Original B&O route into Chicago?

[Quis]

Can anyone confirm what the original B&O route into downtown Chicago was?

I grew up in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago near a NW/SE diagonal RR spur line, which I believe was part of the B&O CT, connecting the US Steel South Works in South Chicago and the Illinois Central main line / Grand Crossing. (I am not sure exactly what this spur line connected to at the NW end.)

My question: Was this line ever the principal entrance for the B&O into Chicago?

I understand that the B&O accessed Chicago via IC tracks. Was this route through the area that later became Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood the original B&O route, before the later B&O routes into the city?

[wanswheel]

Yes I think that’s it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=IEPCqQErPHAC&pg=PA152

http://forgottenchicago.com/features/chicago-infrastructure/south-shore-bo-spur/

Mike

[richhotrain]

Yes I think that’s it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=IEPCqQErPHAC&pg=PA152

http://forgottenchicago.com/features/chicago-infrastructure/south-shore-bo-spur/

Mike

wanswheel,

Thanks for those two links.

In the Forgotten Chicago article, there is a mention of the elevation of the IC tracks in the late 19th century. The location of the IC track elevation is at Grand Crossing. An interesting history about Grand Crossing can be found at:

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/547.html

I recall a couple of cool photos in a book that I have showing the crossing at ground level before elevation and the crossing during the process of constructing the elevation. That original ground level crossing was incredible, given the number of tracks crossing each other.

wanswheel, perhaps you can post those photos for us, given you awesome powers of producing photos upon request. [bow]

Don’t let us down!

Rich

[richhotrain]

I got tired of waiting for wanwheel. [(-D]

Here is a link to those two photos of Greater Grand Crossing in Chicago:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Grand_Crossing,_Chicago

Rich

[wanswheel]

Another picture of Grand Crossing at link

http://chuckmancollectionvolume8.blogspot.com/2010/10/postcard-chicago-grand-crossing-rail.html

Excerpt from History of the Illinois Central Railroad to 1870 by Howard K Brownson

Supposing the first measure had definitely settled the questions under dispute in regard to an entrance into Chicago, the president immediately directed the engineers to commence active construction work from Chicago to the state line. When the second ordinance was not accepted, the company, of course, had no legal right to enter the city, but rather than delay matters it was determined to complete the railroad from Lake Calumet to the city limits at once. There was practically no danger of not obtaining a proper entrance to the city, and the construction of this section would provide the Michigan Central with its much desired entrance into Chicago without a protracted delay. Much of the ground south of the city limits, especially near Lake Calumet and Woodlawn, was low and marshy, and this made it necessary to place the tracks on trestle work at considerable additional expense. Rails and ties had been ordered in the fall of 1851 and by January, 1852, the first shipments had arrived. Grading and other preliminary work was commenced in December, and the combined energies of the Michigan Central and Illinois Central were exerted to finish the line from the Indiana border to Lake Calumet and from there to Hyde Park. Construction was continued when possible during the winter, and as soon as the weather permitted both companies placed large gangs of men at work. By May 1 the railroad was within eight miles of the city limits, and three weeks later that short stretch was completed. On the twenty-first of the month, the first train, hauling gravel and construction materials, left Calumet and ran to the city limits. Temporary freight and passenger stations had be

[richhotrain]

wanswheel,

Thanks for that additional photo.

Greater Grand Crossing has always fascinated me, considering that it was the largest ground level crossing in the world.

The determination, and the technical ability, to construct an elevated crossing of that magnitude at that time in railroad history has to impress even the most casual observer.

Greater Grand Crossing would be one heckuva modeling effort for someone to undertake on his layout. It won’t be me.

Rich

[wanswheel]

Excerpt from Forty-third Annual Report of the Railroad and Warehouse Commission of the State of Illinois for the year ending June 30, 1913.

Railroad and Warehouse Commission, ex rel
A. C. Clark, et al., Petitioners

v.

Pennsylvania Company, Defendant

Railroad and Warehouse Commission, ex rel
A. C. Clark, et al., Petitioners

v.

Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Company, Defendant

In re Removal of station at Grand Crossing, Illinois

The petition in each of the above entitled cases is the same, and filed by the same persons for the same purpose against the respective defendants.

The petition alleges that the petitioners, and each of them, are citizens of Illinois, residing in the vicinity of what is known as Grand Crossing; that there is a population in the neighborhood of 50,000 residing within a certain territory described as bounded on the north by Sixty-third Street, on the south by Seventy-eighth Street, on the west by State Street and on the east by Lake Michigan; that the people residing within such territory for many years used the defendants’ trains as a means of transportation in and out of the vicinity of Grand Crossing; that the several defendants have maintained a station at what is known as Grand Crossing for about forty years; that a few years ago track elevation was ordered, and that while in process of construction, the station was moved, as the evidence shows, twenty-eight hundred feet northwest of its former location; that said new station is to be made permanent and that thereby the people heretofore using said depot facilities at Grand Crossing will be deprived of adequate transportation facilities.

The petitioners further show that Grand Crossing is not a municipality, but is the name of a locality and state that it has been known as Grand Crossing for fifty years; the central point of the locality is the point where the two defendant railroads cross the Illinois Ce

[Deggesty]

That in pursuance of such ordinance, the work of elevating all said railway tracks and separating the grades of the street crossings and the railways and the grades of the railways as between themselves, was completed in the year 1912 at an expense to the last mentioned railway companies of a sum of money exceeding $3,000,000, at the sole cost and expense of said four railway companies, in the proportions fixed by the arbitrators, neither the city of Chicago nor the State of Illinois making any contribution to said cost, though the public gain thereby secured was very great.

Wow!

[richhotrain]

wanswheel:

That in pursuance of such ordinance, the work of elevating all said railway tracks and separating the grades of the street crossings and the railways and the grades of the railways as between themselves, was completed in the year 1912 at an expense to the last mentioned railway companies of a sum of money exceeding $3,000,000, at the sole cost and expense of said four railway companies, in the proportions fixed by the arbitrators, neither the city of Chicago nor the State of Illinois making any contribution to said cost, though the public gain thereby secured was very great.

Wow!

Hey, if they did that today, couldn’t they use Stimulus money? [swg]