Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The abandoned Grand Trunk western RR Elsdon roundhouse at West 49th Street and South Kedzie Avenue. Chicago Illinois. December 1984.





I took this now histooric photo back in December of 1984.

The Grand Trunk Western Railroad once operated a yard and terminal facility on West 51st Street between South Lawndale and South St. Louis Avenues in Chicago's Elsdon neighborhood. This facility wich dated back to the steam era, was known as the Grand Trunk Western Railroad's Elsdon Yard.

The GTW Elsdon Yard had also featured a 1914 built roundhouse and turntable located on the west side of South Kedzie Avenue at approximately what would have been West 49th Street.

The GTW operated the Elsdon Yard facility, locomotive terminal and roundhouse until October of 1983. The roundhouse sat abandoned and unused, until it was finally demolished in December of 1987.

This photo taken in December of 1984, is a rare behind the scenes backside view of this old steam era shop facility. Today, a small outdoor retail strip mall occupies the site of the GTW Elsdon roundhouse.

No comments: