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| Paul Petratis posted New and old Union Station David Daruszka New Union Station concourse under construction on the lower left. Frost and Granger's C&NW Madison Street Station on the upper right. Adams Street is at the bottom with the streetcar along with the old swing bridge over the Chicago River. The architect of old Union Station was W.W. Boyington, built in 1881. |
A different cropping and exposure, but we can tell that it is the same photo because of the defect near the upper-left corner.
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| Raymond Kunst added to an album |
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| David M Laz posted |
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| The first of four photos posted by Chicago Tribune
Union Station vintage photos for #TBT.
Opened in 1925, Union Station stands on the west bank of the Chicago River, between Adams and Jackson, and replaces an earlier station built in 1881. The Beaux-Arts structure took over 10 years to build, due to World War I. It is the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago and the primary terminal for commuter trains.
Lots more here: http://trib.in/1GvM3md
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| The last of four photos posted by Chicago Tribune, modified [I cranked up the brightness of this photo to try to bring the buildings out of the shadows on the right. The building to the right of the roof girders for the Concourse building is the south end of the previous Union Station. You can see the american flag on top of the center copula.] |
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| David Daruszka comment Dennis DeBruler David Daruszka That must have been drawn in the 1800s ---- the ship masts, no automobiles, a small 4-4-0 engine. |
Mike Breski posted two images with the comment:
CHICAGO’S OLD MONROE STREET UNION STATIONKevin P. Keefe What a terrific shot. My guess is that A.W. Johnson was the photographer.
Before the current Chicago Union Station was opened in 1925, trains of the PRR, CB&Q, and Milwaukee Road used a terminal, Monroe Street Union Station, at roughly the same riverfront location. In this 1919 view, CB&Q Lounging Car No. 201 is on the rear of a Burlington train ready to depart south while Milwaukee 4-6-2 No. 6512 pants at the head of a northbound train.
C. Jones Jr. coll
Old Station Outgrown The old station was located on a strip of ground about 134 ft. wide adjacent to the east side of Canal street between Madison street and Van Buren street. The old station building fronted on Canal street between Adams and Monroe streets opposite the transverse axis of the station track layout which consisted primarily of through tracks connecting at either end with two approaches, one from the north and the other from the south. The Fort Wayne line of the Pennsylvania, and the Alton and the Burlington lines entered from the south over a four track line located on property formerly owned jointly by the Fort Wayne and the Alton, between Van Buren and Twenty-first street. The Burlington operated over this line as a tenant to a junction with its own line at Sixteenth street. The Panhandle line of the Pennsylvania and the St. Paul entered from the north on a two track line owned jointly by the Fort Wayne, the St. Paul and the Chicago & North Western, as far as a point on Canal street near Carroll avenue.
https://chicagology.com/skyscrapers/skyscrapers044/
David Daruszka At one time Chicago was a bicycle manufacturing center. I believe the tall building behind the bicycle sign is first Butler Brothers Warehouse. Completed in 1913 it was demolished in 1920 for the change in track alignment for the new Union Station. It was rebuilt at the expense of the Union Station Company west of its original location. A second twin building stands to the north. Both built for catalog giant Butler Brothers, one of the buildings served briefly as the headquarters of the C&NW Transportation Company. Both are now loft style condos. The site of the original warehouse is now the location of the Boeing Company headquarters which uses cantilever construction to span the station approach tracks.
William F. Waite Interesting historical note. Thanks for pointing that out.
David Daruszka Chicago Area Railroad Historians, it's more than just train pictures.
Jerry Nolan That's a helluva deal from Mead Cycle Company, 30 days free trial.
William F. Waite Interesting historical note. Thanks for pointing that out.
David Daruszka Chicago Area Railroad Historians, it's more than just train pictures.
Jerry Nolan That's a helluva deal from Mead Cycle Company, 30 days free trial.
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| Raymond Kunst added to an album union depot 1886 map |
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| Mike Tuggle posted Old Union Station on Adams and Canal in 1881. One of two photos posted by Pierre Hamon, he has a darker exposure Mel Patrick posted a darker exposure that is cropped differently Chicago Union Station built 1881, photo from Chicago Historical Society. |
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| Jeff Davis posted
[One can play the game of "count the street sweepers." I even see a broom just laying on the sidewalk. It is not clear to where they are sweeping the "stuff."]
