Chicago, IL Depot: PRR+RI+NYC&NKP Englewood Union Station (63rd)

(Satellite   Because of abandonment and the Metra/Rock Island flyover, this depot is now gone.)

CW&I's Englewood Station was many times referred to as "Little Englewood" to distinguish it from this station.

See A Morning at Englewood Union Station, 1965 for many photos of trains at the station.

A history and 15 images

The interlocking tower for the RI vs. Pennsy junction has its own posting.

To orient the location of the various photos, I'm going to start with an overview of the area.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Update, I expanded the overview because I have learned there was an entrance from State Street. (The road along the right side of the photo.)

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

Then I marked it up to make it easier to explain the layout. The blue line is the 4-track Pennsy, the red line is the 4-track Rock Island, and the green line is the NYC and NKP passenger tracks. (NYC's freight is obviously to the northeast and NKP's freight terminated at their Calumet Yard.)  I put a yellow line along the south side of the interlocking tower and another yellow line along the north side of the station's depot. 63rd Street runs horizontally near the middle.

I had always imagined the building was in the north part of the track triangle. Special thanks to Bill Molony and some of these photos for "fixing my brain" and placing the building on the south side of the triangle.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP plus Paint

I include two copies of the same postcard because it is interesting how different copies survive history differently --- colors, resolution, text. It is a painting, not a photo, because I'm sure there was not a pretty park south of the Pennsy tracks. The artist also turned NYC's freight yard into a park.

Bill Molony commented on a posting
[The text reads "Rock Island Lines trains make convenient eastern connections without transfer at Englewood Union Station (63rd St.) Chicago as well as La Salle St. Station --- most centrally located railroad station in the Chicago down town district and on the elevated loop."]

Bill Molony posted again
This picture post card produced by the Rock Island in the 1920's shows the layout of Englewood Union Station.
The Rock Island trains used the west side of the station, the Pennsylvania Railroad trains used the south side of the station, and the New York Central and Nickel Plate Road trains used the northeast side of the station.
The Englewood interlocking tower was located on the east side of the Rock Island tracks and on the south side of the PRR tracks.

Bill Molony posted again
The Rock Island Railroad produced these picture post cards in the 1920's in order to demonstrate the convenience of Englewood Union Station.
Craig Sanders Was Englewood mainly a convenience Station so Chicago southsiders who wee traveling long distances wouldn’t have to go all the way into downtown? I understand that it was a commuter stop also, though.
Bill MolonyBill is consistently creating meaningful discussions with their posts. Back then, Englewood Union Station was busy with the long distance trains of the PRR, the NYC, the NKP and the CRI&P. The Rock Island was the major player when it came to commuter train service from Joliet and Blue Island, but the Pennsylvania also operated commuter trains from Valparaiso, Indiana that stopped there. Southside residents could take the 63rd Street streetcar to this station, and then board the train of their choosing - either a commuter train to Chicago or one of the long distance trains. Through passengers could get off of a Rock Island train and board a PRR train without having to go to downtown Chicago.
Richard Mead Even in the late 50s the driveway would be packed with Yellow Cabs awaiting customers.
John Eagan My father was heading to Cleveland for a Trainmaster's convention in 1958. The NYC was angry with the ICRR at the time and refused to honor Dad's IC pass. The NKP was more than happy to accept his pass but I was luckier: Dad snapped a shot of his train with NKP PA1's!
Had he gone NYC, he would have taken shots of that train, with NYC E units....I'll take the Alco anyday!
https://www.flickr.com/.../photolist-T6KgLm-eM5KB8-dpxvtm...

David Daruszka commented on a posting

Yet another colorization.

Robert Daly posted
This postcard of Englewood Union Station was published by the Rock Island. My copy was mailed in 1916 by the RI's Passenger Traffic Manager to the Boston and Maine agent in Chicopee Falls, MA to remind him that "travellers for points West of Chicago can avoid transfer [changing stations in downtown Chicago] by using the Rock Island from Englewood Union Station.

Even photos become different as time passes. We are looking east along 63rd Street, the locomotive of an outbound Pennsy train is passing the Pennsy platform and cars are crossing the RI tracks. The RI platform crosses 63rd street next to the RI tracks.

William H. Tolliver posted two photos with the comment: "Englewood station near 63rd and State in Chicago in the mid to late 50s."
William H. Tolliver Only full pictures I've ever seen of Englewood union station. Taken by a fellow rail fan now deceased.
Richard Stephen shared.

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William Vasilon posted
This is a photo of the back of the Englewood Station taken by my father or me back when it was still used as a station. The left side is where the cars would come up from street level into the parking lot. The curve platforms were used by the NY Central. Just imagine seeing the 20th Century Ltd going to New York City or coming home in the morning to Chicago. The left would be the Pennsylvania tracks. Marty Barnard has some fantastic photos of Englewood with different views of the trains going in and out of the station.

Dwayne Weber posted
At one time at the Englewood Station, Fred Harvey Company had a news stand.
David Daruszka Fred Harvey had the monopoly.

Richard Biegaj posted four photos with the comment:

Englewood Union Station  - 63rd and State Street.  Anyone have any recollections or memories of the now demolished station which was shared by the Rock Island, Pennsylvania, New York Central and Nickel Plate Road RR's?

Disclaimer:  These are not my photos.

Edward Kwiatkowski shared

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Gene Rebeck commented on Edward's share
An interior image (probably originally posted in this group sometime back).

Brian Morgan posted
Bill Molony shared a link to this photo
An eastbound PRR express train at Englewood Union Station.

