Englewood Station

[George Lortz]

I recently found a photo (first attachment) on the Internet of Englewood (Illinois) Station and realized that I really didn't know much about this Monon stop.  After doing a little research, I was amazed to find out that Englewood Station stood at the intersection of a number of railroads.  The station itself stood near the corner of 63rd and State Streets.

The New York Central (NYC) and the Rock Island shared trackage from Englewood to the north into LaSalle Street Station.  At Englewood, they split - the Rock Island headed southwest, the NYC east into Indiana.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway crossed the Rock Island at this junction.  To the north, its trackage headed into Union Station.  The PRR then closely paralleled the NYC for several miles into Indiana.

The Erie Railroad, Monon Railroad, Wabash Railroad, Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad, and Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad had a stop at 63rd Street and Wallace Street—west of this station (last attachment).  Nicknamed "Little Englewood" the platforms and canopies still exist, although the station building is long gone.

Anyone have any other photos of this station complex?

George L.
 

[Ken Weller]

I'll toss in 2 images for this discussion.  See attached.

[Ken Weller]

Here's another one at Englewood - and since today (Dec 21) is the official start of winter, this snow-covered scene in 1967 is very appropriate.  Brrrrr.  Great photo.

[David Longest]

Those are all great photos; the last with the blizzard is mindful of what the "windy city" is noted for.

Thanks guys!

[Robert Gibson]

The C&WI 63rd St. Station was a little west of the NYC-PRR-RI Station.

[Robert Gibson]

The Dan Ryan Expressway runs along the west edge of the old NYC-RI tracks north of Englewood.  The PRR crossed the Dan Ryan heading SE toward the Englewood Station.

[George Lortz]

It appears that the North/South Railroads (NYC, RI) stopped just North of the main crossing at a depot called Englewood and the East/West railroads (Monon, PRR, Erie, C&EI, C&WI, Wabash) stopped just West of the crossing at a station called Little Englewood or 68th Street.  The one large building in the center of the Englewood complex probably served all eight railroads.  What a traffic nightmare that must have been!

George L.

[David Longest]

Does anyone have a map of the area to share?

Thanks in advance!

[Robert Gibson]

You can still find the track arrangement for the Englewood area on Google Maps.  Englewood Station that served the NYC-RI-PRR was just west of State St. in the 100 block of W. 63rd St. and east of the Dan Ryan Expressway.  The Little Englewood Station that served the Monon-C&WI-C&EI trains was 4 blocks west of the Englewood Station in the 500 block of W. 63rd St. and west of the Dan Ryan Expressway.  The C&WI station was on the south side of 63rd St. with stairs up to the elevated tracks.  The 63rd St. EL runs parallel to 63rd St. and above the Little Englewood platforms as shown in the photos.  The map shows 2 tracks through Little Englewood today.  The Amtrak trains from Indianapolis that come up the old Monon pass through Little Englewood on their way to Union Station.  I haven't been to that area for a long time because it's a pretty tough neighborhood.

[Bob Lalich]

I'm a little late jumping in here. The two tracks that run past the old C&WI Englewood Station are now owned by Metra. The tracks are in great condition and have been re-signaled. The tracks are used by Metra Southwest trains that use the former Wabash to/from Orland Park, IL, and Amtrak Indianapolis trains. Amtrak trains use the former Monon to Munster, IN, the former GT from Munster to Thornton, IL, and the former C&EI from Thornton north to Dolton, and on to Chicago via the ex-C&WI. Some freight trains use the Metra tracks also.

I was up there with a friend about a year ago. It is well patrolled by RR police and accessable only by a roadway on the RoW. The station building is gone but the platforms and shelters are still there.

The NYC/PRR/RI Englewood Station was also used by NKP. The grade crossing of the ex-PRR, now NS, and ex-RI, now also owned by Metra, is being eliminated with a flyover arrangement as part of the CREATE project.

[Tim T Swan]

I'm also late in responding to this thread.  Apparently I missed it completely last December or so when it first appeared.

There always seems to be lot of confusion about the two "Englewood" stations in Chicago.  C&WI's "little" Englewood Station was entirely separate from and a few blocks west of Englewood Union Station, which served NYC, PRR, and RI trains.  Whenever you see a truss bridge over the tracks, you're looking at a photo of "little" Englewood, not of the "big" Englewood Union Station.  Although both stations were on elevated trackage and included both below-track-level and track-level facilities, "big" Englewood never had a truss bridge overhead.

Just a few weeks ago, Ron Marquardt and I were discussing Englewood off-list and he furnished me with several neat photos of "little" Englewood showing its two levels, while I furnished him with a map out of an excellent railroad atlas showing the trackage through both depots.  I do not have access to my photos now and won't for at least a month, but perhaps Ron can post them.   /Tim.