On historicaerials.com there’s a late 1930s-vintage aerial photo of a railroad track right in the middle of Chicago’s Midway Airport.
http://www.historicaerials.com/?poi=13309
The track literally cut the airport’s runways in half, though I suppose planes could land and take off over the tracks if they wanted to. According to this discussion, the tracks were owned by the Chicago Belt Railway and were removed from the airport during WW2.
You need a history of the Clearing area.
The parcel was owned by the Chicago School since the 1800’s. Most townships have one section reserved for schools, while the rest can be developed.
The picture should show a grade school located near 63/Central. The Greenwood school was there till about 1958. The World’s Busiest Airport at the time caused all flights to use the long NW/SE runway.
The Chicago Airport opened in the 63rd/Cicero corner with mail service, then grew to the size you see in the 1930’s.
The BRC Belt Railway Chicago line was re-routed next to the IHB/B&OCT track north of 55th. It goes back & links up with the west end of Clearing yard. It should be easy to find more BRC material. Home for a set of Alco’s & other old critters.
Although I do not know is it is still there— In about 1998 there was a McDonalds located on Cicero south of the airport that has a lot of historical photos of Midway airport. An examination of these photos showed the tracks and I believe one showed a steam train? Anyone in Chicago that can check it out?
Midway was a half-mile square when it opened, then extended westward, still all south of the railroad. The historicaerials pic shows runways under construction north of the railroad, but their pavement doesn’t seem to extend across the tracks. I’m guessing the tracks were removed, then the new N-S, NE-SW and NW-SE runways were completed across the RR alignment.