Jack Delano visited the Chicago and North Western railroad’s locomotive backshop in December of 1942. Shown here are a couple workers doing inspection and repairs to a steam locomotive. Opening the smokebox was an important part of the inspection, as it enabled the mechanic to see the tube ends for the boiler, as well as the exhaust components for the steam cylinders. The worker on the left appears to be an electrician performing some work on a class light.
Steam locomotives have a voracious appetite, and they visit the servicing facilities quite often. Here we see a line of the beasts as they replenish their supply of water, sand and coal. This is the Chicago and North Western’s coaling stage in the Proviso yard located in Chicago, Illinois. Photographer Jack Delano captured this image in December of 1942.
It’s a cold January day in 1943, and a crewman is hanging the marker lamps on his caboose in preparation for their run. The location is likely the Chicago and North Western’s Proviso yard in Chicago. Photo by Jack Delano
Back to our series of images by photographer Jack Delano: we’re in Chicago, Illinois and it’s November of 1942. Mr. Delano captured this view of a C&NW engineer about to ease out on the throttle of his fire-belching steed.
It’s a frigid winter day in December of 1942 at the C&NW’s Proviso Yard in Chicago. Jack Delano spied these engine-men attempting to thaw the air pumps on their steamer. Burning a bit of cotton waste against them hopefully will do the trick.
One of those new newfangled diesels meets a steam locomotive at the Chicago Union Station. The time is January of 1943, and that modernistic train is the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy’s Denver Zephyr. This train ran between Chicago and Denver, with service commencing in 1936, and running until 1973. The route was 1,034 miles and the train generally covered the distance in 16 ~ 16-1/2 hours.
Photo by Jack Delano
Jack Delano has recorded a worker putting the finishing touches on a rebuilt C&NW caboose down at the rip tracks. The location is the Proviso yard in Chicago, Illinois, and the time is likely early 1943. Number 12432 has probably never looked better, and I’m sure it’s conductor is ready to move back in!
Jack Delano has ventured down to the locomotive servicing facilities to see what goes on there. And here we see Viola Sievers washing down the running gear of C&NW steamer #3034 at the end of its run. Washing the locomotives was not only for the pride of the fleet, but also so that the machine could be properly inspected for problems and defect.
With the war going, the manpower shortage created thousands of jobs for the women, and they stepped up to even the toughest and dirtiest jobs that had to be done.
The year is 1943 and we’re on the Indiana Harbor Belt line. Switchman Daniel Senise is seen waiting for the movement after lining a switch while at work in an IHB railroad yard. Jack Delano photograph.
It’s 1942 and photographer Jack Delano secured this shot of an 0-6-0 switching locomotive taking a spin on the turntable in the Illinois Central’s yard in Chicago, Illinois.
The year is 1942, and the location is Chicago, Illinois. Jack Delano has captured this Illinois Central steamer as she visits the coal chute.
Some of my favorite rail images came from a gentleman named Jack Delano. While not specifically a rail photographer, he left his mark back in the early 1040s with a series of photographs he captured while employed by U.S. government’s Office of War Information, Farm Security Administration as part of their photography program. Two of the railroads he covered extensively were the Chicago and Northwestern, and the Illinois Central.
One of the things I really like about his photography is the way he captures the human element into many of his compositions. In this image, we can study the unique interior of this freight crew’s C&NW caboose as they are making the run between Chicago and Clinton, Iowa.
