Having been born and initially raised in Chicago, and a 'streetcar rooter' since age 3, this naturally captured my attention. Available photos of the tunnels/portals are not that many, even with the internet. The Van Buren tunnel portals in particular are now hidden, one covered over at/by a paid-parking lot on Clinton St. (last I looked a couple years ago), and the Franklin Street portal now evidently tucked/buried inside/beneath a parking garage on that thoroughfare. There had been talk some years ago of reopening the Van Buren tunnel as a pedestrian link between Union Station and east of the river (somewhere), but like so many other Chicago transit-related projects, that idea too has evidently faded away. (That would have been quite difficult anyway with the erstwhile east portal being inside a parking garage.) This video should actually be re-edited to add how each respective portal location looks in 2021.
@@jayh9529 There are a number of channels with that name in some manner or another. I looked thru a number of them, and found no video that indicated it covered this topic. Would appreciate a specific link, or the exact video title(s).
@@scottconcertman3423 Jackson Street tunnel? You *must* mean the Van Buren one. Was either portal near the riot site?----I sure was not aware of that. ( I'm rather dubious). And what would the existence of a streetcar tunnel have to do with a riot, anyway?
@Nolan's Innocent Wait..whaaat? What does what you say have *anything* to do with the subject shown/discussed here????? We are supposed to be talking about transit-related tunnels!
I always wondered if the Washington St Tunnel was still there. The 2 buildings shown in the video at 4:44 are still in place at 301 W Washington. So the tunnel ramp is now part of the CTA Bus stand there!!!
Funny, I live in Chicago and also work for CDOT, and was just last week talking with a co worker about the network of tunnels that run underneath the city. A lot of these tunnels were sealed off and bulk- headed after the flood in the early 90's. Great video !
Hey, that's a photo of an electric trolleybus at 9:12 (used two trolley poles to access the electric current from two overhead wires). Not a diesel bus as mentioned in the narration. Chicago had at one time the largest trolleybus system in the country. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) last operated trolleybuses in regular service on March 31, 1973.
This was a really interesting video about Chicago's tunnels. it was really nice how Ryan focused on the tunnels and didn't throw in a snappy nickname for your city like he did for mine when he referred to my city as Killadelphia.must be nice, wish Philadelphia got as much respect as Chicago does, LMAO, LMAO😀
I'm homeless and live in a section trust me everyone down here aren't villains.also plenty of hidden entrances most don't know about. Most people down here are just normal people that can't afford the rent. I work at a gas station
Cool story...I remember two of these tunnels as a kid in the 1950s. They still had the tracks in them but were unused and had cyclone fences and concrete blocks in their entryways.
There are a series of old canal tunnels built in the 1800s underneath Pittsburgh, PA. Built by the Pennsylvania Main Line of Works, the Pennsylvania Canal Tunnel connected the various canal companies to the three rivers at various points, as well as a series of aqueducts (basically “canal bridges”). They were eventually abandoned when railways took off and canals fell out of favor. They laid sealed off and abandoned until the 1960s when US Steel Tower was being constructed downtown and the workers digging the foundations dug into them. But their story doesn’t stop there. Pittsburgh’s subway and streetcar network (known locally as “the T”) would eventually reuse portions of them, making them some of the oldest tunnels still in use today.
There is one entrance known to exist. It's a manhole-within-a-manhole visible on LaSalle north of the river, about a block north of the existing down ramp. Also, a guy said he was present when a wall was knocked down in the basement of the Britannica building and he could see the old tunnel, although it was filled in with landfill.
So now I'm curious. Given that these streetcar tunnels opened in the mid-late 1800s, compared to the official opening date of the "first subway in America" in Boston as Tremont Street tunnel in 1892, does that mean Chicago actually beat Boston to the first subway? Or do these tunnels not count?
@@corderajones Depends on your definition of a subway. In England we sometimes use the word as a substitute for 'pedestrian underpass', and 'Underground' for a subterranean passenger railway, such as in London and Glasgow.
Something's not quite right about American history, Figments. Incredibly beautiful cities seem to just spring up, practically upon the arrival of settlers, on horse drawn carts. It makes very little sense.
@@wendellwhite5797 That would be an intriguing subject - a 150 mile long railroad trestle? I've heard of the Florida & Key West; indeed one of the most amazing projects I think I've come across. A pity it was never rebuilt after that hurricane, but probably wouldn't have survived the growth of airlines.
@@robertrichard6107 There is the 7 mile bridge and the Bahia Honda Bridge. There are also places where you can still see the old piers from the old RR bridge. I grew up in KW, and travelled over these bridges many times getting off of the Rock as they call KW.
