Kevin Piper posted a history and photos of several engine classes:
- Baldwin VO-1000s
- "The 900's", Baldwin DT6-6-2000 (The Centercabs)
- The "500's", Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500
- The "Pups", EMD SW-1 (600 HP)
- The "Original" 300's, EMD SW1200
- The "Pingers", EMD NW2 (1000 HP) The fifth photo is a fantastic shot of the USS South Works.
- The "Turtles", SW1001 (1000 HP)
- The "600's" Part 1 601-602, EMD SD9 (1750 HP)
- The "600's" Part 2, The "Missabes", EMD SD9
- The "700's", EMD CP38-2 (2000 HP)
information concerning the "H" Yard has been moved here.
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| Bill Molony posted Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad 2-8-2 Mikado #718 on the Joliet, Illinois turntable - 1932. Photograph taken from the overhead electric light tower. Photographer unknown. This locomotive was constructed by Alco-Dunkirk in 1913 for the Chicago, Lake Shore & Eastern Railroad. In June 1909, the EJ&E leased the property of the CLS&E and assumed all responsibility for its operations. The CLS&E was merged into the EJ&E on December 30th, 1938. Jeff Lackman: Surprised they had road pilots instead of a switching style pilot. Rick La Fever: Jeff Lackman Interesting catch. There still was lots of road switching in 1932(except for Great Depression closures) I have pictures of EJE 765(The engine "stuffed" in Gary, Indiana) I will need to check the pilot out on that. Jeff Lackman: Rick La Fever the pilot looks very WWI and before but the connecting railroads in Chicago used equipment until it dies. |
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| Bob Huffman posted Sean Muno shared |
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| Terry B. Carlson commented on Sean's post It was a 31 stall RH. Sadly, it was demolished sometime between 2008 & 2010. Google Earth Imagery Date: April, 2008 Location: 41°32'15.63" N 88°03'30.06" W |
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| Terry B. Carlson commented on Sean's post Same location, May, 2023 |
These pictures were taken looking north from the US-6 Bridge. Unfortunately, it had only one pedestrian crossing, and that was on the south side. Fortunately, it did not have a chain link fence on the north side.
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| 20150418 0242, west part because yard is too big for my 18mm zoom |
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| East part |
This picture allows you to see that the side-loaders have different designs. You can also see in the background that they are storing containers three high.
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| 20150523 1693 |
It is testament to the efficiency of roller bearings that the hopper rolled most of the way down the track even though its starting speed was not real fast. The hopper is near the right in the picture below adjacent to a couplet of cars. On the left is the tank car that was next in the cut rolling down its track.
But the yard must not be as flat as it looks. I did not notice it until I studied the pictures on the laptop, but the hopper then started rolling backwards!
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Frank Smitty Schmidt The second one in the 1939 aerial photo was taken out sometime between 1946 and 1952. |
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| Tim Starr posted Smaller railroads had interesting shops as well as the Class I railroads. The Elgin, Joliet and Eastern was a belt line around Chicago that interchanged with multiple trunk lines to facilitate freight to the industries. Its main shops were in Joliet (seen here in 1965). |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Tim's post Most of the buildings have been torn down to make room for an intermodal yard. https://maps.app.goo.gl/grB1qRqn6Tbq9wbk8 |
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| Paul Musselman posted EJ&E enginehouse in Joliet.. Clayton Hartford: What were the RTA cars hanging around for? Paul Musselman: Clayton Hartford This photo was taken in the mid 2000's....the building was being used as a repair spot by a third party company...` Bryan Howell: Paul Musselman I want to say it was Ed Burkhardt's Rail World International that was leasing/purchased the space. They refurbished the cars for resale and rehabbed some F40PHs that were purchased by the Iowa Northern. It looks like one of them in the photo. The building came down in 2004. Jack Morgan: Paul Musselman it was demolished in 2013 to make room for an intermodal facility. Dave Ladislas Sr.: Jack Morgan ,we all got a good chuckle when they built that dinky Intermodal facility, used by our WC pig trains, long story on it. Not sure if this is the same building but,I know they tore one down and had all kinds of welders, sandblasters, etc. that went for nothing or real cheap. I'm retired from IC in Markham. In the Hunter era, he had all kinds of great old stuff just scrapped. In his words: They're an eyesore. Mike Heiligstedt: Locomotive shop |
The shop buildings were removed to make room for the intermodal yard. But this office building is probably being removed just to reduce the property tax.
