I took this photo looking westbound from the intersection at South Kedzie Avenue and west 30th Street, in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood on the near southwest side of the city. This is the west 30th Street railroad crossing on what was known as the Santa Fe's I.N branchline. Prior to 1972, the Illlinois Northern was a 6 mile industrial shortline railroad owned by the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe, and International Harvester Corporation. After International Harvester left Chicago, and the other partnership owners gradually left or downsized their operations, the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad bought the operation out, and operated as such until the 1995 merger that created todays BNSF Railway. The BNSF operated this line until the year of 2000, when it was sold to DRS Rail Services. When I took this photograph, the line still operated between the Santa Fe Corwith Yard and Western Avenue. The line was operated Monday to Friday every week with a switching local, and was maintained by the A,T & S,F. Today, the line is only a shadow of it's former self.
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