This from a reader:
Hello
My name is Odd Jakob Haaland from Norway . I hope you can help me identifying a fire station 🙂 . My father was in Usa from 1952 to 1956 , I have a super 8 movie clip from 1952 , but I’m not sure where the movie was recorded but i know he was in Chicago and other places , My father is passed away so i cant ask him . I use Google street view and i found a similar fire station with railroad track behind the building The attached screenshot can it be from Chicago Fire Dept Eng 69 ? There is also a picture of a trolley buss ? The sign on the buss says Irving Park ? Can anyone confirm that the pictures are from the Irving park – Chicago area and Fire Dept Eng 69 ?Thank you in advanceBest regards Odd Jakob haaland
#1 by Bill Post on February 21, 2020 - 1:42 AM
Jakob thanks for sharing those photos of Engine 69s house. They are really interesting from both a Chicago Fire Department perspective and a Chicago transportation perspective. That old single level railroad passenger coach in the 3rd photograph was probably retired in the very early 1960’s. The former Chicago and Northwestern railroad which operated that coach and the railroad line behind the fire station hasn’t been using single level commuter coaches on that line for at least 60 years. When that photo was taken they were about to replace those with bi-level commuter coaches that were yellow and green. That is the way most people familiar with that rail line remember the commuter train service.
From the Chicago FD perspective, Engine 69’s house was about to become the headquarters of the new 30th Battalion which was put in service on January 16th 1953. They were moved out of that house during August of 1965. The photo is really dated because the first time I was in Engine 69’s house was in 1963 about 10 years after your photo. Thanks for sending it. Is is possible for you to download the video also?
#2 by Chris on February 20, 2020 - 5:53 PM
” The train running behind it is the Union Pacific Northwest line (not sure what it was called in the 1950s) ”
Chicago & Northwestern’s Northwest line up until the 1990’s – is now Metra’s UP Northwest Line – same service, different naming
#3 by Danny on February 19, 2020 - 11:48 PM
I’d love to see the clip from back then.
#4 by Odd Jakob Haaland on February 18, 2020 - 11:22 PM
Hi
Thank you so much for helping me out here 🙂 You made my day 🙂 My father arrived te us in 1952 and now i know for certain he was in Chicago/Irving park erea, I know he also was in Brooklyn-Boston- New Bedford/Fairhaven (Fishing Scallop out of New Bedford. )
Thank`s again and have a nice day 🙂
Best Regards Odd Jakob
#5 by Joe on February 18, 2020 - 2:09 PM
It looks like you nailed it, that is engine 69’s quarters at 4017 N Tripp Ave in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood. That trolley bus is now the #80 Irving Park bus (no longer a trolley.) That house is one of the few remaining single engine/single company houses left in Chicago. The train running behind it is the Union Pacific Northwest line (not sure what it was called in the 1950s) that runs from Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago to Harvard, a far flung suburb of Chicago. Looks like a great video that your father shot!
#6 by MP on February 18, 2020 - 2:03 PM
Yes, the building is indeed Engine 69’s quarters. It’s located at 4057 N Tripp Avenue at Irving Park Road in Chicago.