(Satellite)
(Update: not all of the buildings along Canal Street were CB&Q buildings. The REA also had a facility south of Union Station.)
The three blocks of property along Canal Street that held the freight houses have been sold. The remaining property has been rebuilt as a commuter coach storage yard, diesel engine service facility, Metra dispatch office, and parking lots.
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| William A. Shaffer posted Penn Central FM H16-44 (Photographer Unknown - Collection of William A. Shaffer) Loren Hatch Actually, it was the H16-66 that was considered the "Baby Trainmaster." PRR concentrated its FMs in Chicago, as that was the closest on line point to FM's Beloit headquarters. Richard Fiedler PRR concentrated it's FM's at 59th St roundhouse. I remembered seeing them belching black smoke pulling transfers to the BRC at Hayford. Thought it would go on forever. Kevan Davis FM had a building over by Dearborn Station - Fairbanks, Morse and Company Building 900 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, Illinois David Daruszka The building dates from when FM was a scale manufacturing company. |
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| 1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
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| Extract from 1938 Aerial |
The building between Harrison and Polk would be the freight house with outbound tracks south of Polk.
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| Brian Watt posted -- Brian Watt, photographer May 1977 Dennis DeBrulerGroup Admin The old post office is in the background. The Harrison Street Tower is on the right, which the new post office built over. The building on the left looks like a freight house, but I don't know whose it was. David DaruszkaGroup Admin CB&Q Central Warehouses [Further confirmation: search for "Approach Being" in Union Station] |
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| Mark Hinsdale shared
"Long Journey Complete"
From the very end of Chicago Union Station's longest platform (in 1977), here is a view of arriving Amtrak Train #6, the "San Francisco Zephyr," in May, 1974. The train was scheduled into Chicago at 11:55 am, and judging by the shadows and high sunshine angle, it is at least on time, or better. Today, Chicago's new Post Office building completely covers this area of Union Station. May, 1974 photo by Mark Hinsdale
Dennis DeBruler The CB&Q freight house on the right was torn down. But the new post office was built around the Harrison Street Tower that we get a glimpse of on the left. |
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| David H. Nelson commented on a post Here's an example of the elevated roadways near Union Station. This the the CBQ Freight House (I think) with Harrison in the foreground. A bunch of tracks are underneath at the lower level. The photo is from 1926 or thereabouts; note the horse drawn vehicles outnumber the autos. |
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| Sam Carlson added Mike Tisdale Good lord, Sam, that is quite the consist. E, SDP40, P30CH and another E. Then the train has an ex-B&O sleeper-dome right behind the baggage cars. The light looks about noon, early afternoon, so maybe the Lone Star or Eagle? Floridian or Cardinal are another possibilities, as their schedules bounced all over the place. All that power might indicate Floridian in the combined with Auto Train days, but that is speculation. Dennis DeBruler And one of the best views I have seen of the CB&Q Freight Warehouse. Sam Carlson Well, Mike, it was over 40 years ago, and I just don't remember. However, this batch of slides started before sun up at 21st St. Tower, and then bounced back and forth in the area south of CUS, so I'd say it was about noon, and axis lit so it was hard to decide which side of the train to stand on. |
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| David Daruszka posted Architectural historian Carl Condit called the building, "an overlooked masterpiece of Chicago architecture". The clock tower seems to presage the Art Deco stylings of the Board of Trade building in the distance. 1942 photograph by Charles Cushman. Dennis DeBrulerYou and 1 other manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Chicago Railroad Historians. That would be the south end of the CB&Q freight house in the foreground. Michael Matalis Looks like Sauron's summer home |
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| Extract from 1938 Aerial (Facebooked) |
Taking a closer look at the top of the locomotive, you can see that the building is skinny in the north/south direction.
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| Extract from the Penn Central photo |
A share by Sam Carlson further clarified the use of these two buildings by Roosevelt Road.
Dennis DeBruler Was the tall building south of Roosevelt also REA and was it attached to this freight-handling building under the viaduct? I had been assuming they were CB&Q facilities.
