Chicago and North Western Railway Power House

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Standing right before you is a testament to Chicago’s industrial past. The Chicago and North Western Railway Power House, a majestic Beaux Arts structure, has seen the rise and fall of a powerful railway. Built in 1911, it was designed by Frost & Granger to power the nearby Chicago and North Western Terminal. This terminal, at the time, was a vital hub for passengers, bringing them to Chicago from all over the Midwest. The building with its cream brick, terra cotta trim, and a towering 227-foot smokestack was once a vital cog in this bustling transportation network. It was an icon of the railway, a symbol of progress, a beacon of power. This power house could generate enough energy to power a city of 15,000 people, imagine the enormity of its output back in the 1940s! The power house continued to serve the station until the 1960s, when the railway began to shift away from steam engines and towards more efficient diesel locomotives. The grandeur of the terminal began to fade as well. When the Chicago and North Western Terminal was demolished in 1984, the power house remained. It is now listed as a Chicago Landmark and is one of the last vestiges of the railway’s glory days, a reminder of the time when trains reigned supreme in Chicago.

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