David Daruszka commented on a posting
In better days.
BRHS posted
Raymond Storey posted
Thomas C. Ayers This is the lead photo in a seven-page article by D.W. Yungmeyer entitled "Railfans' Saturday Night" published in the February 1946 issue of "Trains" magazine, pages 31-37: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThumbs.aspx...
Bill Molony shared
Ron Hull: New York Central Englewood roundhouse coaling dock in the background. The roundhouse was still there when I hired out but the coaling dock was long gone. There was a tavern that was owned by an NYC engineer in the tall building to the left of the station roof.

Bob Lalich commented on BHRS post
Does anyone have a date for the elimination of the fourth Rock Island track through the crossing? Here is what it looked like prior to that track retirement. Photographer unknown.

In this photo we are looking timecard east or outbound along the Pennsy tracks and the 16-diamond crossing of the Pennsy with the RI. The depot is on the left side and the two people are standing on the Pennsy platform. The interlocking tower must not be built yet because I would think we would see it on the right just past the RI tracks. In fact, maybe we are seeing some piling work for it. I wonder what company had the big smokestacks.

David Daruszka commented on a posting
Photo taken following completion of track elevation.
[It appears it was done by 1912. (ChicagoRailfan) That explains why the smokestacks were gone by the time of the 1938 aerial photo. A metro area can change a lot in three decades.]

David Daruszka commented on another post
Richard Stephen David Daruszka The Pennsy canopies aren’t even installed yet! That’s a pretty old photo.
David Daruszka The Chicago Department of Public works published annual reports that included progress of various track elevation projects. The archives are at the Chicago Public Library, which is where I scanned this image.

The view is northeast with the RI tracks in the foreground and the Pennsy tracks closer to the station. Note the positional light signal head that was unique to the "standard (Pennsy) railroad." 1981 would be late enough that the interlocking tower has been torn down.

Bill Molony posted
Bill posted again
The derelict Englewood Union Station in 1981, shortly before it was torn down.

Bill Molony posted again
Englewood Union Station in 1981 - derelict and abandoned.
Richard Mead Last time I stopped there was 1968. Got off the New England States, boarded a commuter to New Lenox.
Bill MolonyBill is consistently creating meaningful discussions with their posts. There used to be a driveway up to the station on the south side of State Street, that has since been walled off.
Bruce Bishop Bill Molony when did it close?

David Daruszka Bruce Bishop Sometime in the 1970's. PC abandoned the NYC main to Chicago in 1972. When Amtrak assumed the Broadway limited in 1971 they dropped the station as a stop. The building was demolished in 1982.

BRHS

The abandoned Englewood Union Station, as it looked in 1981.

Photographer unknown.

From the Blackhawk collection.

Bill Molony posted
This is a view of Englewood Union Station, showing the driveway that went from the south side of 63rd Street up to the station.
Dennis DeBrulerYou and 1 other manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Chicago Railroad Historians. I've seen many photos at track level, but this is the first at street level. This should help a lot in trying to reconstruct in my mind what that station looked like.Bernie Lyngdal That was a very narrow driveway. I scraped Dad's car trying to manuver one time when I was dragged out of my sickbed to meet an Aunt.Dennis DeBrulerYou and 1 other manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Chicago Railroad Historians. A 1960's full size car? It would be hard for today's generation to imagine how big those cars were. And the station was probably designed for horse & buggies. (I did some research trying to find when it was built, but I could not find a date.)

Below is the RI overpass with the roof of the depot peaking out on top.

David Daruszka commented on a posting
President Eisenhower's motorcade at Englewood.

Bill Molony posted
Pennsylvania Railroad EMD E7A #4244 and EMD E8A #4295, westbound at Englewood Union Station on the south side of Chicago in August of 1966 with a mail and express train.
Both units wear Penn Central-style numbers on their sides, in anticipation of the pending merger with the New York Central.
Mark Egebrecht They already were re-numbering the units 2 years before the merger?
Bill Molony The Penn Central merger was over ten years in the making. The initial merger talks first got underway back in 1957.
Val Ginter Notice one solid stripe, instead of five stripes. (Cheaper?)

[Note the same signal head we saw in a previous photo.]
Bill Molony posted again
Richard Mead I remember a sign inside the station that said Nickel Plate...did it use the NYC side of the station?

Bill Molony Yes, the NIckel Plate Road had trackage rights for its passenger trains over the New York Central into La Salle Street Station.

Dennis DeBruler http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../nkps-passenger...

A Douglas Weitzman photo
"New York Central 4076 pulling #6 into the Englewood Station"
[The depot is to the left and near the right we can see the girder on the side of the NYC freight yard over 63rd Street. So #6 is outbound (eastbound)]

A Roger Puta photo (source)
New York Central E7A #4002 pulls into Chicago's Englewood Union Station on April 21, 1965. Roger Puta photo.
Orion Forbes Taylor Anyone know if the Goes Lithographing building is still around?
[Neither Doug nor Roger caught any freight cars in the NYC freight yard. That land is now an intermodal yard.]

Marty Bernard
[Marty Bernard caught the full curve of a NYC train waiting at the platform with the roof of the station and a Pennsy signal bridge in the background above the train.]

American-Rails.com posted
Nickel Plate Road RS-36 #875 arrives at Englewood Union Station (Chicago) with Train #5, the "City of Chicago," on April 21, 1965. Roger Puta photo.
Bill Molony: By 1965, this was a Norfolk & Western train.
Arthur House: Trains 5/6 were discontinued early in September 1965. The other pair, trains 7/8, came off in 1963.
Rodney D Zona: Old NKP RR Bellevue, OH based passenger train crews worked to and from Chicago. Fort Wayne, IN engine crews worked to and from Chicago.

Bill Molony posted
The Blackhawk Railway Historical Society: By 1965, this was a Norfolk & Western train.
Dennis DeBruler: This photo catches the curve of the NYC/NKP platform that was on the northeast side of the Englewood Station triangle.

 

Bill Molony posted

Passenger train action at Englewood Union Station - undated.

On the left is an inbound Rock Island passenger train.

