 |
| Bernard Wybrecht posted ATSF U28CG 356 with train -16, The Texas Chief pulling into Dearborn Station, Chicago, Illinois. Hote 3 Hi Level Chair cars on Februry 2, 1968😉😍 Winter snowy day . A Roger Puta Photography .. Dennis DeBruler shared Snow has to make walking on the running boards even more "exciting." Edward Kwiatkowski shared |
 |
| Dennis DeBruler commented on Edward's share Roger was standing on Roosevelt Road and facing a little west of South. The two story building attached to a one story building is the classic design of a freight house. The freight was sorted in the one-story part while the waybills were sorted in the two-story office part. In this case, it was the C&EI freight house. Peaking over the top of the end of the C&EI freight house is the Erie freight house. The brick office building part was four stories. The attached image would be Roger's view today. The train is on the land of today's Federal Street. (In the 1960s, Federal Street did not exist south of Roosevelt.) The residential units are on the land used by the freight houses. The C&EI was between Roosevelt & 14th Street and the Erie was between 14th & 15th Streets. https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m6!1e1!3m4... |
 |
| Marke Llanuza posted Its 1975 the Orland Park commuter train coming into Dearborn Polk station. [CE&I Inbound Freight House on the right with the Erie freight house peaking out behind it.] |
 |
| 1964 Dearborn |
 |
| Bill Molony posted Grand Trunk Western class U-3-c 4-8-4 Northern-type #6332 getting ready to depart from Dearborn Station in Chicago on a sunny morning in the 1950's with train #20, The Maple Leaf, bound for Port Huron, Michigan and Toronto, Canada. [This correction comes from a share: Curt Danielewicz Group Admin U3b. GTW 4-8-4’s were U3a (sent packing to CN when the U3b were delivered), U3b and the streamlined U4b classes. My interest in this photo is that beyond the tracks it provides a nice overview of the C&EI Outbound Freight House.] |
A closer look at he C&EI freight house in the background of the above photo.
 |
| Bill Kalkman posted Rodney Peterson photo. Santa Fe Fairbanks-Morse H12-44TS-541 is switching in Chicago, IL on 6-22-57. Who can name the year and model of the cars on the right? Bob Lalich: The switcher is on the lead to a mail platform on Federal St at Dearborn Station. This is an angle that is rarely seen. Thanks for sharing Bill Kalkman! Richard Fiedler shared |
Another view of the trucks docked at the freight house in the above photos. Note that the trucks and trailers had just one main axle back then. In other words, the were 10-wheelers instead of 18-wheelers.
 |
| Michael Staney posted Freight cars from the likes of RI, UP and others at a freight transfer house, Chicago most likely. Ca. 1950's Greg Burnet shared [The Board of Trade is too far east in this photo. I'm confused.] |
The freight house in the above photos is in the background of this photo.
 |
| Tom Bedwell posted Everyone seems to like this switcher. I still remember it was all over the place the day I was there. I thought to myself how much fun it would have been to ride on the front like this guy! Kevin Covey: All those wood roofwalks on the boxcars…nice! Joseph Tuch Santucci: By the end of the C&WI, long after Dearborn was closed, they had one single job switching a small handful of industries. They leased a Geep from the BRC to handle the chores. The job worked two or three days a week. When that last remaining engineer retired they abolished the job. MoPac took over switching the last remaining customer, Active Wrecking. Pullman Jct’s switchtender job was abolished in 83 or early 84 and trains working through the plant lined their own switches under the instructions of the C&WI dispatcher. NS took over the main line from Calumet Yard to 81st Street and removed one of the mains. 80th Street was mechanized with switchtender jobs abolished and control given to the BRC dispatcher. Metra took control of the main lines between 74th at 21st. MoPac took control of the Dolton Branch between Dolton and 80th St. That portion between Oakdale and 81st Street was heavily damaged after a derailment and never rebuilt. The Yard Center operator took control of the Oakdale interlocking from 81st Street tower. The corner L&N, now Seaboard System, pulled out of 37th/Canal St opting for a new facility of their own at Bedford Park in 1983. MoPac would pull out in 1985. NS ceased interchanging auto parts at the old Wabash 40th Street Yard (what was left of it at that point) and the GTW also ceased interchanging there so there was no reason left for NS to operate around there. Eventually IHB took over operations of State Line tower. They also told over control of the high bridge in Hegewisch for the IHB and occasional Conrail grain train that needed to cross it to reach Irondale. The BRC had long since ceased delivering coal trains to the South Shore via the C&WI. The IHB and Conrail moves all ended and now the bridge remains locked in the raised position. The EL tracks leading to State Line were removed. The L&N track was eventually removed as well. The rails south of the high bridge were removed. NS eventually built the Ford Chicago mixing center on the former right of way east of Torrence Ave. There are other moves I know I’m forgetting that also vanished. We watched the C&WI die a slow and unmerciful death. What remains is still busy but C&WI itself has