Any Idea What The Circle on the Track Map Represents?

Model Railroader
1

I model Dearborn Station in downtown Chicago. The track map in the photo below has a feature that has puzzled me for years.

The photo illustrates the 4-track C&WI mainline just south of Dearborn Station. Moving from left to right is crosses Wentworth Ave. at grade level, then descends under Clark St. and turns east into Dearborn Station (not shown in the photo).

Coming down from top to bottom in the photo is the St. Charles Air Line (SCAL) which crosses over the 4-track C&WI mainline and continues as an overpass across Clark St. By the way, as the SCAL tracks cross the South Branch of the Chicago River, they run across a bascule bridge and next to that bascule bridge is another 2-track bascule bridge used by the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad Company (BOCT) to carry its passenger trains to and from Grand Central Station just a bit north of Dearborn Station.

Other interesting features on that track map are the C&WI freight yard on the upper left above the 4-track C&WI mainline and the Santa Fe coach yard, roundhouse and turntable below the 4-track C&WI mainline. Also seen in that track map are the 2-track mainlines for the Rock Island and New York Central leading into LaSalle Street Station which is situated between Grand Central Station and Dearborn Station.

OK, enough orientation. That map represents about one square mile of track for a host of different railroads, nearly a dozen in total. The feature that has puzzled me for years is that circle pointed to by the red arrow. Any ideas what that circle might be?

Rich

circle
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water tower?

perhaps you can locate it using historic aerials aronud 1965

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I’m familiar with this area of Cleveland and these four circles are gas holders or gasometers. City gas or coal gas, the type once used for household and street lighting.

Gas Holders by Edmund, on Flickr

Maybe you could find old aerial photos of the area. Library of Congress, perhaps?

Here’s a look down the Cuyahoga at the four gas holders. There’s three styles shown here. The skeletal lattice frame is a water seal rising holder. Another to the left of that with different framing and the two conical type in the rear:

Cuyahoga 1906 by Edmund, on Flickr

Cuyahoga Gas Holder Crop by Edmund, on Flickr

Take a look here?

Good Luck, Ed

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I have a vague idea of ​​the location you’re looking for. It should be right in the middle of this one. But I’m not sure.

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This is from the inside back cover of “Lenahan’s Locomotive Lexicon” Edition 3, Vol.2 (published in 1985). It was apparently taken one morning in 1970 in a light aircraft piloted by James Lenahan, the author of the book. The numbers in the photo are explained as follows:
(1) PC (ex-PRR), GM&O, IC, C&WI, GTW, SF, C&EI, EL, N&W, CB&Q, MIL, C&NW, SCL, WAB pass through 21st Street jct., (2)SF reverse loop, (3)CB&Q Wye, (4)St. Charles Airline B&O, SOO, PC(NYC), MC, IC, C&NW, (5)16th street jct. B&O, SOO, IC, C&W, SF, RI, PC(NYC), GTW, EL, C&EI, N&W, WAB, C&NW, MIL, CB&Q, (6)Grand Central Station, (7) Dearborn Street Station, (8) La Salle Street Station, (9) Union Station yard throat

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Wow, I did not expect this much of a response. I am going to need some time to go through all of this material in all of these replies. Thank you all for your replies. I will come back and comment on all of them.

This is a long-standing mystery with me. I would do most anything to solve it.

I do have some ideas of my own, and I will post them as well.

Stay tuned.

Rich

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greg, the historical aerial photos is a great idea. I have tried that approach before without success, but let me try some more.

I have seriously consider a water tower. I just wish that I could find a photo or drawing to confirm that idea.

Rich

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Ed, as always, you are a treasure trove of information. I agree that your map of that area in Cleveland bears a striking resemblance to the drawing that I posted. My only question, though, is whether gasometers would be constructed at that location where the entire surrounding area is rail yards?

Rich

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Yep, that 4 with arrows points to the near exact location. Tough to see up close though. That photo is from 1970 and the drawing I posted is from 1953, but nothing much, if at all, has changed during that time frame. If you notice the area right beyond the arrow on the right side of the 4, where it curves left and then heads north, that is a filled-in land area where the Chicago River was straightened in 1929-1930. You can see the straightened river where the arrow on the left side of the 4 points. Directly above the 4 is where the circle is on my posted drawing.

Rich

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Another photo I remembered was this one, but it was the LaSalle of the Rock Island Railroad. I thought I’d show it to you, since you can faintly see the ATSF yard in the background on the right.

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Covers of “the Walthers Railroad Collectibles Catalog 1980”, Chicago’s LaSalle Station, on Aug. 4th, 1970 by James W. Watson with Ektachrome

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That’s a great photo of the Rock Island, undoubtedly taken by a railfan standing on the Roosevelt Road overpass.

Rich

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Following up on greg’s suggestion, I came across this aerial photo of the area back in the 50s. I circled precise area and it does look vaguely like a roundhouse and turntable. Cannot be sure, though

Rich

Aerial Map with Circle
Aerial Map with Circle1280Ă—720 155 KB

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Here is a very interesting drawing that I came across late last night. It is a May, 1926 proposal to straighten the South Branch of the Chicago River which actually occurred in 1929-30.

But, what is so interesting to me is the roundhouse and turntable in the drawing. The only problem is that roundhouse and turntable are located west of the river whereas the circle in the drawing in my initial post is east of the river. So, the mystery remains as to what that circle represents.

Rich

Straightening the River
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roundhouse ??

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Maybe.

I really like those two drawings that you posted.

I have researched the subject and the area a lot, but I have not previously come across those drawings.

Rich

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I am beginning to think that the circle may represent an abandoned turntable. I say that based upon the various photos and drawings being posted here, inlciuding greg’s postings that show yards in that specific area at different times. The drawing that I have reposted here from 1953 shows a circle much like the ATSF turntable left of the circle in the drawing. Albeit, the circle that the red arrow points to is smaller than the ATSF turntable, but that could simply mean a smaller yard turntable. Thoughts?

Rich

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they’re from that historic aerials website

they show a larger RR terminal at that location in 1929 that was reduced in 1956. Neither showing anything likte a roundhouse at that location

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The red circle in this drawing is where the circle appears on the originally posted drawing. In this currently posted drawing from 1926, there was a yard there whereas in 1953 the yard was gone.

Rich

a-circle
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You know how in the original Star Trek TV show the crew would hide a can of WD-40 on the set somewhere and make it look like it belongs there? I think that crew were grandsons of the Sanborn crew. They are messing with you.

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Space Mouse has gone AWOL on other Forums as well.

David

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If we could stick to the original subject matter, please.

Rich

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