In the center is an outbound Rock Island passenger train.

On the right is an outbound New York Central passenger train.

From the Blackhawk collection.

Bill Molony shared

Dennis DeBruler commented on Bill's share

Viewed from the north end of the Rock Island platform where the NYC tracks finished their curve to parallel the RI tracks to LaSalle Street Station. This is now Metra on the left and NS on the right. But the Metra tracks are now up in the air here so that they can crossover the (NS+Amtrak)/Pennsy tracks just to the south.

Even though RI and NYC were east/west railroads, their timetables used north/south directions for this stretch. Otherwise and inbound train would be eastbound on the RI and westbound on the NYC.

https://www.google.com/.../@41.7810702,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3

 

Bill Molony posted

New York Central Railroad train #28, the eastbound New England States, departing from Englewood Union Station back in February of 1950.

From the Blackhawk collection.

Bill Molony shared
Dennis DeBruler: This view of the NYC train is from the southeast end of the Pennsy platform. It shows that the Pennsy platform must have crossed State Street and extended close to where the mainlines curved a little further to the South. Both NYC and Pennsy had four-track mainlines from here to beyond the Calumet River, two for passenger and two for freight.

Carl Venzke posted
Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train arrives at Englewood Union Station on Chicago's South Side, October 22, 1965.
[Fortunately, the tower was not "skunked" by the train.]
Bill Molony posted
An eastbound Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train arriving at Englewood Union Station - 1950's.
Arnold Berk: What are those things on the roof of the engine ? The things that look like ladders.
David Daruszka: Radio antenna. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trainphone
Jim Arvites posted
View of an eastbound Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train arriving to pick up passengers at Englewood Union Station on the southside of Chicago on October 22, 1965.
(Wallace W. Abbey Photo)
Maurice Hill: I used to ride that train. Leave Chicago, stop at Englewood, stop at Gary, arrive in Fort Wayne in an hour and 45 minutes. Paying attention, AMTRAK?

Bill Molony posted three photos with the comment:

Englewood Union Station in December of 1969. Rock Island and Penn Central trains were still stopping there, but the actual station was closed and not staffed.

Photograph by Vic Wagner.

From the Blackhawk collection.

Bill Molony shared

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John Iwanski: Looking southeast on the (at this time) Penn Central tracks - that no longer saw PC trains heading to LaSalle Street Station.

Dennis DeBruler: This view shows how the NS/NYC tracks curved past the station as they changed direction from paralleling the (Amtrak+NS)/Pennsy tracks to paralleling the Metra/RI tracks.

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John Iwanski: I'm trying to get the orientation of this photo, and I'm thinking this is the Rock Island looking north toward the city (with the Green Line passing on the bridge overhead in the distance). Would that be correct?
Bill Molony: Yes, this photo is of the Rock Island side of Englewood Union Station, looking north.

  

Sean Guilden shared
Despite her age (almost 24 years when this photo was taken), Rock Island E6A #630 still shines up well working suburban service at Englewood Union Station (Chicago) on April 21, 1965. Roger Puta photo/Marty Bernard collection.
[Back when the Pennsy had all four tracks. The Rock Island also seems to have a freight train going across the diamonds. Imagine the noise of eight diamonds being pounded. Also note the Pennsy positional signal in the upper-right corner.]

Harvey Kahler commented on Mark Hinsdale's posting
Harvey Kahler In 1966 trains still stopped at Englewood - a bonus for Alco fans.
[The track curving in from the left would be one of the NYC tracks that joins the Rock Island. The Rock Island and NYC parallel each other the rest of the way north to the La Salle Street Station.]

Bill Molony posted
Pennsylvania Railroad class K-4s 4-6-2 Pacific-type #3874, approaching Englewood Union Station on the south side of Chicago with a New York-to-Chicago express train in August of 1946.

Bill Molony posted
Nickel Plate Road EMD GP9 #480 at Englewood Union Station (on the New York Central side) with NKP train #5, the City of Chicago, on the morning of April 24, 1963.
This train operated over the Erie-Lackawanna from Hoboken to Buffalo and continued over the NKP from Buffalo to Chicago.
Bob Lalich The NKP joined the NYC at tower JN, located near 72nd and South Chicago Ave.
Dennis DeBruler I need to add Bob's info about JN tower, but this should explain the route: http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../nkps-passenger...
Dennis DeBruler The platform roof clearly shows the curve in the NYC route as it changed from paralleling the Pennsy tracks to paralleling the Rock Island tracks.
Bill Edrington John Rehor's "The Nickel Plate Story" (Kalmbach, 1965) contains a good overview of NKP passenger stations in Chicago, starting with the IC's lakefront station at 14th Street; then the move to the joint LS&MS-RI Van Buren Street Union Station once NKP came under Vanderbilt (NYC/LS&MS) control; NKP's own station at 12th and La Salle Streets in the mid-1890s; back to Van Buren Street; then to Grand Central Station 1901-03 while the new La Salle Street Station was being built on the site of Van Buren Street; then, from 1903 on, La Salle Street Station.

Bill Molony commented on his posting
The NKP passenger trains got onto the NYC tracks at Grand Crossing.

Bill Molony posted
In the center is Rock Island EMDE7A #642, approaching Englewood Union Station with a westbound intercity passenger train.
On the left is another Rock Island E7A with an eastbound passenger train.
On the right is an eastbound New York Central passenger train stopped at the station.
Undated, but most likely circa 1965.

Bill Molony posted
Rock Island class P-31 4-6-2 Pacific-type #890, arriving at Englewood Union Station with a three-car outbound suburban train.
Undated, but circa 1950.
Dennis DeBrulerGroup Admin Under the roof of the RI platform we see the roof of the NYC platform. And below the NYC roof we see boxcars in the NYC freight yard.

