CHICAGO RAILFAN GUIDE HOME RAILFAN GUIDES HOME RAILROAD SIGNALS HOMEYards dot the Chicago landscape all over the place..... Take your pick! All of the trains heading into and out of Chicago need someplace to go or
start out of. There are over 40 yards currently in and around Chicago, and in the past, there were well over 70!
This is a VERY large page, as there are 81 yards listed. Please be patient. If you are using a dial up connection, go have lunch or dinner :-)
Notes about locations:
Distances and directions are from the middle of "the loop".
Just keep in mind while you're running around railfanning, that the railroads, especially today, really frown on trespassing onto their property for picture
taking. When you can find a good vantage point, make sure you have a really good camera with a really good telephoto lens. I use the "cheap"
Canon series of "point and shoot" cameras, like the SX30IS, with pretty good telephoto capabilities. Not good enough for really, really serious
photography, but almost every picture you will find on my two websites is taken with it. Even back in 1972, the railroad police chased me out of a number of
yards when we were in town for EMD's 50th anniversary celebration, when in most other places, they really didn't care :-)
Pictures and additional information is always needed if anyone feels inclined to take 'em, send 'em, and share 'em, or if you have something to add or correct....
credit is always given! Contact info is here
Acknowledgements:
Denver Todd
Tim Kaczocha
Clifton L.
Here is a list of the yards in and around Chicago, a quick highlight of them is below, there's 82 yards listed here....
The maps below the list illustrate where they are in relationship to downtown.
GPS Coordinates: 41.866148, -87.635879 Location: Just south of Union Station Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Amtrak History: Pre Amtrak Passenger Railroads serving Union Station Purpose: Coach Yard Hump: no Activity: Daily sorting and maintenance of Amtrak’s passenger cars Tracks/Details: 2 yards in one, ~19 tracks on the north side, ~16 on the south end, tracks run north/south. Railfan Access: South Lumber St runs along the eastern edge of the yard allowing you to get up close and personal.
Pictures can also be taken from the W Roosevelt Rd overpass, which splits the yard approximately in half.
GPS Coordinates: 41.86424, -87.6378 (middle of the yard) Location: ~ 1-1/2 miles from downtown, south of Chicago Union Station, west of Amtrak’s 14th St yard Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Metra History: Former CB&Q - Chicago, Burlington & Quincy yard, and all pre Metra Commuter Railroads serving Union Station Purpose: Coach storage and maintenance Hump: no Activity: Daily sorting and maintenance of Metra’s passenger cars Tracks/Details: 2 yards in one, ~23 tracks on the north end and roughly 20 tracks on the south. Railfan Access: None, but pictures can be had from the W Roosevelt Rd overpass to the north end of the yard.
GPS Coordinates: 41.859292, -87.618477 Location: South Chicago, about 1-1/2 mile from downtown, east of 14th Street yards paralleling S. Lake Shore Dr, just west of Soldier Field. Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Metra History: IC Purpose: Coach Yard, sorting and maintenance for Electric District Hump: no Activity: Pretty busy Tracks/Details: 15, 4 of them thru tracks on the outside, 2 on each side Railfan Access: None McCormick Place Busway parallels the yard, but you don't have access, If you can find a place to park for
the Mark Twain Park, and walk, you might have a chance, and you can't stop on the S Lake Shore Drive, besides, there is a wall between you and the trains....
GPS Coordinates: x Location: N Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Amtrak History: ATSF Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: b History: c Purpose: d Hump: yes/no Activity: e Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: 41.843709, -87.612134 Location: 2.8 miles SSE (5:00) of downtown Status: Torn up Current Owner/Operator: n/a History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: none Tracks/Details: It is now a Marshalling Yard for 18-Wheeler Trucks Railfan Access: n/a
GPS Coordinates: x Location: N Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: U History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: 41.83086,-87.636856 (middle of the yard at 35th St Location: South Chicago IL, about 3.2 miles from downtown, 6:30 Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: C&EI History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: 17 tracks, used to have more, maybe another 5 or 6 Railfan Access: None, all of the yard is above street level, as there are 3 underpasses for the streets
GPS Coordinates: 41.812651,-87.636395 Location: South Chicago IL, Fuller Park, about 4.2 miles from downtown, 6:31 Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Norfolk Southern History: Wabash, N&W Purpose: Empty TOFC storage? Hump: no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: 3 tracks, may have had an additional 9 or 10 tracks
2 signal bridges on adjacent mainlines south of 43rd St, one 2 track, and one 4 track Railfan Access: None: Root St, 43rd St, 45th St, and 47th St all go under the yard
GPS Coordinates: 41.805358,-87.630000 Location: South Chicago IL, Fuller Park, about 5.1m miles south of downtown, 6:00 Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Metra History: C&WI, EL Purpose: Car and engine maintenance Hump: no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: None: 47th St and 51st St both go under the yard Special features/notes: Signal bridge on the north side of 47th St, there were 2 other tracks here at one time
6 unused bridges on the south side of the yard over West 51st St.
GPS Coordinates: 41.801743,-87.638991 (center of the yard at 51st St) Location: Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Norfolk Southern History: Erie, PC, CR, NS Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: None, all streets go under the yards here.
GPS Coordinates: 41.801807,-87.635407 Location: Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Norfolk Southern History: PRR, PC, CR, NS Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: None, all streets go under the yards here.
GPS Coordinates: x Location: N Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: NS History: Rock Island, CRL Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: ? History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: just south of Argo crossing Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Norfolk Southern History: CRIP? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
Barr Yard
The northern of the two yards in Riverdale.