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| Dillon Harrison posted O&O at East Joliet as of this evening. [May 5, 2016] |
Update:
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| Michael Bachmann posted Joliet yard Southend looking north. Ken Luzbetak Maybe the flood of 1957? Michael Bachmann Ken Luzbetak we had two such floods like this in my tenure. They were I think in the eighties. Michael Steffen Ken Luzbetak the box cars don’t appear to have the billboard EJ&E on the sides as they would have in the 50’s. I believe this was the spring creek flood of the 80’s. Car Department personnel did roller bearing inspections for a month. en Luzbetak I was looking at the speakers in the yard and didn't think they were there so late, hence I thought it was the 57 flood. Michael Steffen Ken Luzbetak the yard speakers were still there into the 80’s, maybe even a little later for some. I can’t remember when they were removed or what year the elevated yard master towers came down. Ken Luzbetak So much stuff gone from the J's heyday. |
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Dan Tracy posted
Someone asked a little while ago for roof detail shots on the C-415's. Here's mine at the EJ&E's Joliet yard in June of 74.Dan Tracy posted Pulled this one out of my Rock Island files just to show the way it was back in June of 74. The Rock transfer has delivered to Joliet Yard and is returning to their own yard in this shot from the old Jackson St. bridge. The yard was pretty full in this shot. Craig Cloud See SW1001 in background |
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| Bill Molony posted Back in 2004, the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern's shop building at the East Joliet Yard was leased to an outfit that was reconditioning retired Metra cars. Today, this site is occupied by a Canadian National inter-modal facility. |
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| Bill Molony posted This ex-Milwaukee Road E9A was used as a switch engine by the outfit reconditioning their retired Metra cars at the East Joliet locomotive shop building back in January of 2004. Bob Tarlini They sent it to the roundhouse to get it running and ready to go to work, but when I went to put water in it they had removed all water plugs and it would pour out the bottom as fast ad I put it in the top. |
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| Gary Sturm posted EJ&E #307 at Joliet, Illinois in May 1975. Mike Heiligstedt: The locomotive shop ! |
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| Marc Malnekoff posted Joliet, IL. 1/29/2009 A UP GE pokes it's nose out of the now gone roundhouse. Michael Q Quagliano: What was up with the UP?: It was in the system for a bit in 09. Marc Malnekoff: Coal train power that came onto the "J" |
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| Richard Stewart posted Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway, Joliet, Illinois. May 02, 1981. As seen from the center of the turntable, both switchers and road power are seen awaiting outside the EJ&E's Joliet roundhouse. Tom Golden photo. Narrative and photo credit: Sam Beck collection. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/655187/ |
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| Lance Wales posted EJ&E 663 posed on the East Joliet turntable from a special, invite-only, exclusive visit from April of 2009. Its all gone now! |
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| Stuart Pearson commented on the above posting Here's my view looking out from inside the Roundhouse. At the time I captured this image I was told that there were only certain areas that were SAFE as the Ceiling/Roof was crumbling, and I'd have to wear a Hard Hat and sign a Waver holding the "J" harmless in the event I suffered any Physical Injury, or Damage to my Camera Equipment. This is a 35MM view, however I had wanted to go into the Roundhouse with my 4X5 Camera to record the Roundhouse in Documentary style. Stuart Pearson posted |
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| Richard Schwanke commented on Dillon Harrison posting |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Here is a before & after shot at Joliet round house 2009 and 2014 such a big change |
Since they have now torn down all of the buildings, I saved a Satellite image (Feb 5, 2017) that still shows them so that I can track when images are updated.
