Nostalgia & History > Chicago Union Station Files - MILW 1966 track assignmen

On another thread a few days ago we were having an interesting discussion of switching / cutting cars off in passenger terminals. That set me looking through my file boxes and while I did not yet find what I was looking for, I did find this interesting document provided by a retired Stationmaster who also provided the detailed explanation.

This is an internal Chicago Union Station document from Feb. 22, 1966 with the daily plan for handling the Milwaukee Road trains on the north side of CUS. Here you have a peek behind the curtain to see how it all worked.

For those of you unfamiliar with CUS the track numbers on the north side are odd numbered. There are platforms on both sides of each track (except 19): passenger on one side, baggage on the other. The baggage platforms have a ramp at the head house end that descends to the lower level. Track 1 is the shortest track and the length of tracks increase up to Track 19.

The MILW train numbering can be somewhat confusing. Through trains were 1 or 2 digits however Suburban Trains that originated or terminated at Deerfield on the North Line were also 2 digits. The North Line Fox Lake trains were in the 100 series but the UP City Trains were also in the 100 series. West Line Elgin trains were in the 200 series. I have included the MILW Through Train schedule in effect at the time but I do not have the Suburban Schedules. Perhaps someone else has them and can post.

An item that reads for example “252 for 261” means that inbound Suburban No. 252 pulls in and the equipment is then used as Suburban No. 261 without a change in the consist.

An inbound train such as 144 that has no “for” indicates it backs out to Western Ave. Coach Yard. Later in the day it will back down to make an outbound train that has no “for” turning to it.

“Cars from the yard” means cars that a yard engine will shove down from Western Ave. Coach Yard.

How to read the notice:

Track 1: Head end cars for checked baggage and REA for the Arrow, City of LA / SF, Afternoon HI and Morning HI are spotted by a yard engine. They are spotted in order of which the trains depart (No. 5 is the first to go so its cars are spotted north out). A yard engine will swing the cars over to the head end of the trains which will depart from longer tracks with the exception of No. 19 which will depart from Track 1. A yard engine will tie onto 19’s head end cars and double them over to the coaches and then set everything back on Track 1. After the Arrow’s departure the Varsity from Madison will come in on Track 1.

Track 3: A yard engine spots the head end cars for the Sioux against the post followed by a car of mail from the Santa Fe. While those cars are at the post, North Line suburban train 132 comes in and stops short. A cut is made on Suburban 132 leaving an engine and 1 car for outbound North Line Suburban 135 and 2 coaches for No. 27 to Milwaukee. After 135 departs a road engine will tie onto No. 27. Later Suburban 144 comes in and then backs out to Western Ave. coach yard. When Suburban 152 arrives, 4 cars from the coach yard will be added to make up Suburban 155 (these may already be in the track when 152 arrives). After 155 departs, suburban equipment shoves in to make Suburban 53 which is a rush hour train that terminates at Deerfield. After 53 departs, equipment shoves in to make Suburban 233. Now its time to make up the Sioux. After the Sioux departs, Suburban 34 non-stop from Deerfield arrives to turn on Suburban 151. (this is probably the same equipment that departed earlier on Suburban 53). To round out the day Suburban 252 comes in to make outbound Suburban 261.

Track 5: Mostly Suburban Trains with the exception of No. 20 the Arrow and No. 12 a train from Milwaukee. A depot engine will pull No. 12’s cars out of the track to let the road engine escape and then shove the cars back in to make up Suburban 149.
One of the CUS stories often told concerns No. 20 handling cars of strawberries on the rear end. Apparently the move was for a through freight to set the cars out “on line” where they would be picked up by No. 20 on the rear end. This could total quite a few cars at times, so with the head end cars and strawberries it could be quite a good size train to try to spot 10 feet from the post. One time the strawberry cars were still set in direct release so as No. 20’s engineer was trying to make a good spot in the depot, the brakes fully released on the strawberry cars and nudged him into the bumping post. No harm, as the Stationmaster said “that is why they call it a bumping post, it is there to get bumped at times”.

Track 7: Suburban Trains with the exception No.22 the inbound Sioux. An interesting item is “229-39” which indicates that two outbound Suburban trains were spotted on Track 7 at the same time. The friendly uniformed trainmen on both trains will have to make multiple clear announcements to insure passengers boarded the correct train.

Track 9: No. 56 The Fast Mail was scheduled to arrive at 5:00 AM on Track 15. A yard engine will set empties from No. 56 onto Track 9 for later movement. Then three Suburban trains will come in and back out. No. 24 arrives from Milwaukee. No. 23 departs for Milwaukee. Two more Suburban trains, then the Afternoon Hi arrives.