5:14 that photo was of the 69th street terminus of the Normal Park Branch. It was demolished in 1954 and is about a mile south of the Green line Ashland/63rd Branch. East of the Former C&WI tracks
I love the 3D images you always include. Every single time I pause the video and stare until I can see the two images together. And seeing it 3D? Definitely makes it feel less like history and more like I was there. Not to mention you are fantastic with the historical information and giving facts, not exaggerated or sensational stories like many other channels do while skimping on facts and real information. Keep up the amazing work!
The Elroy/Sparta trails and tunnels in Wisconsin are still open to walking and biking and there is signage about its history - I would love to see more on this historic Wisconsin railroading/tunnel system. Thanks
As a youth, I biked that whole distance (Sparta all the way to Elroy) on a bmx bike. I didn’t appreciate it like I should have back then. These days, I think I’d appreciate it more, but I also think I’d have to do it in sections!🤣🤣
Many thanks for such a great video. You asked for examples of other such tunnels and so I offer that here is still such a tram ( streetcar) tunnel that exists right in the centre of London. It's called Kingsway Subway and allowed first single and later, double decker trams to pass under the Thames to serve South London. Amazingly, one of the entrances still exists, absolutely as it did when it shut in 1950. Tracks, cobbles and the conduit system of current collection in a groove between the rails, a bit like a Scalextric car racing set. All perfectly preserved for all to see. It has been used as an art gallery, a flood defence and alarm system, ( which always somewhat amused me. A flood warning system ....underground.. erm, Have you FULLY thought this through guys...lol.). And occasionally, you can go down into it on guided tours. Fascinating and a bit like the Chicago one,full of mystery and legend. Cheers.
I remember that. for a couple months there was nothing but hype and Hysteria about the upcoming event. as far as I'm concerned geraldo lost all of his credibility after that. I still think about that whenever he shows up on TV.
To the contrary, Rivera is thoroughly respected for having the guts to take the risk!! No credibility was lost. Even a third grader could understand the concept.
Word is the builders of 311 South Wacker had plans, originally, to repurpose the Van Buren Street tunnel as a pedway under the river, connecting their tower to Union Station.
@@spanishstudiolanguagecente4751 Lower wacker drive technically a tunnel. You can argue it isnt because its open next to the river, but all the other street connect to Lower Wacker are tunnels
There is a map of a supposed tunnel under the Ohio river that goes from I think jeffersonville Indiana to Louisville Kentucky. I would love to know more about this . It was a railroad tunnel supposedly built in the mid 1850s
I don't know if it still exists, but under Wacker drive, from about Van Buren on the south to perhaps Lake street on the north was a vehicular tunnel running in both directions. It was lite by green light bulbs, thus called EMERALD CITY. Do you have any any info on the genesis of t his?
You could say there was one more of this type of commuter tunnel at 10200 Roosevelt Rd. The Chicago,Aurora, and Elgin RR ran under Roosevelt Rd at this address.
Having been a Teamster in the '80s, backing my truck to the dock under the Chicago Tower, dodging pilons (& other trucks), folding my side mirrors in, working blind, the incredible underground Chicago is, and always has been an amazing feat of engineering in the middle of a swamp bounded by a helluva Great lake and rivers.
I've visited Chicago many times and not once have any guides mentioned these tunnels! I'd only heard of the coal tunnels. Thank you for sharing this story! 👍
The reason is they never existed. The pictures you see at the beginning are what became upper and lower Wacker Drive. The only "tunnels" under Chicago were the freight, coal and mail tunnels and they could not fit street cars.
@@MarcAndre1 You don't know what you are talking about. These three trolley tunnels still exist and they go under the river. I have inspected all three of these tunnels.
I truly wish that we never lost the use of street cars in major cities, there is something about them. Seeing them running the streets and hearing the bell, a truly lost piece of nostalgia history
The tunnels are closed to the public but they are used and maintained because they have some utilities in them (e.g. fiber optic cable, steam pipes, power cables). The tunnels have automated pumps that keep them dewatered.
You can actually still enter these tunnels via 3 emergency exits in buildings that were left open. The La van salle tunnel flooded am while ago around 199-something. The Washington tunnel flooded very recently in 2019. The Van buren tunnel never (has) flooded and there are lots of old trolleys, busses and wooden carriages. I even saw an entire metro carriage in the Washington tunnel.
Excellent video, and I should know. I have walked and inspected every inch of the Chicago Freight and Trolley Tunnel System (CFTTS). From about 2006 to about 2010 I worked as an engineering consultant for the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). The CFTTS is filled with fiber optic cable, concrete encased high voltage power lines, and steam pipes. I imagine this tunnel system will be maintained for many years to come, because it is very useful in the Chicago Loop for the aforementioned utilities. My favorite trolley tunnel is the Washington Street one, and my least favorite trolley tunnel is the Van Buren Street one. I no longer live and work in Chicago, but I have a ton of interesting and fond memories of these trolley tunnels.
