Englewood Station (Chicago)
Encyclopedia
Englewood Station or Englewood Union Station in Chicago, Illinois' south side Englewood
neighborhood was a crucial junction and passenger depot for three railroads - the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
, the New York Central Railroad
, and the Pennsylvania Railroad
- although it was for the eastbound streamliners of the latter two that the station was truly famous. Englewood Station also served passenger trains of the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
(Nickel Plate), which operated over the New York Central via trackage rights
.
The station itself stood near the corner of 63rd and State Streets.
Probably most famous for hosting the two most spectacular streamlined passenger trains, Englewood was the second stop eastbound, and pentultimate such westbound, for both PRR's Broadway Limited
and NYC's 20th Century Limited
. In fact, both would leave their respective terminals in Chicago, stop to embark passengers at Englewood, and leave the station simultaneously, each racing the other for several miles before they diverged.
No less important (although less famous) were the westbound Rockets of the Rock Island which stopped at Englewood. Connections could be made at Englewood between any of the railroads at that intersection.
Upon the decline of intercity passenger traffic, and PRR and NYC's merger into Penn Central (and that railroad's bankruptcy
and reorganization into Conrail), much of the trackage has been removed, and the commuter trains on the Metra
Rock Island District
no longer stop at the station, which was closed in the late 1970s. The former tracks of the Pennsylvania are now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway
and still carry freight and intercity Amtrak
passengers to Union Station. The station has for the most part disappeared, but some scattered remnants are visible around the railroad overpass near 63rd Street and State Street
.
Englewood, Chicago
Englewood, once known as "Junction Grove" , is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago. At its height, over 97,000 people lived in its approximately 3 square miles , but the neighborhood's population has since dropped dramatically...
neighborhood was a crucial junction and passenger depot for three railroads - the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.-Incorporation:...
, the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
, and the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
- although it was for the eastbound streamliners of the latter two that the station was truly famous. Englewood Station also served passenger trains of the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
(Nickel Plate), which operated over the New York Central via trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
.
History
Englewood Station stood at the intersection of several rail lines:- The New York Central (NYC) and the Rock Island shared trackage from Englewood to the north into LaSalle Street StationLaSalle Street StationLaSalle Street Station is a commuter rail terminal at 414 S. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, serving Metra's Rock Island District. It was a major intercity rail terminal for the New York Central Railroad until 1968 and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad until 1978. The...
. At Englewood, they split: the Rock Island headed southwest, the New York Central east into IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. - The Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago RailwayPittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago RailwayThe Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway was a major part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system, extending the PRR west from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania via Fort Wayne, Indiana to Chicago, Illinois...
crossed the Rock Island at this junction. To the north, its trackage headed into Union StationUnion Station (Chicago)Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...
. The PRR then closely paralleled the NYC for several miles into Indiana. - The Erie RailroadErie RailroadThe Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
, Monon RailroadMonon RailroadThe Monon Railroad , also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway from 1897–1956, operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana...
, Wabash RailroadWabash RailroadThe Wabash Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. It served a large area, including trackage in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Ontario. Its primary connections included Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Missouri, Detroit,...
, Chicago and Eastern Illinois RailroadChicago and Eastern Illinois RailroadThe Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago to southern Illinois, St. Louis, and Evansville. Founded in 1877, it grew aggressively and stayed relatively strong throughout the Great Depression and two World Wars before being purchased by the Missouri Pacific...
, and Chicago and Western Indiana RailroadChicago and Western Indiana RailroadThe Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad was the owner of Dearborn Station in Chicago and the trackage leading to it. It was owned equally by five of the railroads using it to reach the terminal, and kept those companies from needing their own lines into the city...
had a stop at 63rd Street and Wallace Street—west of this station. Nicknamed "Little Englewood" the platforms and canopies still exist, although the station building is long gone.
The station itself stood near the corner of 63rd and State Streets.
Probably most famous for hosting the two most spectacular streamlined passenger trains, Englewood was the second stop eastbound, and pentultimate such westbound, for both PRR's Broadway Limited
Broadway Limited
The Broadway Limited was the Pennsylvania Railroad's premier named passenger train, operating daily in each direction between New York City and Chicago, via North Philadelphia. It replaced its predecessors, the Pennsylvania Limited and the Pennsylvania Special...
and NYC's 20th Century Limited
20th Century Limited
The 20th Century Limited was an express passenger train operated by the New York Central Railroad from 1902 to 1967, during which time it would become known as a "National Institution" and the "Most Famous Train in the World". In the year of its last run, The New York Times said that it "...was...
. In fact, both would leave their respective terminals in Chicago, stop to embark passengers at Englewood, and leave the station simultaneously, each racing the other for several miles before they diverged.
No less important (although less famous) were the westbound Rockets of the Rock Island which stopped at Englewood. Connections could be made at Englewood between any of the railroads at that intersection.
Upon the decline of intercity passenger traffic, and PRR and NYC's merger into Penn Central (and that railroad's bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and reorganization into Conrail), much of the trackage has been removed, and the commuter trains on the Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
Rock Island District
Rock Island District
The Rock Island District is a commuter rail line operated by Metra from Chicago, Illinois, United States, southwest to Joliet. While Metra does not specifically refer to any of its lines by a particular color, the timetable accents for the Rock Island District line are printed in "Rocket Red"...
no longer stop at the station, which was closed in the late 1970s. The former tracks of the Pennsylvania are now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
and still carry freight and intercity Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
passengers to Union Station. The station has for the most part disappeared, but some scattered remnants are visible around the railroad overpass near 63rd Street and State Street
State Street (Chicago)
State Street is a large south-north street in Chicago, Illinois, USA and its south suburbs. It begins on the Near North Side at North Avenue. For much of its course, it lies between Wabash Avenue on the east and Dearborn Street/Lafayette Avenue on the west...
.