Even when Chicago was a mere hamlet of 4,000 people, there were already musings being made about establishing a rail connection with the city. To this end, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad was established in 1836, with the promise of connecting the city with the rich mineral deposits in NW Illinois and SW Wisconsin. Ultimately economic factors stopped this effort dead in its tracks. By 1847, there was another movement taken up to erect the line, led by the William Ogden(who had been the first mayor of Chicago) and a real estate developer. Not only did they see promise in the line, but they also saw dollar signs, since their proposed site for the downtown depot sat on a parcel of land they owned(meaning they were in for a real payday when it was built).
Investors were hard to come by, so they decided to just start laying track and see how much money they could get. This approach worked. A prime example happened on November 20, 1848, when a locomotive made a publicity run out to Oak Park and back. Not only did this generate good press for the line, but a passenger buying wares from a farmer and then bringing them back to the city symbolized the first ever goods to come to Chicago by rail. The line continued to expand to the West, reaching Rockford by 1852(alas, the line never made it to Galena). The next year, a new depot was built downtown North of the River, finally fulfilling Ogden's vision.
A few years after that, a second track was built along the line, which has implications today still. The trains run on the left hand side rather than the right. This is so because originally the outlying depots were directly north of the tracks. When the new track was laid, they were put to the south of the existing tracks, so as not to have to move the depots. Since most inbound commuters board from the depots, and since having commuters cross the tracks to catch their train was undesirable, the inbound trains now run adjacent to the depots, on the left-hand side of the tracks.
In 1864, the railroad merged with several other lines to make the Chicago & North Western Railroad. In 1911, the lines collaborated to build a new station downtown(which we know of today as Ogilvie Transportation Center.) In the 70s, the C & NW became part of the RTA, and was later bought out by Union Pacific in 1995. The line continues to run today out of Ogilvie(along with its two counterparts, the North and Northwest Lines), 177 years since it was chartered.
Showing posts with label Metra Lines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metra Lines. Show all posts
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Day 98: How do you build a community? Run a train through it: The Story of the UP Northwest Line
When the ancestor of today's UP North line was chartered in 1851, the State of Illinois authorized the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad to lay tracks between McHenry County and another point in Cook County. The first passenger train to go down the line steamed away in 1854. As was the case with many early railroads, the nascent line helped sprout up communities along its path. Case in point: William Dunton gave some of his land to the railroad to ensure that it would take a route through his area. The tracks did indeed enter his area, but they also entered his house. After Dunton bought a new house, the community sprung up around the depot. After two earlier attempts at naming the town, Dunton took the advice of developers to give the town an attractive name in order to attract residents, and thus the town of Arlington Heights was incorporated in 1887.
Meanwhile, the Illinois and Wisconsin had merged with another railroad and had added stops in towns such as Palatine, Woodstock, Harvard, and Crystal Lake. In 1857, the line was being extended near Crystal Lake, and the town did not feel the need to put any money into the development of the line. So, the railroad responded by bypassing the town. At the same time, the Fox River Valley Railroad was laying track in Crystal Lake. There were frequent clashes between the two work gangs, at times culminating in violence, which did nit filly abate until the intersection was bridged. A town named Nunda was founded at this intersection, and then the bad blood started anew, this time between Nunda and Crystal Lake. All bad blood was finally resolved in 1914 when Crystal Lake absorbed Nunda.
The merged version of the I & W RR went bankrupt in 1859 and was reformed into the Chicago and North-Western Railway, which would go on to be a major player in the next century of Chicagoland railroading(including the construction of the first iteration of what is now Ogilvie Station.) The post-1871 railroad boom led to more expansion of the line, including into the small hamlet of Brickton, which had earned that name from the brick factory that made bricks for several different train depots. When the town wanted to incorporate in 1873, the city fathers made the same choice that Bill Dunton would make 15 years down the road and renamed their town Park Ridge. After that, the line had its basic foundation, and the 20th Century went according to plan. Eventually, the Union Pacific Railroad acquired the line. Today the trackage rights are leased to Metra, who operates the line under the UP Northwest name. Along with the other two UP lines, the Northwest still uses Ogilvie Transportation Center, the descendant of the first depot build by the C & NW all the way back in 1911.
Meanwhile, the Illinois and Wisconsin had merged with another railroad and had added stops in towns such as Palatine, Woodstock, Harvard, and Crystal Lake. In 1857, the line was being extended near Crystal Lake, and the town did not feel the need to put any money into the development of the line. So, the railroad responded by bypassing the town. At the same time, the Fox River Valley Railroad was laying track in Crystal Lake. There were frequent clashes between the two work gangs, at times culminating in violence, which did nit filly abate until the intersection was bridged. A town named Nunda was founded at this intersection, and then the bad blood started anew, this time between Nunda and Crystal Lake. All bad blood was finally resolved in 1914 when Crystal Lake absorbed Nunda.
