Interesting subject!
The IC had a hell of a time getting their Iowa line into Chicago. I think
one of their VPs got fired over the delays in getting the line all the way
into the city limits. What information do you have on the IC Operation into
Chicago (from Forreston, Illinois????).
One of my areas of interest is "Ghost Railroads of Cook County" and, while
they were actually built, the "Chicago and Northwestern Cut-Off" (a track
pre-BRC that ran up to the C&NW California Avenue Yard about 1870) and the
"Harlem and Riverside" are so little known that they fall into this
category.
Also, more on a CB&Q topic, does anybody know anything about the early Lyons
Belt? I have some research showing ROW connecting to the Q around Hollywood
Station. This could have been wiped out when the grade was raised to allow
the Q to cross over DesPlaines Avenue, probably before East Grossdale
(Hollywood Station) was built in 1884. I think the line may have connected
to the Q prior to the AT&SF coming into Chicago. The same grade change
wiped out any evidence of the old Lyons station (probably on the west bank
of the Des Plaines right about where Des Plaines Avenue is?
Also, was there a track to the south at Congress Park prior to the Chicago,
Hammond and Western (Indiana Harbor Belt predecessor)? Early photos of
Brookfield show a pretty substantial yard west of Prairie Avenue with
freight cars in it; too much track to be layover for Real Estate Promotion
Specials and too many cars for construction materials for the sparse
settlement of Grossdale.
BTW, I have found proposed alignments for what became the IHB that would
have run diagonally through Brookfield to the northeast so my house on
Forest (at Salt Creek and 31st) would have been on the ROW! The line would
have crossed the Q about where it does today but would have connected to the
"Harlem and Riverside" (the IC line that ran north from the Chicago, Madison
and Northern to the C&NW west line).
This line actually followed the proposed alignment (partially graded?) of
the proposed Hamilton, Lacon and Eastern.....which in turn was probably the
reason the Chicago, Millington & Western 3 foot narrow gauge followed the
route it did along 26th Street.
Charlie Vlk
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