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| Richard Guban posted Picture of The original Chicago Union Station around 1915. Steven Osowski: Love the roofing on this station. Linda Ackerman: Steven Osowski I think this is called a Mansard roof. Jim Costas: Where was this station? Richard Guban: Jim Costas on the current site for union station. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Richard's comment It was north of the current site: East of Canal between Madison and Adams. I think the street sweepers are walking down Adams. of 1906 North and West Division: https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn01790_018/ of Cook Country Sanborn Maps: https://www.loc.gov/collections/sanborn-maps/?fa=location:illinois%7Clocation:cook+county |
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| Dennis DeBruler posted an ECC link The north end of Pennsy's freight house, the Old Union Station in the background and Adams Street Bridge on the right. And people swimming in the river in an annual celebration of how clean it has become since it was reversed in 1900 and of the reduction of commercial traffic. (Industry and the big boats were moving to Calumet River.) |
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| Bill Molony posted This is a picture post card of the original Chicago Union Station. It was located on the corner of Canal and Adams Streets. It opened for business in 1881. |
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| Bill Molony posted Union Depot, Chicago, picture post card, postmarked 2:00 PM on September 21, 1911 in Chicago. |
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| David Daruszka commented on Bill's post The north trains sheds for the new Union Station are on the lower left in this image. It should give you a better idea of the location of the old one. |
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| Patrick McNamara commented on Bill's post It was located North of the former site of the demolished waiting room...on the EAST side of Canal Street...photo 1924 |
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| David Daruszka commented on a reposting of the above postcard |
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| Pierre Hamon posted Shawn Cole shared Canal @ Adams. Michael Bose The first Chicago Union Station, pictured here, OPENED in 1881. This photo is actually ca. 1884. It was at Canal and Adams. Demolished in 1924 and replaced with the current Union Station in 1925. |
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| Lance Grey commented on Peirre's post Canal @ Adams. Chicago & Alton RR used "Madison & Canal" on their calling card & Billboards, 1885. |
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| David Henkes commented on Peirre's post, cropped |
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| David Daruszka posted On April 7, 1874 five railroads agreed to build and share a union station just north of the original Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad station site at Van Buren Street. These railroads were: Pennsylvania Company (a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad), Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, Michigan Central Railroad, Chicago and Alton Railroad, and the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway (The Milwaukee Road). The Michigan Central decided to back out of the agreement, and continued using the Illinois Central Depot. The remaining four companies used the station when it opened in 1881. The headhouse, designed by architect W.W. Boyington, was a narrow building that fronted on Canal Street and stretched from Madison Street to Adams Street. The tracks and loading platforms were east of the building along the Chicago River. Jeff Bransky shared Richard Mead The Chicago Water Tower and pumping station of 1869 survived the Chicago fire and have become well-loved landmarks. Other buildings accredited to W.W. Boyington include: The First LaSalle Street Station, 1867-71 (cost $225,000[3]); Second Presbyterian Church, 1888 (since 1987 the Cornerstone Building) in Peoria Illinois (cost $50,000);[4] The New State Capitol Building in Springfield, Illinois; the first University of Chicago located at 34th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue (1859, 1863, 1865; all demolished); the first Sherman House located at Clark and Randolph Streets 1859, (demolished in 1910); residence for Washington and Jane Smith, 1870 (cost $75,000[5]), demolished; the entrance gate of Rosehill Cemetery; the old Second Baptist Church of Chicago (now the Aiken Institute); the 1864 Democratic Convention Hall; the old Chicago Board of Trade Building at the Head of LaSalle Street, 1885 (demolished in 1928 for construction of the present Holabird and Root Building); and the Windsor Hotels of Montreal, Canada and Denver, Colorado; the Terrace Hill Homestead (Iowa's Governor's Mansion); the Hegeler Carus Mansion of LaSalle, Illinois; Heaney's Block in Rochester, MN, 1866 (destroyed by fire 1917); the Milikin Bank Building (demolished) in Decatur, Illinois; the Transfer House, 1896 in Decatur; and the Joliet Prison.[6] His Grand Pacific Hotel, 1871, was destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire as it was being completed but was rebuilt according to the original plans in 1873 |
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| David commented on his posting This illustration clearly shows the masts of sailing ships on the river. |
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| David Daruszka commented on MWRD's posting |
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| David Daruszka posted What did the Railroad Age Gazette think of the station situation in Chicago in 1908? Well, they didn't have a high opinion of the old Union Station. [The Union Depot pictured below lasted from 1882-1925.] |
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| David Daruszka commented on the above posting When it was new. |
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| David Daruszka commented on the above posting Towards the end of it's life span. |
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| David Daruszka commented on a posting The freight houses for the old Union Station which were adjacent to the river. [Is the truss bridge on the left side a pedestrian bridge. The first bridge across the Chicago River north of the depot was Madison Street, and that was out-of-frame to the right.] |
Given the location described by the MWRD, this should be another view of the Pennsy freight houses. Except for the towers having an architecture similar to the one in the lower-right corner of the above photo, I can't reconcile these two photos.
