Right here at Clybourn junction stands CY Tower. This tower is more than just bricks and steel. It is a sentinel of Chicago’s intricate rail history.
CY Tower started as a mechanical interlocking tower in 1890. It stood guard over the crossing with the Milwaukee Road Bloomingdale line. Imagine the scene. Steam engines bellowing smoke. The rhythmic clatter of railcars. All orchestrated from this very spot.
The older tower controlled the junction near Clybourn Metra station. It managed the busy intersection of two main lines. Think of the responsibility. Trains heading north and west. The safety of countless passengers resting on the decisions made within those walls.
In 1960, a new chapter began. The original tower made way for a modern brick structure. This upgrade was part of the Northwest Expressway construction. CY Tower took on even greater importance. It now controlled the junction between ex-Chicago & North Western lines.
Union Pacific acquired CY Tower. It became a crucial part of their network. The tower oversaw the junction of the UP Kenosha and Harvard subdivisions. It also managed the crossing with the Soo Kingsbury line. CY Tower even controlled Mayfair interlocking.
Inside CY Tower, workers monitored the complex dance of trains. They communicated with engineers. They ensured the smooth flow of traffic. Imagine the focus required. The knowledge of every track. Every signal. Every train schedule.
Mark Llanuza once shared his experience inside CY Tower in 1993. The view south showed a northbound CNW train. It was preparing to cross the Milwaukee Road. Robert Blackmore recalled the Milwaukee Road’s Bloomingdale Line. It ran west from Tower A-5 along Bloomingdale Avenue. This line connected with CY Tower.
The Milwaukee Road line was sold to the city. It became the Bloomingdale bicycle trail known as the 606. The elevated structure was in disrepair. But its legacy remained intertwined with CY Tower.
In December 2024, an era ended. Union Pacific transitioned control of CY Tower to dispatchers in Omaha. The tower was built in 1961. It controlled the interlocking of the Harvard sub and the Kenosha sub. Also it controlled North Ave yard. It also later controlled Mayfair CNW tower as well.
The Blackhawk Railway Historical Society marked the occasion. They noted the tower’s role in managing the junction of the North and Northwest UP lines. The former Milwaukee Road Bloomingdale also crossed the C&NW here. CY Tower passed into the history books. But its story echoes through the rails. The tower is a reminder of Chicago’s rich railway past.