In your studies, how reliable have you found the dates in Richard C.
Overton's Burlington Route book? I would think that, because it was
written by an academician working from company records, it would be as accurate
as possible, at least as the compny records would allow. However, I would
appreciate hearing your take on the book.
Charlie Vlk wrote:
>
> Robert, Bill and all....
> The exact details of the early service of the CB&Q into Chicago have not been
> fully researched and some of the published information is at odds with other
> information.
> For example, most published sources show the IC Chicago Branch not being
> completed until September 27, 1856, but the St. Charles Air Line was
> completed to connect with the IC and its station prior to that date. It may
> be that the line was in use south of Chicago to some point and the Michigan
> Central was already using the IC to get into Chicago.
> More research has to be done to tie in these events.
> The temporary terminus of the Chicago and Aurora operating over the St.
> Charles Air Line to the west bank of the South Branch at 14th Street has not
> been published.
> Also, after (or during) the building of the Chicago and Aurora main line to
> Aurora it appears there may have been a north from Hawthorne to a connection
> to the Galena & Chicago Union main line at 42nd Street (at that time their
> shops and main yard). This "Chicago & North Western Cut-Off predates the
> Chicago Union Terminal / Belt Railway of Chicago by decades and appears on at
> least one 1872 map. When the C&A opened its own line the Galena & abandoned
> the western part of the Air Line from Harlem to Western Avenue and built the
> "Robey Street Connector" to gain direct access from its main line down to the
> Air Line and its important dock facilities on the Chicago River (including
> the properties that were the Potato Yard and now Global 1).
> The first railroad in the State of Illinois was the Northern Cross and its
> first locomotive was put into service on November 8, 1838.
> The Galena & Chicago Union was the first line into Chicago in 1848.
> The Aurora Branch is completed to Turner Junction October 21, 1850 with
> trackage rights to Chicago over Galena & Chicago Union.
> The IC was completed into Chicago on September 27, 1856.
> The Galena & Chicago Union purchased the track of the bankrupted Chicago, St.
> Charles and Mississippi Air Line from Chicago to the DesPlaines River on
> April 10, 1854 and prompltly built a connecting track from its main line at
> Harlem (Oak Park) to connect with the St. Charles Air Line. Some Chicago
> and Aurora trains were diverted from the C&GU main at that point and used the
> St.Charles Air Line to a station on the Chicago River at about 14th Street.
> Later, in 1855, construction started on a Draw Span Bridge across the South
> Branch of the Chicago River and on March 30, 1856 the eastward connection
> from the bridge to the Illinois Central station grounds on the Lakefront was
> completed and Chicago and Aurora trains started using that station.
> The Chicago and Aurora opened its own main line May 20, 1864.
> An interesting tidbit that hasn't been widely shared to my knowlege.... .
> CB&Q commuter service once was divided at Riverside. The trains that made
> local stops between Chicago and Riverside terminated there. Trains that
> made stops between Riverside and Aurora and beyond were operated express to
> Riverside. So, say you wanted to go from Lawndale Avenue to Westmont.... ..
> you had to change trains at Riverside to do so! The trains that provided
> service west of Riverside often continued on to points beyond and were not
> part of the "commuter fleet" but rather regular local accomodation trains.
> This practice ceased when Riverside was discontinued as a engine terminal and
> coach yard in favor of Downers Grove.
> Also, the Illinois Central originally had no direct line into Chicago and its
> trains from East Dubuque used trackage rights over the CB&Q. At first the
> trains used the IC all the way down to Mendota, then later they had a line
> that connected to the Q at Forreston. The IC took forever to build the
> direct line from East Dubuque to Chicago, the Chicago, Madison & Northern,
> and they used routings over the CGW to regain their own tracks (the Iowa
> Division). The last segment to be finished was the Clyde-Chicago segment
> that connected with the St. Charles Air Line and it was so delayed that the
> line had a direct (grade level???) connection at the crossing of the CB&Q at
> La Verne.
> Charlie Vlk
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: William Barber
> To: CBQ@yahoogroups. com
> Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:51 AM
> Subject: [CBQ] Re: New North Star trains
> Robert,
> Q commuter service in Chicago started in 1864 (the centennial train
> was operated in 1964 pulled by 4-8-4 #5632 painted gold.). I don't
> know when the very first commuter service started in the Chicago
> area, but it was certainly earlier than the Q. I suspect it may have
> been either the C&NW or the IC.
> Bill Barber
> Gravois Mills, MO
> On Nov 18, 2009, at 3:29 AM, CBQ@yahoogroups. com wrote:
>> New North Star trains
> > Posted by: "ROBERT K SORENSEN" rksmes@q.com tcdbob
> > Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:08 pm (PST)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Group- Lots of "fuss" here in Twin Cities regarding the start-up of
> > the North Star heavy rail trains on the BNSF tracks.
> >
> > It is almost like the wheel has been reinvented!
> >
> > Will someone give me the year that commuter service started in
> > Chicago? Not necessarily CB&Q but I know that they started many
> > years ago and are still going.
> ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
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>
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