In contrast, in this diesel era photo we see piggyback trailers instead of boxcars in the NYC freight yard:

William Strassner posted a Jerry J Johnston 1968 photo

In 1960, we still see boxcars in the NYC freight yard:

Bill Molony posted
Rock Island EMD LWT-12 #2, outbound at Englewood Union Station with
 an eight-car Aerotrain in suburban service on July 20, 1960.

Bill Molony posted again
Rock Island EMD LWT12 #2 at Englewood Union Station with its eight-car Aerotrain on July 20, 1960.
The Rock Island purchased the two General Motors Aerotrain demonstrators in 1958 and put them to work in suburban service between Chicago and Joliet.
Tom Szerencse Is this the trainset down in St Louis Museum?
Bill Molony No; this trainset is at the National Railway Museum in Green Bay. The trainset at the National Museum of Transport in St. Louis is Rock Island #3.
Tom Szerencse As I remember the St Louis set is in bad repair, at least it was when we were there many years ago. When is set #1?
Jeff Delhaye #1, and it's ACF Talgo cars, AKA The Talgo Jet Rocket, were scrapped, with some of the cars hanging around a SE side Chicago scrap yard until at least the early 80's as offices and sheds.

BRHS posted
One of the Rock Island's two General Motors Aerotrains outbound at Englewood Union Station in suburban service on July 20, 1960
General Motors produced the two Aerotrain demonstrators in 1955. Various railroads around the country tried them out, but none of them were interested in purchasing either one of them.
The Rock Island purchased the two Aerotrain demonstrators in 1958 for use in suburban service between La Salle Street Station and Joliet Union Station. They lasted in suburban service for just under 10 years, and were retired and donated to museums in St.Louis and Green Bay.
Bob Jungmann Always thought this was the "shape of the future"---until I rode on the one at the Green Bay museum where they had one that you could take a short ride on. It rode like a stage coach---really poor--that answered my why it didn't become the "shape of the future". It was well suited for commuter service---where the ride was not a long one---coast to coast---you would have been better off in a Greyhound bus.
Bill Burns Aerotrain was pretty much an experiment by GM to see how cheaply they could make a train with off-the-shelf parts. The suspension was a standard GM bus suspension - hence the bad ride...

Bill Molony posted
Rock Island Aerotrain #2, outbound at Englewood Union Station enroute from La Salle Street Station to Joliet Union Station on the afternoon of July 20th, 1960.  From the Blackhawk collection.
Rick La Fever: I have a question that I never saw asked or answered: How did they turn this at either end of the run❓ I would assume it was run through a wye track at the Chicago end but I don't recall a wye in Joliet.
Robert Petit: Rick La Fever great question. Could have been turned at Root Street downtown. Joliet, not so sure.
Harold J. Krewer: Rick La Fever, the cars wouldn't be turned (by this time the cars were consisted with adjacent vestibules so half the seats were facing backwards in either direction).
The locomotives could be turned in Joliet on the turntable at the engine house by the EJ&E tower.
Jeff Kehoe: My friend's father worked at GM helping build the Aerotrain(s), and liked to tell us, "THAT was our EDSEL."

Bill Molony posted
Rock Island EMD E7A #635 and AB6 #750 at Englewood Union Station with the Rocky Mountain Rocket - circa 1949.
[The engines pull past the platform to minimize the distance the passengers have to walk. But this causes the train to block Pennsy trains while it is at the station. Note the junction tower to the right.]

Richard Stephen posted
Purchased this print of the Rocky Mountain Rocket on eBay many years ago. It was photographed at Englewood Union Station but I have no date or name of the photographer.
Rick La Fever Well that first unit is an E-7 while the second unit is an AB-6 which was a home built unit. Therefore, I am going to surmise two things. One that picture is The Rocky Mountain Rocket as you know and 2. It might have been photographed by John Raia(Mike Raia--your Dad's picture?) or possibly Emory Gulash. Now the date of the photograph would be in the late 50's or early 60's. The giveaway to this that track that was removed where the photographer was standing.

Bill Molony posted
Rock Island one-month-old EMD E6A #628 arriving at Englewood Union Station with the westbound Rocky Mountain Rocket in July of 1940.

Bill Molony posted
Rock Island Alco RS3 #495, stopped at Englewood Union Station with a westbound passenger train - circa 1952.
Dennis DeBruler I never realized that the RI tracks and platform were curved. But now that I take a closer look at a 1938 aerial, I see they are curved to reduce the angle of the diamonds with the Pennsy. [An aerial photo is near the top of these notes.]

Roger Kujawa posted
Rock Island - 621 DL-109
The Peoria Rocket Ready to depart Englewood Station. 
JUN-01-1967 photographer unknown.

Bill Molony posted
Rock Island EMD AB6 #750, inbound at Englewood Union Station with a two-car suburban train.
The Rock Island purchased its two AB6 locomotives from EMD in 1940 for use on the Rocky Mountain Rocket.
In the 1960's, the unit's steam generators were removed and replaced with Cummins head-end-power units, allowing them to be used in push-pull bi-level commuter train service.
Mark Fuller Not familiar with this, so I looked it it up thinking it was an B-unit conversion akin to C&NW’s Crandall cabs, only uglier. But these were BUILT this way?!?
David DaruszkaDavid and 1 other manage the membership, moderators, settings, and posts for Chicago Railroad Historians. From Wikipedia: "They were built for the Rocky Mountain Rocket passenger train, which travelled as a unified train from Chicago, Illinois, to Limon, Colorado, but then divided; with one section going to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the other to Denver, Colorado. The Rock Island desired a locomotive that could look like an integrated part of the train during the Chicago-Limon portion of the route, but could then be operated independently to take three cars to Colorado Springs. A regular, cab-equipped A-unit could have been purchased, but that would have ruined the streamlined look of the train, so the RI had EMC build a flat-fronted locomotive based on an E-series E6B (B unit) but with an operating cab, headlight, pilot, and other features to enable it to operate as an independent locomotive."

