The Railway Age

118 The Railway age February 13, 1901. A TYPICAL SUBURBAN SERVICE. beautiful north shore, and will continue to demand frequent increase of transportation facilities. While the Northwestern is Chicago How the Sc Northwestern Carries the Rural Residents to already paralleled by an electric line to Waukegan and beyond and from Chicago. and also has the competition of another steam line as far as "Wells street station: Do not forget your umbrellas and Evanston, it is sure of a heavy increase in its patronage all parcels." This is the cheerful announcement and admonition along the lake shore, and its management, judging from the that salutes the ears of the 17,000 or more passengers who arrive Improvements which It is continually making, lias no fear about dally at the Chicago terminus of the Chicago & Northwestern competition In that direction. Railway on the trains, more than 125 in number, that bring THE WELLS 8TRRKT TERMINALS. suburban travel over the three divisions from the North, the Looking at the suburban train service of the Northwestern Northwest and the West. And Wells street station is a busy from an operative standpoint, one is at first impressed with spot— none more so in Chicago— as the incoming thousands meet admiration for the skill with which the immense move an equal number of outgoing thousands, and the 259 trains roll ment of trains, through as well as suburban, freight as well In and out on their appointed tracks and times, as if moved as passenger, is handled along the narrow throat of two pairs by gigantic clockwork, through the day and night. One other of rails into which all the tracks entering and passing Wells railway in Chicago, the Illinois Central, carries more suburban street station are compressed by the necessities of the turnbridge passengers, but none handles so many at one terminal station across the north branch of the Chicago River. The accompany as the Chicago & Northwestern. In respect not only to number ing plan of tracks In Wells street station shows the situation. of passengers and number of trains, but also in respect to track- It will be seen that there are eight tracks ending under MAP OP SUBURBAN DISTRICT—CHICAGO <*NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY. age arrangements and limitations, character of equipment and the trainshed, three through tracks continuing under Wells some other features the suburban service of this company is street viaduct and about a dozen freight switch tracks and sid remarkable, and will be found worthy of special study. ings, all of which concentrate upon the two-track bridge which THE REGION SERVED. Is almost incessantly opening and closing for vessels during The suburban district served by the three distinct lines the season of navigation. Just across the river the two tracks of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway may be considered are intersected at grade by the tracks of the Evanston branch to extend north, on the Milwaukee division, to Waukegan, 3(! of the Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul, which in turn crosses miles: northwesterly on the Wisconsin division, to Barrington, the river on a bridge just beyond the Kinzie street wagon bridge 32 miles, and west, on the Galena division and its branches to shown in the drawing, and is equally liable to be blocked by Geneva, 35% miles; Elgin, 42% miles, and Aurora. 45 miles. passing vessels, thus adding its trains to the dangers to be The great bulk of the travel, however, is obtained within a avoided by the Northwestern's dispatchers. Add to this two limit of about 12 miles, and much the largest share of this is street crossings at grade, crowded with teaming traffic, just carried by the Milwaukee division. For the first six miles or beyond the St. Paul's crossing, a few feet farther on the junc so from Wells street station the lines run through thickly peo tion of the Galena and Wisconsin division tracks, and imme pled parts of the city, well supplied with communication by diately adjacent the yards between which and Wells street trains cable and electric cars, so that the great majority of the regular are constantly being moved in making up or distributing, and commuters live along a stretch of only half a dozen miles, com it can be imagined that the trainmaster and signal men have mencing about C miles out on each division. On the Milwaukee a tremendous task to keep engines and cars from frequent division, however, although Evanston, 12 