UP/C&NW Rockwell Junction (Wye)

(Satellite)

(Update: the west end of the wye is controlled by Kedzie Tower.)

John Morris posted
[There is much more info on this posting below. To summarize that information, this is looking south at a compass northbound (timecard westbound) train that has taken the west leg of the Rockwell Junction Wye.]

On a contemporary satellite image it is easy to see the two legs of the wye because all of the other tracks have been removed.

Satellite

For decades Pennsy's Panhandle had tracks next to the east leg. Multiple sources think the tracks that used to be inside the wye were a yard for the Panhandle. Other sources think the tracks were C&NW's South Yard. The tracks that still exist above the mainline were the North Yard. My conclusion is that the west track on the east leg was owned by C&NW and that the land now used by Sims Metal Management was C&NW's South Yard. In fact, Bob Lalich identifies the yard as a C&NW freight yard.

In fact, this C&NW freight yard was the interchange with Pennsy. [Position-Light, Part 1, source]

Metra via Position-Litght, Part 2 and a Tower A2 Album
[This confirms the yard and the west track of the east leg was C&NW.]

I include the CTA's Green Line at the bottom because that is the truss bridge in John's photo.

1929 Chicago Loop Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

This photo copied from the C&NW Passenger Yards notes

WW2 Radio post, #28

Timothy Pitzen David Daruszka, if I remember correctly, the yard to the right, or south, of the C&NW main was the Pennsy coach yard. Also, the haze may be exaggerated by the old style film which was more sensitive to blue wavelengths which tends to accentuate haze.
Dennis DeBruler I always wondered where the Panhandle yards were.
David Daruszka The Sanborn maps show Panhandle freight yards as being in the area between the Rockwell Jct. wye. There were also yards closer to downtown adjacent to the Milwaukee Road tracks. The Panhandle had a freight house at Sangamon Street.
Bob Lalich The yard south of the CNW main tracks was a CNW freight yard.

Another aerial photo that includes the junction.

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David Daruszka C&NW California Ave. Coach Yard. Milwaukee Road tracks and yard to the left. C&NW's Rockwell Branch is above the Coach Yard.
Harvey Kahler Both Rockwell and Panhandle (PCCC&StL) head off top right (south).
David Daruszka This was also the route, for a brief time, for the B&O passenger trains when they left Grand Central and moved to the C&NW's Madison Street Terminal.

I include the information on the post in a raw form because it is an example of a positive use of social media. As someone said, the bee hive is smarter than any bee. Note that not only was the location of the photo determined, but the train itself and the now removed Pennsy Panhandle tracks were discussed. Below the Facebook screenshots are higher resolution copies of the images.

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The "Santa Fe Wye" between Santa Fe+GM&O and Rock Island

(Satellite)

Gary Sturm posted
Rock Island #4905 is on the interchange track at Joliet Union Station in 1974.
Bob Kalal NW2 4905 switcher ex-P&LE 8741, built 3/49. off of http://rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=CRIP&Page=8
J Pete Hedgpeth That track was known as the "Santa Fe Wye

You seldom see pictures of this elevated connection let alone something using it. And this is the second connection for which I have seen a name. (The first one was the Jefferson Connection between BNSF/CB&Q and Metra/Pennsy.)

Halsted Pazdzior posted
Here's something you don't see everyday. An inbound Metra waits to depart as a PTC train (Union Pacific GE's, Metra Bi-levels, METX 100) run the connection between the Rock Island and Heritage Corridor.
2/27/20
David Hanel I thought the only freight engines that can move the metra coaches were ones with self adjusting couplers or something?
Harvey Kahler Heritage Corridor trains use the connection regularly to get in and out of the coach yard. Some RID or HC trains could be extended as far south as Braidwood in sw Will County. [I don't know what RID or HC trains are.]

When I read the the high-speed rail plan between Chicago and St. Louis specifies the use of the former-Rock Island route between Joliet and Chicago, I asked what the speed limit of this connector is. (Currently the Amtrak trains use the Alton route between St. Louis and Joliet and continue on that route to Union Station.) The answer was that the speed limit is 10mph but the plan includes replacing this connector with a connector that would allow 25mph.

This gives me an excuse to revisit my Joliet folders to find pictures of this connector.

20150418 0267

Here we have the Rock Island over pass, Union Depot Tower and Union Depot framed by the connector. As you can see, the connector has not had a lot of maintenance lately. If it is supposed to be replaced according to the high-speed rail plan, that would explain why Metra has been doing minimal maintenance on it.