Since the small three- and four-car trains the units would have to haul independently were very light, the AB6 pair were built with only one 1,000 hp EMC 567 V12 engine, and a baggage compartment where the second engine would have been. Later, with increasing trainloads, the baggage compartment was replaced with a second engine.

Bill Molony commented on his posting
This is what the Rock Island's AB6 locomotives looked like as delivered from EMD for use on the Rocky Mountain Rocket's Colorado Springs section. They had a single 1,000 horsepower prime mover in the front, a baggage section in the rear, and a steam generator in the very back for heating the passenger cars.
Patrick Cunningham It may be one of the ugliest diesels ever made, but it’s a shame that one wasn’t preserved.

Marty Bernard took a color photo of this beast.

William Strassner posted a Jerry J Johnston 1968 photo
Outbound frt, Englewood
[A rare view that catches parts of the depot and the tower.]

If this train is parked at the station, then the locomotive does block the Pennsy while it is parked.

William Strassner posted a Jerry J Johnston 1968 photo
Rush hour Englewood
William Strassner Nothing like working a mechanical interlocking in a Chicago winter, I have here in NJ but we don't get hit as bad...

William Strassner posted a Jerry J Johnston 1968 photo
Of course as you get ready to leave, something neat pops up ! Englewood. Neat rear end car....
[A nice view of the Pennsy platform. And if you look past it, you can see the south part of the NYC platform. And some trailers in the NYC yard. Since this used to be a round-ended observation car, there are a lot of comments about this and other end cars.]

Bill Molony posted
New York Central class S-1b 4-8-4 Niagara-type #6005, easing away from Englewood Union Station with NYC train #2, the Pacemaker, in November of 1945.
Looking her over (on the left) are Pennsylvania Railroad passengers awaiting their eastbound train.
Dennis DeBrulerGroup Admin Thanks for identifying the Pennsy passengers. That means we are at the southeast corner of the platform triangle and the Pacemaker is eastbound.
Bill Molony All even numbered trains were eastbound and all odd numbered trains were westbound. NYC train #2 was an eastbound train.
Dennis DeBrulerGroup Admin Thanks for that insight.

Bill Molony posted

Two of the Pennsylvania Railroad's new EMD E7A's leading PRR #28, the eastbound Broadway Limited, away from Englewood Union Station in June of 1949.
Dennis DeBruler The NYC Englewood Yard is to the right. We can see the end of the Pennsy platform to the right of the lead engine and the slight curve that the Pennsy mainline makes as it enters the station.

Bill Molony posted again
The pride of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Broadway Limited, accelerating away from Englewood Union Station behind two new EMD E7A locomotives in June of 1949.
Craig Sanders What is that array of wires and posts on top of the locomotives?
Eric Powell It’s the Trainfone system that was proprietary to the PRR.

Bill Molony posted again
Darrell Sherrod PRR "trainphone" communication system:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trainphone
Bob Poortinga I surprised there are only two units on this train.
Andre Kristopans Bob Poortinga PRR did not believe in over-powering. Just barely enough.

This photo would have been taken from the end of the Pennsy platform mentioned in the comments of the above photo.

Bill Molony posted

New York Central class S-1b 4-8-4 Niagara-type #6015, eastbound out of Englewood Union Station with NYC train #28, the 18-car New England States, in July of 1948.

The 6015 was built by Alco in November of 1945 and was retired by the NYC in August of 1955.

The tracks on the left belonged to the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Dennis DeBruler The bridge girders in the Pennsy tracks are for State Street. The boxcar on the right is in NYC's freight yard. Norfolk Southern has converted that yard to one of their intermodal yards.
https://www.google.com/.../@41.7781699,-87.../data=!3m1!1e3

Here is another photo that illustrates the curve east of the station.

Bill Molony posted
On the left is an A-B-A set of Pennsylvania Railroad EMD E7's with PRR train #28, the Broadway Limited to Pennsylvania Station in New York City.

On the right is a New York Central class S-2a 4-8-4 Niagara-type with NYC train #2, The Pacemaker to Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

Both trains are eastbound from Englewood Union Station.

Taken in November of 1947.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Bill's posting
Interesting, there was a slight curve in the Pennsy tracks that you can still see today.

This photo clearly shows the curve eastish of the NYC+Pennsy platforms.

BRHS posted
New York Central train #28, the New England States, departing from Englewood Union Station and headed to Boston in February 1950.
Dennis DeBruler The photographer is standing on the Pennsy platform looking (timecard) East. The NYC platform is on the left near the train.

That curve seemed to be a popular railfan spot.

Bill Molony posted
Pennsylvania Railroad class S-2 6-8-6 Turbine #6200, easing away from Englewood Union Station with PRR train #28, The Broadway Limited - circa 1947.
Bill Molony When the 6200 was first delivered in September of 1944, it was not equipped with these large smoke lifters; they were added at the PRR"s Altoona Shops in 1946.
Richard Mead If they had gotten a trailing truck booster the boiler might not have suffered during startup.

Bill Molony posted
Nickel Plate Road class L-1b 4-6-4 Hudson-type #177 at track speed in Chicago with a nine-car passenger train - 1947.
Bob Lalich I believe the train is WB approaching Englewood Station.
[Since I was unaware of the curve in the Pennsy mainline, I wrote some comments about Bob's statement. Now that I know about this curve, this photo makes sense.]

Bob Lalich commented on Bill's posting
There was a gentle curve to the left for WB trains approaching Englewood where the NYC and PRR tracks diverged from each other a bit. Here is a slightly different angle from roughly the same location. Photographer and source unknown.

