Surface trolley lines in Forest Park, IL?

Hi all,It's been a LONG time since I've posted here, but I was curious about something that maybe someone here might know about. I know one route builder here was working on a Chicago, Aurora & Elgin route a while back. The last I heard was that he was working on the portion that would pass through Forest Park, near where the CTA station on Des Plaines Avenue is now. Since I used to live in Forest Park (moved to California in 1987), I was really interested in hearing how that was going! But also, I was wondering if anyone knows if Forest Park at any time had surface trolley lines. I know that the CA&E apparently had both the elevated track with third-rail power, and surface right-of-way with overhead trolley wire for the level crossings. But where there any surface electric streetcar lines in Forest Park, maybe besides the CA&E interurban lines? I've been thinking of building a small route based on an early Forest Park...or "Harmlem" as it was originally called during the 1900s. All the recent additions of those great 1900s buildings to the file library gave me all kinds of ideas for Madison Avenue! I'll get the modeler's permission, of course, before I put the route in the library if and when I do build it. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! You can also email me directly at either gatewaycityca@yahoo.com or gatecityca@aol.com I check both regularly.

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RE: surface trolley lines in Forest Park, IL?, CGW409, Dec-07-02, 10:10 AM, (1) RE: surface trolley lines in Forest Park, IL?, sniper297, Dec-08-02, 09:38 PM, (2) RE: surface trolley lines in Forest Park, IL?, SHEPLEY1935, Dec-09-02, 07:08 AM, (3) RE: surface trolley lines in Forest Park, IL?, sniper297, Dec-09-02, 09:03 AM, (4) RE: surface trolley lines in Forest Park, IL?, CGW409, Dec-10-02, 06:18 PM, (5) RE: surface trolley lines in Forest Park, IL?, SHEPLEY1935, Dec-13-02, 10:00 AM, (8) RE: surface trolley lines in Forest Park, IL?, sparkie101, Dec-11-02, 08:04 PM, (6) RE: surface trolley lines in Forest Park, IL?, CGW409, Dec-12-02, 06:12 PM, (7)

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Gatecity
Can't tell you much on Forest Park since my area of focus is the CA&E circa 1958 after most of the lines east of FP had been consolidated into the CTA
I do know that the CA&E and the CTA predecessors as well as the CTA had trackage agrements to allow the CA&E loop access and the CTA access to some branches it had off the CA&E (these becoming CA&E branches after the line was severed in preperation for the Congress expressway
CA&E was third rail the whole way overhead running was only sidings, yards,and running in the dowtown sections of Elgin & Aurora as for the level crossings they used momentum.
If you can find it Sunday River Productions has a tape out called CHicago Aurora & Elgin that has some new footage riding into FP from the CTA side.
As for my route the final panel of track was laid up to the east footing of the New York street bridge in beutiful downtown Aurora two days ago and work has begun to the halfway point of the Batavia branch
I now have to go in and add some terrain tiles as I miscalulated that and have Batavia some where in the great white void.

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I'm gonna send this link to Don Shepley, he's an old fart and he oughtta know for sure. I think the Chicago Surface Lines streetcar tracks along Madison went into Oak Park, but I was born in '53 and my dad switched from streetcars to busses in '56, so I was a wee tot.Forest Park does have one wierd distinction today, with so many cemetaries there are more dead people than live ones in the village of Forest Park. They all make themselves heard on election day!

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LAST EDITED ON Dec-09-02 AT 07:16 AM (EST)

What is this "Old F--T" nonsense ?The last Chicago West Towns Rly. car ran west on Madison Street from Austin Blvd, through Forest Park, to 19th Street in Maywood on February 15, 1947. Forest Park had two street car lines operated by CWT. The other line ran south on Des Planes Ave. from Madison St. to Roosevelt Rd. then east on Roosevelt to Harlem Ave. It was abandoned in 1940. This info was published in Bulletin Number 3 by the Electric Railway Historical Society.

Don Shepley-Chicago

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Whaddya mean "nonsense"? I'm an old fart, and you're considerably older than I am (in years anyway, even tho I got more mileage with 14 grandcritters). How could anyone older than me NOT be an old fart? Anyway, thanks for the straight dope, West Towns completely slipped my mind. Shouldn't have, I worked for M&C Motors Blue/Village Cab back in the 70's, and the West Towns carbarn was right across the tracks, where the Dominicks is now (259 Lake St.). That old M&C garage with the ancient wood trusses is gone now too, they moved up to Shiller Park or someplace. Used to be a few oddities around there, like buildings that looked like trainsheds with the doors bricked up, and when I was a kid there was an EL like structure curving off of the C&NW tracks dead-ending at a building 2nd floor somewhere around Cuyler and North Blvd. Tennis club there now? Hee-hee, too bad you can't defrag your brain like a hard disk, cluttered memories get so hard to sort out.Another thing, you said that curved part of Park Av. at Washington in River Forest was a connection to the Soo Line or something:What's the deal with Circle Ave., Brown, and the way Jackson Blvd curves around and connects to Madison? Were all these former street rail connections, or did they let the same landscape architect who did Riverside loose in Forest Park? Inquiring minds wanna know!

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Sniper
I forget the street name at the moment but it maybe Park Av, on the north side of the street was a SOO switch stand on the south side was a B&O color posistion light signal apparently the middle of the street was the transistion from Soo Line to Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal.
BTW for those interested the CA&E reached Batavia's terminal last night, now ont to Elgin

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LAST EDITED ON Dec-13-02 AT 10:02 AM (EST)

Jim,
I apologize for not responding sooner...had other fish to fry!
Coming off the the "L" (when it was a surface track) was the dummy line going south on Lombard to Randolph turning west at Monkey Island and running west toward the Soo Line, but turned south just before the Soo and went south to the old amusement park. It was abandoned in 1902. The Randolf trackage also ran east into West End Ave. in Chicago
and terminated around Crawford (Pulaski)!There was a ladder track on North Blvd. that allowed cars to move in and out of the carbarn (thru the bricked up doors that you mention).
The Cicero & Proviso Street Railway built the building at Cuyler and North Blvd to house its car station, repair shop and offices in 1910. In 1912 the building was remodled and storage of cars on the second floor was discontinued and the elevator was removed. I am familar with the overhead track off the C&NW into the second floor of the car barn but I am not sure of its operational purpose. Will keep looking for more info!Best Regards...Grumpy

Don Shepley-Chicago

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CGW409,I have seen your mention of creating the CA&E on various posts and note that you mentioned you have track from Forest Park to Aurora and part way to Batavia. I have also been doing some work on the Roaring Elgin and have main line track from Laramie Ave. to Aurora, Batavia and Elgin with the Geneva branch also included. I would like to discuss problems, and possibilities if you have time.Sparkie

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Sparkie
Obviously with the Geneva branch you're running the CA&E a bit further back than I am.
I'm setting my CA&E about circa 1958 and am using TSM currently to create some of the uniquely CA&E area landmarks and structures.
If you check the library I've uploaded concrete highway bridges appropriate from 1920's forward, some EOT bumpers, and some mainline switchstands including both styles of CA&E stands.
I'm taking a bit of a break from structures at the moment to work on the route a bit but next on my list is the Villa Park depot, the Ovaltine plant and the Elgin watch plant.
BTW track on the Elgin branch as of last night is just west of Princes Crossing.

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