Nostalgia & History > Around Chicago, IL, & a Little Milwaukee, WI, 6/2 – 7/8/75

Bensenville, Illinois, 6/2/75
1. MILW SD40-2 #156, Bicentennial, was built 8//72 as #3026, later TFM/KCSM #1420, to MEC (PAR) #609.
2. A w/b MILW train led by SD45 #7, built 2//68 as #4001, + FP45 passes tower B-17 diverging toward the C&NW freight belt and on to Milwaukee.
3. EL E8As #815, built 4//51 as DL&W #815, + #812, also built 4//51 as DL&W #812, + 1 more were tied down, probably after delivering interchange to MILW.

Gerry

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Wheeling, Illinois, 6/2/75
I was driving s/b on Graceland Avenue, US-12, in Des Planes, IL, when the lights of the SOO Line grade crossing started to flash and the gates came down.  A SOO GP9 led a short train RR w/b through the crossing with
4. SOO RS-1 #2361, built 3//50 as WC #2361, later Catskill Mountain Scenic (CMRR) #2361 and CMRR #400, +
5. SOO S-2 #2110, built 11//49 as WC #2110, ahead of the caboose.
I gave chase about 8 miles north on Des Planes River Road, US-45, and found the train had taken siding.
Schiller Park, Illinois, 6/2/75
6. SOO FP7 #500A, built 11//49 as EMDX demonstrator #9051, was tied down.

Gerry

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La Grange, Illinois, 6/2/75
7. AMTK #6, the e/b SFZ, was led on BN by SDP40F #629.
McCook, Illinois, 6/2/75
8. An e/b train on IHB was led by MILW GP9Us #946, built 2//58 as GP9 #2368, renumbered #260, rebuilt to CP yard slug #1152, + #975, built 5//56 as GP9 #2379, renumbered #251, to CC&P #975, TMBL #2006, SSRX #118.
Hinsdale, Illinois, 6/2/75
9. An e/b BN commuter train was shoved by E9AM #9903, built 1//50 as CB&Q E8A #9940A, to BN #9940, rebuilt 2//74 as E9AM #9903, retired 8//92, to CN #102.

Gerry

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 6/15/75
10. MILW H12-44 #728, built 11//51 as #1846, led a short w/b train through the passenger station.
11. MILW S-4 #819, built 11//50 as #1864, renumbered #854, re-renumbered #819, was tied down at the West Milwaukee Shops.

Gerry

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Chicago, Illinois, 7/2/75
12. MILW E9A #37A, built 4//61, led a w/b commuter train out of the north side of Union Station.
Evanston, Illinois, 7/8/75
13. C&NW E8A #5024B shoved an e/b commuter train out of Davis Street Station viewed from the CTA Davis Street Station.   Evanston had three C&NW station and still has three Metra stations.  Central Avenue was on the north side, Main Street on the south side and Davis Street in the middle, downtown.  All three brick buildings are visible on google Street View.

Gerry

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Chicago, Illinois, 7/8/75
14. A CTA Bicentennial Skokie Swift car arrived the Howard Street Terminal.
15. A CTA Howard Street train arrived after running around the turning loop.
Evanston, Illinois, 7/8/75
16. C&NW’s Canal Tower was at the RR west end of three main tracks at the intersection of Green Bay Road and Simpson Street, about ¼ mile RR east of the North Shore Channel.  The North Shore Channel runs south from Lake Michigan in Wilmette to become the North Branch of the Chicago River.  The tower, signal bridge and one of the three tracks have been removed.  Note that only the middle track was signaled for bidirectional movement.  I probably didn’t notice it at the time, but it appears the westward track signal was being cleared.
 
References:
That site that archives railroad pictures
https://www.bullsheet.com/bullsheet.com/index.html
https://www.thedieselshop.us/
https://utahrails.net/index.php
 
Gerry

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Lots of nice stuff from the good old days. Especially like the last photo showing C&NW's unique semaphores. Thanks for sharing.

Tom

Amazing time machine of memories and images.

So many TREASURES!!!
Bob