Not only did the Chicago & West Towns ("Toonerville
Trolley") extend to La Grange Road, it also extended
beyond that to Stone Avenue, all on the north side of
the "Q". Roy W.
--- John Ziola <johnsclubs@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Charlie,
>
> I never knew the belt line had tracks east of the
> current N/S line of today (just west of East Ave),
> where did they run and connect to (what line).
> Interested in the area as I lived in Brookfield for
> about 8 years as a youngster and am looking for this
> information and also on the "Toonerville Trolley" as
> we kids called it, whose tracks after having come
> from the north ran along the north side of the Q.
> for several blocks ending at La Grange Rd.
>
> John
>
> Charlie Vlk <cvlk@comcast.net> wrote:
> Rory-
> You ask some interesting questions.
>
> 1) West Grossdale Station (the original name) was
> built c.1884 (don't recall the exact date but it and
> East Grossdale (Hollywood, aka Zoo Stop) were
> platted about the same time as Grossdale
> (Brookfield))
>
> 2) The Chicago, Hammond & Western (if I remember the
> name correctly) predecessor to the IHB and B&OCT
> ...IHB in later years) didn't come about until the
> 1890s. So there was no crossing of the tracks at the
> foot of the bluff (old Lake Chicago shoreline dunes)
> so the mainline was at about the same grade as the
> South (street) side of the station.
>
> 3) It is not known if there was a track heading
> south down to the quarries at Lyons on the alignment
> of the present day IHB prior to 1890. I suspect
> there might have been a Q spur but haven't uncovered
> any evidence of it other than a early mention of a Q
> Freight Agent at Lyons, IL. A shot taken from the
> bridge over the IHB looking north before the bridge
> was raised (sometime in the 20's) shows some very
> old grain elevator/lumber buildings along the IHB
> which look like they might predate the railroad
> coming through... there may have been a Q siding
> down there to the north as well.
>
> 4) When the CH&W built through LaGrange Park it
> necessitated the Q to raise the right of way in
> front of the station by perhaps 4-6 feet. The front
> of the station had to be modified
> so it no longer had egress to the station platforms
> which were now raised. The access was by a broad
> flight of stairs (to the west, I don't recall if
> I've seen a photo which shows a
> matching set to the east).
>
> 5) At some point the grade of the mainline was
> further raised to increase the clearance of the
> bridges crossing the IHB; at this time the stairs
> were removed and a pedestrian subway was installed
> to the west of the station to access the platforms
> and provide a way to get to the streets north of the
> yard. It was probably at this time that the lead for
> the south interchange track was extended across the
> front of the station to Maple Avenue instead of
> cutting into the main just west of the station. The
> original grade was maintained on the interchange
> except for a slight hump over the subway and then a
> gradual slope up to the main just before Maple
> Avenue.
>
> An intersting map shows the CH&W projected to swing
> northeast diagonally through Brookfield to link up
> with the Harlem & Riverside (the connection that
> runs along Harlem Avenue
> between the Chicago, Madison & Northern (IC Iowa
> Line) up to a former connection with the Wisconsin
> Central (Soo Line). That would have changed the
> interchange with the Q as it would have fallen
> somewhere around Maple Avenue or east of there!!!
>
> The depot was razed sometime in the 1990s.... don't
> recall what date but I do have it in my files if you
> need it.
>
> Charlie Vlk
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
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