"Did you live in Chicago at the time?"

I grew up in Villa Park.

Villa Park, my home town

Great stuff. Thank you for posting. I ride the Metra/Electric (ex-IC) most days and passes right by there. The aerial view is good to know exactly where things were rather just generally. I've seen a booklet from the fair at a library.

Steve

This fair was probably one of the more influential prototypes for the fledgling railway preservation movement. It may have directly inspired the founding of such places as Travel Town (1952), and other early static rail museums that featured rows of trains out in a field.

Interestingly, it is also credited with having been a significant influence on Walt Disney and his creation of Disneyland, which opened in 1955.

There is a connection here to Kelly Lynch's thread on establishing a 21st Century Railroad Attraction. Of course, tastes have changed, but Disneyland evolves and endures.

Will be my pleasure. I can't scan before Christmas - my wife's present to me is a slide scanner.

Did your Dad take any photos?

My father-in-law went with his Dad also but didn't take photos.

I'm very lucky that my Dad loved taking photos.

Steve

My Dad grew up on the south side around 65th street. He went to South Shore High School.

Steve

You are very welcome. A google search of this fair turned up no aerial photo on the net of this event. Now a google search turns up this photo.

The booklet from the fair that you mentioned - did it contain photos?

Steve

A google search of the 1948 Chicago Railroad fair turns up the cover of this program book but I didn't see the contents. So here are the contents . . .



Steve

Quite the line up of railroads represented.



Steve

Steve

Steve

Steve

Steve -

Interesting in the one video is a lake steamer (ore boat perhaps) out there on Lake Michigan with a long plume of black smoke trailing behind. Coal fired? Or possibly oil? In any event, what was probably quite normal in those days. But now we find fault with the ONE lake steamer that might still make such a display.

Les

Cities like Pittsburgh were famous for their soot from the steel mills that covered everything including your laundry if you made the mistake of hanging it out. That same soot also went into your lungs. Chicago's south side had the steel mills and same polution also. I'm the first to defend our industry and buy American when possible but I never want to go back to those times when Lake Erie was dead and rivers caught on fire.

Steve

I live in the wrong time. . .

Once again, we must be thankful for those who share their materials in this world of the internet, opening up a lost world anew.

I can relate to that.

Steve