Peacock Alley in Ford City Shopping mall is another tunnel. Built during WW2 as part of a Ford Motor plant, there are allegedly tunnels that go all the way from what is now the shopping mall to Midway Airport so that cargo (mainly aircraft motors) could be moved to the airport for transportation without enemy eyes seeing it. The tunnel was converted into shops in the 70's that connected the two large main buildings of the mall.
@@ITSHISTORY I think the mall is still open, but I don't think Peacock Alley has stores anymore (I can remember when they opened it as part of expansion in the 1970's) so the stairs are probably closed off. If you search for "peacock alley ford city" you'll see a bunch of photos of a low ceiling area with lots of support posts, those pictures are in the tunnel (in later years it was called "The Connection" because it connected the two separate mall buildings). Per WTTW (local PBS station) they built 18,000 B-29 engines there during WWII and only 51 cars were ever built there so it was mainly built as a factory for WWII. There is also a rail yard right there.
06:52 - The tunnel itself exists under the river? Isn't it kind of dangerous to do that? To just have an inaccessible manmade cavity below grade, espcially under or near a body of water? That sounds like a recipe for sinkhole formation eventually.
If you're deep enough it isn't risky. There are countless tunnels like that around the world. NYC has at 4 sets I can think of - Holland, Lincoln, Battery, and Midtown
@@dodgeplow Yes but those tunnels are open and accessible and thus maintainable and they can be inspected. The tunnels above are closed off and thus none of these safety measures can be taken.
@@alidycepaisley3829 I have been in and inspected all 3 of these trolley tunnels. These tunnels are not open to the public. However, they are accessible to authorized personnel for maintenance and inspection. There is no safety issue.
I know there were some tunnels in St.Louis Missouri as well.” I actually remember them - though I couldn’t tell you where. I grew up in University City. I even [ barely] remember the street car that came up past our apartment on Pershing Ave. [ It would he just past our apartment, and slide back down, some times taking 3 times to make it. I also remember riding with my grandmother up into Clayton,and back , and down to “The Loop”. I don’t know what the tunnels were used for, or just don’t remember any more, but there were several. 📻🙂
I grew up with streetcars and trains in Detroit. Us leaders allowed the automobile companies to buy up most of these facilities and destroy them to sell more cars
Yes - look up National City Lines. They were a false-front company that promised to "improve" streetcar operations, but instead they'd shut them down. NCL was by no means the only reason streetcar systems went out of business, but they accelerated the decline.
Sounds a bit like the original concept for the Brunel tunnel at Rotherhith, in London, UK. Thay ran out of money for the carriage approaches so was pedestrian only. Then became part of the Underground, now the Overground.
09:11 This is NOT a diesel bus! It is an electric trolleybus (No. 370), look closely on the roof, the trolley poles can be clearly seen! (This shows that Chicago ALSO had nice clean electric trolleybusses to their fleet as well! HEY! Let's REOPEN these tunnels may be too steep for trams, but not for ELECTRIC trolleybuses! No reason to have trolleybusses in Chicago that can make usage of these historical tunnels! Remember Climate Change, we on this planet MUST get away from fossil fuels, and trolleybuses must not be sneezed at! There have been some trolleybuses in Chi Town, With todays' technology (2022) the CTA MUST get on the bandwagon of fighting Climate Change, reopen these tunels restore them, and start acquiring new trolleybuses (like from the Canadian New Flyer Corp, or even the best ones in the world, from Switzerland Carrosiere Hess who also make DOUBLE articulated models (four axles)! I have ridden these in Luzern in Switzerland. Nice!
The video says the western entrance to the Washington Street tunnel was paved over in 2013, but this is incorrect. The entrance was just east of Clinton, and the Google Street View image from August, 2007, shows traffic flowing in the middle section beneath the Metra/UP tracks where the entrance was. I can remember when the entrance was still there, fenced off, but I think it was paved over in the 1990's or early 2000's.
At 9 minutes and 17 seconds there is an advertisement for the Chicago Surface Lines. My grandfather designed streetcars for them from the 1920's until they merged with Rapid Transit and were bought by the city in the 1950's. It then became the CTA. He designed the logo for the CTA right before he retired. RIP Gramps.
I'd bet that Frank Gallagher could find a way into them tunnels, if there was some money or dope in it for him... You know, if he was an actual person...
My grandfather worked on trolley working for CTA, when bus's came out he was to drive a bus that he never even drove a car. So he crashed the bus and left it and went to work for Chicago school system, until he retired. With Chicago growing up around him.
@@Ass_Burgers_Syndrome I did read somewhere though that it might possibly have been derived from the German term for tramways, "Straßenbahn"; therefore a tramcar would be a streetcar. Before the First World War, Germans were the most prominent and numerous of immigrants to America, and it would be fair to say that they had influenced aspects of American English to some extent.
