The trolleybus wires that extended off of main streets for a short distance down often side streets were for what they call "short-turning" the trolleybus before it actually reached the end of its line. The trolleybus had to back in just past the wire switch on the mainline and down the short length of wire over the side street and then pull out on to the main street again going in the
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

I am all for the Bloomingdale Trail project, but I could not help but notice on the link posted above, articles about school closings and other things that makes me wonder if the Chicago mayor has his priorities straight. I am aware that he is all into beautification projects, including L stations that were surviceable if not beautiful as one example. Chicago and Illinois have some of the highes
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

I'm quite sure that the original origin of this somewhat oddly placed shopping "District" was the direct result of the Ravenswood L stop that was right there. The L line reached that point and on to Kimball in December, 1907 when the line was extended on the ground West of Western which was and still is the end of the true elevated. Stores right at hand would be a natural draw for peop
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

The old Edgewater Gulf Club was very large extending along Pratt Street from Ridge Avenue all the way to Westen Avenue. It also went South to an undefined point and was many hundreds of acres I would estimate.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

As hard as it may to believe the actual owner of Dearborn Station and the tracks leading to it was the Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad. Much of the open ground referred to in this post was their property for coach yards while the station served multiple tenant railroads
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Unfortunately the link in the last post won't help, it is all about the PRR on the far Southside of Chicago. The Bloomingdale was Milwaukee Road property before CP and among other things it was built as a link to their line that crossed Goose Island and ran from Union Station North to Evanston. There were once many light industries and coal yards among other things that took advantage of freig
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

If you check Goggle Maps, the part that gets down to street-level pictures you will see that most of the area has been redeveloped with new and very attractive housing. Whatever it was as far as the seedy-side appears to be gone.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Clybourn Station and the related junction was and still is a particularly important site for the CNW (now UP). It is the point where the North line and Northwest line separate. These are two of the three main lines that CNW (UP) have into Chicago. The third is the West line that separates just outside of Northwestern Station or whatever they now call it
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

According to the latest information from the Chicago Park District, the Zoo is stll there. What animals if any are on display is not specified, but the structures and cages still exist. The main fieldhouse of Indian Boundary Park burned last year and is closed. It was on the National Register of Historic Buildings, but rebuilding will depend on there being money which I understand the neighborh
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

A bit more detail about my last post about maybe there was a connection between the Dunning line and the railroad line just North of Dunning Hospitals. If you look at the 1910 map posted earlier on this site it sure looks possible that there was a connection with the Chicago Terminal Transfer line that later became the B&O Chicago Terminal. That line ran East to meet the CNW Northwest mainlin
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Related to the Kenwood line, there is a three part railroad bridge over the Ryan Expressway. It comes from the South to the West and from the North to the West both of those are still in use. Then there is a middle bridge that is right in the middle and goes straight East to West. That is the old crossing of the Chicago Junction and it is out of service with the rails removed. From there East s
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

One more thing to add about Dexter Park, it was the first home of the Chicago White Stockings baseball team. I bet you can guess what that team matured into when professional baseball became established later in the 19th century.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Dexter Park was built after the Civil War for horse racing and it also had an enclosed amphitheater. It was located between 42nd and 47th on the West side of Halsted on property owned by Union Stockyards and Transit. It existed until 1934 when it burned and was replaced on the same site by the International Amphitheater.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

When they took down the rest of the Logan Square L from Lake St. up to the new subway the bridge over the Milwaukee Road and CNW lines was left in place both because of the issues of removing it over active railroad tracks AND because both railroads were using it as a stand for their signals. It still serves the purpose of holding the signals
Forum: Forgotten Chicago Sightings

There is another interesting aspect of the Dunning Line that has not been mentioned but is clearly visible on the turn of the century maps posted earlier on this site. Back then when the Dunning Line reached Dunning, it turned East and went all the way over to join the CNW Northwest main line at Mayfair. The section beyond Dunning was out of service and removed long ago.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

The property is stll owned by the successor to the Chicago Junction RR and is definitely private property with all that implies for trespassing. Ifyou want to get a look at the top of the embankment try Goggle Maps with a tight setting. There is alot of growth including trees but some things are visible.
Forum: Questions and Answers (Q&A)

Sounds like a work train off the main line pulled into the remaining Dunning Line trackage to get it out of the way. I doubt there is any plan to do work on what remains of the Dunning trackage.
Forum: General Discussion