Elvas Tower: Then and now - Elvas Tower

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#1 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 17 October 2013 - 04:01 PM

Just a couple of screenshots I took while examining my progress... for a laugh I also took a couple of shots in Google Street View that approximate the same location and angle.

At Kingsbury and Chicago Ave, trying to look like 1950... Montgomery Wards on the left, viewing NNW:

Attached Image: Clipboard0069.jpg

and today
Attached Image: Clipboard0069-today.jpg



A few steps to the south, looking towards SSE towards the Loop:
Attached Image: Clipboard0068.jpg

and today:
Attached Image: Clipboard0068-today.jpg


Soooo much change.


and this one too:
taken in 1944 from the North American Cold Storage building at Kinzie and Canal St., looking north.

and my accomplishments so far in trying to replicate it (click on image to enlarge it for a fair comparison to the photo):
Attached Image: Clipboard0067.jpg

Plenty to do but it is moving in the right direction.

#2 User is offline   timmuir 

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Posted 21 December 2021 - 09:19 PM

Hey Dave,

I don't know if this is of any use to you, but I stumbled upon this article and engineering drawings of a bridge over the Chicago River that rotates out of the way of water traffic. "The Engineer", May 18th, 1900.

Attached Image: sim_engineer_january-5-june-29-1900_89_0555.jpg

Attached Image: sim_engineer_january-5-june-29-1900_89_0557.jpg

#3 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 21 December 2021 - 10:32 PM

Thanks Tim!

This is the Z-6 bridge that carries the Bloomingdale line between the Galewood and Division St Yards (basically two industrial service yards). I've modeled the Division St Yard on Goose Island and have truncated the Bloomingdale line a mile or so west of the river. Which means I have to model this bridge. Your document shows me some things I need to know.

The bridge is still in place but is not in use. The location, looking SE:
Attached Image: Z5.jpg

Hard not to notice the background.

#4 User is offline   timmuir 

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Posted 22 December 2021 - 11:52 AM

Ah, good! I was hopeful it would be useful to you!

#5 User is offline   timmuir 

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Posted 22 December 2021 - 08:06 PM

Is Halsted Street within your modeling radius, Dave? I have yet another article on the street's lift bridge over the Chicago River with drawings.

#6 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 23 December 2021 - 11:15 AM

Yes, that bridge is about in the middle of everything.

#7 User is offline   timmuir 

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Posted 23 December 2021 - 11:27 AM

Well, then, here are the pages devoted to that one. Is this bridge still there?

Attached Image: sim_engineer_july-3-december-25-1896_82_0229.jpg

Attached Image: sim_engineer_july-3-december-25-1896_82_0236.jpg

Attached Image: sim_engineer_july-3-december-25-1896_82_0237.jpg

#8 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 23 December 2021 - 11:36 AM

Ahhh... this is South Halstead. Huge amount of railroad activity on the south side of Chicago. I'm working the north side in the hope that eventually something can be (approximately) finished.

Neat bridge. No longer there... been replaced by a draw bridge, same style as most of the bridges on the river so I'd guess it replaced the lift bridge more than 70 years ago. FWIW a few hundred feet south of the bridge Halstead crosses the ATSF mainline into Chicago.

#9 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 23 December 2021 - 11:49 AM

Yeah, the lift bridge was replaced in 1934. Hereis an article about both.

#10 User is offline   Genma Saotome 

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Posted 23 December 2021 - 12:19 PM

Chicago is sometimes called the City of Bridges. I suppose it's a fair statement. Hereis a bridge I need to build... immediately to the right of the photographer is the south branch of the Chicago river and on it's far side is The Loop (downtown). The angled bridge is owned by the MILW that rotates to open clearance for ships going north; the building to it's right is one of their freight houses (already modeled).

The bridge in the lower right corner is an old center swing bridge that was once very common in Chicago. It was replaced by a drawbridge that carried a long CNW industrial lead along the river over to the Lake. The western half looks like this:
Attached Image: CNW Northside lead.jpg

All of the track on the left half are for the Merchandise Mart -- a showroom with rented space for any company -- cars to washing machines. The draw was buyers for any retail firm could see multiple product lines, often from competing manufacturers, all on one business trip. All the merchandise was delivered by rail and spotted under the building. The center area was cold storage, lot lots of reefers there, the right end was a switching yard for servicing everything off to the right. The north 2/3rds of this route are about the same.

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