Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Hawthorne Junction at the Chicago city limits. Photographed just before sunset. Chicago / Cicero Illinois USA. June 2008.

Hawthorne Junction at the Chicago city limits around sunset. Chicago / Cicero Illinois. June 2008.

This view was taken looking west at Hawthorne Junction, toward the west suburban village of Cicero Illinois just before sunset on a hot day in June of 2008. We are looking west on the Canadian National Railroad's former Illinois Central RR Iowa Division Mainline. The tracks that cross here up ahead, are those of the Belt Railway of Chicago. Prior to 1990, an old brick two story steam era interlocking
tower stood where the steel signal shed and propane tank are to the left of the
photograph. This tower was called "Belt Tower", but was refered to as being known
as ICG/ BELT Tower by area railroad crews when I visited this location in 1987.

Although this was a quiet and somewhat serene moment I had photographed between
train times, Hawthorne Junction is a busy location 24 Hours a day / 7 days a week
with frequent heavy transfer train movements, both entering and leaving the busy
Belt Railway of Chicago Clearing Yard in southwest suburban Bedford Park Illinois.

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