Rich, rcdrye,
Is the wye you are referring to, part of those mentioned in Trains News Wires (02-26-2024) related to Amtrak Infrastructure Plans to transform CUS access?
I can’t neither open the links and do not have DjVu rider. Is it possible to get a PDF version?
Thanks in advance
Philippe
Phillippe, the attached track diagram is a snapshot from the DjVu viewer with the wye referred to by rcdrye circled in red.
Rich
Here’s a fairly complete discussion on the “Dearborn Trench” showing the vertical separation between the Dearborn approach and the 16th St wye above it.
Industrial History: C&WI “Trench” and links to the 15th and 16th Street Towers
Great stuff, rcdrye. I need to dig up another link, if I can find it, on the trench with some more neat photos.
Rich
I went looking for one of my favorite sites on the C&WI tracks that ran through the trench. I didn’t have to look far. It is on the same blog spot as the link that rcdrye posted:
Here is a good shot of the 16th Street interlock tower in the trench:
Same scene when rail traffic had ended.
And a much older view from the opposite direction.
After operations ceased at Dearborn Station in 1971, tracks were removed and the entire trench was filled in - - a massive effort. I used to ride the Metra Rock Island commuter train to my job in downtown Chicago. Once filled in, there was no sign that the trench was ever there, once carrying passenger trains on 7 different railroads under the Rock Island tracks.
Rich
In the early 1990s South Side shuffling of “L” routes the connector between the State Street Subway and the Dan Ryan line creating today’s Red Line took advantage of the Rock Island and SCAL bridge structures by using the path of the Trench.
This diagram, excerpted from the July 2003 issue of Trains magazine (with approval from Firecrown), illustrates the approaches of the various railroads to the six downtown Chicago train stations.
Rich
Something I found on the way to looking for something else…
The Burlington had a turntable near the “Zephyr Pit” west of their coach yard. That might explain why suburban trains always seemed to have power cars on the west end.
Interesting discovery. You or I should start a thread on turntables in Chicago. Someone on the old forum had mentioned some years back that the Rock Island had a turntable at 121st Street and that it was still there and used to turn diesels. So, one day, riding the Metra Rock Island commuter train, I looked for it and, sure enough, it was there.
Rich
I took a quick satellite map trip over Chicago yesterday looking for still-existing turntables, or signs of places where they existed. I only found three active ones, but artefact of old ones can be found at these sites:
Schiller Park (Soo Line/WC/CN) track arrangement
Bensenville (MILW/Soo/CP) pit (no turntable - donated) near tri-state
Proviso (C&NW/UP) active - north of engine facility
Eola (CB&Q/NB/BNSF) roundhouse remains NW corner, pit filled in.
Clearing (BRC) roundhouse remains near engine service, n of humps.
Clyde/Cicero (CB&Q/BN/BNSF) active - near engine facility
Calumet(NKP/N&W/NS) near 103rd and Stony Island - active
40th Avenue/M19A (C&NW/UP/Metra) track arrangement
Most of these were not used much for passenger power, except for dual-service power moving back and forth between freight and passenger service (Soo, MILW, C&NW).
CB&Q engines larger than those used on commuter trains were serviced at Clyde. Diesels fit the turntable which lasted into at least the 1980s.
Calumet was shared with C&O of Indiana, so I assume that power on trains terminating in Hammond was serviced there, and the gas-electrics also used could be turned there.
AT&SF/BNSF’s Corwith yard still has a balloon loop, as did the Archer Avenue coach yard, which also had a turntable.
C&NW’s 40th Avenue facility is often called “40th Street”, though the Avenue actually refers to Pulaski Road, formerly known as 40th Avenue (until 1913)/Crawford Avenue (until 1935). Pulaski Road is at the east end of the facility.
Growing up on the southwest side of Chicago, it was never called Crawford, yuck. It was always called Pulaski.
Rich

Someone on the old forum had mentioned some years back that the Rock Island had a turntable at 121st Street and that it was still there and used to turn diesels. So, one day, riding the Metra Rock Island commuter train, I looked for it and, sure enough, it was there.
No sign of the Rock Island turntable at 121st Street?
Rich
Didn’t think to look for Blue Island! CSX (B&OCT) has one at Barr Yard in Blue Island as well. Rock Island’s had a very real purpose in the steam and cab unit eras, as many trains terminated in Blue Island.
Unrelated, except for Blue Island - The Metra RI District and Metra Electric District tracks have a crossover connection at Blue Island. In the “Classic Trains” era, the tracks came close but there was no connection. The connection is used for Metra service equipment access to the Electric District. IC had track connections at a couple of points for freight (no longer a consideration for Metra) or work equipment access.
Hi
I would like to make the same satellite trip over existing Chicago turntables, or signs of existence in the past. Unfortunately, I am not a native of Chicago. Would you suggest me to use the location names you have listed or have you better advices?
Thanks
Philippe
HI Rich, Gmpulman,
Coming back to an old question, I am still wondering where NYC was turning the observation cars arriving at GCT before the return trip. Any idea about a wye or a turntable at Mott Haven? I am mainly thinking about a wye, the location have been only third rail territory for decades.
Philippe
Hi, Philippe
In most cases the trains were pulled from Grand Central north (Railroad West) to Mott haven where there was a car washer right along the main line. The cars were washed and then pulled backward into Mott haven so were now oriented for the return trip to Chicago.
Mott_Haven-track-layout-1927 by Edmund, on Flickr
Where the map says “To Chicago” is about where the car wash rack was.
Later that afternoon after the linens have been exchanged and the diner restocked an S-class switcher would pull the cars back down to Grand Central. If there was time, the switcher would ‘run around’ the train so boarding passengers wouldn’t see it. They would be greeted by the observation platform or, after June 1938, the streamlined round end observation car.
NYC S-motor 133 Mott Haven by Edmund, on Flickr
I’ve replicated this operation on my layout:
Century_back by Edmund, on Flickr
NYC S-3 Electric Century by Edmund, on Flickr
Yes, it was all 660 Volt third rail territory.
Cheers, Ed
Found this old aerial photo on Instagram. You can see 5 of the 6 downtown Chicago passenger stations. Only Central Station is missing.
Rich
Came across this 1968 photo on Facebook, Growing up in Chicago.
Some really spectacular views here. Grand Central Station is on the right (see the big trains shed and the station clock tower). That huge building in the center is the Pennsylvania warehouse on Polk Street. That big wide building in the upper left is the old Post Office, and Union Station and Chicago & North Western Station are behind the Post Office. out of view on the right are LaSalle Street Station and Dearborn Station. In the foreground are the Pennsylvania and CB&Q yards.
And right about where the green arrow points, this happened!
PRR_5805_CUS by Edmund, on Flickr
Oops. The guy watching for signals on the backing Burlington train missed one! Only one but it was an important one! The E8 was later rebuilt (actually a whole new engine, IIRC).
PRR_EPA-5805 by Edmund, on Flickr
Cheers, Ed