Steam & Excursion > Chicagoland Steam Part 3 - NKP at Calumet Yard Roundhou

Calumet Yard, on Chicago's south side, was the home of the last roundhouse built in the United States, completed in 1952. The modern yard and engine terminal was built to replace older facilities at Stony Island. On August 18, 1956, armed with my brand new Illinois drivers' license and my dad's 1952 Ford my buddy and I headed south to see if we could find more steam. It turned out to be a quiet day, but we got lucky and caught NKP 173 being serviced and put away in the roundhouse. As I noted in other posts, we had the run of the place and the employees were very friendly.

1. An overview of the engine terminal, with the roundhouse behind and to the left of me.

2. NKP 173 and 760 at the modern 300 ton coaling tower. NKP 173 had just arrived and was about to take coal.

3. NKP 173 taking water at the standpipe.

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA

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4. I couldn't resist taking a closer look at this nicely proportioned Hudson.

5. After getting a drink, NKP 173 takes a spin on the 110 foot turntable. Just beyond the front of 173 you can see my dad's Ford parked in the distance.

6. NKP 173 moves off the turntable and into the modern 8 stall roundhouse.

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA

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7. NKP 173 gets a well deserved rest in the roundhouse. On June 1, 1958 NKP 173 made the last revenue run by an NKP Hudson, from Calumet to Ft. Wayne.

8. NKP 965 awaits its next assignment.

9. Finally, NKP 752 near the yard office. NKP 752 was retired on July 22, 1958.

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA

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Outstanding!

Hello!
Nice stuff thanks for sharing!!!
TheHammer
Mark!!

Great shots...Thanks for sharing.
One of these lovely Hudsons was saved and was in the Paulson Spence collection.
When he died it got cut up. Can't remember which one it was....what a shame. Beautiful Locomotives.
Greg Scholl

Great photos! Very sharp. What size negatives?

I saw the 173 a little later. She had a flat of steel tied to her pilot for the Calumet Skyway. It was at 76th street where the street, the NKP and the then building Skyway all cross. The 173 positioned the flat for a lift. The construction crew tossed a white hot rivet to the crew above. They caught it in a funnel shaped device, turned it upright, placed and drove it. This was about 40 feet in the air. They did it several times while I watched and never dropped a rivet.

I also visited the Calumet Terminal. I think it was the summer of 1958. A rather long bike ride from 73rd and Merrill. I also captured the 752.

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doubleheader Wrote:
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> Great shots...Thanks for sharing.
> One of these lovely Hudsons was saved and was in
> the Paulson Spence collection.
> When he died it got cut up. Can't remember which
> one it was....what a shame. Beautiful
> Locomotives.
> Greg Scholl

I'll have to look into my files, but I think he owned several of the NKP "Hudsons".

This series of photos were taken with a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 negative size Speed Graphic. This camera was my dads and I was able to use it from time to time.

Also, the St. Louis Museum of Transport has NKP 170 in their collection.

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA

Wow, Jack. You've got a collection of photos there, that is outstanding. I hope that you've got more to share with us.

Bob Callahan
Monticello, IN

Terrific!! I can't get enough of these "behind the stage" shots..

Any chance you've got a shot or two of NKP 624?

Ryan

Same camera Donald Duke used I think. Fantastic photos.

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

LIL_BUDDY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> doubleheader Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great shots...Thanks for sharing.
> > One of these lovely Hudsons was saved and was
> in
> > the Paulson Spence collection.
> > When he died it got cut up. Can't remember
> which
> > one it was....what a shame. Beautiful
> > Locomotives.
> > Greg Scholl
>
> I'll have to look into my files, but I think he
> owned several of the NKP "Hudsons".

I think you are right, he had 2 or 3....makes me sick thinking about it!!
Greg

Wonderful series...thank you for posting those!

Do you have any shots of the actual roundhouse?

Thanks again either way.

--Tom

WONDERFUL WONDERFUL SHOTS !!

Think I was born about 20 years too late :) I grew up in Dolton, IL a couple of miles from the Sibley yards. Too bad my railfan/steam engine interest reared it's head around age 40 ..... :P Guess I'm a late bloomer. Had I had that interest when I was a kid, I woulda spent LOTS of time watching all the trains there !!

Mike

Sasquatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wonderful series...thank you for posting those!
>
> Do you have any shots of the actual roundhouse?
>
> Thanks again either way.
>
> --Tom

Hi Tom,

I didn't take a photo of the roundhouse itself because I was conserving film. The Speed Graphic type of camera used sheet film that you had to load into film holders. Each one held two exposures; you would shoot one shot and then take the film holder out and flip it over for the second shot. Very cumbersome to say the least. I seem to remember that I had five holders so I would have had ten shots. That's one reason that I got a 35mm camera as soon as they were available in my price range.

Jack Bejna
Los Angeles, CA

I believe Dick Yager and Tony Koester co-wrote an article on the "new" Calumet Yard with photos of the roundhouse in a Classic Trains issue with some great photos a few years ago.

Incidentally, I find it interesting that the also new NKP facilities at East Wayne had a turntable but a square building for servicing steam locos. I suppose that was in vogue at the time reference similar later style servicing facilities on the N&W?

I understand that NKP 170 was a candidate for restoration some years ago but Frisco 1522 won out because it was a larger loco?



> Sasquatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > Do you have any shots of the actual roundhouse?
> >



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/10 15:42 by wabash2800.

juicejunkie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sasquatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wonderful series...thank you for posting those!
> >
> > Do you have any shots of the actual roundhouse?
> >
> > Thanks again either way.
> >
> > --Tom
>
> Hi Tom,
>
> I didn't take a photo of the roundhouse itself
> because I was conserving film. The Speed Graphic
> type of camera used sheet film that you had to
> load into film holders. Each one held two
> exposures; you would shoot one shot and then take
> the film holder out and flip it over for the
> second shot. Very cumbersome to say the least. I
> seem to remember that I had five holders so I
> would have had ten shots. That's one reason that I
> got a 35mm camera as soon as they were available
> in my price range.


Thanks Jack, those shots are great and very cool to look at, even without the roundhouse...and working with a camera like that one you had, all that much better that you got what you did!

Thanks again for posting them!

--Tom