2022 SCHEDULE
Blackhawk is following local orders and mandates for masking and related COVID-19 protocols.
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home.
Blackhawk reserves the right to modify our schedule or programming due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home.
Blackhawk reserves the right to modify our schedule or programming due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
OCTOBER is Chicago Railroad History MonthBlackhawk is leading the effort in 2023 to celebrate to 175th anniversary of the railroad coming to Chicago by creating a year-long celebration of public events and exhibitions that will commemorate that history and the future of railroading in Chicago. Support the cause with your purchase of this exclusive poster from renowned artist Mitch Markovitz.
Click here to order your Chicago Railroad History Month Poster by Mitch Markovitz |
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 and SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 - 75th ANNIVERSARY of the CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY
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October 1 marks the 75th anniversary of the start of operations by the CTA in 1947, upon the purchase and combination of the of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (Elevated) and the Chicago Surface Lines (Streetcars). In 1952, CTA purchased the assets of the Chicago Motor Coach Company to create a unified system. CTA continues the process of converting the streetcar lines to buses, and ended service on some lightly patronized elevated branches, but also constructed new lines in the medians of Chicago's expanding expressway system, along with extending the "L" out to both of Chicago's airports providing a connectivity that Chicagoans never had before
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The CTA and area museums will be marking the event in various ways:
- The CTA itself has been wrapping cars in recreations of historic paint schemes and has plans for a Diamond Jubilee Celebration in Daley Plaza
- Fox River Trolley Museum has announced an ambitious all-day program on Sunday, October 2 featuring all of the CTA equipment in their collection and many other activities.
- Illinois Railway Museum has been running some of the historic CTA cars in their massive collection all year, and on the weekend of October 1 and 2 they will actually be featuring both of their working steam locomotives as they wrap up steam operations for the year. However, they also will have 1907-built wooden Chicago Rapid Transit cars 1797 and 1268 running, along with streetcar Chicago Transit Authority 3142.
Note that the Blackhawk Railway Historical Society is not responsible for issues you may have with the above referenced organizations and/or these events, including problems with their websites, cancellations, delays and equipment substitutions.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 - Monthly Meeting in Lockport, Illinois
- Our monthly meeting at the Gladys Fox Museum in Lockport, Illinois
- Program by Dave Dauszka on the diesel locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company, better known as ALCO
- The building opens at 7 PM and meeting runs from 7:30 to no later than 10 PM.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23 - Fall Indiana Swap Meet and Program in Griffith, Indiana
- Meets are held at :
American Legion Post 66
132 N Wiggs St, Griffith, IN 46319 - The hall opens around 8 AM for vendor setup and opens to the public at 10 AM.
- Selling runs from 10 AM to 2 PM (or as long as the vendors decided to stay) and then we are present a program on Indiana railroads.
- A $2 donation is requested at the door.
- 8' Vendor tables are $15 each, however the first table is FREE to Blackhawk members. Click here to join us.
- TABLES SELL OUT QUICKLY. The size of the hall is limited, and our floor plan allows for easy movement rather than packing in as many tables as possible. We do maintain a waiting list, but for best results, order and pay for your tables as soon as you can.
- Requests for tables should be directed to:
- Blackhawk Railway Historical Society
2009 Boehme St.
Lockport, IL 60441-4611
- Blackhawk Railway Historical Society
- Please E-mail us for more information about the swap meet
- While in Griffith, stop by the Griffith Historical Society's Railroad Park and museum (201 S Broad St.) at the famous railroad crossing and junction, or stop by the Hi-Rail Modular Train Club at the nearby Franklin Center (201 N. Griffith Blvd.)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4 - Monthly Meeting in Lockport, Illinois
- Our monthly meeting at the Gladys Fox Museum in Lockport, Illinois
- Program TBA
- The building opens at 7 PM and meeting runs from 7:30 to no later than 10 PM.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 - Annual Business Meeting and Holiday Party
- Our monthly meeting at the Gladys Fox Museum in Lockport, Illinois
- Program TBA
- The building opens at 7 PM and meeting runs from 7:30 to no later than 10 PM.
NOTE: All events subject to cancellation for unforeseen circumstances.
Blackhawk Railway Historical Society is not responsible for events shown here that it does not sponsor.
Blackhawk Railway Historical Society is not responsible for events shown here that it does not sponsor.
About Our Meetings
We hold regular meetings at 7:30 PM on the first Friday of the month (except July and August), at the Gladys Fox Museum on the southwest corner of 9th Street (Illinois Route 7) and Washington Street in the historic downtown district of Lockport, Illinois. Visit our Meetings page for more information.
Doors open at 7:00 PM and there is plenty of free parking on Washington Street. If there is no wake scheduled, additional parking is available in the lot of the adjacent Goodale Memorial Chapel, in the 900 block of Hamilton Street.
Admission to all meetings is FREE and open to the public. Attendees are invited to participate in our monthly raffle of rare and interesting railroad memorabilia and models. Refreshments are also available.
Meetings include a presentation on railroads, past and present, by well-known railfans, authors, photographers, historians, railroad professionals and railroad advocates.
Doors open at 7:00 PM and there is plenty of free parking on Washington Street. If there is no wake scheduled, additional parking is available in the lot of the adjacent Goodale Memorial Chapel, in the 900 block of Hamilton Street.
Admission to all meetings is FREE and open to the public. Attendees are invited to participate in our monthly raffle of rare and interesting railroad memorabilia and models. Refreshments are also available.
Meetings include a presentation on railroads, past and present, by well-known railfans, authors, photographers, historians, railroad professionals and railroad advocates.
Giving A Program/Programs For Your Group
We are always looking for quality programs from railfans, railroad professionals, advocates, scholars and historians. We can supply a large screen, projection equipment (slides, 16mm movies, video or computer) and an appreciative and enthusiastic audience. If you have a program you would like to present, or know of a presenter that has a program to offer, please read about our program requirements on our Meetings page and then E-mail our Program Director.
The Blackhawk can present programs on local railroad history for your organization. There are many possibilities: a discussion of local railroad history, historic railroad movies and photographs, or even a visit from a 19th-century station agent or a real locomotive engineer. Blackhawk members have given presentations to local historical societies, civic groups, government organizations, and lectured at the Chicago History Museum.
For more information, please send us an E-mail or talk to us at one of our monthly meetings.
The Blackhawk can present programs on local railroad history for your organization. There are many possibilities: a discussion of local railroad history, historic railroad movies and photographs, or even a visit from a 19th-century station agent or a real locomotive engineer. Blackhawk members have given presentations to local historical societies, civic groups, government organizations, and lectured at the Chicago History Museum.
For more information, please send us an E-mail or talk to us at one of our monthly meetings.