The merged version of the I & W RR went bankrupt in 1859 and was reformed into the Chicago and North-Western Railway, which would go on to be a major player in the next century of Chicagoland railroading(including the construction of the first iteration of what is now Ogilvie Station.) The post-1871 railroad boom led to more expansion of the line, including into the small hamlet of Brickton, which had earned that name from the brick factory that made bricks for several different train depots. When the town wanted to incorporate in 1873, the city fathers made the same choice that Bill Dunton would make 15 years down the road and renamed their town Park Ridge. After that, the line had its basic foundation, and the 20th Century went according to plan. Eventually, the Union Pacific Railroad acquired the line. Today the trackage rights are leased to Metra, who operates the line under the UP Northwest name. Along with the other two UP lines, the Northwest still uses Ogilvie Transportation Center, the descendant of the first depot build by the C & NW all the way back in 1911.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Day 70: Chugging across the Cheddar Curtain
Let's say that you live up in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago, and driving is getting to be a giant pain in the rear end. You know what you need to do? You need to get on the train! And to do that, you need to make your way onto the Metra Union Pacific North Line, which travels between Chicago and Kenosha, and serves all communities in between, primarily those right along the lake.
The roots of the line go all the way back to 1851, when the Illinois General Assembly authorized the laying of tracks north from Chicago to the Wisconsin border. Shortly thereafter, the Wisconsin legislature also authorized the laying of tracks south from Milwaukee to the Illinois border. By 1854, the Illinois line had reached Waukegan, and the two lines met each other the following year, upon which a "last spike" ceremony was held in Kenosha. Over the next decade, the two companies underwent various reconfigurations, until the two companies emerged in 1863 under the combined name Chicago & Milwaukee Railroad.
At the same time that the tracks were being put up towards Wisconsin, there was a local service also being inaugurated, one that started in 1856. However, this line quickly started to become unprofitable, and the railroad wanted to abandon passenger rail in favor of freight. Eventually the powers that be were talked into giving the passenger operation another chance, and traffic on that line eventually picked up. As the train became more successful, it also sprouted the growth of such northern suburbs as Lake Bluff, Ravinia, and Winnetka(to name a few). By 1871, the line was thriving, with 7 round-trip trains running every day between Chicago and Kenosha, a trip that took just over 2 hours to make. Upon arrival downtown, the trains would pull into a station situated at Wells and Kinzie streets that had been built in 1853. All seemed to be going well.
But then on the evening of October 8, fire took hold of the city and maintained its hellish grip for two whole days. When the smoke finally cleared, any building that wasn't the Water Tower, the Pumping Station, or three other buildings, was destroyed. This included the Chicago & Milwaukee's downtown station. There wouldn't be a replacement built at the same site for another 10 years. Eventually things went back to normal, but then around the turn of the century, the replacement station was getting a bit too small, so the process was started to erect a new station. In 1908, ground was broken, and in 1911, the station that would eventually come to be called Ogilvie Transportation Center was opened in its original iteration.
Over the course of the 20th Century, not much changed up until 1984, when Metra was formed and the Chicago & Northwestern(as the line had come to be called) became part of it. Eleven years later, Union Pacific absorbed the C&NW and the line became known as the Union Pacific North Line. However, the old line lives on in the color of the UP North's schedule(Flambeau Green) which hearkens back to the lines C&NW heritage. Today the line takes about an hour and 45 minutes to get from one end to the other, and also includes a feature that is the last of it's kind in America. But more on that later...
The roots of the line go all the way back to 1851, when the Illinois General Assembly authorized the laying of tracks north from Chicago to the Wisconsin border. Shortly thereafter, the Wisconsin legislature also authorized the laying of tracks south from Milwaukee to the Illinois border. By 1854, the Illinois line had reached Waukegan, and the two lines met each other the following year, upon which a "last spike" ceremony was held in Kenosha. Over the next decade, the two companies underwent various reconfigurations, until the two companies emerged in 1863 under the combined name Chicago & Milwaukee Railroad.