Wayne Koch posted
Englewood 1965. Photo from unknown source.
[Probably taken from the north end of the NYC platform looking east across NYC's freight yard tracks.]

From Bob Lallch
Mid 50s PRR company photo of Englewood Union Station and trackwork looking west from State St, collection of Joe Stefanelli. Curving track on the left is PRR-Rock Island connection. Boxcars on the left are on Rock Island team tracks.
[Note the NYC+NKP platform curving off to the right! The Englewood Junction Tower is behind the signal mast.]

Bill Molony posted
This is the PRR's diagram of Englewood dated July 17, 1930, revised to June 24, 1947.
The CRI&P tracks and the NYC tracks were parallel from Englewood Union Station north to La Salle Street Station.
The NYC tracks and the PRR tracks were parallel east of Englewood Union Station.
The NKP's passenger trains had trackage rights over the NYC tracks into La Salle Street Station.
A better copy

Steven J. Brown shared
Aboard the dome on the Amtrak Capitol Limited at Englewood in Chicago - April 28, 1989. — at Chicago (Englewood neighborhood), Illinois.
Mitch Markovitz Yep. The first street is State, then 63rd. The railroad is at an angle (for the folks out there just tuning in and not familiar.)
[Inbound on the former Pennsy. It is too close to the tower to see State Street. The stone embankment on the right would be along 63rd. We see the Rock Island bridges across it. To the left of the train we see one of the girders where the Pennsy crossed 63rd. The station must have been torn down, but the Rock Island platform is still standing.]

Bill Molony posted
New York Central class L-3a 4-8-2 Mohawk #3000, eastbound from Englewood Union Station with a ten-car mail and express extra.
Jon Roma The point of the smoke deflectors is that when the engine is drifting at low speed, it keeps the smoke from swirling around the cab, preventing the engine crew from observing signal indications. When a train is operating at speed, the wind carries it away from the cab.
Dennis DeBruler You can see the roof of the station in the right background. The train illustrates the curve of the NYC tracks on the east side of the station as it turns north to switch from paralleling Pennsy to paralleling Rock Island. At Englewood, NYC's timecard directions change from east/west to north/south.
Jon Roma Technically, both NYC and Rock Island trains BOTH changed timetable directions at Englewood, because they entered the jurisdiction of the NYC-CRI&P joint operating timetable, which governed the joint track up to the bumping posts at La Salle Street Station.
Jon Roma Here is a link to a PDF of a timetable for that joint operation dated September 13, 1964:
https://www.jonroma.net/.../NYC%20and%20CRI%26P...

Mike Breski posted

Englewood Tower Englewood, IL 4-1979

Conrail's (former PRR) Englewood Tower and the remains of the late Englewood Union Station in April 1979. Doug Davidson photo with permission

This site is an activity of The Conrail Historical Society, the only non-profit devoted to preserving Conrail's History.

http://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/ScenicAndActionGallery/DougDavidson?page=6

Dennis DeBruler And a new view of the Englewood Union Station. On the right is the northwest end of the Pennsy platform. The white roof that is left of the center is the south end of the Rock Island platform. The NYC platform is out-of-frame to the right on the third side of the triangle.

Mike Breski posted

In one of the few views in this collection depicting the New York Central's late "cigar band" herald, we see EMD E-7A No. 4014 leading another E unit "elephant style" on train 61 in Chicago. My brother, David V. Leonard, took this transparency on July 26, 1969, after the 1968 Penn Central merger, so this is a PC train still carrying its old NYC number and shortly to be discontinued. The location is Englewood Station, with the westbound train operating on former Pennsylvania Railroad trackage headed for Union Station, which Penn Central used even for trains coming from Buffalo on the former New York Central. EMD produced the 2000-horsepower E-7 model from 1945-1949. No. 4014 kept its NYC number as a PC locomotive, but apparently was retired before the formation of Amtrak in 1971 inasmuch as Amtrak did not retain any E-7 units.

Richard Leonard's Rail Archive.

Mitch Markovitz Get a load of that Southern Ry Baggage-RPO.
Bob Lalich This routing was made possible by the newly installed connection (at the time of the photo) between the former NYC at Whiting and PRR at Lake Jct in Robertsdale.

Mike Breski posted again
Larry Grzywinski On February 1, 1968, the New York Central was absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad, forming the new Pennsylvania New York Central Transportation Company that was eventually renamed the Penn Central Transportation Company.
Harold J. Krewer Between the June 1968 Penn Central merger and the new public timetable issued in conjunction with the October time change that Fall, PC ran passenger trains into and out of THREE different stations in Chicago: The ex-PRR trains into CUS, ex-NYC (LS&MS and MC) trains into LaSalle Street and the ex-NYC (Big Four/CCC&StL) trains to Indianapolis and Cincinnati into IC's Central Station (they ran on IC trackage rights between Chicago and Kankakee).
Other roads used two or three different stations over the course of their passenger service, but PC was the only one to use three different stations simultaneously!
Mark Egebrecht The cantilever signal bridge lasted until at least 1985.
Dennis DeBruler Under the platform roof for Pennsy, we see the platform roof for the now former NYC. Under that roof it looks like the rear end of truck trailers. So the NYC freight yard was already being changed from a carload freight yard to an intermodal yard.

Jim Arvites posted
View from a bygone era of the Pennsylvania Railroad's flagship passenger train the "Broadway Limited" departing Englewood Union Station on the southside of Chicago.

Ron Hull

Twentieth Century Limited on the left side of the photo? They were carded out of Englewood at approximately the same time.

Jason Moors

Could be but the consist looks heavyweight,not streamlined unless the NYC was late to the game in upgrading their equipment.

John Iwanski

Depends on how many sections the Broadway or 20th Century were running too...

Alan Follett

Jason Moors

 The pre-war streamlined editions of the Broadway and Century both entered service on June 15, 1938.

