Thursday Proto Photo, Mar 31/22

[Lenny53]

Westbound CN 5447, 9590, 2690 Dorval, QC autumn 2005

[wes_sutton]

Still hanging in there, One Rail Australia still has four of the CLF/CLP class in operational use. CLP17/ALF24 were preparing to run around their loaded grain train at Gladstone, South Australia, on Friday 11 March 2022. The company will be taken over by Queensland based freight operator Aurizon at the end of May who may not be quite so benevolent in keeping them running.

Gladstone shunt by Bingley Hall, on Flickr

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Check it out. Ya boy got two more past the goalie!

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/799442/
https://www.railpictures.net/photo/799440/

[pedro]

From the “here’s something you don’t see every day” department…
This is PRR’s Harrison Street tower at the south end of Chicago Union Station:



That’s the old post office in the background. When the new post office was constructed over the tracks in the foreground of that photo, Amtrak was not ready to cut over the functions of the tower to nearby Lumber street in their coach yard, so the decision was made to build AROUND the tower. The tower remains to this day, 100% intact, from the baggage platform all the way to the tile roof, encased in a concrete tomb within the bowels of the new post office. It remained in operation for a period of time like that, with the operator looking out the windows at walls of concrete. Now it is abandoned, but still accessible to those employees who know where to find it. You can even climb out the windows and walk partway around the perimeter of the exterior. It’s a surreal experience.

Here is a modern photo I took of the model board and controls:

[eja]

All I can say is Wow !

Thanks for sharing your knowledge of this location and a great photo.

eja

[MK]

Amazing!  Any more pictures?  I guess you knew someone to gain access. 

[wcfn100]

They finally fixed the broken track and the local is back up and running.

Jason

[Englewood]

When you say "new" post office, just how long ago are we talking?
I was born in Chicago, but left pretty young. Not much I remember anymore.

[pedro]

When you say "new" post office, just how long ago are we talking?
I was born in Chicago, but left pretty young. Not much I remember anymore.

Construction of the new post office was completed in 1996. Incidentally, the old post office is just wrapping up an extreme makeover for adaptive reuse. Have not seen it in person, but it is quite stunning from the photos I’ve seen of it.

[pedro]

Amazing!  Any more pictures?  I guess you knew someone to gain access. 

Yes, I’ve done some exploring during layovers when I was working Metra for BNSF, including the basement and old office building that surrounds the great hall. Unfortunately everything in the tower except for the operators’ room pictured is as dark as a tomb; I have a few other pics but they’re not that good. The tower was actually included in some official private tours done in the recent past, and was cleaned up and had lighting improvements done for that.