At the same time that the tracks were being put up towards Wisconsin, there was a local service also being inaugurated, one that started in 1856. However, this line quickly started to become unprofitable, and the railroad wanted to abandon passenger rail in favor of freight. Eventually the powers that be were talked into giving the passenger operation another chance, and traffic on that line eventually picked up. As the train became more successful, it also sprouted the growth of such northern suburbs as Lake Bluff, Ravinia, and Winnetka(to name a few). By 1871, the line was thriving, with 7 round-trip trains running every day between Chicago and Kenosha, a trip that took just over 2 hours to make. Upon arrival downtown, the trains would pull into a station situated at Wells and Kinzie streets that had been built in 1853. All seemed to be going well.
But then on the evening of October 8, fire took hold of the city and maintained its hellish grip for two whole days. When the smoke finally cleared, any building that wasn't the Water Tower, the Pumping Station, or three other buildings, was destroyed. This included the Chicago & Milwaukee's downtown station. There wouldn't be a replacement built at the same site for another 10 years. Eventually things went back to normal, but then around the turn of the century, the replacement station was getting a bit too small, so the process was started to erect a new station. In 1908, ground was broken, and in 1911, the station that would eventually come to be called Ogilvie Transportation Center was opened in its original iteration.
Over the course of the 20th Century, not much changed up until 1984, when Metra was formed and the Chicago & Northwestern(as the line had come to be called) became part of it. Eleven years later, Union Pacific absorbed the C&NW and the line became known as the Union Pacific North Line. However, the old line lives on in the color of the UP North's schedule(Flambeau Green) which hearkens back to the lines C&NW heritage. Today the line takes about an hour and 45 minutes to get from one end to the other, and also includes a feature that is the last of it's kind in America. But more on that later...
Friday, February 22, 2013
Day 53: For the Hoosier Commuter
Chicago is a bustling metropolis, but a lot of people commute into the city for business or pleasure. Many of them drive, but others don't. For those people, there are two man options: the CTA(if you're close enough) or Metra(if you're not). One thing that I'm sure a lot of people forget is that there are also people who live in Indiana who commute into the city. In fact, there are some portions of Indiana that are closer to the city than some of the further-away in-state suburbs. But rest assured, there are transit options for the Hoosier commuters amongst us. And not just that, but there have been methods for them to get into the city ever since the early 20th Century.
The first foray into that kind of transit came in 1901 with the introduction of the Chicago & Inidana Air Line Railway. Seven years later, it was extended, and in 1912 it was finally extended into downtown Chicago. Eventually the railroad went bankrupt and was snapped up by Samuel Insull. The line's electric runnings were retooled in 1926 in order to allow it to use the Randolph Street Terminal without having to change engines beforehand. Also in 1926, the original line between East Chicago and Indiana Harbor was abandoned for good. Interestingly, the railroad managed to make money during World War II because of how much Northern Indiana was dedicated to industry.
Of course, as I already touched upon in the entry about Dearborn Station, the rise of the automobile quickly had a deleterious effect on the railroad industry, and the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad was no exception. Eventually the line had to cut all services east of south Bend, which remains the eastern terminus of the line to this day. In 1976, the CSS&SB filed to terminate its passenger rail service. However, unlike many of the other railroads of the day, that request was denied.
Instead, the issue was brought up before the voters of Indiana, at which point the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District was formed the very next year to continue administering commuter rail to and from Chicago. Eventually the old CSS&SB went bankrupt, and the passenger operation was put fully into the control of the NICTD. Today the NICTD runs service from the South Bend Airport into Millennium Station, also stopping at Van Buren Street Station. Additionally, the line shares its Chicago route with the Metra Electric Line.
The first foray into that kind of transit came in 1901 with the introduction of the Chicago & Inidana Air Line Railway. Seven years later, it was extended, and in 1912 it was finally extended into downtown Chicago. Eventually the railroad went bankrupt and was snapped up by Samuel Insull. The line's electric runnings were retooled in 1926 in order to allow it to use the Randolph Street Terminal without having to change engines beforehand. Also in 1926, the original line between East Chicago and Indiana Harbor was abandoned for good. Interestingly, the railroad managed to make money during World War II because of how much Northern Indiana was dedicated to industry.
Of course, as I already touched upon in the entry about Dearborn Station, the rise of the automobile quickly had a deleterious effect on the railroad industry, and the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad was no exception. Eventually the line had to cut all services east of south Bend, which remains the eastern terminus of the line to this day. In 1976, the CSS&SB filed to terminate its passenger rail service. However, unlike many of the other railroads of the day, that request was denied.
