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[CBQ] Brookfield / Congress Park History Ramblings

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Subject: [CBQ] Brookfield / Congress Park History Ramblings
From: "Charlie Vlk" <cvlk@comcast.net>
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:35:14 -0600
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While I was born at Oak Park Hospital, my folks started off living with my 
grandparents in Hollywood after my dad returned from WWII before they built 
houses in Brookfield.
My first railfanning the Q was done from my crib, standing up and straining to 
see the trains a couple of blocks to the south.

I, of course, spent a lot of time riding my bike down to the tracks and 
watching the "afternoon parade" of long distance passenger trains and 
dinkies.... interspersed with freights.   The IHB was always good to watch with 
its variety of trains including MILW powered by FM C-Liners and other exotic 
power.

A realtor on Prairie Avenue had a framed photo of the Grossdale station taken 
shortly after it was built displayed in the window of his storefront.   I've 
always been interested in the history of the Q in the area and the Hollywood, 
Brookfield, and Congress Park station buildings.

I have a Q drawing for a  proposed addition to the Brookfield station to expand 
(or maybe more properly, provide for) the freight business there.   IIRC this 
was fairly late in the game (1940s or 50s) so maybe the Congress 
Park/Brookfield money handling thing was the motivation.....   I don't think 
Brookfield proper was a big originator of business for the Q at any point in 
time although it did have some light manufacturing in town including a fairly 
sizable printing company.

Very early photos of Grossdale do show at least a couple of tracks to the north 
of the main, probably to accomodate the excursion trains chartered to bring 
prospective buyers out to view lots and homes in Grossdale.   There are some 
boxcars sitting on one of them in a couple of the photos I've seen; probably 
there to deliver kit homes (Sears, etc..) to be built in the area.

I would like to learn more about the industries and trackage around West 
Grossdale.   The predecessors of the IHB started to build around 1890 and it is 
not clear when they actually reached the CB&Q.   Newspaper accounts have them 
building north of the Q in 1895, but tracks to the south may have been built 
prior to that time.   Also, it is not clear if the Q had a side track running 
down to the quarries south of LaGrange / Grossdale prior to the belt tracks 
being built.   One proposed alignment would have had the belt running northeast 
through the middle of Brookfield to intersect with what became the IC line that 
connected with the SOO line just west of Harlem Avenue.  That followed the 
alignment of a railroad that may not have been graded through Brookfield but 
did make it at least partway along 26th Street on the north side of 
Brookfield... the Hamilton, Lacon and Eastern.   Part of that right-of-way was 
reused by the narrow gauge Chicago, Millington & Western 3 foot narrow gauge 
that ran out to LaGrange Road and 26th Street (Covell's Quarry which is now a 
forest preserve).   The CB&Q bought the CM&W with the thought of standard 
gauging it but dropped the idea as it would have cost too much to elevate the 
right of way from Hawthorne into the city to use as a more direct way to access 
the stockyards.

One interesting tidbit I've uncovered in all this is that the ruling grade on 
the Q east of the Mississippi prior to 1895 was the approach from the east into 
LaGrange.   Prior to the belt undercrossing the line was at grade through 
Congress Park (street level) and the grade was the same as the old Suburban 
Railway / West Towns grade immediately to the north  that still can be seen 
today (I think).   The predessor of the IHB wanted to cross the CB&Q at grade 
and the Q refused, stating that they would never be able to get up the hill if 
stopped for a signal.   It must have been really something to see "back in the 
day" !!!!

Charlie Vlk

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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