chicagopcclcar Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Another question!! What is the highest structural point on the CTA L? Could it be the Green line crossing of the Dan Ryan or the Orange line Panhandle crossing at Western and Archer or ????? Green line at 59th St. at Dan Rayn expressway. Orange line at Western and Archer Aves. crossing of the Panhandle railroad. (Lloyd Anthony D Peters) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleTransit1 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Nah, it's got to be the structure that's between Damen/Milwaukee and Western/Milwaukee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Nah, it's got to be the structure that's between Damen/Milwaukee and Western/Milwaukee. Milwaukee RR, Bloomingdale, 606 Trail & Park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strictures Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I think it's the Green Line crossing the Belt Ry at Lake/Knox or maybe at Clinton/Lake where it crosses the leads to Northwestern Station. That Cicero/Lake platform is very high as is Clinton/Lake. The South Side Mainline also goes up & over the St. Charles Airline at 16th St., plus it goes pretty high over the abandoned rail line at 40th St., just NW of the Indiana station. Never understood why the CTA rebuilt the line so high there back in 1995 as the rail line was abandoned then. That's a hell of a stair climb up to that platform! Where the Paulina Connector crosses the Ike is very high as is the Ashland branch of the Green Line over the Ryan, but as soon as they're over the alleys, they're back to a normal height. The Swift also goes up & over the abandoned C&NW Mayfair Cutoff at McCormick Rd. The Ravenswood goes up & over the C&NW Milwaukee Div. at Ravenswood Ave. That Paulina station is also a real climb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 You've got to pick and choose, LOL. I'll help. Green Line crossing the Belt Ry at Lake/Knox ....good one! CTA raised it before. St. Charles Airline at 16th St.,,,,, nah....RR has run into the bridge before. 40th St., just NW of the Indiana.... matches the runoff tracks. Ike is very high as is the Ashland branch.... they matched the old Douglas PL and Logan SQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Looks like Western and Archer, but I would have to wonder about the old Douglas incline after Racine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garmon757 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Looks like Western and Archer, but I would have to wonder about the old Douglas incline after Racine.Oh man, that's a tough call on that one but a good one though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 A little help. Comparision between the Ike at Paulina and the Ryan at 59th, originally the "L" at Paulina was all regular height. It was called Marshfield JCT and the three branches met for their four track journey downtown. At 59th, we've assume the expressway depth is the same. The "L" however is extra height coming off the crossing of Metra to the east. The "L" is higher at 59th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleTransit1 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I completely forgot about the Congress/Racine incline. Do work car trains use it? EDIT: What about the 18th Street incline that Orange Line trains use? That HAS to be considered one of the tallest structures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Do work car trains use it? Yes, that is the only connection between the Blue line and Skokie shops the rest to the system. George Krambles was noted by saying, never loose your system connections. Just a little help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleTransit1 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Alright, but this argument wouldn't be complete without the 40th St. curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Originally this was a 90 ft curve, just like the Loop curves downtown. The railroad was on the surface. The railroad connected the Illinois Central on the lakeshore with the stockyards. The railroad had to raise its tracks on an embankment. The "L" had to raise tracks to clear. The "L" also three tracked here and doubled the curve to 200 ft. The railroad paid for two "L" branches, the Kenwood and the Stockyards and rented them to the "L". Today the railroad is gone and so are the two "L" branches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strictures Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Originally this was a 90 ft curve, just like the Loop curves downtown. The railroad was on the surface. The railroad connected the Illinois Central on the lakeshore with the stockyards. The railroad had to raise its tracks on an embankment. The "L" had to raise tracks to clear. The "L" also three tracked here and doubled the curve to 200 ft. The railroad paid for two "L" branches, the Kenwood and the Stockyards and rented them to the "L". Today the railroad is gone and so are the two "L" branches. I never understood why the CTA didn't ease that S turn at 40th when they rebuilt the L in 1995. There was plenty of open land there at the time. Now the new fire station is in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I never understood why the CTA didn't ease that S turn at 40th when they rebuilt the L in 1995. There was plenty of open land there at the time. Now the new fire station is in the way. There has to be a value inorder for a project to move forward. I already explained that the South Side "L" already eased the 40th curves. That was the first ever for the "L" system. In the 20s, the north route eased the reverse curves at Hubbard St. next to the Mart. We could mention the initial State St. subway since it did eliminate 16 curves with only five. Reduction of the curves at North and Halsted has been an unmet goal since the beginning of the CTA since 1947. The City and the CTA did replace the Harrison curves. Time will tell if the Clark JCT gets done or not. The final curve will have to be the straighting at Sheridan to allow for ten car trains. North and Halsted curves. Harrison curves. Hubbard reverse curves. Sheridan Curves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 So that's the answer 59th/Dan Ryan crossing? The reason I said Archer/Western before was that it crosses freight, the clearances would have to be higher due to high freight cars like car transporters, but to me the newer steel on the Orange line seem twice as tall maybe due to the current age and every one more concerned with safety than in the early 1900's. That seems to me to be it's trumping card, but then that would make the 18th street crossover number 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 10-4 about 59th. 10-4 about Archer/ Western, but more for the beam width. The width gives strength for the bridge. The 18th St., remember the Rock Island is not so high. Its an older railroad and the Airline crossing gets in the way. Notice the Orange over the Southside main is just a through girder bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 How high is the Yellow line crossing McCormick? That is up there with the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Orange line at Western and Archer Aves. crossing of the Panhandle railroad. (Lloyd Anthony D Peters) Wow. You know you're high over the ground when the steel beams supporting your train are taller than the train bodies themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted July 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 How high is the Yellow line crossing McCormick? That is up there with the rest. I looked at Google. Yellow is not that high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 How high is the Yellow line crossing McCormick? That is up there with the rest. back in the day that used to cross a now abandoned freight line right there at McCormick, don't know though if the train was at grade, it should have been but it almost looks like McCormick gets lower there to allow a overhead passing of the long gone freight line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusMaster Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I Say Its A Tie Breaker Between The Green Line Over The Dan Ryan At 59th&Dan Ryan Or The Pink Line At Paulina& Eisenhower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusMaster Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 A little help. Comparision between the Ike at Paulina and the Ryan at 59th, originally the "L" at Paulina was all regular height. It was called Marshfield JCT and the three branches met for their four track journey downtown. At 59th, we've assume the expressway depth is the same. The "L" however is extra height coming off the crossing of Metra to the east. The "L" is higher at 59th. Well According To The Last Two Pics Green At 59th& Ryan I Higher Then Pauling&Ike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerailfan2015 Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I can't decide between the Green Line at 59th and Dan Ryan, or the Orange Line at Western and Archer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joerailfan2015 Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 I can't decide between the Green Line at 59th and Dan Ryan, or the Orange Line at Western and Archer. Nevermind, I think the Green Line at 59th and Dan Ryan is the highest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strictures Posted July 21, 2014 Report Share Posted July 21, 2014 It's not the highest, but I've been on the Orange Line where it turns at 54th & Knox to go south into the Midway station & we were higher than a plane landing just a few hundred feet away. Now that's cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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