The Grand Trunk Western RR Elsdon Yard engine terminal. Chicago Illinois USA. October 1983.

The Grand Trunk Western RR Elsdon Yard engine terminal. Chicago Illinois USA. October 1983., a photo by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

I took this now hoistoric photograph of the then closing Grand Trunk Western Railroad Elsdon Yard in Chicago Illinois, way back in October of 1983.

There were many rumors that were circulating amongst the local southside Chicago railfan community back in 1983..that the GTW was going to close Elsdon Yard for good pretty soon.

I visited the Elsdon Yard facility on a lovely and very sunny day in October of 1983, only to find out first hand from some of the GTW railroad crews, that yes Elsdon was closing.
It turns out that I visited Elsdon, during the final week of operation. Elsdon Yard now had many empty tracks as the GTW was in the process of clearing everything out.

This view is facing south from the GTW Elsdon Yard embankment, facing the locomotive terminal at approximately West 49th Street near South Kedzie Avenue.

These locomotives are idling on the ready tracks, just west of the old 1914 built steam era Elsdon roundhouse on South Kedzie Avenue.

The week after I took this photograph, the ready tracks and roundhouse were officially abandoned, and Elsdon Yard was now a ghost town on Chicago's southwest side.

Thanks.
Eddie K.