Chicago, IL: Metra/CB&Q Headquarters

Bryan Howell posted

Bryan's comment: "547 W. Jackson St. Former headquarters of the CB&Q and now Metra."

Birds-Eye View

Bill Molony posted
World War II war bond drive at the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy general offices in Chicago - February, 1944.

Forgotten Railways, Roads, and Places posted
Enjoy this view of 547 W Jackson Blvd while you can. Looking from Canal St, the building is visible from Canal thanks to a parking garage that was recently demolished. It’s being replaced by a luxury hotel, so this view won’t last long. And as I’ve shared before, this oddly angled building is the result of the long-abandoned Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad running adjacent to it. #abandonedrailway #building #chicago #architecture #history #railroad #metra
Timothy Leppert Hired out there as CB&Q, retired there 42 years later. Top floor, other side. The BNSF Commuter Operation. The Chicago Underground Railroad has a small yard under this.
David H. Nelson The gap to the left of the building used to be occupied by the CTA elevated (originally the Westside Elevated), It went east, crossed the river, and ended in a 4 track stub terminal that used a street entrance at 310 Wells St.It also split off at Wacker to do S curve to arrive at Vanburen where it then ran 2 blocks to a wye at Wells.
Bruce Moffat The CA&E was only a tennant railroad using the tracks of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated (later Chicago Rapid Transit and finally CTA).
Michael O'Connor Yes in some old pictures you can see the old MET L running right over the glass train shed on the south side of union station

Forgotten Railways, Roads, and Places shared
David Daruszka Metra's Porcelain Palace

The Burlington Office Building Fire, Chicago. (1922) (source)

CB&Q had a 15-story, fire-resistive office building at 541-553 that was destroyed by this fire.

One of 24 images posted by David Daruszka
Looking north east shows the two elevators marking the Chicago River. To the left the the small white building with windows was the original headquarters of the CB&Q Railroad.
Dennis DeBruler What is CB&Q doing in IC territory? I learned just today that CB&Q had offices over where their tracks curved from heading east to heading north. http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../cb-support...
Dennis DeBruler Was IC so important back then that CB&Q felt they had to have their offices close to the movers and shakers? Then later they thought they were important enough that they could have their offices near their own operations.
Bob Lalich CB&Q used IC's station for a period of time, before Union Depot was built. CB&Q was a 25% owner of the St Charles Air Line, which provided access to IC's lakefront facilities.