NYC’s Westside High Line Advertisement
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NYC’s Westside High Line Advertisement In 1933 the first train ran on the High Line—which was then called the “West Side Elevated Line.” The line was fully operational by 1934, transporting millions of tons of meat, dairy, and produce. The lines cut directly through some buildings, creating easy access for factories like the National Biscuit Company (aka Nabisco), which is now the home of Chelsea Market. Railroad traffic declined due to the rise in trucking. The southernmost section of the High Line, from Spring to Bank Streets, was demolished in the 1960s. The decline continued through the 1970s, with all traffic stopped by the early 1980s. Today the High Line is a linear public park with displays of public art. Bob Chaparro Hemet, CA |
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Charlie Vlk
Bob- There is no direct equivalent in Chicago but most all the railroads within city limits were grade separated from 1890-1920. This required railroads and industries to reconfigure their sidings as most tracks were raised to about the second story level of existing buildings to allow city streets to pass under the railroads in slightly depressed viaducts. In some situations the railroad could ramp down to spurs but many industries had to be connected at the new track level. Most of the track that was depressed was not very deep so sidings could be ramped up to the former levels. The track along the alignment of the “St. Charles Air Line” used by the C&NW, CB&Q, B&O and Soo Line south of the downtown area look most like the High Line but do not have any buildings built over the track…mostly Cold Storage and Transfer warehouses built after the track elevation between the CB&Q and on either side of the C&NW/B&O/Soo tracks. The Soo built an elevated freight house south and west of Chicago Union Station and that is the only elevated one in Chicago proper of major consequence. The Chicago Track Elevation project was done almost entirely with private railroad capital and, for Chicago, with a comparatively low level of graft and high degree of cooperation with the city government. It involved massive rearrangements of main lines and, in several instances, raising entire freight and passenger yards…..all under heavy traffic with each project taking a couple of years. This was all done with steam shovels, horses and men, with some rail mounted equipment such as side dump cars and Lidgerwood scraper unloading of gondolas carrying fill material. Shortly after the track elevation project the straightening of the Chicago River south of Union Station was undertaken which involved reconfiguration of the approach to B&O Grand Central Depot and moving bridges and rebuilding of yards on both sides of the river. If the conditions that exist today were in place in 1890 most of the work would still be in the neighborhood forum and environmental study stages and all the funding would be taxpayer money. Charlie Vlk
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Bob Chaparro via groups.io
Sent: Friday, April 8, 2022 11:44 AM To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io Subject: [RealSTMFC] NYC’s Westside High Line Advertisement
NYC’s Westside High Line Advertisement In 1933 the first train ran on the High Line—which was then called the “West Side Elevated Line.” The line was fully operational by 1934, transporting millions of tons of meat, dairy, and produce. The lines cut directly through some buildings, creating easy access for factories like the National Biscuit Company (aka Nabisco), which is now the home of Chelsea Market. Railroad traffic declined due to the rise in trucking. The southernmost section of the High Line, from Spring to Bank Streets, was demolished in the 1960s. The decline continued through the 1970s, with all traffic stopped by the early 1980s. Today the High Line is a linear public park with displays of public art. Bob Chaparro Hemet, CA |
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Dennis Storzek <dennis@...>
On Fri, Apr 8, 2022 at 01:35 PM, Charlie Vlk wrote:
Charlie, I'm no expert on the Milwaukee Road, but I doubt their elevated line along Bloomingdale Ave. between Tower A5 and Pacific Jct. ever saw passenger service, it seemed to just feed the industrial area along the North Branch of the Chicago River. That, I think, is as close as Chicago comes to the West Side line in New York. Dennis Storzek |
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There is an abandoned high line in Chicago due west from the downtown area right? And Philadelphia has the Reading's abandoned high line into Reading Terminal on Market Street. Which is now a giant food market underneath the tracks. On 4/8/2022 5:32 PM, Dennis Storzek
wrote:
On Fri, Apr 8, 2022 at 01:35 PM, Charlie Vlk wrote: --
Tim O'Connor Sterling, Massachusetts |
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Dennis Storzek <dennis@...>
On Sat, Apr 9, 2022 at 06:02 AM, Tim O'Connor wrote:
There is an abandoned high line in Chicago due west from the downtown area right?That would be the Milwaukee Road's Bloomingdale Branch that I just mentioned, actually northwest of downtown. Here is an interesting history: https://forgottenchicago.com/features/the-bloomingdale-line/ Dennis Storzek |
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Charlie Vlk
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As has been pointed out, the Bloomingdale Line was an independent railroad east west orientated built at grade and later part of the Milwaukee Road. By the time of track elevation the Goose Island area it terminated in had developed into a heavy industrial area but I don’t think itsl line side industries were very large in number. The High Line was a special case…it had operating solutions like cowboys and special dummy power designed not to frighten horses but able to handle heavy trains. The Bloomingdale Line was just a secondary main that got elevated. The city was not built up with vast outlying vacant properties at the time of track elevation. While grade crossing accidents were a problem, the area was not congested like the High Line when it was built. The biggest connection is that the High Line inspired it to become an elevated linear park. Charlie Vlk On Apr 9, 2022, at 9:58 AM, Dennis Storzek <dennis@...> wrote:
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Richard Ramik
I am more than familiar with that piece of the NYC High Line. The building was the Bell Telephone Laboratories location called "WEST STREET". I worked out of there for a short period of time.
The was until my project was completely settled in the Whippany, New Jersey location. And while there, I was across the street (Route 10) from the Whippany Railway Museum. The Telephone Gods took care of me!!!!!! Thanks, Rich Ramik |
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