Discussion related to commuter rail and rapid transit operations in the Chicago area including the South Shore Line, Metra Rail, and Chicago Transit Authority.

Moderators: metraRI, JamesT4

  by Tadman
 
Take a look at this pic:
http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/0 ... 997624.jpg

Is that Roosevelt Road on the bridge? When did Amtrak build that long building that is now at right in the coach yard? And when did BN or Metra knock down that building at left to build out the maintenance facility?
  by MACTRAXX
 
Tad: This is an interesting picture from the late 70s era...you are looking N towards the Post Office and Union Station and what dates it for me is the presence of the Norfolk and Western Orland Park train with its tuscan red coaches...

Late 1976 until early 1979 is the era and I think that Roosevelt Road is either the bridge in the picture or the one
in which the photographer is taking the picture from...That was an era in which I was a regular visitor to Chicago as a teenager and I remember it well...

MACTRAXX
  by CTA Fan
 
The picture is definitely taken from the Roosevelt Road bridge. The bridge in the background is Taylor Street, which is now torn down.

The key is the tall brown building on the left side, Northern Trust's now sold technology / check processing center. And, behind that, the Post Office Garage, not too be confused with the Main Post office also in the background. In front of these buildings is Canal St, so almost everything railroad wise on the left side of the picture is now gone. Between Roosevelt and Taylor is now Whole Foods. Between Taylor and Polk is another Northern Trust building. Between Polk and Harrison is the new main Post Office.

Taylor and Roosevelt are still great train watching spots. Taylor is nice because the road basically ends where the bridge used to be so the view is good and Roosevelt gives you a view both north and south.

CTA Fan
  by Tadman
 
Good eye, that solves a lot for me.