faded into history. And this all occurred in my railroad career. Most of today’s railroaders operating around Chicago probably only know of C&WI from the oldest of old heads. Richard Oppenheim: At the time that Metra assumed control between 21st St and 74th St (plus the connection track between 74th and 81st) the CWI dispatchers were working out of their “office” which was actually a trailer in the yard at 47th St. At that time, all 4 CWI dispatchers agreed to come to work for Metra at the new CCF facility just being built, and since Metra did not yet have any dispatchers of their own for any of their lines, these 4 became the 4 senior men on the Metra Dispatcher’s roster, and remained so until their retirements William Poole: Worked at the same location ,but several years later 1967. No Sears Tower , Erie Lackawanna serviced the coach yard at Dearborn & Pulled the CB&Q , & RI Ed Henry was the Supt of Rules on C& WI then. He examined me and others pertaining to Dearborn Sta And Alton Jct and Liftshults deliveries. EL had a job that reported to Dearborn asa the passenger train arrived with the mail. The per diem was like 6:00 p.m. delivery time. In the late 60's or early 70 's or both, we would sit eating our lunch, some had Pepsi or whatever they had watching the Sears Tower go higher and higher.. Quite a site for a young man fresh outta the hills of Eastern Kentucky C&WI switcher at Dearborn Station Chicago. Tom Bedwell posted Box cars - Chicago Dearborn Station. From a 35mm slide I took in the 1950s from Roosevelt Road. Richard Fiedler shared Dennis DeBruler: Because of the two-story building in the background with the "Erie Railroad" sign, I know that we are looking South from Roosevelt Road. So that would be the Wabash Outbound Freight House on the left and the C&EI Inbound Freight House on the right. |
 |
Mike Breski postedCHICAGO & EASTERN ILLINOIS FREIGHT HOUSE
The Chicago & Eastern Illinois operated this freight house in Chicago near Dearborn Station. Four tracks paralleled the long, low structure. Note the sign painted on the building advertising C&EI’s air-conditioned passenger trains.
Chicago & Eastern Illinois photo
******DESCRIPTION AS IS FROM PHOTO SOURCE******
David Daruszka They would line up the box car doors so they could be bridged and loaded or unloaded.John Mann Worked really well with 40 foot cars! Bob Lalich That is the outbound house north of Roosevelt Road. The C&EI inbound house was south of Roosevelt Road. John Kenney Note the tell tales in the foreground. Jim Mercer I railroaded for 39 yrs. but don't know what tell tales are. Dewey Cheatem Andhowe Jim Mercer When I ran Amtrak trains on the Metro-North Hudson Line in the mid-90's, they had "tell tales" a few miles north of Croton-Harmon. These tell tales detected whether there was anything sticking out from the train at third-rail level (third-rail electric began at Croton). If any part of your train hit the tell tale, it would send a signal to the Dispatcher who would contact you to stop and inspect your train. Thanks for bringing back memories Jim Mercer Kind of like the high and wide detector we had and still have approaching the Thebes bridge into Mo. to Illmo- Scott City. Union Pacific Been retired since 2012. Larry Grzywinski Tell tales were strung over the tracks to warn a crew member riding on top of a box car that there was close overhead clearance. In the good old days ladders allowed one to climb up to the roof so that in close clearance like in the photo the engineer could see the swithman giving him hand signals. Mike Breski shared Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad Historical Society If you would like to learn more about the history of the freight houses of the C&EI Railroad at Dearborn Station our Fall 2018 issue has an outstanding article by Rich Jurgovan complete with numerous photos. The issue is available via our web site www.ceihs.org. |
 |
| Bill Molony posted Chicago & Eastern Illinois EMD FP7 #1607, assisted by an EMD E7A, easing out of Dearborn Station with a southbound train on a bright sunny morning. [ Note the "RAILROAD FOR GOOD SERVICE C&EI" sign on the left side of the photo. That is the C&EI Outbound Freight House.] Randy James Notice the nc&stl baggage car, I believe this is the Dixie flyer, that was jointly operated by c&ei, l&n, nc&stl , from Chicago to Atlanta Georgia. Robert Gibson Jr. The Dixie Flyer left at 10:30PM. The Dixieland left at 9:10AM. Bob Lalich I can give a range on the date of the photo. The switchtender job and manual switches in the throat were eliminated in 1964. The mail/express platform behind the Erie boxcars was built around 1950. Robert Gibson Jr. By 1958 all of the C&EI southbound trains left at night. Tom Skowronski Probably very early '50's. The (I think) beautiful orange/blue scheme disappeared quickly. Great photo, Bill. LOVE your C&WI book! Robert Gibson Jr. This is probably train No. 1 a local that left Chicago at 9:00 AM terminating in Evansville, Indiana at 2:35 PM. The photo shows an Railway Post Office car behind the baggage car. |
 |
Mid-Century Decatur posted The southbound N&W "Banner Blue" accelerates out of Chicago's Dearborn Station, past the boxcars lined up at the Chicago & Eastern Illinois freight station, at 11:00 AM on March 13, 1966, exactly 58 years ago today. The train will arrive in Decatur by 2 pm and St. Louis Union Station by 4:35. Photo: Tom Golden, Collection of Sam Bec Richard Fiedler shared Ron Hull: I watched that freight shed burn back in the ‘50’s. Bob Lalich: This train is inbound about to pass under Roosevelt Road. |