GPS Coordinates: x Location: Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: CSX History: Today’s Barr Yard complex is the result of the consolidation of three smaller separate yards in 1947. Purpose: Car classification, train building and receiving. Car repair, engine terminal, track scale. Hump: No, it has always been flat switched. Activity: Terminus of over the road (balanced tonnage) trains on B&O RR, Chessie System, CSX;
Terminus of unbalanced trains of the B&OCT. Handles interchange traffic. Tracks/Details:
Eastbound Yard – 15 classification tracks (capacity 1146 cars) and 5 receiving tracks (345 cars).
Westbound Yard – 26 classification tracks (1208 cars capacity) 6 receiving tracks (capacity 500 cars). Six reconditioning tracks for car cleaning and stock car bedding.
Car repair tracks – 2 eastbound tracks (capacity 64 cars) 2 westbound tracks (capacity 54 cars).
Engine facility at the east end of Barr – had 115 ft 3-point suspension turntable, 200-ton Ogle coaling station with 28-ton dry sand section.
3—track Ogle all-electric ash handling facility. Engine House with three tracks. Railfan Access: Limited – Halsted Street overpass gives a look at the east end of the main yard.
Thanks to Clifton L and a 1950 pamphlet from the B&OCT.
GPS Coordinates: 41.767887,-87.761321 Location: Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: BRC - Belt Railway of Chicago History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes, 2 Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
Below, a Missouri Pacific freight with #4811 in the lead, on the east side of Clearing Yard at the GTW crossing.... July 1984.
Thanks to Tim Vermande for the picture!
GPS Coordinates: x Location: about 6 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: BNSF History: ATSF Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: N Status: Torn up Current Owner/Operator: n/a History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: n/a Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: n/a
GPS Coordinates: x Location: Just east of Aurora Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: BNSF History: ?, BN Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: Chicago IL Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: UP History: former B&OCT Robey St Yard, then CNW Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: Chicago IL Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: UP History: former CNW Wood St Yard Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: Northlake IL Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: UP History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: 41.908881,-87.655492 Location: NW Chicago IL, about 2 1/2 miles from downtown Status: Torn up Current Owner/Operator: n/a History: ? Purpose: switching for local customers Hump: no Activity: n/a Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: 41.832607,-87.758639, 33rd St at S. 54th Ave Location: - Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Canadian National History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: North side, east Chicago IL Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: - History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access>: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: - Status: gone Current Owner/Operator: N/A History: Former coach yard of the B&OCT Purpose: Passenger car storage Hump: no Activity: Heavy during "the day" Tracks/Details: 34 tracks, adjoins Robey Freight Yard Railfan Access: N/A
GPS Coordinates: 41.568036,-87.662423, Maple Rd at the bend to Harwood Ave Location: - Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Canadian National History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: x Location: - Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: - History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: smaller yard, no power is kept here Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: 41.909032,-87.662069 Location: NW Chicago IL, about 2 1/2 miles from downtown Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: UP? History: CNW? History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: 41.89398,-87.883555, at the middle of the Mannheim Rd overpass Location: located in Melrose Park IL, 14 miles west of downtown Chicago. Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Union Pacific History: Former CNW Yard Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access ?
GPS Coordinates: 41.914294,-87.678977 Location: Clyborn IL Status: Torn up Current Owner/Operator: n/a History: MILW? Purpose: local storage yard Hump: no Activity: n/a Tracks/Details: You can plainly see from the aerial shots, the new buildings, and the overpass at the throat of the
yard. I wonder if the people living there get to use the now open space? The CNW purchased B&OCT land back in 1983 (12 years prior to the
CNW/UPRR merger) to combine with the existing CNW Wood St Yard facility. The Global One Terminal opened in 1984. Railfan Access: N/A
GPS Coordinates: 41.758474, -87.699871 Location: - Just north of Ashburn IL Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: - CSX History: former C&O yard Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: Medium Tracks/Details: 24 Railfan Access none
GPS Coordinates: 41.817856,-87.628369 Location: South Chicago IL, 4 miles from downtown, 6:00 Status: Torn up Current Owner/Operator: n/a History: ex NYC yard AND ex Rock Island
yard Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: n/a Tracks/Details: I'm kinda amazed there is still any evidence of the yard left Railfan Access: n/a More Info: Steam Powered Video's map book shows the east side is the abandoned NYC Root Street Yard. I presume the west side was the
Rock Island Root Street Yard. The west side has been totally obliterated by the Dan Ryan Expressway. Only some of the NYC yard has been redeveloped. You can still see
bridges across 43rd Street and ballast trails (from the additional source listed below).
http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2016/06/rock-island-and-nyc-root-street-yards.html
GPS Coordinates: 41.955258,-87.866877, from the Skate Park next to the south end of the yard, off Irving Park Rd Location: Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: Canadian National History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: nice set of signals here too! Railfan Access: ?
GPS Coordinates: 41.861068,-87.639388 Location: South Chicago IL, about a mile from downtown (~7:00), near the two 14th St yards Status: Torn up Current Owner/Operator: n/a History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: n/a Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: n/a
GPS Coordinates: x Location: - Status: Torn up Current Owner/Operator: n/a History: BRC - Belt Railway of Chicago Purpose: ? Hump: no Activity: n/a Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: n/a
Western Ave YardGPS Coordinates: x Location: - Status: Active Current Owner/Operator: - History: ? Purpose: ? Hump: yes/no Activity: ? Tracks/Details: ? Railfan Access: ?