Chicago Rail Line Oddities

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I spotted a few oddities on the Chicago maps
in the July Trains and had a few questions:

  1. The PRR line (originally PCC&StL) entered
    Union station from the North. What passenger
    trains used this line and when did they stop
    using this approach?

  2. How did the C&NW end up with what is now
    Global I, previously Wood Street Yard? It
    seems out of place as it appears to be on
    the approach to Grand Central Station.

2

cajrrman: I noted that oddity too. I also noted that their long range plan calls for the trains to Milwaukee to leave from the south side of the station (?).
But what an interesting issue of Trains – they have “done” Chicago before but this time they really dug deep I thought.
Dave Nelson

3

Possible answers to your questions:

  1. Trains using the PCC&StL to get to the north side of Union Station probably originated in, or went through, Logansport, Indiana. They could have quit using that line any time after the Bernice cutoff (SC&S) was built–it would make more snese to keep operations consolidated as much as possible). It would probably be hard to pin down a precise date from public timetables, though employee timetables might be useful for this.

  2. Check out the earlier maps inthe sequence, when the St. Charles Air Line (SCAL) was built. It later became part of CNW, and the Wood Street yard was built at the bend in the line. This line was originally C&NW’s connection to other railroads–the IC, and railroads to the east. Grand Central Station and the B&O came a few years after this. B&O had a yard–Robey Street–right next to Wood Street (to its north), but CNW bought the property and expanded Global One over it.

4

I will agree with you sir. I found the map a bit confusing. They could have done a better job with it.
TIM A

5

As far as the second question goes, The CNW had the trackage in question after they aquired the CGW. You are correct in the fact that it was the approach to Grand Central. It’s been a few years since I’ve been there, but last I saw, the old GC trackage was intact to the west bank of the Chicago River. This is now referred to as the “extension”.
Todd C.