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| MWRD posted The South Branch of the Chicago River looking west from an area north of the Adams Street bridge on February 14, 1902. |
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| John Smith posted the OLD union Station |
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| 'Thomas Manz posted The caption says we are on the west side of the Chicago River looking south from Randolph Street. Do these tracks lead to Union Station? (Metro Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago) Bob Lalich Yes, these tracks led to the old Union Station. Unusual lap switch in the distance. Dwayne Weber The cars on left say C&NW. One on lower over right says B&O. David H. Nelson That should be Butler Brothers (Ben Franklin 5 & 10) on the right and MILW Freeight House #7 further away. That conforms to what you see in the 1905 Sanborn Fire Insurance map. What is curious is the Sanborn map has no indication of anything on the left side of the tracks (other than the river). Makes me wonder about the date shown in the photo. Maybe 1908? Anyway, in later years the warehouse on the right was knocked down and the tracks spread into that area. Butler Bro's had two huge warehouses off to the right on Canal St -- they're still there albeit as condos. MWRD posted A view to the south from the Randolph Street truss bridge showing railroad tracks and buildings on the west side of the South Branch of the Chicago River between Madison Street and Randolph Street, taken during a survey of the area on January 19, 1903. Cáit MacSeáin: Are those guys standing atop a train? Bob Lalich: Cáit MacSeáin - yes. In those days, brakes were set by men on the roofs of the cars using the brake wheels seen in the photo. Dennis DeBruler: Cáit MacSeáin Imagine doing that in the 1800s on a train going downhill in the mountains during a blizzard. Before air brakes were invented, that was the only way to stop a train. I've read that there was one brakeman for about every 10 cars. I think the engineer used whistle signals for brakes on and off. Mike Breski shared |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on MWRD's post Those would be the tracks of the Milwaukee and Pennsy's Panhandle railroads going south to the original Union Station. 1901 Chicago Quadrangle @ 1:62,500 |
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| Dwayne Weber commented on Thomas' post |
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| Michael Murray commented on Thomas' post Thanks for sharing that map. I never knew about this connection. Dennis DeBruler That would explain why the original plan for the Lake Shore Drive bridge was to use the lower deck for a railroad. |
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| MWRD posted on Jul 9, 2023 A view of railroad tracks and buildings on the west side of the South Branch of the Chicago River looking north from about Washington Street between Madison and Randolph on January 19, 1903. |
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| MWRD posted Railroad tracks and train cars under the Van Buren Street viaduct are seen in this photo taken from the roof of a building near Harrison Street in Chicago, looking north, on September 11, 1903. Jeff Bransky It definitely was the age of coal. So much activity. Look at the coal cars on the right and that terrible smog. Smoggiest old photo I have ever seen. Chris Schultz The coal cars are Chicago & Alton. There is still a Chicago & Alton freight house next to the “old” post office, you can see the sign from Congress/The Eisenhower. Bob Lalich The caption is correct. This vantage point is west of the river. These tracks led to the old Union Station built in 1881, which can be seen in the distance left of center. The old station was replaced in 1925 by the present day Union Station. Mark Kocol The Van Buren overpass would be the old commuter line from the West that’s popped up in other threads? And just to the East of this photo, 18years later, the Old Post Office building was constructed? Dennis DeBruler Mark Kocol The Van Buren overpass is the low bridge just north of all of the freight houses. But the two big trusses are The Met, which also carried the C&AE. The little white building in the air at the right side of the right truss was the control house for the bridge over the South Branch. Behind that building we see the swing span for Jackson Blvd. We can see the trusses for the Jackson Blvd. viaduct behind the trusses for The Met. The Old Post Office would be in front of us along Canal Street on the left. Eric Sibul shared Jerry Stack When I lived in Hyde Park (Chicago) 50 years ago, there were still buildings that were heated by coal furnaces, although things were never like the scene in the photo. Michael E. Bond Larry Larry The date on the photo is before the IC electrified their suburban service so there. MWRD posted again Dennis DeBruler shared Peaking over the left side of the viaduct is the 1881 Union Station. It was east of Canal Street between Adams and Madison Streets. The buildings in the foreground were freight houses. They would put boards across the gaps between the boxcars so that they could load LCL freight into any of the outbound boxcars lined up along the platform. The multistory part of a building was the office building. Before computers, railroads ran with paper. The waybill for a boxcar was a folder that held the waybills for each piece of freight that was loaded into the boxcar. In the 1800s, the caboose truly was the office for the conductor because the conductor of a local freight had a lot of waybills to handle during the trip. David Daruszka: The bridge closest to the photographer are the tracks of the Metropolitan Elevated (MET). |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on his share Bill Molony has posted this postcard of the 1881 Union Station. This is looking at the corner of Canal and Adams Streets. |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on David's comment You made me look closer at the photo. The truss closest to the photographer is the MET. Van Buren is closer, but it is a small girder bridge. The close proximity of these two bridges is what motivated Scherzer to develop his rolling bridge design. There was not enough room for a swingbridge to swing. |
MWRD posted four photos with the comment: "Various views of the railroad tracks and buildings on the west side of the South Branch of the Chicago River between Madison and Randolph streets, taken during a survey of the area on January 19, 1903."