Rick La Fever I think that might be the postal annex.
Within a few weeks of the above photo, I discovered another photo that shows the curve of the REA building: Tom Bedwell. (Lots of comments about the purple ACL locomotives pulling the South Wind via PRR-L&N-ACL-FEC to Florida.) Jim Arvites posted this photo in another group. Tom Bedwill posted the same view, but a different train. This photo also shows the CB&Q team tracks that I noticed in a map in Union Station when you search for "Approach Being." Tom Bedwill again used that view but to catch a smoking CB&Q train. Tom Bedwell showing some double-slip switches. (Has my double-slip notes as a comment.)
Tom Bedwell took a couple photos of an inbound Great Northern train that caught a nice view of the curve of the REA Building and the team track area.
According to the following Sanborn Map, the buildings south of the turntable and engine servicing area is a "Service Building and Offices."
Update:
Marty Bernard shared six photos with the comment: "6 CB&Q from Roosevelt Road, South of Union Station -- 1960s Bill Howes took these from the Roosevelt Road Viaduct south of Chicago Union Station. Captions are with the photos."
These notes need to be rewritten, so now I'm just collecting raw information. CB&Q freight house and Harrison Street Tower CB&Q passenger facilities along Canal Street
There is still some complicated track work that is visible between Polk and Roosevelt.
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| Gary Statkus posted A Chicago, Burlington & Quincy passenger steam locomotive, named the Aeolus, heads into Union Station. The Aeolus, was built in 1937, and was the first streamlined stainless steel steam locomotive. In CB&Q's tradition of using ancient Greek god names, the Aeolus was named after the Greek god who was "the keeper of the winds", in line with the CB&Q Zephyrs, named after the Greek god Zyphrous, the god of the "gentle western winds." The building behind the locomotive is one of the REA - Railroad Express Agency buildings, the FedEx of the times. Bob Pusateri This particular locomotive, CB&Q 3002 (later renumbered 4000) still exists, though its streamlined cover is long gone. It is on display at a park in LaCrosse, WI. Jerome Albin Big Alice the Goon... Bryan Howell Burlington Bulletin #14 covers both AEolus' and will shortly be back in stock as a reprint. Just got the shipment notification last night! http://www.burlingtonroute.org/store/index.php... Steve Andolino shared Doug Plummer It was a Hudson renumber engine 4000 she was used when shovel noses were out of service she was called Alice the goon she survives in Wisconsin Karl M Andrews Yep, in Lacrosse WI. I have seen her several times when I worked the I.D. pool trains Chicago-Lacrosse. Emanuel Collier Them tracks look about like the spaghetti I had tonight [I posted a trackwork photo as a comment.] |
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| Andrew Keeney shared Robert Petit This is coming out of CUS, thats the old REA building on the left. This would be an early AMTRAK train. Dennis DeBruler The first photo I have seen that captures the curve of the REA building. Paul Bourjaily posting James C Smith Jr Post-Amtrak, Santa Fe trains in Chicago Union Station. Santa Fe did not "contribute" its newest passenger locomotives, the FP45s and U30CHs, to the new agency. |
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| Greg Smith posted The Empire Builder departing Chicago on the Q. Al Wallin photograph |
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| David Daruszka enhanced a photo posted by Bill Molony On December 1, 1976, the Norfolk & Western's five-day-a-week Orland Park commuter train moved to Chicago Union Station from its little platform on Polk Street, in the shadow of Dearborn Station. The Wabash remnant is shown here backing into CUS with its string of N&W long distance coaches. [The baggage car had a steam generator because N&W used freight locomotives for their commuter service. There was a discussion about no vents for the steam generator being visible in the roof until Mark Fuller provided this photo.] Bob Friedlander To the left of the train was that all the Railroad Express Agency cars? Did those tracks belong to the REA and the building? |
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CTRCB&Q and PRR diesels in Chicago
A Burlington Route switcher prepares to move several baggage-express cars at the Railway Express terminal near Chicago’s Union Station in 1961. In the foreground, a Pennsy switcher moves motive power — two E8As and an E7B — for a train into position at the station.
