Nostalgia & History > Chicago 1948 49 50 video IC C&EI PRR WABASH more

A video from 1948 thru 1950, 2 parts, will try to get the 2nd one on today. I did get a sheet with descriptions of what was filmed, but I cannot make out the writing, also the film has deteriorated some what,  had a very bad vinegar smell. Lots of history, I have no idea of locations.

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Some great footage there.  Glad you transferred it to digital - seems like the film is about to disentigrate!!

Loved the icing footage - must've been a great place to work in the heat of the summer.

A freight car spectacular! Thanks for sharing.

You salvaged all this footage just in time. Thanks for sharing.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

It is interesting that the ice is going into the refrigerator cars to be shipped(?), and probably not as coolant for any product to be carried. Otherwise, it would be placed into the bunkers accessable on the roof. 

If it smells of vinegar, get it digitized.   You can edit it after then.  I've had B&W negs do that and pretty soon the emulsion delaminated from the base.

I believe the opening scenes with the IC cow and calf and BRC steam were taken 
on the BRC main on the curve between 80th St. and Belt Jct.  I need to do a little more
research to know for sure.

The overpass with the B&O advertisement? Perhaps 79th St where the B&OCT and PRR Panhandle
ran parallel.

The ice house? Conjecture but since the rest of scenes were from the southwest side perhaps
this was the fabled BRC Ice House.  Is that Cicero Ave. in the background ???  Ice was shipped
in refrigerated boxcars.  The BRC/C&WI had dedicated cars to ship ice from the BRC Ice House 
to the C&WI coach yard at 51st St. 
 

Upon further review:
The IC cow and calf transfer is headed railroad south on the
BRC at Lowe Ave., just north of 76th St.  The train is on the
BRC Southbound Main.  Closest to the photographer is the track
known as Belt 4.  There is a hand throw switch a short distance
behind the photographer which connects Belt 4 to the Rock Island
Lead which joins the Rock Island mains around 87th St within Gresham
Interlocking.  The track between Belt 4 and the Southbound Main is the still existant
Belt 3.
  
The train will continue south on the BRC to Pullman Jct. where, after pulling south of
the plant, it will shove down the hill to IC Fordham yard.
 
At 0:03 a bracket mast carrying two semaphore signals can
be seen in the background  These are the northbound home
signals on the Wabash for C&WI 74th St interlocking.   74th St is the junction
of the Wabash with the C&WI. 
 
At 1:13 the underpass in the distance is where Lowe Ave. goes under the
Wabash.  Enter 7500 So. Lowe Chicago in Google Maps and switch to
Satellite view.  Today this area looks like a deceptively peaceful park area,
The ground level tracks have been long removed.  The underpass now provides access to the
“Burma Road” gravel road that parallels the BRC / NS to Pullman Jct.
I spent the early years of my life within rifle shot distance of this location.
 
At 1:30 is a northbound BRC at the same location where we saw the IC transfer.
The underpass at 2:13 looks like Union Ave.
 
At 2:17 the photographer has crossed the BRC tracks.  We get a better look
at the northbound signals for C&WI 74th St. interlocking.  The bracket mast signals
are for the Wabash, the overhead bridge carries the C&WI signals. That might be
74th St tower a little bit in from the left edge in front of the trees.  The brick building
with the light colored roof.
 
Is that building at 2:31 the B&OCT 79th St. switchtender office?  The one I remember
was much smaller.
 
At 2:38 is the B&OCT / PRR Panhandle bridge over 79th St.  Go to Google Maps and enter
2200 W. 79th St.. Chicago.   Go to street view and look east at the west side of the
overpass.  The “Baltimore and Ohio” lettering is still visible.
 
I have no idea on the location of the train at 2:39. I am no steam expert but the engine
Looks like a PRR.  The Chicago two-flats in the background should give a clue as to location
but I am at a loss.
 

THANK YOU FOR POSTING !!!!
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/19 21:46 by Englewood.

Absolutely outstanding even with the quality issues.
Thanks for this video posting.
ALLEN

Thanks for the replys and info on the videos, and a big thank you to Englewood for providing much needed info for these. KCRW287

KCRW287 was kind enough to send me a copy of the handwritten notes he had referred
to in his posting.  As he said they were very hard to decipher but here is my translation for Part 1: 
My comments in italics.

Beginning of film to 2:30
1948. 
76th and Parnell (Parnell is on the east side of the C&WI mains at this location.
Photos were actually taken a few blocks west of Parnell)

2:30 to 2:40
79th and Western
Shack and B&O Bridge
(Upon further review, I believe the PRR steam shot at 2:39 was of
an eastbound on the Panhandle south of 75th St.  In google maps
street view the brick houses in the background can be seen.  They are
actually what we call "Georgians".  In Part 2 of the video series there
is also a quick view of these houses at 2:06.)

2:40 to 4:13
Cicero - Railways Ice Company
(I believe his use of "Cicero" refers not to the Burlington yard
of that name but to the street location.  In part  2 he uses "Cicero"
to describe what is clearly the BRC Clearing yard.)

4:13 to 4:49
59th and Ashland
(That would put this train on the PRR Englewood Connecting
Line that connected the Panhandle and Fort Wayne lines.  It ran
just north of 59th St. )

4:49 to end
76th and Racine
(BRC Belt Jct.)

Very interesting footage! The Railways Ice Co was indeed located off Cicero Ave adjacent to Clearing Yard. It is listed in the 1956 and 1963 Directory of Industries for the Chicago Switching District.