Railroad Shop Collection

Section crew at work on the track, C. M. St. P. & P. R. R. Bensenville, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Section crew at work on the track, C. M. St. P. & P. R.R. Bensenville, Ill

Cleaning an engine near the roundhouse, C. M. St. P. & P. R. R. Bensenville, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Cleaning an engine near the roundhouse, C. M. St. P. & P. R.R. Bensenville, Ill

C. M. St. P. & P. R. R. general view of part of the yard, Bensenville, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
C. M. St. P. & P. R.R. general view of part of the yard, Bensenville, Ill

Santa Fe R. R. locomotive shops, Topeka, Kansas, 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Santa Fe R.R. locomotive shops, Topeka, Kansas

Working with a small steam drop hammer, blacksmith shop, Santa Fe RR shops, Topeka, Kansas, 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Working with a small steam drop hammer at the blacksmith shop in the Santa Fe R.R. shops, Topeka, Kansas

Car jacked up for repairs on the repair tracks, North Proviso, C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Car jacked up for repairs on the repair tracks, North Proviso, C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad] Chicago, Ill

Workers at the roundhouse of the C & NW RR Proviso Yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Workers at the roundhouse of the C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad] Proviso Yard, Chicago, Ill

Caboose on the caboose track at C & NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Caboose on the caboose track at C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

Worker inspecting a locomotive on a pit in the round... C & NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill
Worker inspecting a locomotive on a pit in the roundhouse at the C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

Frederick Batt, brakeman, on the C & NW RR, at Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Frederick Batt, brakeman, on the C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], at Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

View of a classification yard at C & NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
View of a classification yard at C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

C & NW RR locomotives in the roundhouse at Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad]; locomotives in the roundhouse at Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

Work goes on 24 hours a day at C & NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Work goes on 24 hours a day at C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

C&NWRR towerman R. W. Mayberry of Elmhurst, Ill. at the Proviso yard, Melrose Park, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
C&NWRR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], towerman R.W. Mayberry of Elmhurst, Ill. at the Proviso yard. He operates a set of retarders and switches at the hump, Melrose Park (near Chicago)

C & NW RR railroad worker cultivating the small Victory garden, Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], railroad worker cultivating the small Victory garden in the Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

C & NW RR, a general view of a classification yard at Proviso Yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], a general view of a classification yard at Proviso Yard, Chicago, Ill

View in a departure yard at C & NW RRs Proviso (?) yard at twilight, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
View in a departure yard at C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso (?) yard at twilight, Chicago, Ill

C & NW RR putting the finishing touches on a rebuilt caboose... Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], putting the finishing touches on a rebuilt caboose at the rip tracks at Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

Truck trailers line up at a freight house to load and unload goods... C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill. 1942
Truck trailers line up at a freight house to load and unload goods from the Chicago and Northwestern [i.e. North Western] railroad, Chicago, Ill

C & NW RR railroad workers cultivating a little Victory garden at Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1943
C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], railroad workers cultivating a little Victory garden at Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

Truck trailers loading and unloading at C & NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Truck trailers loading and unloading at C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

A worker in the roundhouse at the C & NW RR. Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
A worker in the roundhouse at the C & NW RR. Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

A.S. Gerdee, of 3251 Maypole(?) Street, working as a switchman... Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
A.S. Gerdee, of 3251 Maypole(?) Street, working as a switchman at Proviso yard of C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], Chicago, Ill

A train pulling out of the freight house at C & NW RRs Proviso(?) yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
A train pulling out of the freight house at C & NW RRs Proviso(?) yard, Chicago, Ill

A welder who works in the round-house at the Chicago and Northwestern Railroads Proviso yard, 1942
A welder who works in the round-house at the Chicago and Northwestern Railroads Proviso yard

Train going over the hump at C & NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Train going over the hump at C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

Tracks at Proviso yard of C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Tracks at Proviso yard of C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], Chicago, Ill

A train being pushed over the hump at the Proviso yard, C & NW RR. Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
A train being pushed over the hump at the Proviso yard, C & NW RR. Chicago, Ill

Tracks leading into the freight house at Proviso yard, C&NWRR, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Tracks leading into the freight house at Proviso yard. This is said to be the largest covered freight house in the world. C&NWRR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], Chicago, Ill

Tracks at C & NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Tracks at C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

The yardmasters office at the receiving yard, North Proviso(?), C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
The yardmasters office at the receiving yard, North Proviso(?), C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill

Switchman throwing a switch a C and NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Switchman throwing a switch a C and NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

Sam Cell, working on the truck of a car... C & NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Sam Cell, working on the truck of a car at the rip tracks of C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