J. David Ingles photo |
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| Dave Arganbright posted BN commuter train leaving CUS with double headed E9MK's running elephant style in October, 1978. My photo. This angle illustrates how extensive the REA facilities once were, and that were abandoned in place by this time...I apologize for the quality of this photo, but it was taken with a 1950's vintage Kodak Retina 3C camera that my Dad had given me.... |
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| Bill Molony posted Gulf, Mobile & Ohio EMD E7A #100, leading GM&O train #1, the Limited, out of Chicago on the morning of March 21, 1971. [This angle allows us to see all of the tracks that were next to the REA building.] |
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| Dennis DeBruler shared This is the first time I have seen the side of the REA building. I did not realize that they could service cars inside the building. But why do the cars look like passenger cars (i.e. windows) instead of head-end cars? Update: This is NOT the REA building. This is two blocks further north. It was part of the CB&Q Central Warehouses. But by 1975, it would also be just car storage. You can see a sliver of the Harrison Street Tower on the right. David Daruszka  REA may have been shut down by this time and the tracks have been converted to storage.Chuck Edmonson REA ceased all operations in ‘75. Mark Llanuza post |
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| William A. Shaffer posted Dennis DeBruler That is a lot of grass on the tracks. This is the first photo I have seen of the north side of the REA building.[The photo has enough resolution that you can see a sign painted along the top of the wall: "Railway Express Agency Burlington Terminal".] |
Within a few weeks of the above photo, I discovered another photo that shows the curve of the REA building: Tom Bedwell. (Lots of comments about the purple ACL locomotives pulling the South Wind via PRR-L&N-ACL-FEC to Florida.) Jim Arvites posted this photo in another group. Tom Bedwill posted the same view, but a different train. This photo also shows the CB&Q team tracks that I noticed in a map in Union Station when you search for "Approach Being." Tom Bedwill again used that view but to catch a smoking CB&Q train. Tom Bedwell showing some double-slip switches. (Has my double-slip notes as a comment.)
Tom Bedwell took a couple photos of an inbound Great Northern train that caught a nice view of the curve of the REA Building and the team track area.
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| Extract from 1938 Aerial |
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| The volumes have a date range, this one is listed as: Chicago+1905-1951+vol.+8,+1914-June+1950,+Sheet+28 |
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| David Daruszka posted The Broadway Limited departs Chicago's Union Station in 1961. Richard H. Solomon, photographer. Dennis DeBrulerGroup Admin Pennsy (right) and CB&Q (left) Freight Warehouses, the old post office in the left background, and Harrison Tower at the lower-right corner of the post office. But I don't know what the skinny skyscraper is in the middle of the background. That is probably the Chicago & Alton Freight House to the east of the old post office. It still stands. But I read a developer of the old post office wants to tear it down. I lost track of whether or not it is the current developer. [The skyscraper is part of the Civic Opera House.] |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Eric Sander The Chicago Bullpen Steven J. Brown Zephyrpit! Dennis DeBruler I've seen the Es on the Racetrack, but I haven't seen that freight house, even in photos. [Note the sign "EVERYWHERE WEST." That indicates it was a CB&Q affiliated facility. I also see the words "TERMINAL WAREHOUSE."] Steven J. Brown posted James Boudreaux Taken from the Airline Bridge? Dennis DeBruler That must have been taken from the B&OCT vidaduct. If it was taken from the SCAL viaduct, the B&OCT viaduct would have blocked the view. And it appears that the freight house has been replaced by the Metra Dispatch Office and a parking lot. https://www.google.com/.../@41.861417,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3 [As a comment on a posting: 3/4/88] |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Burlington Northern's fleet of E's at the Zephyr Pit in Chicago - March 4, 1988. Steven J. Brown Torn down latter in 88. Doug Plummer Yep the 14th St coach yards Doug Plummer We even called it the zephyr pit took the old dinkys out to the wash rack out by Halstead st. Dillon Harrison “Everywhere West” on the building. Jerold Gibbs E8’s on the Raceway Matt McClure Cascade green everywhere! [Note the fire escape!] Steven shared Gene Rebeck Thank you for this photo, Steven. Where was/is the Zephyr Pit? Joe Novak Southside of Canal St. Just before the B&OCT/St Charles air line bridge. The photographer is standing on the B&O bridge. Nhat Quan V. Do Is that a revenue freight or just a work train?? Dougie Pfresh Nhat Quan V. Do Don't know. Guessing they are diesel tankers for the engines due to their odd placement. |
