One of my all time favorite southwest side Chicago railfan locations I had discovered while attending Curie High School from 1977 to 1981, was the now long gone Grand Trunk Western Railroad's Elsdon Yard. This old steam era freight train yard, retained it's rustic steam era feel complete with a 1914 built roundhouse at South Kedzie Avenue, two crossing gate operators towers at West 51st and West 55th Streets, and an old fashioned wooden two story train station built in 1888 on West 51st Street just east of South Lawndale Avenue. Sadly the GTW closed Elsdon Yard in October of 1983, and eventually demolished the old steam era structures. The GTW Elsdon Yard site is slowly developing today for other real estate uses near West 51st Street between South Lawndale and South St. louis Avenues.
Back when Elsdon was alive and well in much better times, I often wondered how this place must have looked like back in the steam era. The internet has been great for helping me to satisfy this longtime curiosity of mine, with great reference photographs.
I found this classic Grand Trunk Western Railroad steam locomotive powered freight train photograph at my Link page Yesteryear Depot.Com, located to the right of your computer screen at www.yesteryeardepot.com
Railfan photographer Harold Olson, photographed Grand Trunk Western 2-8-2 steam locomotive # 3747 on the head end of a freight train preparing to depart from Elsdon Yard, in August of 1956.
The Grand Trunk Western was one of the last railroads in North America, to utilize steam locomotives in daily railroad operations, until 1961 when most railroads had dieselized completely by then. This si proboubly why I always liked the GTW so much for many years as I did.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
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