Switch lists coming in by teletype to the hump office at a C& NW RR yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Switch lists coming in by teletype to the hump office at a Chicago and Northwestern [i.e. North Western] railroad yard, Chicago, Ill

Hump master in a Chicago and North Western railroad yard operating a signal... Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Hump master in a Chicago and Northwestern [i.e. North Western] railroad yard operating a signal switch system which extends the length of the hump track

General view of part of the rip tracks at C & NW RRs Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
General view of part of the rip tracks at C & NW RRs [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad s] Proviso yard, Chicago, Ill

Repair tracks of the Chicago and North Western R. R. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Repair tracks of the Chicago and Northwestern [i.e. North Western] R.R

Painting a car at the repair or "rip"tracks at North Proviso(?), C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill. 1942
Painting a car at the repair or " rip" tracks at North Proviso(?), C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], Chicago, Ill

Freight cars being maneuvered in a Chicago and North Western railroad yard, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Freight cars being maneuvered in a Chicago and Northwestern [i.e. North Western] railroad yard, Chicago, Ill

Mike Evans, a welder, at the rip tracks at Proviso yard of the C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Mike Evans, a welder, at the rip tracks at Proviso yard of the C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], Chicago, Ill

Melrose Park (near Chicago), Ill, C & NW RR, 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Melrose Park (near Chicago), Ill.; C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad]; Roy Nelin, a box packer in the roundhouse at the Proviso yard

Melrose Park (near Chicago), Ill, C&NWRR, 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Melrose Park (near Chicago), Ill, C&NWRR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad]. William London has been a railroad worker 25 years - now working at the roundhouse at the Proviso yards

Looking toward the Chicago and North Western railroad classification yard. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
Looking toward the Chicago and Northwestern [i.e. North Western] railroad classification yard. The trestle runs from the ice house to the yard

Joseph Klesken washing up after a days work... Proviso yards of the C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Joseph Klesken washing up after a days work at the rip tracks at Proviso yards of the C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], Chicago, Ill

John Sabados washing up after a days work... Proviso yard of C & NW RR, Chicago, Ill. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
John Sabados washing up after a days work at the rip tracks at Proviso yard of C & NW RR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad], Chicago, Ill

John L. Walter, conductor at Proviso yard of the C&NWRR, Chicago, Ill. 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
John L. Walter, conductor at Proviso yard of the C&NWRR [i.e. Chicago and North Western railroad]. Mr. Walter has been employed on the railroad for 45 years, 32 of them as conductor

General view of the hump, Chicago and North Western railroad classification yard, Chicago, 1942. Creator: Jack Delano
General view of the hump, Chicago and Northwestern [i.e. North Western] railroad classification yard, Chicago, Ill

General view of part of the Proviso yard of the Chicago and North Western railroad, Chicago, 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
General view of part of the Proviso yard of the Chicago and Northwestern [i.e. North Western] railroad, Chicago, Ill. In the background is the coal chute and roundhouse

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"Capturing the Essence of Railroad Shops: A Glimpse into the Past" Step back in time to 1940s America, where the heart and soul of the railroad industry thrived. Through the lens of photographer Jack Delano, we are transported to various railroad shops across Illinois and Kansas, witnessing the dedicated workers who kept these iron giants running smoothly. In Bensenville, Illinois, a section crew diligently works on the tracks of C. M. St. P. & P. R. R. , their hands covered in dirt and sweat as they ensure safe passage for trains roaring through this small town. Nearby, an engine is being meticulously cleaned near the roundhouse - a testament to both pride and practicality. Moving westward to Topeka, Kansas, Santa Fe R. R. 's locomotive shops come alive with activity. Here we witness blacksmiths working with a small steam drop hammer in their shop - sparks flying as they skillfully mold metal into shape. Back in Chicago's North Proviso yard under C & NW RR's watchful eye, repairs are underway on a jacked-up car while workers bustle about at the roundhouse nearby - their expertise ensuring that every locomotive remains in top condition for its next journey. The caboose track reveals another side of railroading life; cabooses stand proudly as silent witnesses to countless miles traveled across vast landscapes - each one holding stories untold from brakemen like Frederick Batt who tirelessly worked aboard them. A view of the classification yard showcases organized chaos; train cars neatly lined up awaiting their next assignment amidst bustling activity that never seems to cease. Finally, inside Proviso yard's roundhouse lies an awe-inspiring sight - C & NW RR locomotives standing tall like guardians ready for duty at any given moment. Through Delano's lens emerges not just photographs but snippets of history frozen in time – capturing not only machinery but the spirit of those who toiled within these railroad shops.