Thursday, April 04, 2013

Grand Trunk Western locomotive, caboose and train of flatcars at Elsdon Yard. Chicago Illinois USA. October 1983.

I took this photograph way back in October of 1983.

The GTW Elsdon Yard on West 51st Street in Chicago, was a place I enjoyed hanging out
and spotting trains at while I attended nearby
Curie High School from 1977 to 1981.

Rumors were circulating amongst the many local Chicago area railfans in 1983, that the Grand Trunk Western Railroad was planing on closing Elsdon Yard soon.

When I took this photograph during an October 1983 visit to Elsdon Yard not long after hearing these rumors, they unfortunately proved to be true. A handful of GTW employees working there had informed me to" take as many pictures as I wanted, as this was the final week of operation at Elsdon Yard."

Although I failed to document what day of the week it was or the date as well, this photograph was taken during that final week of operation. Wow! Talk about timing!

This photograph is facing immediately north from adjacent West 51st Street, just east of South Lawndale Avenue in Chicago's Elsdon neighborhood on the southwest side of the city.

At least I got to say farewell to Elsdon Yard as it was under sunny skies and warm temperatures on that Indian Summer afternoon.

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