Norfolk Southern, PRR Signals, and CTA Red Line at 63rd Street

A Norfolk Southern stack train led by two Dash-9s heads toward the diamonds at Englewood Crossing, where NS's former Pennsy main connects to its former New York Central main (now abandoned except for Park Manor Yard) and crosses the former Rock Island (now Metra's Rock Island District commuter line to Beverly Hills, Blue Island, Tinley Park and Joliet). A trademark, massive PRR signal bridge, complete with the Pennsy's colour-position lights, guards the crossing, out of sight and above a couple hundred yards to its east.

Below the NS line, the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94) runs north-south to/from downtown Chicago. Just south of here, I-90 splits off and becomes the Chicago Skyway toll bridge to Indiana. In the median of the expressway, CTA's Red Line 'L' runs to the far south side of the city, and north to downtown and the far north side. Paralleling *it*, in view directly to the west and above on elevated tracks, is the Englewood (Ashland) Branch of CTA's Green Line 'L', which runs to Ashland and 63rd streets, and north to its intersection with the Cottage Grove (Jackson Park) Branch and downtown's Loop, before heading out to the west side and Oak Park. The routes making up the Green Line together comprise the oldest part of the Chicago 'L' system, dating back to 1892. The Dan Ryan section of the Red Line, by contrast, only opened in 1969.

No Green Line trains are seen here-- the branch runs on 15-20 minute headways-- though the 'L' itself towers over the scene. North- and south-bound Red Line trains arrive and depart, however, as the NS stack train passes slowly overhead.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• NS
• Norfolk Southern
• rail
• railroad
• railway
• freight
• stack
• intermodal
• CTA
• Chicago Transit Authority
• el
• elevated
• metro
• subway
• transit
• rapid transit
• Red Line
• Green Line
• Dan Ryan Expressway
• I-90
• I-94
• highway
• freeway
• urban
• city
• Englewood
• Ashland/63
• 63rd street
• south side
• railfan
• railfanning
• PRR
• NYC
• Pennsy
• signals
• CPL

[elirosen1391]

PRR went all the way into Chicago? I never knew that!

[Nachtwolf1]

@elirosen1391 Absolutely! The Pennsy was a major, major player in Chicago. All the trackage into the north side of Chicago's Union Station was Pennsy's, via their "Panhandle" main line (now abandoned except for a few small bits). Crack passenger trains competed with the New York Central for Chicago-NY traffic, and PRR was a major carrier of freight into and out of Chicago. Chicago wouldn't have turned out the same as it is today without the Pennsylvania Railroad!

[elirosen1391]

@Nachtwolf1 Wow. Now I see. Thank you for the history lesson.

[Nachtwolf1]

@elirosen1391 Haha no worries!

[quimbyt]

There is a flashing blue light by that signal bridge, is that one of Mr Daley's spy cameras ?

[Nachtwolf1]

@quimbyt Yep, it's looking at the intersection of 63rd and the northbound onramp to the Dan Ryan.

[EaiteRandjamee]

Wow, a lot of things going on all at once here.