#364 – Library of Congress Images – Chicago Railway Workshops in Black & White

Chicago, Illinois. Workmen studying blueprints in the Chicago and Northwestern repair shops

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/owi2001010167/PP/

Following on from the last post of the colour photographs of the Chicago and North Westerns workshops, this series are in a more familiar black and white. I say familiar due to the abundance of shed photographs taken in the 50’s and 60’s by British enthusiasts. However, these are different inasmuch as they depict working scenes (although they are probably staged) rather than just recording the engines that were there on that day.

Black and white does suit the environment. I imagine it was heavy, hard, filthy work as steam locomotives are inherently dirty and the dismantling and maintenance of them would be equally, if not more so.

These are just a small selection of the photographs online. The total collection gives almost a well rounded depiction of the railways operations, people and locomotives and is well worth exploring further.

Like the colour ones, these are also the work of Jack Delano, and he has made dramatic use of the light in the building. These are the work of an artist, as opposed to a railway enthusiast, and it shows.