The Grand Trunk Western Railroad's Elsdon Yard Track Department Office. Chicago Illinois. June 1984.

The Grand Trunk Western Railroad's Elsdon Yard Track Department Office. Chicago Illinois. June 1984., a photo by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

I took this photograph way back in June of 1984.

Although the Grand Trunk Western Railroad had officially closed their old steam era Elsdon Yard site on West 51st Street back in October of 1983, a small portion of it remained active until September of 1986.

Sen here immediately north of West 51st Street just east of South Lawndale Avenue, was the GTW Elsdon Yard track department office. This structure was still standing in January of 2007, but with markings from the succesor railroad Canadian National, and urban graffiti tagging from local neighborhood street gangs.

After the GTW ceased all remaining Elsdon Yard operations at the site altogether after September of 1986, this portion of the former Elsdon Yard site, would become a railroad construction materials storage depot, and is run today as such by the Canadian National Railroad. While other portions of the former GTW Elsdon Yard site, are slowly undergoing commercial and residential real estate redevelopment today.