Ric Donnelly

Was that the one that went through Logansport, IN in the 1950s and 1960s?

Alan Follett

No, the Broadway ran over the Fort Wayne Division. You’re probably thinking of the South Wind, a Chicago-Florida train that ran through Logansport.

Jim Arvites posted

Michael Greene

Taken between 1938 and 1948, when the Broadway Limited was re-equipped. (I don't know what train these cars went to post-Broadway Limited?)

Dan Davidson

Michael Greene

 Photo is in Joe Welsh book on the Broadway, dated Aug of 1948.

Rick Schoch

After the Broadway was reequipped with postwar cars, the observation cars were used on The General for a few years until it was permanently combined with the Trail Blazer in 1953. The sleepers went into the general pool.

Jim Arvites posted
View of the New York Central's flagship passenger train the "20th Century Limited" at Englewood Union Station on the southside of Chicago.

Mitch Markovitz

This is the eastbound no. 26. It just departed Englewood eastbound. To the right is the PRR main. To the left is the freight yard and engine terminal. Behind the photographer the Rock crosses the PRR.

Richard Stephen posted four images with the comment:

The subject of Englewood Union Station at 63rd and State Street has long intrigued me. We've all seen countless photos of famous and not-so-famous trains there and a handful of exterior photos of the station and passenger platforms.
I present to you the only two interior photos of the station that I could find anywhere. In addition, a photo of the street level sign (photo by Frank Tatnall) and a postcard image of the station.

Rick La Fever I think IRM has the sign.
Richard Stephen My research indicates that the derelict station was damaged by a fire in 1979 and demolished in 1982.
Rick La Fever Too bad it caught fire. Probably from someone trying to scrap metal out of the building or maybe a homeless person. That neighborhood fell apart pretty quickly in the 1970's.
Kevin L. Benford I found 2 pictures in the Chicago Public Library collection in the Harold Washington branch downtown. I believe these are the same pictures. The library will make copies for you for a small fee.

David Daruszka I would assume that filed away somewhere in Washington with all the railroad valuation paperwork are interior photos of the station. Just because you can't find it on the internet doesn't mean it does not exist.
Jim Kelling David Daruszka I have never seen interior shots in the ICC valuation records for any railroad, just exteriors.
David Daruszka Jim Kelling Thanks. Wrong guess on my part.
Richard Stephen Jim Kelling Thanks. You saved me a trip to Washington!
David Daruszka Richard Stephen Whew, close call.
Lawrence Smith in the old days pre-Ryan ex-way there was a connecting track in the SE quadrant betrween RI and PRR. Read that during WW2 this was heavily used by through troop trains to avoid going downtown. One wonders if there was a temp connection too betweeen PRR and NYC just for the military. Would make sense. Never have seen such a thing on any pic of the area.

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Richard Stephen From Trains magazine, December 1980. Harold Stirton, photographer.Jon Roma This is the first picture I've ever seen INSIDE Englewood Union Station. On the other hand, since I have subscribed to Trains magazine since 1979, I must have seen and forgotten this picture!Mark Kocol Steam radiators. Neat. Throwback.

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Richard Stephen Photographer unknown.Bob Jungmann Loos like an "Edward Hopper" painting like the "Night Hawks" from the Chicago Art Institute.Brett C. Ballard This photograph appears on p. 39 of "Chicago's Passenger Trains", by Robert P. Olmstead. According to the title page, they're all his photographs. He states that the last day the station was open was April 9th, 1969.Richard Stephen Thanks. I had copied it from a book at a library many years ago and did not have the source.Brett C. Ballard You're welcome! I have the book, and my brain actually remembered seeing the picture! Those are all great photos you posted.

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Ray Bottles The first stop for THE New York Central Systems 20th Century Limited!!! Used to pick up the Movie Stars because they didn’t want to get on in CHICAGO !!!
Jon Roma Ray Bottles, I don't know why you say that the movie stars "didn't want to get on in Chicago."
There were so many business and political figures, theater performers, movie stars, etc. boarding the "Twentieth Century Limited" at La Salle Street Station for WGN radio broadcaster Bob Elson to have a regular broadcast from the station for many years. These broadcasts featured Elson chatting where he chatted with the rich and famous while they awaited the departure of the New York Central's flagship train.ever
Englewood didn't exist because passengers didn't want to get on in Chicago: It existed because the area it served was heavily populated, and because it was an origin and destination for South Side residents who wanted to board trains of the four railroads that served this station, or for people transferring between the Rock Island and the other three railroads.
I don't envision Englewood (even in its prime) being a bigger magnet than the Loop for the rich and famous riding the Twentieth Century Limited".
Ray Bottles Jon Roma Sorry about putting my Two Cents IN!! But Im the Trainman that worked on the NYC 20th Century occasionally!! Sorry to burst your bubble !! Worked with Joan Jennings a Century Girl late 1950 early 1960 She told me Frank Sinatra got on at Englewood 1960 going to President Kennedy inauguration in Washington DC and got off at Harmon NY !! Didn’t want people to see him !! She worked train from New York to Lasalle Street and returned on Number 26 Eastbound the next DAY!! She saw many movie stars Duke Ellington even had breakfast with President Truman in the Diner!! I guess I’m just not the AUTHORITATIVE LIKE YOU!! I only worked on the New York Central System 20th Century Limited!!! 😭😭 Have a NICE LIFE !! Bye Bye!!!
  Ray Bottles Brian Watt I know I broke his EGO!!! Don’t know the Guy !! Like he said, why would anybody want to get on at Englewood?? Instead of saying Oh I never thought about someone not wanting publicity!! And when I brought this forward I crushed this EGO!! Maybe he’s a Trumpy Lover!! Probably He is one !! Don’t want his Feathers roughed UP!! Good Luck with MR TOUCHY !!! Ray Bottles, Brakeman NYC 20th Century Limited!! Of course I don’t have much ACKNOWLEDGMENT like your friend!!!