Track 11: The Varsity departs for Madison then head end cars for The Fast Mail and The Copper Country Ltd. are spotted for loading. 57’s cars will be moved later to Track 23 and 9’s cars will be swung over to Track 15. After that No. 55 an unnamed train for Minneapolis will be set for departure.

Track 13: Suburban trains then the Morning Hi, Afternoon Hi, Domeliner City of Denver / Portland. Two Suburban trains (137-221 ) spotted at the same time. Three more Suburbans then The Pioneer Ltd.

Track 15: The Fast Mail, The Pioneer Ltd, The City of Portland / Denver, The Morning Hi, an outbound rush hour Suburban, The Copper Country Ltd., and the unnamed train from Minneapolis.

Tracks 17 and 19 are out of service one block south of the bumping post. More than likely this is for construction of one of the buildings in the air rights. This is probably the cause for some of the Suburban trains being spotted together on station tracks. Express car unloading that would normally have been done on the shorter tracks has been moved over to 17 and 19.

Track 23 is on the south side of the station (this is way before the Amtrak track renumbering) but it is a mail terminal track that provides access to the north side. The Fast Mail departs from here. (The westbound Fast Mail was not shown in the Public Timetable)

Track 28: This track is on the south side of the station but connects to through tracks for access to the north side. The City of SF / LA trains are using 28 because 19 is out of service.

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What we wouldn't give to ride some of these trains now !

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Good internal material.

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing and explaining that.

What a job the Lake Street Tower operator must have had to keep everything moving and to the right places. Whenever a train or two were off schedule, the stationmaster likely had his hands full improvising the plans.

The Chicago-Minneapolis trains 55 and 58 were unnamed perhaps because their schedules, at over 12 hours each, seemed like a local or mixed. But I bet they were great rides and lots of the runs were in daylight.

Of all the great trains shown, I think I would be on the Copper Country Limited first, in a heartbeat.

Nice to see how many trains were still running as late as 1965. Thanks for the interesting addition to this site.

Rich

Noted that the City of LA/SF 103/104 used TK 28, which is the runthru track and has the longest platform in the station.
Also noted that the Morning and Afternoon Hiawatha schedules shows bus connections at Columbus for Madison (this is something Amtrak should be doing today with the BUILDER).

Andy

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> This is an internal Chicago Union Station document
> from Feb. 22, 1966 with the daily plan for
> handling the Milwaukee Road trains on the north
> side of CUS. Here you have a peek behind the
> curtain to see how it all worked.


It worked without a control center.

It worked without conference calls.

It worked without meetings.

It worked without computers.

It worked mostly without radios.

It worked without modern business metaphors: nobody played hardball, there was no ball and it wasn't in anybody's court anyway, nothing went up a flagpole.

I worked without anyone playing mother-may-I through the chain of command every time something changed a little.

It worked because there was a detailed plan forming the basis of operation, allowing management by exception.

It worked because the guy typing was an expert who forgot more than some people now will ever know.

It worked because the guys reading it were experts who forgot more than some people now will ever know.


TAW

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Englewood Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > This is an internal Chicago Union Station
> document
> > from Feb. 22, 1966 with the daily plan for
> > handling the Milwaukee Road trains on the north
> > side of CUS. Here you have a peek behind the
> > curtain to see how it all worked.
>
>
> It worked without a control center.
>
> It worked without conference calls.
>
> It worked without meetings.
>
> It worked without computers.
>
> It worked mostly without radios.
>
> It worked without modern business metaphors:
> nobody played hardball, there was no ball and it
> wasn't in anybody's court anyway, nothing went up
> a flagpole.
>
> I worked without anyone playing mother-may-I
> through the chain of command every time something
> changed a little.
>
> It worked because there was a detailed plan
> forming the basis of operation, allowing
> management by exception.
>
> It worked because the guy typing was an expert who
> forgot more than some people now will ever know.
>
> It worked because the guys reading it were experts
> who forgot more than some people now will ever
> know.
>
>
> TAW

AAAAAAAMEN to that brother !!!! nothing more to be said about that ...

Posted from Android

The "some people now" are presently in disarray because there is snow in today's Chicago forecast.

Rich

To be fair, Union Station in Chicago today is probably a lot busier than it was in 1966 as it's doing the work of several stations that have since been shut down.

Also, 1966 was from an era where you could, generally, still hire the most intelligent, qualified people for a particular job, without having to worry about quotas and other government-enforced requirements in the hiring process. As we all know, the most qualified / competent people are not necessarily at the helm in this day-and-age. Instead, they meet other requirements and considerations that have been deemed more important.

And that's as much as I'm going to say about THAT subject!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/14 03:34 by CA_Sou_MA_Agent.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To be fair, Union Station in Chicago today is
> probably a lot busier than it was in 1966 as it's
> doing the work of several stations that have since
> been shut down.
>

Actually Zero trains came over to the north side of CUS from other stations.