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| Satellite |
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| Frank Smitty Schmidt posted EJ&E Joliet in the early 1950's. Kevin Piper also posted This undated photo shows the massive expanse of EJ&E operations that once were in Joliet, IL. By the mid-1970's, much shown here was already gone. The wye tracks in the 4 o'clock position lead to the Joliet wire mill and downtown interchange with the GM&O (ICG.) This view is looking southeast. Waukegan is to the bottom left, and Gary, IN, is to the upper right. PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN Kevin Piper Hard to determine the date here. Silver Cross Hospital is not there yet, built during the 1950's. There are at least two steam engines near the roundhouse and no diesels around. The last J steam was 1949. [I contributed to the comments in this posting.] Al Pawloski also posted |
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| Michael Bachmann posted Okay, since I am in the mood, here is overview of the J in Joliet. Ted Martin Silver cross hospital, too |
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| Erick Paul commented on Michael's post From ejearchive, you can see the two distinct towers behind the roundhouse. Paul Barwan posted a different exposure Ej&e roundhouse. Picture is looking north from south side of roundhouse. 1920s i believe. The J used to have big events and based on that Steam Engine in center im guessing everybody came out to see a new model. Woulda loved to be around back then! Notice the ford model a and t sitting in foreground...just way cool Paul Barwan Omg i just zoomed in and there are people sitting on the roundhouse roof just behind and left of engine. Holy Hell, allright all of you are outa service and im gonna need pin numbers and a statement explaining this unsafe behaviour lol. Call osha lol. Paul Barwan Yes those are water towers you see on left to supply the roundhouse for filling locomotive water tanks. Before cn took over the roundhouse, and water tank footprint pad was still there along with some piping and other buildings. They just came in and destroyed joliet history like they do everywhere they go. |
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| Stuart Pearson commented on Al's posting Here's what it resembles after the Old Jackson St. Bridge was removed. |
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| Jerry Jackson updated Andy Puch Joliet yard on the old EJ&EMark Bilecki Sr. Nice assortment of railroadsMark Bilecki Sr. Actually 6 railroadsScott Slager Thanks for choosing my photo for the group photo |
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| Bill Molony posted The EJ&E's locomotive shop building in Joliet. Bill Molony We don't have an exact date, but it was around 1920.
The Blackhawk Railway Historical Society posted
The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railroad's shop building at the East Joliet Yard.
BRHS posted
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| Stuart Pearson commented on Bill's posting |
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| Stuart Pearson commented on Bill's posting Stuart Pearson posted |
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| Bill Molony posted The Joliet Locomotive Shop Building being demolished in February of 2004. |
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| Kevin Piper posted Joliet had extensive freight car building, repair, and painting facilities. Gondolas especially were in a constant state of repair and rebuilding at Joliet. Here a string of reconditioned and painted orange 40' boxcars pose in front of the big steam-era locomotive backshop. PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN Kevin Piper Those cars were rebuilt around 1960. |
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| Kevin Piper posted EJ&E VO-1000 480 is switching the middle yard at East Joliet on 8-29-66. LOUIS CERNY PHOTO |
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| Jake Jones posted Joliet IL July 2003 Kevin Kelleher Great shot on the girl racks.... [Unfortunately, I don't know what "girl racks" means. But I do know this shows a couple of sand towers.] |
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| Kevin Piper posted The 913 is arriving at East Joliet with a train that was more common on the EJ&E, mostly gondolas! Gondola cars outnumbered other types of equipment on the roster about 6 to 1. The track on the far right was the South Yard switching lead, while the one up the middle was the lead from the Middle Yard. 4-2-66 LOUIS CERNY PHOTO/KEVIN PIPER COLLECTION [Probably taken from the old truss bridge for US-6, which didn't have a chain-link fence. The overpass for US-30 is in the background.] |
