Car 402 leads a two car train at Ardmore Avenue as it loads passengers for the trip east to Forest Park on March 23, 1957. In less than four months this scene would happen for the last time.
Photo by TH Desnoyers, from the Krambles-Peterson Archive
Ardmore
Ardmore Avenue and Park Boulevard, Village of Villa Park
- Address: 10 W Park Blvd.
- Established: 1910
- Original Line: AE&CRR Third Rail Division: Main Line
- Rebuilt: N/A
- Previous Names: N/A
- Flag Stop
- (View location)
History:
Ardmore was a station on the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin’s main line at the intersection of Ardmore Avenue and Park Boulevard in Villa Park. The station consisted of two low level platforms situated on opposite sides of Ardmore.
Circa 1911, Ardmore was one of a several stops to be upgraded with either brick or stone stations as part of an improvement project. Ardmore received a unique brick and stone station designed by John S. Van Bergen.
Ultimately, Ardmore was one of only a few stations to survive the demise of the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin. Both it and Villa Park (the next station east) were purchased by the village of Villa Park and refurbished with an official dedication by the Villa Park Bicentennial Commission on July 5, 1976. It is now home to the Villa Park Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the area around the station is still home to a commercial district, as is the case with many of the locations of former CA&E stations.
Full station profile and history coming soon.
Additional Photos
A two car train led by a Cincinnati is stopped at the westbound platform at Ardmore in 1956 or 1957. The eastern edge of the eastbound platform is visible at the lower right. It was common on the CA&E for the eastbound platform to be situated on the west side of a crossing and the westbound platform to be on the east side.
Photo by Glen Brewer
After just having made a stop at Ardmore, a two car train of 450 series cars pulls across the street, bound for Wheaton.
Photo by Glen Brewer
On a typical afternoon in Villa Park, the motorman of this train dutifully leans out of his window and watches as passengers board at Ardmore. This local is heading east, but as this is 1956 or '57, the “Chicago Local” reading on the roller curtain is slightly inaccurate; this train will only go as far as Forest Park. Passengers heading into the city will have to transfer to the slow trains of the Garfield Park “L” which is currently in the process of being replaced by the median strip Congress rapid transit line.
Photo by Glen Brewer
On its way to Forest Park, the eastern terminal of the railroad at this point in time, this two car train leaves Ardmore. A Leyden bus heading south on Ardmore Avenue waits at the crossing gates for the train to pass. The car at the rear of the train is a Pullman product built in 1923.
Photo by Glen Brewer
The deconstruction of the Great Third Rail is well underway. The scrappers had left their loading ramp alongside the former westbound platform at Ardmore when this photo was snapped. The eastbound track has already been removed.
Photo by Glen Brewer
It’s a sunny evening in 1953 as this three-car Aurora-Batavia express makes a stop at the westbound platform at Ardmore. The motorman has pulled the shade down to block out the westering sun. This will be a constant problem for him as the east-west route of the Aurora & Elgin means that this train will be heading into the sun for most of its journey to the Fox River Valley. The eastbound platform and its distinct passenger shelter are behind the photographer on the west side of Ardmore Avenue.
Photo from the collection of Mark Llanuza
This photo was taken in 1911 and shows the Ardmore station shortly after the addition of the brick and stone shelter. The lack of development seen in the area surrounding the station is evident. The convenient connection to downtown Chicago via the Aurora, Elgin & Chicago made Ardmore a prime location for residential construction.
Electric Railway Journal