Passenger Trains > So long, Englewood

The official opening of Chicago's Englewood Flyover is a major advance for 21st Century railroading.

I grew up in the mid 20th Century. On the Rock Island Suburban Line.

So permit me a moment of nostalgia.

Englewood Union Station, at the crossing of the Rock Island and Pennsylvania Railroads -- and where the New York Central curved toward Manhattan -- was the place where many of the great trains paused to pick up the carriage trade of Chicago's prosperous South Side.

When I was a kid it had all but faded away.

Still, I knew that when my Rock Island commuter train slammed through the noisy Englewood diamonds, we were following in the wakes of the 20th Century, the Broadway and the Golden State, among many others.

On board had been Cary Grant, industrial titans, Senators, grandmothers and my father.

Englewood was once alive with baggage carts, a final kiss goodbye and last minute telegrams.

Tonight I soared over all of it.

No rattle of the crossing.

No delay.

No concern about the tragedies that now are more typical of today's Englewood.

It's better now that the Flyover is open.

Yet I felt that something has been lost.

So long, Englewood.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 19:47 by stuporchief.

I hear ya, and I loved that Pentrex video called "Classic Chicago railroading" because they had it at the beginning and end of the tape and I don't blame the cameraman who shot that video doing that because that was one hell of a hot spot, probably one of the best field days any railfan would enjoy!

Beautifully written. Thank you for sharing.

Nice memorial.

A couple of years ago I did a photo-blog on Englewood. Lots of pictures from 1965 including the Broadway and the Century -- many E-units and Rock Island's eclectic bunch of diesels pulling commuter trains and PRR's Valpo trains. It's at:

http://railfan44.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-morning-at-englewood-union-station.html


Enjoy,
Marty Bernard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/14 23:59 by MartyBernard.

stuporchief --
That is a very moving tribute to a once-great place.
SO sad the way things have changed.

Marty --
thank you very much for that link to that very interesting
blog. It was faded glory in 1965, but still gory
What a wonderful group of photos.

Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> stuporchief --
> That is a very moving tribute to a once-great
> place.
> SO sad the way things have changed.
>(snip)


also the gateway to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair Englewood features prominently in Erik Larsen's Devil in the White City book

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> also the gateway to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair
> Englewood features prominently in Erik Larsen's
> Devil in the White City book


"The Devil in the White City" is one of my favorite books. It shows both sides of Chicago: The great and the seamy. Anyone who loves Chicago will enjoy the story.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> also the gateway to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair
> Englewood features prominently in Erik Larsen's
> Devil in the White City book

One thing that griped me about Larsen's book is his errors about the elevated system. He had characters get on the el in the vicinity of Holmes' hotel (63rd and Wallace, near Halsted) and ride to the fair. The Englewood branch of the el was not there at the time of the fair. And it was never possible to ride from the Englewood line to Jackson Park without a change of trains at 55th/Garfield or 58th Street.

Of course, the el no longer goes to Jackson Park (Stony Island Avenue, actually). It was first cut back to Dorchester when the bridge over the IC (now CN/Amtrak) passenger main began to crumble, and now ends at Cottage Grove, thus removing a mile of line down 63rd Street.

Please, do not forget the Nickel Plate. I loved their 4-6-4s. wag216

stuporchief Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The official opening of Chicago's Englewood
> Flyover is a major advance for 21st Century
> railroading.
>
> I grew up in the mid 20th Century. On the Rock
> Island Suburban Line.
>
> So permit me a moment of nostalgia.
>
> Englewood Union Station, at the crossing of the
> Rock Island and Pennsylvania Railroads -- and
> where the New York Central curved toward Manhattan
> -- was the place where many of the great trains
> paused to pick up the carriage trade of Chicago's
> prosperous South Side.
[snip]

Boy, does this bring back memories. When I came to college in Chicago in 1948, Englewood Union Station, a short walk and trolley ride from the U of C, became a favorite hangout. Watching the afternoon/evening fleet through there was a delight.

Some years later, working for the PRR, I rode many a train through Englewood.

And, 5 years ago, when I last visited the location, much was gone but much was still there. The alley-like road up to track grade was still there, though crumbling. So were the tracks and even a few Amtrak trains, plus Rock/Metra trains, were still there. But the station was gone, and nothing stopped.

I was on board a RI train from Peoria; we lost time due to a freight derailment; so instead of changing stations in downtown Chicago from LsSalle St. to CUS, I got off at Englewood for my PRR train to Ft. Wayne. It was too easy and convenient!

MartyBernard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice memorial.
>
> A couple of years ago I did a photo-blog on
> Englewood. Lots of pictures from 1965 including
> the Broadway and the Century -- many E-units and
> Rock Island's eclectic bunch of diesels pulling
> commuter trains and PRR's Valpo trains. It's at:
>
> http://railfan44.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-morning-at
> -englewood-union-station.html
>
>
> Enjoy,
> Marty Bernard

Outstanding photo's Marty......

Steve