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Metropolitan Elevated loop connector remnants
Posted by:
kiernansanders
()
Date: October 12, 2013 02:48PM
I took a look through Google Maps/Street View this morning to see if I could find any remainder of the old L connection between the Met mainline and the Loop, between Halsted and Wells. I already knew about the remaining substation on Franklin, but I did find something new. On the east side of Jefferson between Jackson and Van Buren, the facade of a demolished building remains at the street, sticking off the northeast corner of the adjacent building and serving as an entrance to the parking lot behind it. The facade is old, and low in height, it looks extremely akin to other old under-the-L buildings. The sidewalk in front of the facade has four square concrete patches that look like caps poured over the severed connections where the elevated structure's columns would have fallen. Does anyone know if these are in fact L remnants, and if so, was this former building another substation, or something else?
Re: Metropolitan Elevated loop connector remnants
Posted by:
trainutlen
()
Date: October 13, 2013 11:17AM
Not a station according to Chicago L-I believe it was a substation. Have you ever looked at the west bank of the Chicago River (south) between Jackson & Van Buren. You can still see remnants of the pliling from the drawbridge.
Re: Metropolitan Elevated loop connector remnants
Posted by:
kiernansanders
()
Date: October 13, 2013 01:06PM
I have noticed those before. I've also been in the streetcar tunnel underneath all that too - that's not the L, of course, but just as fascinating!
Re: Metropolitan Elevated loop connector remnants
Posted by:
trainutlen
()
Date: October 13, 2013 03:00PM
The Van Buren tunnel used to be used for training street car motormen to operate in Washington and LaSalle Street tunnels.
Re: Metropolitan Elevated loop connector remnants
Posted by:
trainutlen
()
Date: October 13, 2013 03:01PM
Up until the renovation of Union Station, you could see where the Met L ran over the train sheds.
Re: Metropolitan Elevated loop connector remnants
Posted by:
Business7007
()
Date: October 14, 2013 12:50AM
I just took a look at Goggle Maps street-level and agree that the site on the west-side of Jefferson between Jackson and Van Buren is a remnant of the Metropolitan EL that connected the loop with the mainline. It is definitely not a station house because that was at Canal Street. Not sure if it was a substation since there was a substation at Franklin just across the river. I will do some further research and see what I can uncover.
Re: Metropolitan Elevated loop connector remnants
Posted by:
CrazyIvan25
()
Date: October 15, 2013 02:23PM
How does the streetcar tunnel look like kiernansanders? I have wondered if there is any access there at all.
Re: Metropolitan Elevated loop connector remnants
Posted by:
kiernansanders
()
Date: October 16, 2013 01:55PM
The tunnel is pretty moist - the bottom is mostly sand, though you can still see the pavers from in between the tracks (I took one as a souvenir). The devices which used to suspend the electrified wire overhead are still in the ceiling. Along at least one side of the tunnel they installed a concrete berm with a number of pipes inside it, meant to run utilities and other things through, but I don't think it is used - I remember it looking empty at one end where I could see the pipes but nothing in/connecting them. The west side of the tunnel dead ends at a huge rotten wooden wall, which I'm guessing is formwork for a concrete wall poured behind it - I'd say this is about at Canal Street overhead. The most unusual part are the MASSIVE cylindrical columns now standing in the middle of the tunnel, evenly spaced. They look like rusty steel (and I assume they're concrete filled) and they stand directly in the path of where the streetcars would have run. I'm wondering if these were installed at some point after the tunnel stopped being used because they were afraid it would collapse - either from the river or the weight of the Union Station trains overhead? I'm not sure. Either way, quite an adventure and a space like no other in Chicago to experience being in.
Re: Metropolitan Elevated loop connector remnants
Posted by:
CrazyIvan25
()
Date: October 16, 2013 02:29PM
That sounds really awesome! I've been trying to find pictures of this place while in use and how it looks now, and it is so darn hard. Ive only seen drawings of it looked inside, but nothing recent!
