Lockport Chicago & Alton Depot
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Built by Chicago & Alton forerunner Chicago, Alton & St. Louis, the Lockport, Illinois depot has served the community since 1860. It is located at 13th Street, just west of State Street (Illinois 171.)
The City of Lockport eventually ceased being a stop for Alton and Gulf, Mobile & Ohio's Chicago-St. Louis trains, but it was kept a stop for a single-train Chicago-to-Joliet commuter service -- one train to Chicago in the morning, one train from Chicago at night -- known locally as "The Plug." During these years, commuters boarded at a spot on 5th Street, while GM&O (and later Illinois Central Gulf) kept an agent and maintainers at the Lockport depot. After the Regional Transportation Authority reequipped and expanded the commuter service, the ICG closed the depot and sold it to the City of Lockport, which refurbished it and started using it for RTA/Metra commuters.
The City of Lockport eventually ceased being a stop for Alton and Gulf, Mobile & Ohio's Chicago-St. Louis trains, but it was kept a stop for a single-train Chicago-to-Joliet commuter service -- one train to Chicago in the morning, one train from Chicago at night -- known locally as "The Plug." During these years, commuters boarded at a spot on 5th Street, while GM&O (and later Illinois Central Gulf) kept an agent and maintainers at the Lockport depot. After the Regional Transportation Authority reequipped and expanded the commuter service, the ICG closed the depot and sold it to the City of Lockport, which refurbished it and started using it for RTA/Metra commuters.
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On September 18, 2010, the National Railway Historical Society and Blackhawk noted the historical status of the station with a formal ceremony recognizing the it's 150th anniversary.
A stop on Metra's Heritage Corridor service, the City of Lockport expanded the parking lot and platforms in 2010 while leaving the historical station in place. They also did some much-needed touch-up work for the event. Thanks to the efforts of Blackhawk president Bill Molony, the Lockport station will not only be recognized as a historical railroad landmark, but also an example of the railroad's continued importance to this community. |
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As well as being a Metra's Heritage Corridor stop, the depot also hosts a local small business (bakery) and a Native American cultural center. For more information on the depot's current tennants, click on the images below.
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