@@alfyryan6949 Some people argue that 'tram' is derived from the name of an early promotor, a Mr Outram, but variations of it were used long before, in the mines of North eastern England. 'Street railway' is a perfectly logical phrase - Germans being very logical people - to distinguish them from 'eisenbahn'. The first street trams in Britain - in Birkenhead, introduced by a Mr G F Train (!) - used ordinary railway track, laid on the surface of the road, which did nothing to ensure their popularity with other road users.
So although I have never been down any, my hometown of Saint Cloud, MN has a network of tunnels that may make for an interesting historical tunnel video. Our downtown is located a stone's throw away from the Mississippi, and it's said that Al Capone himself used them in his bootlegging. It's closed now, but there was a bar downtown called Rumrunner's. A prominent auto dealer in the 50's also had tunnels dug from the Pantown Motor Lot, to his manse a few blocks over. The dealership became a factory that was owned by Maytag or Fridgedair, then became Electrolux. The house still exists and is on the Historical Preservation list of houses in the area.
@@bujecan wrong, I was alive in the 1880s and I remember seeing overhead powerlines back then. I also remember when George Lopez became the chancellor of the Florida everglades after he died and was reborn in Argentina. You kids today would never understand.
Cincinnati Ohio at one time started building a subway tunnel system that never got put into use.. If you search around on RU-vid you can find some information about it.. Might be worth another video.
I wish. I have been in all three of these trolley tunnels. They are just old tunnels with some utilities in them (e.g. fiber optic, steam pipes, power cables, etc.).
Has anyone suggested rebuilding these old abandoned tunnels for green transportation, bicycling and pedestrian commuting, exercise, and tourism? Those rebuilt tunnels would sure come in handy for human mobility in Chicago’s hot summers and cold winters.
I have inspected all three of these tunnels. They are mostly empty, but have some utilities in them (e.g. fiber optic cable, steam pipes, power lines). Because of the utilities I don't think these tunnels will ever be open to the public again. Also, the bridges on the surface are better for bikes and pedestrians than the tunnels. I have personally used both, the tunnels and the bridges.
Chicago's equivilant of the Thames Tunnel. Originally made for horses in the 1800's, she instead was a pedestrian tunnel for a bit, before being repurposed as an Underground tunnel. Says a lot about Trams (as we call them) that they can go where horses, cars & trains can't. (trains generally hate going up hills, without special gearing)
Port Hope Ontario Canada has a heritage district underneath witch extends @ least 3 more levels with 15 ft. doors & piles of ancient Dynamoes. It is & has always been hidden from public & known only to Masonic municipalities workers & urban explorers like myself.
They can't be reopened to the public because they are used for utilities, just like the smaller freight tunnels in Chicago. I have been in and inspected all 3 of these trolley tunnels.
My 99 year old gma (we are a Chicago family) spoke of such mythical tunnels, myths for the most part in her youth as well. But thanks for this video, I love this city and am always happy to know more. PBS gets something’s but not all the wild and crazy things this city has done!
Chicago tunnel used by Trams. Interesting. That reminds me of the Tram tunnels of Sydney Tramway network, only it used the Eastern Side of the Harbour bridge from the north and on the approach to the CBD an underground tunnel to Wynyard Platforms 1 & 2.
Also I have to say, when Sydney’s underground tram route was shutdown for the tramway closure. The tunnels of Wynyard platforms 1 & 2 were converted into a car park while the tunnel entrance was blocked under the ramp carrying the Cahil expressway
The Washington St tunnel is still intact. LaSalle St tunnel was mostly destroyed to build the subway and part of the Van Buren tunnel lost for the construction of the Sears tower.
In the 1850 the population count in Chicago was 30.000 furious horse wagon riders tired of getting their bridges blocked. -let's start digging tunnels underneath all our canals. Hold my horse while I start digging with my shovel. I refuse to wait for the bridge to close the gap again in 20 minutes.
There aren't any rats in these tunnels. I have been in all three of them. These tunnels are difficult to access and there isn't any food sources in these tunnels.
How about Louisville hidden underground were old school gangsters used to slip in and out of prominent buildings and there were even secret speakeasies from what I understand.
As school teenagers, a friend and I each snuck out of our houses overnight and explored Montreal's Blue Line during its construction. We covered several inter-station tunnelings, but got stumped by heat and muggy humidity along the bendy one twixt Edouard-Montpetit and Université-de-Montréal stations (the overnight low that late-February night was -14°F/-27°C back up on the surface). Eventually, we arrived there to where the concrete tunnel lining had been fully poured within just 2 foot of a mightily hot rock face, so hot that I was the one of we two that could palm that igneous intrusion (Mt Royal) for a full 3-second spell. Delays for the few years afterwards were attributed by news plants of the day to unidentified geotechnical difficulties.