miles out, is at present and destructive meetings. When it is remembered that in the largest contributor to this suburban travel, there are a score of busiest hours of the morning and evening trains must get in stations beyond which supply large numbers of commuters, and or out of the station at the rate of one in every 30 seconds the movement of population Is strong and inevitable along the the intricacy of the dispatchers' work can lie imng'ned, though February 16, 1901. The Railway Age il19 not understood. Here is the week-day schedule of regular trains 000 people in and out of the great trainshed and the "annex" leaving and arriving at Wells street station in the two busiest sheds into which the traffic during certain hours has overflowed. hours of the morning and evening, respectively. The fnct that, in spite of the innumerable and uncontrollable DEPARTURES FROM 7 TO 9 A. M. ARRIVALS FROM 7 TO 9 A. M. impediments which are liable to develop from the physical con Time. Time. ditions referred to, the timetable service is so closely maintained Naine of Train— A. M. Name of Train— A. M. Milwaukee 7:00 Duluth Limited 7:00 is notable evidence of the high degree of skill and efficiency to Desplaines 7:01 Gleneoe 7:00 which the operative force the Northwestern has been brought Evanston 7:05 West Chicago 7:13 of Freeport and Williams Bay.. 7:05 Kvanston 7:15 Melrose Park 7:15 Wankegan 7:20 Des Moines 7:25 Desplaines 7:25 Evanston 7:25 Summerdale 7:28 .Central51Evanston Harrington 7:30 Ishpeming 7:80 Kvanston 7:35 Main Street 7:30 Maywood 7:43 Kvanston 7:35 Empty Coaches 7:50 Maywood 7:38 EvonBton 7:55 Winnetka 7:40 Evanston£ration Kliuhurst 8:06 Atlantic Express 7:42 Fond 'In Lac 8:10 Kvanston 7:43 DempsterSt sta Kenosha 8:33 Waukegan 7.45 Kvanston 8:30 Klgin 7:45 MomSt EvanstonSta Green Bay 9:00 Barrlngton 7:46 Minnesota and St. Paul 9:00 Summerdalc 7:47 Calvarysta Evanston 7:50 Number ot trains is Aurora ' 7:54 Main Street 7:55 DEPARTURRF FROM 4:1">TO 6:15F M Waukegan 8:00 Roge^Partista Time, Winnetka 8:05 Name of Train— P. M. Harrington 8:10 Sterling and Lake Geneva .... 4:15 Kvanston _ 8:10 Kenosha 4:15 Waukegan 8:15 Heloit and Janesville 4:25 Maywood 8:16 Maywood 4:26 Evanston 8:20 Gleneoe 4:30 Kenosha 8:30 Desplaines 4:30 Melrose Park 8:32 Evanston 4:35 Evanston 8:33 Freeport 4:46 Sioux City and Dakota Ex.... 8:34 Waukegan 4:45 Crystal Lake (Galena Dlv.).... 8:37 Kliuhurst 4:48 Evanston 8:39 Gleneoe 4:50 Crystal Lake 8:40 Ashland .„ 5:00 Waukegan 8:45 Winnetka 5:02 Aurora 8:50 Wntertown 6:05 Gleneoe 8:52 Aurora 6:05 Evanston 8:55 Lake Eorest 5:10 Maywood „ 9:00 Kvanston 6:12 Evanston 9:00 Crvstal Lake 5:14 I :iinInn-si 5:17 Number of trains 41 Evanston 5:17 1:15 TO ():!">P M Gleneoe 6:20 ARRIVALS FROM Waukegan 5:28 mo, Kvanston 6:29 Name of Train— . M. Omaha 5:30 Waukegan 4:15 Desplaines 6:30 Gleneoe 4:35 Aurora 5:36 Desplaines 4:43 Winnetka 5:38 West Chicago 4:43 Rogers Park 6:40 Evanston 6:40 Evanston and Junction Ry 6:42 Lake Forest 5:46 Waukegan 6:45 Freeport and Williams Bay 5:50 Maywood 5:47 Evanston 6:60 Main Street 5:50 Minnesota CMC. Desplaines 5:50 Green Bay 6:10 Evanston 6:56 Elmhurst 6:10 Waukegan 6:69 Empty Conches 6:15 CHICAGO A NORTHWESTERN SUBURBAN TRACKAGE ARRANGEMENT. Barrlngton 6:01 Elgin and Aurora 6:04 Number of trains 12 Main Street 6:05 tinder the present management. The commuter is apt to be Evanston 6:10 Desplaines 6:12 also a "kicker" on slight provocation, but lie finds little occasion Maywood 6:12 to kick in regard to the comfort or punctuality of the Lake Forest 6:15 North- Evanston 6:15 western's suburban service. Occasionally he may think to fume Number of trains 43 when an incoming train is stopped by a turned bridge or when The tables show 18 departures and 41 arrivals, or 5!) trnin an outgoing train is passing a crossover, but If he understood i\w ww y* KINZIE * OfficeBids J ; CJ 1easgoge Room U9 PLAN OF TRACK AT WELLS STREET STATION. movements In the two hours between 7 and 9 a. m., and 4:t the situation he would the rather wonder and be thankful that departures and 12 arrivals, or a total of 55 movements in the detentions on these crowded tracks are so few and slight. two hours between 4:15 and 6:15 ]>.m. TRACKAGE ARRANGEMENT. The suburban Irains alone number about 1*J5. carrying &">,• Once across the river the trains on the Wisconsin division 120 The Railway age February 15. 1801. have a straight run to the west over a double track stretch.

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