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Illinois Central West Line

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Illinois Central West Line
Overview
StatusDefunct
OwnerIllinois Central Railroad
LocaleChicago metropolitan area
Termini
Service
TypeCommuter Rail
Train number(s)140, 141, 145, 146, 147, 148
History
OpenedMay 1, 1892
Closed1931
Technical
Line length24.12 miles (38.82 km)
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Route map

0.00
Randolph Street South Shore Line
0.64 mi
1.03 km
Van Buren Street South Shore Line
1.26 mi
2.03 km
Roosevelt Road South Shore Line
Central Station
Wabash Avenue and 16th Street
Orange to the Loop
3.34 mi
5.38 km
Halsted Street
Bubbly Creek
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
7.19 mi
11.57 km
Lawndale Avenue
7.61 mi
12.25 km
Crawford Avenue
8.58 mi
13.81 km
Hyman Avenue
9.05 mi
14.56 km
Hawthorne
10.17 mi
16.37 km
Odgen Avenue
11.19 mi
18.01 km
Berwyn
11.95 mi
19.23 km
Parkway
12.75 mi
20.52 km
North Riverside
Des Plaines River
13.17 mi
21.2 km
Tuxedo Park
13.22 mi
21.28 km
Speedway
13.9 mi
22.4 km
Hines
14.48 mi
23.3 km
Broadview
Addison Creek
CA&E to Bellwood or Mt. Carmel
16.15 mi
25.99 km
Oakridge
17.50 mi
28.16 km
Hillside
19.35 mi
31.14 km
Elmhurst
20.24 mi
32.57 km
St. Charles Road
Salt Creek
21.28 mi
34.25 km
Suburb Hill
22.29 mi
35.87 km
South Addison
24.12 mi
38.82 km
Addison
Illinois Central intercity trains
to Freeport, Waterloo and Sioux City

The Illinois Central West Line was a commuter line operated by the Illinois Central Railroad between the Randolph Street Station in Chicago and Addison, Illinois. The service began in 1892 and ended in 1931.

History

[edit]

The Illinois Central Railroad opened a westerly line from Chicago to Freeport, Illinois in 1891. A suburban passenger service over a portion of this line between Chicago and Addison was inaugurated on May 1, 1892. Stations were initially located at Wabash Avenue and 16th Street, Crawford Avenue, Hyman (Cicero) Avenue, Robinson (Laramie) Avenue, Ogden Avenue, Parkview Avenue, Brook View, Hill Side, and South Addison. Service consisted of three trains in each direction Monday to Saturday and two trains in each direction on Sundays.[1] A collision between an Addison suburban train and another locomotive occurred on February 25, 1893.[2]

On April 15, 1931, the Illinois Central Railroad asked the Illinois Commerce Commission to allow discontinuance of passenger trains over the line.[3] Discontinuance was granted and the commuter service ended.

Route

[edit]

The West Line's eastern terminus was the Randolph Street Station on the east side of the Chicago Loop. From Randolph, trains traveled south over the suburban tracks of the Illinois Central's main line (still used by Metra Electric District trains). South of Roosevelt Road and Central Station, the West Line diverged from the main line between 14th and 16th Streets over a section of trackage that no longer exists that connected with what is now the Canadian National's Freeport Subdivision. From there, the trains headed west to the vicinity of the South branch of the Chicago River, where the line angled to the southwest and roughly paralleled the river. Near 35th Street, the line crossed the river and continued west. From Central Avenue, it angled northwest through suburban Cicero, Berwyn, North Riverside, Hines, Broadview, Hillside, Elmhurst, and Villa Park, before reaching Addison. At the crossing of North Avenue in Addison, the line left the Freeport Subdivision, heading north along a branch on the west side of Addison Road before terminating in the vicinity of Lake Street.

Stations

[edit]
County Location Station Notes
Cook Chicago Randolph Street Station Remains in service as part of Metra Electric

Connections:
Mainline rail interchange IC Electric
Mainline rail interchange South Shore Line

Van Buren Street Remains in service as part of Metra Electric

Connections:
Mainline rail interchange IC Electric
Mainline rail interchange South Shore Line

Roosevelt Road Remains in service as part of Metra Electric

Connections:
Mainline rail interchange IC Electric
Mainline rail interchange South Shore Line
Mainline rail interchange Intercity trains at Central Station

Wabash Avenue and 16th Street Closed
Halsted Street Closed
Lawndale Avenue Closed
Crawford Avenue Flag stop, Closed
Cicero Hyman Avenue Flag stop, Closed
Hawthorne Closed
Ogden Avenue Flag stop, Closed
Berwyn Berwyn Flag stop, Closed
North Riverside Parkway Flag stop, Closed
North Riverside Flag stop, Closed
Tuxedo Park Flag stop, Closed
Hines Speedway Flag stop, Closed

Points of interest:
Speedway Park

Hines Closed

Points of interest:
Hines Hospital

Broadview Broadview Closed
Hillside Oakridge Flag stop, Closed

Points of interest:
Oakridge Cemetery

Hillside Closed
Du Page Elmhurst Elmhurst Closed
St. Charles Road Flag stop, Closed
Villa Park Suburb Hill Flag stop, Closed
Addison South Addison Closed
Addison Closed

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Notes". The Inter Ocean. Chicago, Illinois. April 26, 1892. p. 10. Retrieved January 12, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "Collided on a Crossing". The Inter Ocean. Chicago, Illinois. February 26, 1893. p. 1. Retrieved January 12, 2019 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Central Seeks to Cut Off Suburban Trains". Journal Gazette. Mattoon, Illinois. April 15, 1931. p. 3. Retrieved June 3, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon