Blue Island, IL: 1868 Rock Island Vermont Street Commuter Station

(Satellite)

1977

2016

Mark Hinsdale posted  "then and now" pictures of the Vermont Street Station. I don't normally note  commuter stations, but the comments provided some useful railfanning info.

Brian SchuffCan anyone tell me...is this a safe area for shooting Metra trains during eve rush hour? Be there in Nov. looking for a place to shoot the CRIP line.Thanks.

Mark HinsdaleAbsolutely safe. Blue Island is actually a great place to watch the rush hour on the Rock Island District. You can remain in the emptying parking lot and catch all the trains on both the main line and Suburban line, even without leaving your car if that's desired.

Brian Schuff  Any Freight train action to go with Metra? Who is using Blue Island now, transfers? Any go locations for UP/CNW near station? Always looking for new and better locations in the Windy City. Fox Lake and Geneva too far away from the Loop. Roosevelt great for Union,south side. Union north side?

Mark Hinsdale  There is IAIS and CRL freight activity on the Main Line. In fact, you can barely make out the red IAIS unit (the third in the consist) in the extreme left hand background behind the end of the Metra train. This Blue Island to Council Bluffs manifest train is a regular early evening departure from BI. CRL also uses the Metra Rock Island District in delivering to or from IHB via Blue Island Jct. A bit more difficult to predict, at least in my experience, but they're out there.For UP and BNSF heavy freight closer to the Loop, I'd recomend Elmhurst and Berwyn (Lavergne). Both are west of the primary yards at Proviso and Cicero, so will see all the freight traffic that the two roads run in and out of the city. For Union Station north, my go to location is Racine Avenue, due to the signal bridge there,but freight traffic is very sparse (local jobs working ADM or the chocolate factory) and usually after dark. For freight traffic on Milw North or Milw West, you must go to locations north or west of Tower A5, and on Milw West, it gets markedly better west of Cragin (Cicero Ave), where the BRC connects with the Milwaukee West Line. Hope this helps you.

Jon Roma posted

This image from the camera of an unknown photographer was taken on July 27, 1977.. We're on the Western Ave. bridge in Blue Island looking north (railroad east) toward the Vermont St. station in Blue Island.

There's a lot going on this scene: At left, an eight-car train of single-level cars discharges passengers on the Suburban Line side of the station, led by an unidentified E unit.

On the right side of the frame is what looks like a main line express for Joliet blowing through town, led by E7A 639 and another E unit running back-to-back with a ten-car train.

The bright red Blue Island depot and relatively modern interlocking tower – both still in use in 2020 – can be seen between the two sets of tracks. It's anybody's guess whether the train on the Suburban Line is continuing to Joliet to make local stops, or whether it has finished its journey, and is about to shove into the yard and tie up for the day.

In the distance – to the right of the yard light tower – can be seen a handful of ICG Highliner cars at the stub-end Blue Island station of the ICG's suburban branch.
Mike Raia Looks like the Bankers train on the main.
Jon Roma That's what I was thinking, Mike Raia, but I never got to watch a Rock Island rush hour from anywhere other than La Salle Street, which was a big mistake on my part.
Emile John Buteau Living at Oak and Winchester, I'd take the IC downtown. Once a blizzard shut down the IC, and I walked across the Burr Oak bridge braving cars throwing slush, and when I got to the RI station we found they didn't have a train. Well, standing there we had a head hogger and a supt. of the Rock going downtown too. So we spotted an engine started it, and put a train together. People on the Subn Line were put out as we didn't stop after 115th St. Got to work somewhere about 10:00.

Eric Reinert posted
A flipped, slightly cropped and lightly edited photo from the John W. Barriger Library collection. JW Barriger Photo. Blue Island, IL. Late '30's-1940's? During WWII maybe?
Paul Glowiak: The Capone cars, too. I got a chance to ride in a few of those on the way downtown from New Lenox and back..
J Pete Hedgpeth: this photo is not flipped. It'sl looking TT) west. IC suburban yard is to the left (east). Steaam engne with 2500 series coaches is on the suburban line on the right. RI depot is right in line with the pole line on the photo right. West end of Burr Oak yard is on the immediate right. Looks like a westbound suburban train on track 4 is stopped at the depot. BTW...the designation "Capone Cars" is a "foamer" name. I never heard them referred to in that manner in my almost 20 years with the RI. I would assume that the coaches being circa 1926 which would be the Al Capone era served as the basis for that name, but it's of "recent origin"..not "real" Rock Island days.
Paul Jevert shared
CRI&P and I.C.R.R. at Vermont St. Stations (1930's)
John Barriger Collection

William L. Brushaber commented on Eric's post
he 4-6-2's were bumped off passenger by early diesels, so I'd say '47-'50. I like the switch work to the Infrt, Outfrt, and Longtrks and the original allignment before the "Sag canal project in'60s. And here is York St. in '78.

Ken Schmidt posted

As a late night train for Joliet departs in the background, the fog creates an eerie scene of Vermont Street station in October of 1989.

That this former Rock Island depot survives since 1868, and is (or was) still functional is quite amazing.

BRHS posted

The Rock Island's depot in Blue Island, as it looked on October 30th, 1977.

Photographer unknown.

From the Blackhawk collection.

David Daruszka: https://chi.streetsblog.org/.../metra-board-approves-3.../
"The station, located at 2300 W. Grove St. in Blue Island, was built three years after the end of the Civil War in 1868. Read a little more history of the train stop here."
Bill Molony posted
The Rock Island's Vermont Street depot in Blue Island, as it looked on November 30th, 1977.
The Rock Island constructed this depot back in 1868.
Today, it is owned by Metra and is currently undergoing a $3.8 million rehabilitation.
Bill Molony shared

Raymond Storey posted
BLUE ISLAND ILL
J Pete Hedgpeth: View looks generally southeast. The two tracks in the foreground are the west end of the "suburban line. They come together south of the street crossing beyond the station where they join the main line. Camera man is standing "a bit" south of Vermont St.