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| Kevin Piper posted Here is an interesting view of East Joliet Yard looking north toward the old Jackson Street bridge from U.S.30. The two Centercabs are inbound with a train from Gary. The Baldwin switcher in the distance is working the middle yard. East Joliet Yard actually had three sections. South, middle, and north. The north yard mostly was used as a westbound arrival yard, and was switched by a north end job. When business was good, the south and middle yards were flat switched at the south end by separate jobs working side by side. The trails of sand on the tracks show where each job pulled and shoved long cuts. There were once three yardmasters on duty each shift, a north, south, and a general, working out of two towers, and the main yard office. The north tower was closed by the late 1970's, and that job was abolished. There was a big MOW supply storage area to the right of the train. 4-2-66 LOUIS CERNY PHOTO/KEVIN PIPER COLLECTION |
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| 1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP |
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| 20150523 1692 |
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| Al Pawloski posted Al Pawloski Gee Bob, I really don’t know, but I remember working it when we couldn’t get a yardmaster at the south end, the north tower too, and then being the general, and I learned so much by having to fill in for the experts back then. Not just in the towers but, I had to work as a switchman, brakeman, conductor, and engineer. Talk about some humbling experiences! I cannot imagine these kids today that come out of college and become train masters. I’m not saying I was so great, but boy the more times I had to do their jobs, the more I appreciated their knowledge. [Note the two cranes putting the BN car back on the tracks. Some of the comments in another posting joke about who was to blame --- Transportation or MoW. I gather that the Transportation department was the train crews.] |
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| Matt Covarrubias posted What A Rail Yard! |
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| Kevin Piper posted It's railfan day at East Joliet Yard as the 915 gets ready to depart with an eastbound. The white building on the left is the south end crew room. There was a floating card game going on inside 24 hours a day. I began my railroad career at this exact spot over 39 years ago. 1-8-72. LOUIS CERNY PHOTO Bradley Brown Dad said something about those card games |
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| 4 [The Great Northern mountain goat herald is a reminder of when reailroads owned their own boxcars and were proud of them. And the vandalism of graffiti had not started. Note the EJ&E herald has its slogan of Chicago Outer Belt. Later US Steel quit servicing bridge traffic and passengers and operated the EJ&E as a long industrial track.] |
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| Dillion Harrison posted As seen from the Jackson street overpass this morning [10-13-18], At the former EJ&E’s East Joliet Yard... A Pair of “Deathstar” SD70’s make up their train before heading East. Thomas Healy Wow, when I stopped in about a month ago when 765 ran, this yard was pretty depressing. I see things are a bit healthier!Andy PuchAndy and 42 others joined Chicagoland Railfan within the last two weeks. Give them a warm welcome into your community! It ebbs and flows [The big deal is that CN still has some locomotives with their old IC "Deathstar" livery.] |
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| 1 From after the roundhouse was demolished... But prior to the CN tearing out the engine servicing track. Believe this was in 2011 |
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| 2 From after the roundhouse was demolished... But prior to the CN tearing out the engine servicing track. Believe this was in 2011 |
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| 3 January 2014 |
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| Mark Llanuza posted EJ&E round house the year 2009 and 2017 |
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| Michael Bachmann posted Joliet Steel Car Shop, 1924. It is one of very few original J still standing and maybe not for long. |
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| Michael Bachmann posted Building the Locomotive Shop at East Joliet |
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| Michael Bachmann posted |
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| Billy Bacon posted Good shot from mine and dads collection. Not sure if he took it or was a company photo. Anyway, seems to be one in solid white!!! (668) John Govednik Lots of peripheral details we never get to see. Trucks with no wheel sets? What's that putrid green thing on the left? Michael Steffen This was the Locomotive Back Shop. The locomotive appears new as the plow is clean and not dented or bent. The putrid green device on the left may be the conveyor for the wheel shavings from the wheel true lathe. There is a lighted Christmas tree in the rear right of the photo. Stan Sienicki Baldwin commonwealth truck from the center cabs on left.Richard Schwanke Looks like they were just delivered and they are in the Locomotive shop for final outfitting to "J" specs. |
