Joliet, IL: Downtown Junction Tower Before Elevation

(Update: Neil Gale's blog)

Bill Molony posted
This is the interlocking tower in downtown Joliet, circa 1900, before the tracks in Joliet were elevated and relocated.
This photo was taken from the roof of the Joliet Warehouse & Storage Company building, looking southwest.
The tracks running from left to right directly behind the tower belonged to the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad.
The tracks running from the lower right to the center background belonged the Chicago & Alton Railroad.
The building in the center was the Chicago & Alton Railroad passenger depot.
The tracks running from the lower right side of the photo to the background on the left belonged to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad.
In the background on the left were the tracks of the Michigan Central Railroad's Joliet Cut-Off.

Bill posted again
Remi Vales So when was this whole section elevated?
Bill Molony 1908-1910.
Nelson Gregory The newer elevated interlocking plant was cut into service in the spring of 1914. Lasted until the spring of 2015.
Eric Reinert So this is the old Rock Island alignment, and the cross street here is Van Buren?
Bill Molony Yes - that is Van Buren Street.
Craig Sanders Is the current Joliet tower still staffed, or are the signals and switches run remotely?
Bill Molony Metra discontinued staffing UD Tower in Joliet a few years ago; the Joliet interlocking is now controlled remotely by UP and BNSF.

John Smith commented on Bill's posting

Bill Molony posted

This photographer is on the west side of Joliet, looking railroad east along the Rock Island tracks.

In the center is the Rock Island's bridge over the Illinois & Michigan Canal.

Beyond the bridge is the Will County Courthouse.

To the right of the bridge is the Rock Island's Joliet roundhouse.

Undated, but circa 1890 or so.
Dave Rodgers Isn't that the Des Plaines River or was it renamed at some point?Bob Lalich The I&M Canal was built parallel to the Des Plaines River from Summit to Joliet, and beyond.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Bill's post
The I&M Canal joined the Des Plaines River through part of Joliet to cross from the east side of the river to the west side of the river. An 1898 topo shows that the I&M Canal was back in a separate channel by the time it reached the original Rock Island Route through Joliet.

We can also see the junction between Santa Fe and Chicago & Alton (GM&O) was just north of the Rock Island tracks. And at the north end, the digging of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal forced Santa Fe to significantly change their routing.

1892 Joliet 1:62,500 Quadrangle