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| Steven J. Brown posted Amtrak F40PH 385 (built 1981 from SDP40F 530 parts, became Canadian American 453 then to San Luis and Rio Grande 453) and Burlington Northern E9m 9916 (built 1955 as CB&Q 9986A, became CN 103) in the yard at Chicago - September 12, 1988. Tom Skowronski I may have my dates totally wrong, but I think this photo is a bit older, sometime pre 1986. Crooks Terminal Warehouse (in the background for you younger folk) disappeared one night as a 3-11 alarm fire to which I responded. I left CFD in '86, so that's the basis of my timeline. Again, I may be totally confused. Thoughts, Steve?Steven J. Brown The date is correct.Jeff LewisJeff and 1 other manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Chicagoland Railfan. According to the photographer of this image, demolition of the warehouses occurred in 1985. https://www.flickr.com/photos/52209513@N03/33910105995 |
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| Tom Casady posted The Empire Builder heading away from Union Station. Gotta love the four silver Burlington E9's leading the way! Peter Hayes What were the tracks above the engines in the picture used for?Matt McClure That REA building and tracks survived decades after REA's demise. For sure I have photos from summer 1984, |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Former Illinois Central E-9 backs Amtrak into Union Station April 1975. |
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| 79. CB&Q tracks (left) - CB&Q freight houses -16th and Union sts.) (far left) [These freight houses were way south along 16th Street. I've seen other info on these buildings, but I can't find it now.] |
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| Jim Arvites posted View of the "South Wind" with purple Atlantic Coast Line E7 (A) on the lead backing the train into Chicago's Union Station to board passengers for warm and sunny Florida circa 1960. (Ted Bedwell Photo)Robert Leffingwell Without a direct route to florida, now you have to do a connection of 3 early morning hours in pittsburg, then a six hour layover in Washington D.C. A two day trip instead of one overnite. James Prater No mirrors, the crew has to hang out the window. That would be great fun in winter. David Daruszka It was not. Even with mirrors you were better off with your head out the window, William L. Brushaber David Daruszka The pilot had a tail hose for stopping and a whistle signal on all passenger cars the signal movement. David Daruszka William L. Brushaber I should have been more specific that my comment was regarding light engine movements. Mike Summa How did the ACL make it to Chicago? Over what other railroad did it travel here. Ken Morrison The Southwind is backing into Union Station because it used the Pennsylvania RR between Chicago and Louisville. C&EI was the Dixie Flyer, out of Dearborn Station, as far as Evansville. City of Miami went IC Chicago to Birmingham. All 3 then used other tracks to get to Florida... Val Ginter When we took the Louisville and Nashville from Nashbille to CUS, the locomotive on the front (when we got off at CUS) was labeled Seaboard Coast Line. But we went through a lot of couplings and uncouplings in our trip to Chicago. It seemed to have taken forever. This was 1967. Robert Leffingwell Val Ginter I remember seeing ACL coming through Englewood Station on the Pennsy in the 60s. It probably entered Chicago on the panhandle. I never knew there were many trains to Florida from Chicago. |
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| Marty Bernard shared a photo 2. Here is Gulf Mobile & Ohio F3A 883A (she became MBTA 1153) with "The Limited" a few minutes out of Union Station, Chicago. IL on October 4, 1964. Bill Howes photo Jeff Lewis The lack of ballast is amazing. Midwestern mud is some sticky stuff. Patrick McNamara The ballast in that whole area has been soaked with railroad oil, tar, and assorted effluviants that have rendered the area unsuitable for human habitation FOREVER. The rails are, quite literally, spiked to toxic, rock-hard crud. Likewise the area East of the River at this point where the city is now touting some real estate speculator's dream of building condos on what used to be the staging areas for Chicago's former rail terminals. Lawrence Smith u can bet they are doing EPA type due diligence big time on all that old rail land Patrick McNamara You can't bet on any such thing in this town. Look at the former Finkl Steel site - do you seriously think that land is perfectly fine for people to live upon, children to play upon, and people to grow tomato bushes on ?! [It is easy to recognize the REA tracks on the left because of the angle. Note the wreak crane parked above the locomotives. The big white building is the Old Post Office. The dark building on the right is the Pennsy freight house.] |
Marty Bernard shared six photos with the comment: "6 CB&Q from Roosevelt Road, South of Union Station -- 1960s Bill Howes took these from the Roosevelt Road Viaduct south of Chicago Union Station. Captions are with the photos."
