Leo-
Aha!!!
Thanks for the explanation…..
…..that darn section of railroad was causing problems from day one…..
Before the Belt was built the track was at grade for at least a good stretch westward past the front of the West Grossdale (Congress Park) station. Grossdale/LaGrange was the ruling grade on the CB&Q east of the Mississippi. The climb up the hill to LaGrange Road must have been similar to if not the same as the parallel Suburban Railroad / West Towns streetcar grade which is still evident today. Wonder if they had to use helpers at any point in time there?
When the Belt was built north of the CB&Q c.1895 the track was elevated approaching the station to maybe 3 ft at the front, necessitating broad steps up to the platform (the interchange siding turnout was west of the station). The grade was further reduced when the front of the station was wiped out by a derailment and they decided to put in a pedestrian underpass and cut off blind what remained of the track side of the station. The grade from the bridge to LaGrange Road was reduced at this time by raising the bridges by maybe 4 feet over the original height. The interchange track was lengthened (maybe over the station platform before the subway was built as it has a hump in it just over the subway) so it connected at Maple Avenue at the point where the mainline grade started to clear the subway and meet the new bridge elevation.
Charlie Vlk