The old steam era crossing gate operator's tower on West 51st Street, at the Grand Trunk Western Railroad Elsdon Yard. ( Gone.) Chicago Illinois USA. October 1983.

The old steam era crossing gate operator's tower on West 51st Street, at the Grand Trunk Western Railroad Elsdon Yard. ( Gone.) Chicago Illinois USA. October 1983., a photo by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

Hello everyone!
Welcome aboard Eddie's Railfan Page, from the city of Chicago Illinois USA.

I took this photo way back in October of 1983. We are on location at the very soon to be closed Grand Trunk Western Railroad Elsdon Yard on West 51st Street in Chicago Illinois.

For many years going back to the steam era, GTW crews would manually control the railroad crossing gates on west 51st and west 55th Streets between South Lawndale and South St. Louis Avenues at the busy 14 track Elsdon Yard, using these crossing gaye operators towers. Many times, lenghty traffic delays would happen because of this.

The tower shown here, was erected along the north side of West 51st Street, just east of South Lawndale Avenue in Chicago's Elsdon neighborhood.

This tower along with the GTW Elsdon Yard, the old two story wooden Elsdon passenger train station, and the 1914 built Elsdon roundhouse on South Kedzie Avenue, were actually photographed here during their final week of operation.

The following week, this tower would be demolished on site. The wooden two story Elsdon station, would be demolished in November of 1983, and the Elsdon roundhouse on South Kedzie Avenue, would sit abandoned until demolished in 1987.