[Since Union Station was south of Madison Street, these are photos of tracks that were on the north side of the station. Thus they would be Pennsy's Panhandle and Milwaukee Road.]
Dennis DeBruler shared with the comment:
Dennis DeBruler I was surprised to see running boards on top of the boxcars in a 1960s photo that Marty Bernard took. So I dug a little deeper. Jerry Jackson provided the following details:
1966 ROOF WALKS ALLOWED TO BE REMOVED BY THE ICC. 1974 SET AS TARGET DATE FOR REMOVAL OF ALL ROOF WALKS AND HIGH HAND BRAKES.
1966 NEW FREIGHT CARS ORDERED AFTER 4/66 AND/OR DELIVERED AFTER 10/66 WERE REQUIRED TO BE BUILT WITHOUT ROOFWALKS AND WITH LOW HAND BRAKES.
My uncle explained to me that the development of the dynamic brake helped get rid of setting handbrakes on a train. This of course first required the development of the road diesel locomotive. He also explained that when he walked with someone on top of a train in the yard that he learned that the development of air-cushioned drawbars made crossing from one car to another quite dangerous. Also, the 1960s was the beginning of replacing boxcars with purpose built freight cars.
https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../handbrakes-and...
Dennis DeBruler shared with the comment:
1903 is old enough that we can see the wheels for the handbrakes above the running boards on many of the boxcars. And in the second photo we can see some tell-tales. https://www.american-rails.com/tell-tales.htmlJerry Stack I'm old enough at 73 to remember seeing telltales when I was a kid, although I think walking on the roofs of the cars had been outlawed.
Dennis DeBruler I was surprised to see running boards on top of the boxcars in a 1960s photo that Marty Bernard took. So I dug a little deeper. Jerry Jackson provided the following details:
1966 ROOF WALKS ALLOWED TO BE REMOVED BY THE ICC. 1974 SET AS TARGET DATE FOR REMOVAL OF ALL ROOF WALKS AND HIGH HAND BRAKES.
1966 NEW FREIGHT CARS ORDERED AFTER 4/66 AND/OR DELIVERED AFTER 10/66 WERE REQUIRED TO BE BUILT WITHOUT ROOFWALKS AND WITH LOW HAND BRAKES.
My uncle explained to me that the development of the dynamic brake helped get rid of setting handbrakes on a train. This of course first required the development of the road diesel locomotive. He also explained that when he walked with someone on top of a train in the yard that he learned that the development of air-cushioned drawbars made crossing from one car to another quite dangerous. Also, the 1960s was the beginning of replacing boxcars with purpose built freight cars.
https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../handbrakes-and...
Craig Holmberg shared
Doug Kaniuk: Note BRC box car in first photo
This is a different colorization of the same view that is included above.
Was the depot actually orange but this colorist assumed it was brick red?
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| 1 Looking north from Madison Street
Cool! Check out the overlapped turnouts to the right of the two people walking between the rails. Definitely a job for hand-laying.
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| 2 Looking south from Washington Street |
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| 3 Looking north from Washington Street
The turnout design is called a Barry slip - actually two overlapped turnouts. I think there was one near the south leads of Union Station where the REA buildings used to be.
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| 4 Looking south from the Randolph Street truss bridge |
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| Thomas Manz commented on MWRD's post J. Manz & Co. Engravers and Electrotypers at left: 195-207 Canal Street @ Jackson. |
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| BHRS posted |
Was the depot actually orange but this colorist assumed it was brick red?
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| Larry Senalik posted Union Depot, South Canal and Adams Sts., Chicago - Postcard Stuart B. Slaymaker: Some of the old heads I worked with at CUS in the 1970s, referred to the first one, as "General Depot". |
BDBRCPC posted five images with the comment:
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