CHICAGO'S INTERLOCKINGS

INDIANA HARBOR BELT

Stock Yards Line/Industrial Branches


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55TH STREET
Mechanical interlocking installed 1897
Electric interlocking installed 1941
Closed 1980's, demolished 1990

Originally a crossing with Belt Railway of Chicago. South of there on the Belt Railway of Chicago was a non interlocked junction, where the route accessing the west end of Clearing Yard diverged from the main line. The Clearing Yard line paralleled 59th Street, along the north side of the airport which evolved to Midway Airport. When the City of Chicago intended to expand the airport further north to 55th Street, the Clearing Yard line needed to be relocated to parallel the Indiana Harbor Belt line to the south. Thus the new interlocking was completed in 1941. Extending east and originally paralleling the Indiana Harbor Belt line to the south, is Belt Railway of Chicago's Elsdon Industrial Lead. In 1988 the Indiana Harbor Belt line was abandoned.

ELSDON
Mechanical interlocking installed 1902

Little is known about this interlocking, other than it was on the Stock Yards Line and that connections existed with Santa Fe at south end of its Corwith Yard. Much of the Stock Yards Line had paralleled Belt Railway of Chicago to north, abandoned 1988. East of 55th St. interlocking, right of way is now used by CTA Orange Line, south of Belt Railway of Chicago.

CALUMET RIVER DRAWBRIDGE
Mechanical interlocking installed 1892

Michigan Central bridge over Calumet River was formerly a drawbridge. Route later became Indiana Harbor Belt Kensington branch. It has not been determined when the bridge became permanently fixed.

CANAL
Tower listed with South Shore Line

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REPUBLIC
Mechanical interlocking installed 1908
Replaced with automatic interlocking around 1950's

Crossing of Indiana Harbor Belt Canal Line, with CSX former Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal.

WOLF LAKE
Mechanical interlocking installed 1908
Closed 1928/non interlocked

Junction of Whiting Line with a Pennsylvania Railroad industrial line.