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| Sandy McCann enhanced a photo posted by Michael Bachmann Taken from the old Jackson Street bridge in the 80's. Michael Bachmann In my tenor I remember 3 times that the yard flooded and I know it was not the one from the early 90's where we lost track on the IRL and W. Chicago. As info, one of the reason for so much water in the yard was the constriction. Spring Creek ran under our yard through what we called the barrels, two concrete type culverts. Also the car shop bridge and Walnut Ave. bridge created a dam like effect. More water than they could handle and it would flow around and over the top.Dennis DeBruler It is harder to get photos of the yard with the new bridge: http://dldreference.blogspot.com/.../20150523-veterans... |
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| Michael Bachmann posted Found this picture of as another flood sometime in early 2000. This was taken by the Joliet truck garage, south end looking at south yard. I say early 2000 because of the sign. Maybe someone can assist. John George I was thinking maybe a bit earlier say the flood of 1996 that hit Joliet with 13 inches of rain in 24 hours.Ron Harris I believe you're right on the time line, but I think we got more rain than13 in. It started raining Wed. eve. and stopped at roughly 7 AM. Thursday. I lived 4 houses east of I-55, on September Dr., 1st st. south of Caton Farm Rd. Look in the Joliet Hearald. on Friday 29, July, and you will see a photo of my house, the worst damaged in the flood. The data was 17-18 inches of rainfall! |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its the year 2009 at the [Joliet] EJ&E turntable |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its 2009 were at Joliet Round house |
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| Ray Weart commented on Mark's posting 04-24-2005 |
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| Mark Llanuza posted he year 2009 EJ&E crews pose for me at the round house |
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| Stuart Pearson posted I found this image when going thru some of my photos. Taken close to Woodruff Rd. Donald Herron It was nice when the switches were lighted it sure made it easier to see which way you were lined up |
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| Thomas J. Mozden responded to my question as to when and where the tower was located: "If I remember correctly it was where the red asterisks are or maybe just a bit north of that." |
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| Dennis DeBruler Thanks. So it must have been the tall, rectangular building (long shadow) in this 1993 image. It existed in 10/2009, but was gone in 6/2010. |
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| 10/2009 |
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| Bill Molony posted The Elgin, Joliet & Eastern shop building at the East Joliet Yard - January 2004. |
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| Mark Llanuza posted Its the year 2010 the EJ&E car shops at Joliet. |
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| Bob Dodge posted Joliet Illinois early 1970's Bob Tarlini 475 One of the old VO-1000 Baldwins. The only one with a top-mounted radiator fan.Bob Tarlini Edward Martis yes, I remember it well. Looks like it was later in the day as there are no cars parked at the loco shop. |
Michael Bachmann posted the comment:
You know I was pondering about the Joliet Yard the other day, I mean the yard in the early 70's when the blacksmith shop, powerhouse, locomotive shop, car shop, rip track, roundhouse, north and south end towers, mill yard office, north end switch man's building and more, all gone (car shop still there on borrowed time). I worked on all those structures. But what started this thought process was thinking about the whistle that use to blow at noon at the powerhouse. Wish I had tried to get a hold of that whistle, anyway there are just a few of us left that has to go into the furnaces on hot summer days and reline the wall with asbestos bricks having no maskes, dusty and a dirty environment but it was our job. By the way these furnaces were right under the two big smoke stacks. The powerhouse made steam for all the Joliet Yard and had a huge compressor that fed air to all the train lines as well as the message system tubes that ran to all the buildings in Joliet. Each one of the for mentioned buildings has a story on what part they had in making the J operate. Carmen çould talk about how deafening it was in the car shop hot riveting while building railroad cars or the heat and noise in the blacksmith shop while they fabricated tools, car parts etc. Just some passing thoughts, enjoy.Dennis DeBruler Just the list of facilities that used to be there is interesting. Making a paste with asbestos and then using that paste hurts the brain. I'll have to start looking for two smokestacks in old photos of the yard.