Larry J. Pearlman Love this. Otto Vondrak is love to see an article based on these photos!!
Richard Stephen The two best articles I am aware of are from Trains magazine, February 1946, "Railfans Saturday Night" and Trains magazine December 1980, "The one best place to watch trains". Both articles discuss the location in detail and if you can get a hold of either back issue, they are very worthwhile.
Will Dunklin To the right of this photo - is this where we see the famous photos of the 20th Century Limited and Broadway Limited racing each other out of Chicago?
Richard Stephen Will Dunklin Yes, that’s correct.

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All of the photos in the comments are already in these notes except for:

Richard Stephen commented on his post

Richard Biegaj posted two photos with the comment:

Two rare interior photos of Englewood Union Station.

Disclaimer:  Not my photos.

John L Garcia shared

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Marty Bernard posted
750 and 751, EMD numbers 1066 and 1067, built in June 1940, were an E6B carbody modified with a single 1000 h.p. engine, windows and controls in the front half, and at the rear half the baggage compartment and steam generator. (Source Diesel Shop) They were built for the Rocky Mountain Rocket.
2. Later CRI&P AB6 750 southbound at Chicago's Englewood Union Station morning of April 21, 1965.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's post
I've seen photos from the NYC platform before, but this is the first one I've seen from the RI platform. And I never noticed before that the RI tracks start their curve by the platform. The RI tracks are the ones on the left side of the triangle in this 1938 aerial.
41°46'47.7"N 87°37'41.3"W

William Shapotkin posted four photos with the comment: "These undated photos of Englewood Union Station in Chicago were recently posted by a fellow named David Sadowski on facebook. With his permission, am reposting them here. While there are numerous exterior pix walking around, interior shots are few and far between -- hence my desire to repost them here. The two exterior photos were taken on the New York Central/Nickel Plate side of the station."

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Marty Bernard posted

Pennsy's Two Valpo Trains One April Morning in 1965

Roger Puta and I were at Englewood Union Station the morning of April 21, 1965. The Pennsy ran two commuter trains from Valparaiso, Indiana to Chicago Union Station both pulled by GP7s. We photographed them. Here are my photos.

NOTE: I did a photo-blog of the many trains we photographed that morning. It can be found at: http://railfan44.blogspot.com/.../a-morning-at-englewood...

Marty Bernard shared
Mitch Markovitz: The 2 car train was the early job and saw it on my way to ROTC in high school. If I saw the 4 car I knew I had to run.
Joseph Tuch Santucci: Were these two Geeps dual controls in the cabs?
Lance Erickson: In the end days, no water, no lights, no heat, broken windows a nice ride indeed.
Marty Bernard posted
PRR GP7 8551 with the first of two inbound Commuter Trains from Valparaiso, IN at Englewood Union Station, Chicago, IL on the morning of May 21, 1965
Marty Bernard shared

Edward Dolle: About to cross the NYC or IC?

Dennis DeBruler: Rock Island. NYC curves north on the other side of the building.

Marty Bernard shared

David Daruszka: The Pennsy ran the first trains to the Washington Park neighborhood on the Panhandle using a dummy locomotive. Locals took to naming both trains on the Panhandle and the Rock Island as dummies. The name seems to be universal on many commuter operations. In the case of the Rock it may have something to do with the diminutive Forneys that were first used to power commuter trains. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_dummy

Dennis DeBruler commented on Marty's first share
A rare view of intact signaling pipelines. I was looking closer to see how they did the 90-degree turn for one of the pipes when I noticed that they skipped two ties to make room for the pipes! I don't think those metal straps are going to hold much. And there are rail joints over that gap.

Marty Bernard
Marty Bernard caught an inbound Broad Limited at the platform. On the right side of the photo we can see a car ramp that went from track level down to street level.

Marty Bernard posted five images with the comment:

5 Photos of the Nickel Plate Road  "City of Chicago" in 1965

These photographs were made the morning of April 21, 1965 as the Nickel Plate's Train #5, the overnight from Buffalo "City of Chicago", made its station stop at Englewood Union Station on the south side of Chicago. The train had connections (through coaches) at Buffalo to New York City via the Erie-Lackawanna.

The locomotive was NKP 875 an RS36 built July 1962 in an order of three RS36s with steam generators. She became N&W 2875. 

Let's not forget the NKP was merged into the N&W on October 16, 1964, six months before I took these pictures.

Captions with photos.

Marty Bernard shared

Marty Bernard posted

Arthur House: Trains 5/6 were discontinued in September 1965.

[This is a reminder that NKP used the NYC tracks to access Chicago.]

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1. Arriving at Englewood

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2. and 3. Stopped at Englewood (I never noticed before but the train arrived with a express car on the rear which was removed before it departed. I didn't photograph the removal. I may have been watching for Rock Island trains.) The train is on New York Central tracks which curve from paralleling the PRR tracks headed northwest to Union Station to joining the Rock Island tracks heading north to LaSalle Street Station.
Jon Roma: Have never seen this particular scene!
Isn't this a bit unusual in that a westbound train is on what I assume is the eastbound track?
Marty Bernard: Not if the station is not busy.
Steve Merriam: Arriving (or waiting at position 10). At this time the station was only kept open pending ICC permission to close (Docket #47,480).

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Steve Merriam: Departing, (or maybe waiting at position 13)

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4. and 5. Departing
Steve Merriam: Departing for sure, maybe on time at 6:23am CST or 7:23am DST. At this time the Railway's times were published in Standard time.

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Steve Merriam: BY-BY to one of the last and best examples of an overnight business man’s train.

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6. The train's equipment from a 1961 NKP Timetable from the Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society's website.

A photo of a NYC train approaching Englewood from LaSalle.