interlocking. Weldon interlocking tower and the station are to the rear of the photographer. |
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| John W. Barriger III Flickr [John is probably capturing the detail of this track work.] |
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| John W. Barriger III Flickr Bob Lalich: Weldon Tower. Passenger tracks duck under long hill approach tracks to SCAL. Diverging route to the right past signal bridge was the short hill connection to SCAL for passenger trains. |
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| John W. Barriger III Flickr Jon R Roma: This view appears to be taken looking south from the pedestrian walkway north of Central Station, Chicago (which is to the right). IC's coach yards are to the left, and the portico of Soldier Field can be seen at the left edge of the photo near the Phillips 66 sign. [We can see that the "long hill" reaches ground level near the Central Station's waiting room.] |
Now I focus on photos going up the short hill.
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| John W. Barriger III Flickr |
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| John W. Barriger III Flickr [Somebody has an impressive smokestack.] |
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| John W. Barriger III Flickr Jon R. Roma: If I am not mistaken, this view looks north on the IC Iowa Division's "short hill" descending from the St. Charles Air Line toward Central Station (12th Street). The "long hill" tracks at right take freight traffic over the passenger tracks (see viaduct behind signal) that lead to the IC main to the south. Weldon Tower is mid-frame, and the train shed of Central Station can barely be seen behind the yard office. Bob Lalich: Agreed Jon. [We can see near the middle of the photo where the embankment wall for the short hill stops. The short hill was quite shor (i.e. steep).] |
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| John W. Barriger III Flickr soolinehistory: With what appears to be a Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee train on the "L". [John is now up on the St. Charles Air Line looking West. The white building in the far background was the Meadow Gold Butter cold-storage building. It still stands, but its industrial look was heavily camouflaged when it was converted to condos.] |
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| Steve Lewandowski posted
Admittedly, I am an architecture guy. I love the old building shots and depot and platform photos. But, to each his own and history is history. Don't get me wrong. I love the old train photos and can only fantasize what it must have been like to control one back in the day or to even work on them or the line. The memories you guys must have!
I can only guess this is in the ICRR yards but with my little knowledge I can just as easily be wrong. But the image itself, I love it.
Mark Jones Steve Lewandowski, that’s Central Station— IC’s Chicago hub on the right. The Weldon coach yard straight ahead and electric mains to the left— this looks about 1974 right before it was razed— sad. Note all the asbestos shingles placed on the side of the old building —something RR’s routinely did to old depots — very bizarre! I’m fascinated that you got these images at a flea market, and are relying on some of us on here to give you the background — neat! Dennis DeBruler This is also a good view of the Long Hill, the freight connection to the St. Charles Air Line. The track has been removed, and it looks like that front loader is going to remove the hill. |
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| Bill Molony posted The Illinois Central's new Green Diamond passenger train departing Central Station in Chicago for a test run to St. Louis - 1936. Dennis DeBruler What was the name of the tower on the right side of the photo? Jon Roma Dennis DeBruler, the tower was called Weldon. Dennis DeBruler Thanks. I've heard of that one. This photo helps me place where it was. [I added the red rectangle in the aerial photo at the top of these notes and used that with the comment: I can see the embankment for the Long Hill (freight) connection to the St. Charles Air Line that is just to the right of the tower. https://clearinghouse.isgs.illinois.edu/.../0bwq08050.jpg] Chuck Earley I got to work that tower in the 70s William Lloyd In Litchfield,Illinois remnants are still visible. Ted Richardson I've been told that in 1947 The Green Diamond tested on the Iowa Division from Chicago, IL. to Waterloo, IA. because of the back orders of new Light weight passenger cars was such they would use this as the Land O'Corn. Supposedly they were so intent to do this they built a wheel change out pit next to the Waterloo, IA. Roundhouse. Confirmation of the Pullman Light weight passenger car order being filled shortly canceled this effort and the Green Diamond went South to be the Miss Lou. Beyond a conversation with some Waterloo, IA. IC retired employee's I've not seen or heard anything else regarding this possibility. Has anyone else heard the same? Regards |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Bill's post Jon Roma, are those things with two arms at 90-degrees called cranks? I know these and curved bars are two ways of turning the direction of signalling pipelines. Jon Roma Yes, those are called cranks. |
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| Jon Roma posted Via Phil Gosney comes this image by Dick Wallin of Soo Line power for the outbound "Laker" in the afternoon light at IC Weldon Tower, just south of Central Station. The date is May 7, 1963, which happens to have been my second birthday. The "Laker" only called at Central Station for just about two years between the time Soo left B&O's Grand Central Station in January 1963, and the discontinuance of the "Laker" on January 16, 1965. |
Man, I gotta say...THANK YOU. I am doing a bit of research. On IC, IL industry, etc. and again and again and again, no matter what I put into Google, you have something of value shared. Again, thank you for compiling and sharing this!!!
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