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| 1 CB&Q E8A 9971 with a Dinkey heading from the Station to the coach yard on August 18, 1969. Bill Howes photo Joe Applebaum Were passengers allowed in the power car? Or were they for the generator only? Marty Bernard They were combines. About 3/4 of the length had seats. Darryl Van Nort Some were built from HW combines, others from HW coaches. The HEP portion on the coaches was, I believe, shorter, thus more seating on those. Dave Flood Only 2 combines. Rest were coaches. Combines had also been converted from coaches since kept vestibule on both ends.... All got thermo-pane slightly rounded-corner windows for AC.... Ken Morrison I believe it was also used as the smoking car...? |
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| 2 CB&Q Baldwin VO1000 backing the Denver Zephyr (local coach on rear) out of Chicago Union Station into coach yards on October 4, 1964. My guess is that they will go via the wye and possibly the washer on the other side of Union Avenue Tower. Bill Howes photo Rodney D Zona Old CB&Q RR Galesburg, IL passenger engine crews worked to and from Chicago. Chicago and Burlington, IA based passenger train crews worked between Chicago and Burlington. Corrections are welcome! Ellis Simon Odd to see an old coach tacked on a classy train behind a parlor-dome obs. Dave Flood Just guessing, but mighta been added at Galesburg for college traffic..... |
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| 3 Looking south, the CB&Q Coach Yard is to the right, PRR's is to left, and the main tracks are between. In the distance the upper portion of the bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River is visible. Bill Howes took this on October 4, 1964. Ken Morrison so if the Burlington is to the right, and the Pennsy is to the left, where is the GM&O? Ken Morrison Marty Bernard do you mean Brighton Park? Marty Bernard Ken Morrison Can't recall the name. Dennis DeBruler Per a comment by Brandon McShane: "The Alton coach yard was at Brighton Park (where Amtrak built the Turbo maintenance facility)." https://www.google.com/.../@41.8260793,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3 |
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| 4 CB&Q Train 32, :"The Empire Builder", arriving on August 18, 1969. Bill Howes photo Mark Malaby Pre merger experimental green paint scheme on the Great Dome. Still marked Great Northern, but very close to the BN hockey stick scheme. Matt Wiles I would date this photo as after March 1st 1970. Only a handful of CB&Q locomotives were painted in an experimental BN green paint scheme prior to the merger. I’m fairly certain that passenger equipment didn’t get repaired BN hockey stick until after the merger. Lyle Dowell GN did in fact paint this car in the green hockey stick scheme. It's possible to judge that the text is "Great Northern" rather than "Burlington Northern". Look at the spacing and lengths on the closer big blue car and compare it to the green car. And that is "Rocky" there as well which BN didn't use at all. They did at least one standard dome car in green as well. James C Smith Jr The GN also painted at least one, of their former CNW "400' coaches in green and white, but that coach had the white confined to the window panel, which became the actual BN practice, for the final passenger car color scheme. Another GN, ex-CNW coach, got an experimental Big Sky Blue scheme, with the roof gray also covering the letter-board, while the window panel was in white. Some of those CNW "400" coaches were also bought by the Burlington (they got all silver paint) and NP (done in the "NCL" Lowey scheme) and GN also had some of theirs done in Empire Builder colors. (If you're listening "Walthers," please make a CNW 400 coach in HO, and in addition to these colors, there are also two CNW schemes to offer, "as built" and the modernized version on the rebuilt cars!) Andy Graham There were hockey stick cars before the merger. See Chicago Odyssey videos. Bill Hockensmith Looks like the merchandise mart in background. Bryan Howell That is the old post office and the Penny's freight house on the right. The Merchandise Mart is not visible in this view. |