This view is taken from the pedestrian underpass under the UP/MoPac/GM&O/Alton tracks looking east. It appears Rock Island built the part over Washington Street and GM&O built the part over York Avenue. I had never noticed that Metra sign before. Obviously the RI engineers preferred to build with steel whereas the GM&O engineers preferred concrete.

The view is south of the connector looking north and focuses on the GM&O part but also shows how the connector changes materials. The walkway is obviously a rather recent addition.

When I heard these engines, I ran back north of the connector to grab pictures of them. Of the four photos I took, I use this first one because it captures the curve of the connector. The engines were BNSF #4436 (C44-9W built 1-12/99) and #4960 (C44-9W built 2-12/98). Both of them have the H2 livery.

I am now down close to where the connector joins the UP/GM&O embankment looking north at the tower and the Rock Island overpass. I captured the curvature of the connector on the right.

20150701 2224

Most railfan photos from Union Depot will be looking south along the UP+BNSF route or east along the Metra+CSX+IAIS route and won't catch the connector in the southeast quadrant. But I was taking a picture of the new and old signals and did catch the west end of the connector. It must still be used because there is a signal for it near the middle of the background.

In this wide angle looking east, I catch the rest of the connector. Below I zoom in on the photo. You can see the new walkway and part of the steel girder on the right.

Satellite

If you compare the photo with the satellite image, you can also see that the connection with the Metra track has changed. Since they have moved the Metra-RI platform east of the diamond, they had to extend the connector to clear a commuter train setting at the platform. Since there used to be four tracks through here, there was plenty of room for the new track.

20150523 1714

In this photo of the new diamond that had been recently installed, you can catch a glimpse of a concrete girder of the connector.

In this closeup of the construction activity down by the old signal bridge, you can see the connector track join the eastern UP/GM&O track.

Later, I got about the same view when I took a photo of a northbound (timecard eastbound) train to get a time stamp.

As I got closeups of the two Fallen Flags, you can see parts...

...of the connector in the background. BNSF #2814 and #2887.

They are both GP39M/GP39-2R.

2814-2816

28274, 77 & 61

5,5,4/63

Ex-BN GP39M 2814-2816 < BN 2213, 2216 & 2200 < nee GN 3013, 3016 & 3000

2887-2888

30170, 29730

7/65, 12/64

Ex-BN GP39M 2887-2888 < SSW 6681 & SP 6504 < nee SSW 781 & 764

Another similar view when I got the time stamp of the intermodal that rolled through while the above mixed freight rolled through. The intermodal skunked most of the more interesting freight cars, including a caboose. The intermodal was pulled by BNSF #7157, #8027, #7247, and #4502.

The engine of a Texas Eagle framed by the connector.

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Metra does know how to do overpass maintenance. This photo was taken under their mainline overpass. The new overpass on the right is the one that holds the remaining Rock Island mainline track. The one on the left is the one that no longer holds any tracks except for the connector.

Jose Vicente Sendin shared

I commented on Jose's share    20170219 7812rc
Modern diamonds are bolted together with a lot more pieces. I assume then intent is that it is easier to replace parts that have worn. This is the crossing at Joliet Union Depot. The single tracks was the Rock Island and is now the Metra. The two near tracks are BNSF/Santa Fe and the far two tracks are UP/GM&O. The Rock Island used to have three more tracks here for a total of 16 diamonds. These four diamonds were prefabricated and moved in place one weekend in May 2015.

I commented on Jose's share   20180326 0183
A bolt has already fallen out.

I commented on Jose's share
And another has broken. And this is what I saw in the close diamonds. There could have been other problems that I could not see from public propert

Art Gross Flickr of a 1972 photo of a Rock Island Alco C415 on the connector pulling a Monon boxcar. The foreground has the diamonds of the crossing. (source)

Connection between NS/PRR and BRC+Rock Island

(Update: the Rock Island Junction used to consist of a lot more than just this connection. The are also photos of trains on this connector as they approach or leave the BRC Commercial Yard. The overpass ruins we see in many of these photos supported the Pennsy Cummings Branch.)

Steven J. Brown posted two photos with the comment:

Now and then - South Chicago - Forty years apart:
A little departure from posting similar angles from different decades. The first image was taken last week, February 24, 2017. The second image was taken forty years ago standing on the abutment that appears in the approximate center of the first picture looking at a train coming down the hill - October 9, 1977.

