Charlie:
Here is what my research has uncovered. Some of the attached information is conjecture on my part, because I don't have the exact locations.
All of the signal cabins having 'alpha' designation WITHOUT a station name were between Downers Grove and Eola. The cabins east of Downers Grove all carried station names in addition to an 'alpha' designation. These were as follows: Greggs (Q), Hinsdale
Cabin (N), Western Springs (M), 5th Avenue (K), Riverside Cabin (J), Clyde (H), Hawthorne (G), Millard Avenue (F), Western Avenue Crossing (C).
A block station designated 'Berwyn' was added in 1906 at MP 9.83, but I don't know if it had an 'alpha' designation.
It appears that Riverside Cabin was located at MP 10.97.
At some point the block stations at 5th Avenue and Grossdale were replaced by a block station at West Grossdale (Congress Park), perhaps
in 1897, when the IHB was extended north of the CB&Q at that location.
The block station at Hinsdale Cabin may not have been at Hinsdale Tower, and may have actually been near West Hinsdale. Prior to completion of the 3rd
main between Riverside and Hinsdale in 1890, there were two middle sidings at Hinsdale, between Lincoln and Monroe Streets. Hinsdale Tower was at the Lincoln Street end, and timetables suggest that the location of Hinsdale Cabin may have been at the west
or Monroe Street end of the sidings.
The block station at Downers Grove would have been moved to Tower ‘R’ when the tower was constructed in 1893. This was the original tower that controlled the east end of the coach yard, and was located at MP 21.43, near the
original west end of the 3rd main track (MP 21.59).
If distances between block stations between Downers Grove and Eola were more or less equidistant, then the location for ‘U’ Block was near MP 23.8 east of Curve 24 east of Lisle, ‘W’ Block
was near MP 26.3 west of Curve 26 west of Lisle, and ‘X’ Block was near MP 31.
The block station at Naperville was east of the passenger station, based on information in timetables indicating that westward trains could proceed past a stop signal at the block station
to run to the station platform.
Glen Haug
From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com <CBQ@yahoogroups.com> on behalf of Charlie Vlk cvlk@comcast.net [CBQ] <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2017 5:14 PM
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Timetables & rules
Does anyone have the MP locations of the alpha Signal Cabins on the Aurora to Chicago main from manual block system days????
Charlie Vlk
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Posted by: GLEN <glenehaug@msn.com>
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