ABANDONED RAILROADS

NEW YORK CENTRAL

Western Division

FORMERLY New York Central Railroad (Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway)
(Western Division/Main Line)
CONSTRUCTED 1851-1852 by Northern Indiana & Chicago Railroad
DOUBLE TRACK constructed mostly 1888-1892
FOUR TRACKS constructed 1909-1912 (Brookline-Whiting)/eliminated around 1964
ABS installed before 1912
LAST PASSENGER TRAIN: 1968
DOWNGRADED/ABANDONED 1972

New York Central originally used La Salle Street Station, sharing a route with the Rock Island Railroad as far south as Englewood. But after merging with the Pennsylvania Railroad to form Penn Central, all trains were consolidated onto the ex-Pennsylvania Railroad route, serving Union Station. Until 1965, Nickel Plate passenger trains used La Salle Street Station, connecting at JN.

Stations/Milepost Locations

Direction is eastward from Chicago to Whiting
Distance is from Buffalo

515.6 61st Street (connection-CRI&P/NYC joint)
515.5 Englewood
514.5 Park Manor
513.9 JN/Brookline (connection-NKP)
509.5 CR/Calumet River Bridge
508.2 State Line
505.7 MS/Whiting (B&OCT crossing)
505.4 Whiting

Mostly 4 tracks, signaled for normal right hand operation. Between JN and CR, passenger tracks were to the south and freight tracks were to the north. East of CR, passenger tracks were on the inside and freight tracks were on the outside.

CLASSIC TRACK DIAGRAMS

Track diagram as the line existed until the 1950's, when much of the line still had four tracks.

LOST STATIONS

Known discontinued passenger railroad stations. Includes zoomable Google maps.

INTERLOCKING TOWERS

Past and present towers and interlockings.

CHICAGO TRACK ELEVATION

City ordinances and history of track elevation in Chicago.