The end is arriving soon to an old childhood friend of mine. I grew up on Chicago's near southwest side, in the Little Village neighborhood during the 1960's and 1970's. The Illinois Northern, was an industrial shortline railroad approximately 6 miles long. It was partly owned by the International Harvester Corporation, and the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe. International Harvester Corporation left Chicago in the early 1970's, and the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe took over the railroad completely in 1972. The line operated from the north end of the A,T,& S,F Corwith Yard, and traveled northeasterly to the C,B & Q interchange at South Western Avenue near South Blue Island Avenue. I witnessed Monday to Friday operations by the former A,T & S,F during the 1970's and 80's on this line, until My family left Little Village in 1990. In 1995, the railroad companys Burlington Northern, and the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe merged and became todays BNSF Railway. BNSF Railway operated the line until the year of 2000, when it leased what was left of it to DRSX Rail Services.
Today, there is only one industry left on the I.N branchline, and it is switched only three times a year as needed. This photo was taken on a Saturday afternoon, in October of 1988 during much happier times under the A,T & S,F. This view is looking west on West 30th Street at South Kedzie Avenue.
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