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2: Conrail GP40's descending the hill to the BRC or Rock Island at South Chicago - October 9, 1977. I think 3268 was a EMD demonstrator #19?? 3068 in trail became a NJT GP40FH-2 #4134

Satellite

Street View

James Boudraux posted
Belt Railway #504 TR4A & TR4B are spotted working towards US Steel South Chicago Plant...2/73...L.Downs photo
Bob Lalich The two tracks on the right go to BRC's 100th St Yard. The track to South Works would have been behind the photographer.
Dennis DeBruler And given your comments about BRC/EJ&E interchange on another post and the fact that this train is running light because we can see the caboose, the train is probably going away from, rather than towards, South Works after delivering interchange traffic with the EJ&E.
Bob's comment:
Historically, EJ&E delivered to BRC's Commercial Ave Yard, and BRC delivered to the J at South Works. Those interchange points were eliminated after CN acquired the J. The J's bridge over the Calumet River is out of service.
Pete Fileca Bob Lalich where does the track thru the bridge go ???
Pete Fileca Bob Lalich is this all still there ?
Bob Lalich Most of it. The second BRC track going to 100th St has been cut back around the curve. The retaining wall next to the locomotives which once carried the PRR Cummings Branch has been partially removed for greater clearance. Rock Island Jct has been interlocked. The PRR position light signals and signal bridge have been replaced.

Larry Grzywinski Dwain Jerantowski at one time there was four vertical lift bridges. The two on the left were the PRR and the other two were the NYC. Each railroad had four main lines into the city. When the railroads merged it was decided to also merge the tracks. It was also decided to remove two of the bridges. That did not go very well and while removing the one bridge there was a accident and if I remember correctly a worker was killed. After that a decision was made to secure the other span in the raised position. It has been that way ever since. Bottom line the former two PRR bridges and one of the former NYC bridges remain.
Dennis DeBruler Larry Grzywinski Actually, it is two former NYC and one PRR bridge that remains. The NYC tracks were north (left in this view) of the PRR tracks. A Facebook comment by Bob Lalich provides the dates for the removal of the PRR bridge:

PRR began dismantling bridge #1 in 1965. There was a terrible accident resulting in the death of two men, I believe. The remaining portion of the bridge stood for nearly three years until final demolition in 1968.

Dennis DeBruler commented on James' post
To help me better understand the photo, I found a comparable view on Google Maps. The photographer would have been on the overpass in the lower-left corner and there were no trees. The whtie building is gone and the brick building under the Skyway is the 95th Street Pumping Station.
https://www.google.com/.../@41.7241997,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3

Steven J. Brown posted
Norfolk Southern SD70ACU 7234 descends down to the Belt Railway of Chicago (is it still BRC?) at South Chicago under the Skyway - February 25, 2017.

Joe Usselman posted
A pair of former Conrail dash 8's lead a train onto the BRC at Rock Island Junction in 2010.

Jacob Diorio posted
NS 67R jumps off the Chicago Line to the BRC in South Chicago with the EJ&E heritage unit in the lead. 1/11/21
Steven Flanagan: Jim Sank that was actually CN U267 oil empties north.
[So the tar sands in Canada have partially offset the loss of coal shipments.]

Steven J. Brown posted

Westbound - Now and then - South Chicago - Forty years apart!

Norfolk Southern 9636 GE C44-9W (built 2001) leading on February 24, 2017.

Conrail 5956 EMD GP7 (built 1953 as PRR 8584) leading on October 9, 1977.

Dennis DeBruler I just noticed how the 2017 version shows both jointed rails and CWR tracks. And it shows that jointed rails don't have to dip at each joint as you see with poorly maintained track.

Joe Usselman posted
A BRC bound manifest approaches Rock Island junction in 2010 at Chicago.
[This NS/BRC connection is the one that still exists in the junction.]

HalstEd Pazdzior posted
CN 2431, a C40-8M, leads an empty tank train towards the BRC's Clearing yard this afternoon. C40-8M have been designated "trail only" by CN and can usually only be caught while operating on foreign rails.    1/5/21
Glen Olbermann: That lead unit was taken off at Hawthorne yard. A ET44AC was added on. I met the crew in Cicero Illinois. It was a CSX crew operating the train. A CN crew took over and took the lead power off. That CN crew took her to Dubuque Iowa.
HalstEd Pazdzior: Glen Olbermann they took the second gevo and plopped it in front of the barn lhf. Cn is very ptc strict and would rather run a unit lhf then a non ptc unit.
Glen Olbermann: HalstEd Pazdzior The PTC works very well for the CN and they takes it seriously.