West Chicago, IL: CB&Q Depot

(Satellite)

See also 2015.

West Chicago used to be called Turner Junction. It is where the Aurora Branch, the first segment of the CB&Q, joined the C&NW to access to Chicago.

 

Andy Zukowski posted
Aurora Branch Railroad Depot, Turner Junction, West Chicago. 1955
Joel Kirchner: For those that might not know, this station still exists and was moved twice. It was originally located between the CNW and CBQ tracks at Wood St. It was then moved to a park on Main St. near Wilson St. It was relocated once again to make way for city offices. It now resides between parking lots off Tuner Ct. behind the West Chicago library.

 

Street View, Nov 2018

 

Andy Zukowski posted
Abandoned Train Depot Turner Junction in West Chicago Illinois taken in the early 1970s.

Mark Llanuza posted
Its the year 1976 I'm in west Chicago IL on the CB&Q [BN] on the oldest sections of the railroad in Illinois the line Aurora to West Chicago .The crews have dropped there caboose off next to the CB&Q station while they pick up cars on the CNW interchange track .when the BN merger with the Santa Fe and the U.P and the CNW merger went through in 1995 the interchange with railroads stopped and by 1997 the rails were removed .The train station dating back to the late 1800's was saved and is a museum today in West Chicago IL .I went back yesterday 2018 and lined everything back up again where i photographed it back in 1976 forty two years ago.They have made a few changes like adding a sidewalk and fixed the street .The CNW to the far left side is still there today.
Brandon McShane This was a favored route for high and wide shipments, back when the railroads were required by law to connect with each other.

Satellite plus Paint

Street View

Update: another part of the route that was abandoned. Mark mentions that the track was removed in 1997.

Mark Llanuza posted
Its the year 1989 southbound Burlington Northern fright train leaving West Chicago IL on the BN's Aurora to West Chicago branch line .One of the oldest lines in Illinois .He has just crossed the EJ&E and heading back to Aurora after more switching at General Mills plant .The signal next to the to the train is for the EJ&E Jct behind the frt .I went back today 2018 to line everything back up again .the house on the left and the line poles are still there but the track was all removed by 1997.
Dennis DeBruler street view: https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m6!1e1!3m4...
Dennis DeBruler satellite: https://www.google.com/.../@41.8816389,-88.../data=!3m1!1e3

Jack Steen commented on a post
CB&Q West Chicago - November 1961. Rick Burn Photo...
Dave Hammer: Jack Steen so left is UP, right would be BNSF, and behind possibly the J?
Christopher Pitzen: Dave Hammer correct
[The connection with the UP/C&NW was pulled in 1996.]
Harold J. Krewer: Before BNSF and UP taking over C&NW, this was the official interchange point between the two roads as it avoided intermediate switch charges.
Once both roads were merged into larger systems, all interchange was moved to be handled via the BRC. The connection came out as it involved a diamond over the EJ&E and was part of JB interlocking.
Edward Moran: Back in appx 1990, we stored our containers at Global 2. We had to move 20 cntrs to Butte, MT. I told our rail routing guys we could route them CNW / West Chicago/ BN. They looked at me with a puzzled look and probably said to themselves “Damn foamer.” Sure enough, that is how we routed them.