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.
Back in the summer of 1973 I attended the NMRA national convention in Atlanta, Georgia, aptly named Peachtree ’73. It was a fine convention, and in addition to the usual fare, the convention hosted a double-headed steam excursion.
But there was another steam-up that caught my attention as well. And here it is: a working replica of the Best Friend of Charleston locomotive, along with several coaches. It was interesting to see it ramble down the street.
The original locomotive, built in 1830, was said to be the first U.S. built locomotive for actual railroad service. Unfortunately it suffered a boiler explosion six months after being placed in service.
This replica is one of two that exist.
-Jack
Continuing our coverage of the 745’s shake down run, we pan around as the train sashays by on this balmy February morning at a leisurely 10 mph. And we’re rewarded with a nice open end observation car following up the rear of the train. Note the kerosene marker lamps resplendently displayed in the traditional fashion.
It’s February of 2007, and the Southern Pacific #745 is passing through City Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She has just embarked on the return leg of her shake down run following fairly extensive repairs. She is headed for New Orleans, her home terminal.
The locomotive had been restored some years earlier by the Louisiana Steam Train Association in New Orleans. The 745 is a class Mk-5 Mikado (2-8-2), and was built in the Espee’s shop in Algiers, La. back in 1921. She operated on the Texas and New Orleans subsidiary of the Southern Pacific.
In early September of 1970 I visited the Reader Railroad up in Reader, Arkansas. Even though it was a weekday, the railroad was shut down for the day. I was able to peruse the railroad’s shop facility though, located maybe a quarter mile from the depot. Here is a photo taken with my trusty Polaroid camera of their #108.
This locomotive was a product of the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1920, and she had an extensive list of owners over the years. The little Prairie first worked for the San Augustine County Lumber Company in east Texas, then later for the Angelina and Neches River Railroad. In 1954 she was purchased by the Reader, where she was in service until 1976. From there she went to the Conway Scenic Railroad, but after just a couple of years, was sold to the Blacklands Railroad. She was moved back to Texas, and was supposed to be overhauled to continue operation. The last I heard, she was sold yet again to a corporation, but was still stored in a somewhat disassembled state on the Blacklands Railroad. If any of you folks have any news of it’s present situation, please post a comment about it.
