The Milwaukee Road Trail -- Western Avenue Remembered

Chicago, Il -- Western Avenue
Bill Placzek Coulter remembers ... I grew up in the neighborhood, east of the Grand Avenue and Western Avenue station, and had an uncle who took me there weekly, my entire childhood from 1954 to 1959. There was lots of track between this station (which included a coach yard where switchers moved cars for washing and setting up morning trains) and the diesel and steam roundhouse engine yards, a quarter of a mile to the west at Grand and Chicago Avenues. Western Avenue was the longest street in Chicago starting at the north boundary and going to the south end of the city. Grand Avenue was one of the few angle streets, starting out west from the north of downtown Chicago. This meant that the Western Avenue station was in a location for easy access for persons needing to get to the North and Northwest areas far from downtown and also the neighboring suburbs just outside the city. (In the Milwaukee Road volume 1: The EAST END, there is a picture on page 76 of the station, and page 83 has picture just west and many locos and diesels at the engine area.) Visiting there as a kid provided so many opportunities for viewing cars, locos, and full trains most of the day. During the afternoon when people left work to travel home, the station would provide me with looks at steam engines and diesel trains that didn't stop and the were many cars and fancier hiawatha cars. During rush hour two trains stopped there everyday. The station manager would announce on the loud speaker system, "Elgin.....Elgin loco!!" which traveled northwest out of the city towards Rockford, and "Fox Lake loco!!!!!” which a commuter could take North near the Wisconsin border. All the Olympian Cars were always present in quanity, but to see one in a train usually meant it boarded downtown and didn't stop at Western Avenue. There were still many steam engines pulling both freight and passenger trains. They were black (not gray topped or orange) and I still wonder why many seemed to have a second coal car. Most passenger trains had railway express cars added to the trains upfront. Even with my frequent visits, it wasn't until I was probably 12 (in 1962) that I saw the famous Hiawatha steam engine actually pulling a black-topped orange and red maroon Olympian passenger train. (Maybe it was on its way to a train show?) I will never forget how stunning it looked as it rushed by. The station had those wonderful rolled back benches and it had a regal apperance for a minor station. There was a control tower west of the station that must have directed the switchers with the passenger cars and freight trains to the west. If my memory is correct, the two tracks next to the station were the ones almost all outbound and inbound trains used.
Something Missing? Do you own material you would like to see displayed on The Milwaukee Road Trail? Please read our submission instructions to learn how to submit your materials. Thank you for your interest in TMRT!

Chicago, Il -- Western Avenue

Bill Placzek Coulter remembers ...

I grew up in the neighborhood, east of the Grand Avenue and Western Avenue station, and had an uncle who took me there weekly, my entire childhood from 1954 to 1959. There was lots of track between this station (which included a coach yard where switchers moved cars for washing and setting up morning trains) and the diesel and steam roundhouse engine yards, a quarter of a mile to the west at Grand and Chicago Avenues.

Western Avenue was the longest street in Chicago starting at the north boundary and going to the south end of the city. Grand Avenue was one of the few angle streets, starting out west from the north of downtown Chicago. This meant that the Western Avenue station was in a location for easy access for persons needing to get to the North and Northwest areas far from downtown and also the neighboring suburbs just outside the city.

(In the Milwaukee Road volume 1: The EAST END, there is a picture on page 76 of the station, and page 83 has picture just west and many locos and diesels at the engine area.)

Visiting there as a kid provided so many opportunities for viewing cars, locos, and full trains most of the day.

During the afternoon when people left work to travel home, the station would provide me with looks at steam engines and diesel trains that didn't stop and the were many cars and fancier hiawatha cars.

During rush hour two trains stopped there everyday. The station manager would announce on the loud speaker system, "Elgin.....Elgin loco!!" which traveled northwest out of the city towards Rockford, and "Fox Lake loco!!!!!” which a commuter could take North near the Wisconsin border.

All the Olympian Cars were always present in quanity, but to see one in a train usually meant it boarded downtown and didn't stop at Western Avenue.

There were still many steam engines pulling both freight and passenger trains. They were black (not gray topped or orange) and I still wonder why many seemed to have a second coal car. Most passenger trains had railway express cars added to the trains upfront.

Even with my frequent visits, it wasn't until I was probably 12 (in 1962) that I saw the famous Hiawatha steam engine actually pulling a black-topped orange and red maroon Olympian passenger train. (Maybe it was on its way to a train show?) I will never forget how stunning it looked as it rushed by.

The station had those wonderful rolled back benches and it had a regal apperance for a minor station. There was a control tower west of the station that must have directed the switchers with the passenger cars and freight trains to the west. If my memory is correct, the two tracks next to the station were the ones almost all outbound and inbound trains used.

Something Missing?

Do you own material you would like to see displayed on The Milwaukee Road Trail? Please read our submission instructions to learn how to submit your materials. Thank you for your interest in TMRT!