Chicago, IL Depot: B&O South Chicago Station

(Satellite)

Rod Truszkowski commented on a posting: "It was on commercial ave. Just between 94th and 95th streets on west side of street. Went by it many times before it was torn down and stairway was filled in."

Maureen McDermott Marella posted
B&O South Chicago Station
Mark Losiniecki On Commercial, just north of the viaduct (94th ish) you will notice a large ramp/driveway and I believe still visible concrete bumping posts. That was a small passenger yard. I have always heard it called the Rock Island South Chicago Branch, I believe RI had a yard and station there, and the B&O also had a station there.
Bob Lalich Yes, the station was at 94th and Commercial, and reached via stairs from the viaduct. The concrete bumping posts were at the end of what were known as team tracks. They were public loading/unloading tracks for freight, operated by the Belt Railway of Chicago. The B&O line farther north in South Chicago was the original mainline, which was downgraded once arrangements were made to use the Rock Island South Chicago Branch.
[Bob Lalich Flickr]

Charles Nosich also commented on a post
This is the passenger train station , enter in the 95th & Commercial av. viaduct.. I remember there being a neon sign.
Bob Lalich Charles Nosich - the neon sign was memorable. I have been searching for a photo of it. No luck yet.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILAP

This would be after the B&O got kicked out of the IC station by MC and they had to quit using their original route into Chicago. They switched to going west on the Rock Island to the Beverly Junction Junction where it curved north and joined the B&OCT to get to Grand Central Station, which they bought from a bankrupt Wisconsin Central, which was a proxy for Northern Pacific interests to get access to the Chicago market.

Susie Sackheim Cohen posted a question about the tracks along 95th Street.
Bob Lalich The tracks on the viaducts belonged to the Belt Railway of Chicago and the Rock Island. The Rock Island South Chicago Branch was built when the Calumet River was opened to navigation and was developed for industry around 1875. The BRC followed in 1881. Besides freight trains, the Rock Island branch hosted passenger trains of the B&O and C&O. There was a passenger station at Commercial Ave until 1971. The Rock Island went out of business in 1980. Some of its tracks are still operated by Chicago Rail Link. BRC is still operating.

William Shapotkin posted
On the left side of the photo is the platform for the B&O South Chicago Station that was recently discussed in this group. Here is a view of this stretch of track looking the other way.
Maureen McDermott Marella posted:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/120664941289363/permalink/1798219683533872/