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| 5 CB&Q E-units making up the mail and express portion of a train on October 4, 1964. The unit closest is E7A 9949. Bill Howes photo Mark Malaby Wow, already running elephant style that early, 1964! Marty Bernard Yep! Dave Flood Elephant style got started when Dinkies went cab-cars (save scarce platform length at CUS by keeping power on the south end, also save having to turn on the "Y". Was mostly for E-8/9's that did Dinkies but obviously lots of E-7's followed suit.... Marty Bernard No, elephant style was with intercity trains with multiple E-units. Elephant style means at least the first two units facing forward. Most often all units facing forward. Dave Flood Marty Bernard E-units were all one single pool which served BOTH Dinkies & intercity. Exception was, higher-geared E-5's & E-7's shunned the Dinky work, so as often as not, they weren't as common doing elephant style as the E-8/9's. Seemed like only 2 rules were rigidly followed. 1st unit would face forward & rather than look up in engineer's booklet on who could couple nose to nose & who couldn't, never saw units coupled that way. Nose to nose would be virtually impossible for conductor to make it from consist to front cab in an emergency, anyway. Elephant style was bad enough for doing that..... Dave Flood As a sidenote, really love the trackwork with those beautiful double-slip switches. Also brings up an interesting proceedure. Inbound crew never knew which side of consist would be on the passenger-platform or the mail-platform. So, that info was given to the last tower on The Q, where either an "L" or an "R" large sign would be held up. Thus in winter, crew could open up the appropriate side to scoop-out the traps before the consist was on the double-slips. Station master took umbrage when snow was scooped on his trackwork.... Dave Flood As a sidenote, really love the trackwork with those beautiful double-slip switches. Also brings up an interesting proceedure. Inbound crew never knew which side of consist would be on the passenger-platform or the mail-platform. So, that info was given to the last tower on The Q, where either an "L" or an "R" large sign would be held up. Thus in winter, crew could open up the appropriate side to scoop-out the traps before the consist was on the double-slips. Station master took umbrage when snow was scooped on his trackwork.... |
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| 6 CB&Q E-units making up the mail and express portion of a train on October 4, 1964. The unit closest is E7A 9949. Bill Howes photo Alexander Uhl Note the flexivan in the consist. Karl Swartz Making up? CB&Q used them to switch their own trains? |
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| Phil Gosney commented on the fourth photo of Marty's share Here is GN Dining Car 1254, named Lake Minnetonka, also in the green Pre Merger livery, on the Empire Builder in Chicago on Sept 28, 1968. Photo by Gary Zeitler. In addition, I have found 3 other GN cars painted in this livery in advance of the actual BN merger effective date. They are: 1099 Coach ex CNW car, 1320 Vista Dome Coach, and 1391, named OCEAN VIEW, a full length dome lounge. That is four GN cars in this livery. Does anyone know of others? I am not aware of any NP or CBQ cars painted in this livery, only GN cars. You will note cars still have GN name and Rocky the goat logo on them. The Burlington had some Freight units delivered in Green paint, but no passenger E units painted green until actual March 1970 merger. Phil Gosney The wide white stripe was not adopted, but made smaller by BN date.. |
These notes need to be rewritten, so now I'm just collecting raw information. CB&Q freight house and Harrison Street Tower CB&Q passenger facilities along Canal Street
There is still some complicated track work that is visible between Polk and Roosevelt.
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