Instead, the issue was brought up before the voters of Indiana, at which point the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District was formed the very next year to continue administering commuter rail to and from Chicago. Eventually the old CSS&SB went bankrupt, and the passenger operation was put fully into the control of the NICTD. Today the NICTD runs service from the South Bend Airport into Millennium Station, also stopping at Van Buren Street Station. Additionally, the line shares its Chicago route with the Metra Electric Line.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Day 32: The ol' IC
In the middle of the 19th Century, the powers that be in Illinois wanted to link up the northern and southern parts of the state via rail. Eventually in 1850, President Millard Filmore(rolls right off of the tongue, doesn't it?) signed a land-grant bill to allow construction to proceed. Finally, in 1851, the Illinois General Assembly chartered the Illinois Central Railroad. Construction commenced immediately, and upon its completion in 1856, the IC was the longest railroad in the world. During construction, a branch line was built connecting Centralia(a town which was named for the IC) to Chicago (what at that point had only been around for 14 years). The idea was to take the line into the city along the lakefront. In a somewhat fortuitous coincidence, the city of Chicago was looking to put a breakwater in on its lakefront, so the IC offered to pay for it if they would be allowed to build tracks into the city. On its way into the city, the IC passed through the up-and-coming town of Hyde Park(which did not become part of Chicago until 1889). So in 1854, the IC inaugurated its passenger service into the city, running into its downtown station on offshore trestles in Lake Michigan.
In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire tore through the city while leaving the South Side virtually untouched. This allowed for city dwellers who had lost their homes to the flames to easily relocate to the South Side, which just so happened to be directly in the path of the IC. In addition to that, the fire created a lot of debris. So much so that all of the debris was dumped into the lake, forming what would become Grant Park, but also making the formerly offshore IC tracks shore-based once again. In 1893, the Colombian Exposition came to Chicago, and with the White City being located in the general vicinity of Hyde Park, the IC once again rose to prominence. In fact, it got so big that by the turn of the 20th Century, there were 300 trains running every single day. All of that pollution made the city council mandate that the IC electrify its line. By 1926, the IC had electrified its entire operation in the Chicago Metro area.
After the electrification, the IC continued to have several more decades of success, but then fell upon hard times (as did all the other old passenger railways). It was at this point, in 1974, when the state of Illionis formed the Regional Transportation Authority(RTA) to oversee and subsidize commuter rail in the metro area. Unfortunately, this proved to be insufficient, and the old railway icons began to fall victim to bankruptcy. This forced the RTA to go from merely supporting the railroads, to outright running them. To better facilitate this, Metra was formed in 1983. In 1987, the IC sold its Chicago commuter system to Metra for $28 Million. Upon the sale, Metra renamed the line the Metra Electric.
There are two things about this line that make it unique. First off, it is the only Metra line that runs off of electric power. Also, it is the only Metra line that is served by two separate downtown terminals: Van Buren Street Station and Millenium Station. One more fact: Metra does not refer to it's lines by color, but the time tables for the Electric line are colored orange in deference to one of the IC's most well-known trains, the Panama Limited
In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire tore through the city while leaving the South Side virtually untouched. This allowed for city dwellers who had lost their homes to the flames to easily relocate to the South Side, which just so happened to be directly in the path of the IC. In addition to that, the fire created a lot of debris. So much so that all of the debris was dumped into the lake, forming what would become Grant Park, but also making the formerly offshore IC tracks shore-based once again. In 1893, the Colombian Exposition came to Chicago, and with the White City being located in the general vicinity of Hyde Park, the IC once again rose to prominence. In fact, it got so big that by the turn of the 20th Century, there were 300 trains running every single day. All of that pollution made the city council mandate that the IC electrify its line. By 1926, the IC had electrified its entire operation in the Chicago Metro area.
After the electrification, the IC continued to have several more decades of success, but then fell upon hard times (as did all the other old passenger railways). It was at this point, in 1974, when the state of Illionis formed the Regional Transportation Authority(RTA) to oversee and subsidize commuter rail in the metro area. Unfortunately, this proved to be insufficient, and the old railway icons began to fall victim to bankruptcy. This forced the RTA to go from merely supporting the railroads, to outright running them. To better facilitate this, Metra was formed in 1983. In 1987, the IC sold its Chicago commuter system to Metra for $28 Million. Upon the sale, Metra renamed the line the Metra Electric.
There are two things about this line that make it unique. First off, it is the only Metra line that runs off of electric power. Also, it is the only Metra line that is served by two separate downtown terminals: Van Buren Street Station and Millenium Station. One more fact: Metra does not refer to it's lines by color, but the time tables for the Electric line are colored orange in deference to one of the IC's most well-known trains, the Panama Limited
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