Bob Tarlini Dennis DeBruler actually, it was three smokestacks, the center boiler was retired in the early 70s but the smokestack was still there. And we had two compressors, one large one and one smaller one.
Bob Tarlini [The whistle] blew at 8:00 AM, 12:00 noon,12:30 PM and 4:30 PM
Andrew Greg Kurtyak Anyone know what year they stopped using the whistle.
Bob Tarlini Andrew Greg Kurtyak probably the year they shut down the loco shop somewhere around 85, I think.
Bob Tarlini Andrew Greg Kurtyak probably the year they shut down the loco shop somewhere around 85, I think.
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| Bob Tarlini marked the location of the powerhouse. |
Greg Thomas posted three photos with the comment: "669 Primed for painting at joliet roundhouse. It will be sent to the WC in leithton to be painted at the WSOR shops. 10/2003"
Joe Mergenthaler A long time ago that engine had a black stripe on top and had 1 control / operating panel, I believe it used to be an old Bessemer engine, very cool , miss the J.
Greg Thomas yea the 658 670 came like that too, then same with the 671-675 in 2002.
Joe Mergenthaler Greg Thomas that’s awesome, yes they used to give my friend and I rides in the mid 80s when they would switch out cars every Monday , weds and Friday, we rode all of them from 650-669 and even the cabooses back then, those were good times growing up.
Steven Suhs 669 was old BLE 891. Came to the J in 1980 had one one control stand. Had composition brake shoes. Had to be careful when she was in the lead cause it needed 64 lbs of independent brake pressure where as the J ‘s has cast iron brake shoes and needed only 40 lbs pressure.
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| 1 [Not only is this a good shot of the sand towers, you can see the roundhouse in the background.] |
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Just before the EJ&E was about to disappear into the CN I decided to drive in one weekend and ask if I could shoot some photos of the roundhouse, someone there told me it would be torn down once CN took control. Much to my surprise the hostler came over ask what I was doing there, I told him and he said to stay by my car and not to walk around. He told me they were going to be assembling a power consist for a coal train. I took these photos and thanked the guy for allowing me to preserve this piece of the "J" I had never seen up close. He said many of them were leaving after the merger and he wasn't planning on staying either. Never did get the gentleman's name. It's hard to believe this was 12 years ago already. Today the roundhouse is gone and yard and surrounding area has changed quite a bit. I had forgotten about these photos and stumbled over them today while going through my files. Joliet, IL 2008
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| Gary Sturm posted Rock Island #4902 with caboose #19163 at the EJ&E Joliet yard (Illinois) in 1975. James Ward: Would this have switched onto the J from the old RI spur that ran to the coal yard, or from where the two lines intersected, south of Cass? Greg Benco: James Ward Interchange track south of Cass St. Dennis DeBruler shared |
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| Stuart Pearson posted EJ&ERy Joliet Yard ~ Aerial View late 1980's Stuart Pearson shared Dillon Harrison: Today it’s basically empty. And 90% of all the buildings are gone. Chris Czerwonka: One train a day of intermodal, and some switch out on the line that’s about it! [CN moved all of the Chicagoland classification work to Kirk Yard.] |
Access "East Joliet" near the bottom of a maps page for a description of the parts of the yard.
Marty's Flickr photos: from inside the roundhouse, an overview of the yard, interior view of the roundhouse.
I included some photos in the comments on this posting to help explain what a "switchman" does.
Brian Skrabutenas posted 26 photos of the backshops including interior and demolition shots.
Joseph Clayton posted nine photos.
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