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Re: (erielack) More C&IW information
This was posted to the Railfan.net forum today, it was mostly all new info for
me and I think quite interesting!
http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?board=concourse;action=display;num=1128306527;start=11#11
>>>>
Poster: RARITAN_CLOCKER
Reply #11 on: Today at 2:39am
Re: Rails 'n Sails (waterfront rails)
Though Chicago did not seem a likely place for any sort of railroad carfloat
operation, the Erie maintained a tug/carfloat operation on South and North
branches of the Chicago River. The Erie was motivated by a desire to establish
freight terminals on the north side of Chicago so that the teams might be kept
out of the Loop, which, then as now, was highly congested. In 1913, the Erie
built a slip and loading apron at its 18th St freight yard on the South Branch
of the Chicago River. On the North Branch, it established a freight house
(consisting of serveral discarded car bodies, minus trucks) at Erie and
Kingsbury Streets, about three miles from the 18th St yards. Two tugboats were
built, the FREDERICK U. ROBBINS and the ALICE STAFFORD. Also, two small
carfloats were built (each with only eight-car capacities), #'s 1913 and 1914.
Both were equipped with center platforms for loading and unloading aboard, and
there was originally no plans to take the cars off Erie St. A tug took the
float north in the morning, and returned it in the afternoon. The tugs also
handled Erie Railroad package freighters in Chicago harbor. Later on, the Erie
established another yard, two miles north at Webster Avenue. These marine
operations gave the Erie a competitive advantage over the other Eastern roads
at Chicago. In 1916, the Erie built aprons and slips at both Erie St. and
Webster Ave., and installed yards for handling the cars ashore. Erie St. had
room for ten cars on house tracks and twenty-three on team tracks. Webster
Ave. was larger, having capacity for fourteen cars on house tracks and
thirty-six on team tracks. Both yards had overhead cranes, and both handled CL
and LCL freight alike. Switching at both yards was handled by three
four-wheeled Baldwin gasoline engines, numbered 10, 11, and 12. One was used
at each yard, with the third held in reserve. Each weighed 23 tons, and were
rated at 125 horsepower, and mustered 10,000 pounds of drawbar pull. In 1915,
the tug FREDERICK U. ROBBINS was renamed WAUWATOSA, and, in 1918, C.S.
GOLDSBOROUGH. The U.R.S.A. discontinued the car float operations, but the Erie
revived it after the war. In 1924, the Erie extended service to the North Pier
Terminal on Ogden slip near the mouth of the Chicago River. Two new barges
were added to the fleet. Cars were never taken off the carfloats in the new
service. Things were pretty successful until the Great Depression hit. The
Erie was particularly hard hit, and, around 1936, the carfloat operations were
discontinued. The tug ALICE STRAFFORD had gone to New York harbor in 1918 and
had not returned. Now, the FREDERICK U. ROBBINS, which had been renamed
CHICAGO in 1928, followed her east. The ALICE STAFFORD, renamed MARION In
1928, was abandoned in 1935, but CHICAGO was dieselized in 1950, and remained
active in the E-L fleet into the 1960's.
<<<<
Henry
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