A View of a Bridge by CoreyBlack
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Description
After I'd moved down to the south side last summer, I would frequently commute back up north on the Howard/Red Line train. Every time the train would stop at the Cermak/Chinatown station, my eye would be drawn to these strange, industrial-looking towers on the horizon. At first the structures were a blip on my consciousness; over time, I became so fascinated by them that I had to find out what they were.
When Chip and I visited Chinatown, he confided in me that he didn't know what bridge (or grain elevators) they belonged to, but he'd been fascinated by them since 1987. We decided a little detective work was in order.
We eventually walked at least a mile from the heart of Chinatown, along a rambling course (through parks and housing developments and train tracks) towards the ever looming towers. We were drawn along like Richard Dreyfus' character in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, only without Terri Garr as a sidekick.
When the last obstacle fell away, we discovered that we were looking at an ancient railroad bridge straddling the south branch of the Chicago River. Chipka posted a closer shot than this one in his gallery.
Further detective work revealed the structure to be called The Canal Street Railroad Bridge, and Chip found an even older name for it. The Pensylvania Railway Vertical Lift Brige. It was built in 1915, and is one of three vertical lift bridges in the Chicago area. It's the only one ON the Chicago river. Of course, when I made this picture off the train on September 13, 2009, I didn't know any of that. I just thought those towers looked cool, sticking up there against the sunset.
Comments (10)
beachzz
And now you know---what a great story. I love quests like these--seeing something in the distance and finding out exactly what they are!! What's really cool about this shot besides the obvious towers are the reflections in the windows of the bus. Just makes it kinda quirky and even more interesting!!
auntietk
I love this shot, experiencing those towers the way you first saw them, off in the distance. The sunset is amazing, and I love the reflections. This just works on so many levels ... excellent iamge!
Chipka
I have seen this so many times...not this picture so much as the scene...those towers in the distance, as silhouettes against a jarring sunset, all filtered through reflections in the window I looked through. I can almost hear the announcements on the train: "Next stop...Roosevelt...Doors open on the left, in the direction of travel..." Well...you get the point. Great, moody work. Perfectly seen. You do a lot of "through the window" shots so well, and you've done incredible justice to this bridge. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company (and Amtrak) should be proud of you! Great work. I still taste Chinese food when I see this, even though you took this on a completely different day. Wonderful. Superb. Just ol' fashioned good.
Meisiekind
Oh I love the reflections of the bus that you have included in the image of the silhouetted bridge!! Excellent work Corey! :)
Sea_Dog
Great story and image. I can picture you and chip working your way towards these structures.
elfin14doaks
Those towers do look cool against the sunset. This is really cool information regarding it too. Very cool post Corey.
helanker
What an awesome shot with the reflections and sunset and ALL! So much to see. It is fun to read about your little trip but long walk. I am sure you had a wonderful day.
kgb224
Wonderful capture.
myrrhluz
There is something fascinating about looking through a train window, especially in low light, and seeing a glimpses of other lives. In the Japanese movie "Shall We Dance" he keeps seeing the dancer at the dance studio, and she is extra exotic, seen as he rushes by on the train. Wonderful story of your adventure! Excellent image, with the towers against the sunset and the reflections of the interior of the train. It perfectly captures that magic feeling of seeing other worlds through a train window.
Thandaluz
Magnificent capture. Surprising reflex.