 |
| David Daruszka shared Classic Streamliners posted Ray Weart The renumbering of the ATSF FP45's had nothing to do with Amtrak. They had a big system renumbering of most of their motive power at that time. In the 1990's they got renumbered again. [Note the C&EI Outbound Freight House on the left. The Railway Express building and the mail platform is in the middle.] |
 |
| The Blackhawk Railway Historical Society posted Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad Alco RS-1 #258. Bob Lalich Shorts??? David Daruszka I guess things ran a little looser back then, or he's the guy they wrote the rule for. Someone once told me that every rule in the rule book had some idiot behind it doing something stupid. Raymond Barr What intrigues me is the brick building that seems to go on forever with dock doors and the green grass area in front of it. The grass area is wide enough to have held at least two tracks. Can you imagine back in the forty foot boxcar days what a scene this would have been with the cars parked door to door and the crowd of workers rushing about to unload or load freight? Sam Bergus ...and the piles of standard sized pallets adjacent to that showing why that method of loading/unloading isn't being used anymore at the time of this photo. Alfred Fickensher Can we imagine any guesses about the arch-top loading(?) doorways alternating pattern? Raymond Barr My guess would be that in pre-fork lift days the arch-top doors were used by two & four wheel hand carts. When fork lifts came along, the large doors were installed. You can see some disturbed brickwork above some of them. Craig Sanders That looks like the lead into La Salle Street station based on my feeble memory. Correct me if I’m wrong. Dennis DeBruler Since it is a C&WI switcher, it should be on the lead to Dearborn Station. I've determined the freight house is C&EI Inbound. That confirms the Dearborn Station lead. |
 |
| Dennis DeBruler commented on the BRHS post To identify the freight house, I noticed that the design is unusual in that it has the office part above the freight handling part. Normally, the office part is a two story building at one end of the freight handling part. This design made the two story part of the freight house unusually long. In this overview of the South Side, it was easy to identify two candidates south of Roosevelt. I doubled the size of the image and cropped the area of interest. https://drloihjournal.blogspot.com/.../aerial-view-of... |
 |
| Dennis DeBruler commented on the BRHS post This map reminds me that the freight house on the east side of the leads burned by the time of this photo. So that makes it C&EI Inbound. Dennis DeBruler Mark's photo confirms the building because of the Erie freight house to the south. https://www.facebook.com/groups/708146809323725/permalink/1087639478041121/ Dennis DeBruler A photo by Mark a year later, 1976, shows the freight house has been torn down. https://www.facebook.com/groups/708146809323725/permalink/1087365418068527/ |
 |
Mike Breski postedSTREAMLINED 4-8-4 WITH GTW’S MAPLE LEAF
At 9:52 on the morning of June 2, 1953, Grand Trunk Western U-4 No. 6410 accelerates the Toronto-bound Maple Leaf away from Dearborn Station, Chicago.
R. R. Malinoski photo
PLEASE NOTE DESCRIPTION'S ARE AS IS FROM PHOTOGRAPHER OR THE ARCHIVE IT IS FROM AND MAY HAVE INACCURACIES.
Dennis DeBruler We recently saw the northeast part of the C&EI Inbound Freight House in the background of a photo taken from Roosevelt Road. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1270038776414622/permalink/2534147443337076/ This photo gives us a view of the southeast part of the freight house. Lance Erickson This train connected with the Lehigh Valley Maple Leaf And had direct service to NY with through cars at one time. It became hopeless after Mail was put on trucks. |
 |
| Mark Llanuza posted Orland Park commuter train coming into Dearborn station 1976. [But a year later the C&EI freight house was gone, and we can now see all of the Erie freight house.] |
 |
| David Daruszka adjusted the exposure of a Bill Molony post Santa Fe 4-6-2 Pacific-type #3419, drifting towards the 12th Street Tower and Dearborn Station with 17 cars of train #6, The Ranger. May 30th, 1934 (Memorial Day). Photographer unknown. From the Blackhawk collection. Dennis DeBruler: I still have to look it up in my notes. That is the C&EI inbound freight house on the right. And the Erie freight house is in the background. |
Arturo Gross posted a 1970 Flickr photo
Guess what's coming soon! Snow in Chicago and U28CGs in HO from Atlas! Capturing both themes, we have Santa Fe U28CG 354 leading a train (probably the Texas Chief?) into Dearborn Station in Chicago, Feb 1970. Original Kodachrome photographer unknown, Art Gross Collection.
Guess what's coming soon! Snow in Chicago and U28CGs in HO from Atlas! Capturing both themes, we have Santa Fe U28CG 354 leading a train (probably the Texas Chief?) into Dearborn Station in Chicago, Feb 1970. Original Kodachrome photographer unknown, Art Gross Collection.
 |
| Dennis DeBruler commented on Arturo's post Assuming this was taken from the Roosevelt Road Viaduct, the right side of the photo is the end of the C&EI inbound freight house and the freight houses in the background belonged to Erie. |
