tb_cpupinterchange_0803_01
A CP Rail MP-15AC still in Milwaukee Road colors works the interchange with the Union Pacific on an August day in 2002. In this photo which looks east from the Metra coach in which I was riding shows many details.The factory in the background is Sipi Metals which generally receives one or two gondolas of scrap steel each week from CP Rail. The spur into the plant can be seen in front of the white trailer and it enters Sipi's property through the gate in the chain-link fence. This spur is rather new and takes the place of another track that paralled the brick buildings. The new spur provides a way for Sipi to improve security as gondolas are now unloaded outside the inner perimeter.
Veering to the right, or east, in the street is the former Milwaukee Road spur that traveled down Blackhawk St., crossing busy Elston Ave., and eventually reaching the huge Proctor & Gamble plant which it served along with the C&NW. The P&G plant was torn down around 1990. A picture of it is shown in the Goose Island series, in the background of the photo showing the Soo Line crew traveling south onto the island off the bridge.
Sipi Metals is very high security so as a warning do not even consider trespassing to take photos. Neither CP Rail nor the UP tolerate trespassers either in this area. Play it safe.
tb_cpupinterchange_0803_01
A CP Rail MP-15AC still in Milwaukee Road colors works the
interchange with the Union Pacific on an August day in 2002. In
this photo which looks east from the Metra coach in which I was
riding shows many details.
The factory in the background is Sipi Metals which generally receives one or two gondolas of scrap steel each week from CP Rail. The spur into the plant can be seen in front of the white trailer and it enters Sipi's property through the gate in the chain-link fence. This spur is rather new and takes the place of another track that paralled the brick buildings. The new spur provides a way for Sipi to improve security as gondolas are now unloaded outside the inner perimeter.
Veering to the right, or east, in the street is the former Milwaukee Road spur that traveled down Blackhawk St., crossing busy Elston Ave., and eventually reaching the huge Proctor & Gamble plant which it served along with the C&NW. The P&G plant was torn down around 1990. A picture of it is shown in the Goose Island series, in the background of the photo showing the Soo Line crew traveling south onto the island off the bridge.
Sipi Metals is very high security so as a warning do not even consider trespassing to take photos. Neither CP Rail nor the UP tolerate trespassers either in this area. Play it safe.
tb_cpupinterchange_0803_02
The next photo taken from the Metra train captures a set of freight cars set out by the UP for CP Rail on the interchange track. Tinted windows on the Metra coach affected the appearance somewhat. In this view we see empty gondolas for the General Iron scrapyard on Kingsbury, and a pressurized hopper with sugar for Peerless Confectionary. Past the last gondola you can see the MP-15AC which is based out of UP's North Avenue yard in a lease arrangement between the two railroads.
tb_cpupinterchange_0803_02
The next photo taken from the Metra train captures a set of freight
cars set out by the UP for CP Rail on the interchange track. Tinted
windows on the Metra coach affected the appearance somewhat. In
this view we see empty gondolas for the General Iron scrapyard on
Kingsbury, and a pressurized hopper with sugar for Peerless
Confectionary. Past the last gondola you can see the MP-15AC which
is based out of UP's North Avenue yard in a lease arrangement
between the two railroads.
tb_cpupinterchange_0803_03
Finally, a shot of the CP Rail line where it curves from north to east, away from the interchange point onto home rails. The bridge in the background crosses Elston Avenue. Just past Elston CP Rail trains will go over the swing bridge spanning the Chicago River.The Milwaukee Road's one-time Bloomingdale Line once crossed the C&NW and connected these North Side switching operations to the rest of the Milwaukee Road system and the Bensenville yards. CP Rail in recent years discontinued service over the Bloomingdale line which had no on-line customers, and existed merely to access customers on Kingsbury, Goose Island, and the surrounding areas. The diamond across the UP was taken up and this CP Rail operation is now isolated from the rest of the railroad.
Articles in the Chicago Tribune in 2003 speculate that the dormant Bloomingdale Line might be saved as an urban bike trail. It travels some six miles on a raised viaduct across Chicago's West Side. Rusting tracks are still in place. A good vantage point is from the CTA line where it crosses the former Bloomingdale Line.
tb_cpupinterchange_0803_03
Finally, a shot of the CP Rail line where it curves from north to
east, away from the interchange point onto home rails. The bridge
in the background crosses Elston Avenue. Just past Elston CP Rail
trains will go over the swing bridge spanning the Chicago River.
The Milwaukee Road's one-time Bloomingdale Line once crossed the C&NW and connected these North Side switching operations to the rest of the Milwaukee Road system and the Bensenville yards. CP Rail in recent years discontinued service over the Bloomingdale line which had no on-line customers, and existed merely to access customers on Kingsbury, Goose Island, and the surrounding areas. The diamond across the UP was taken up and this CP Rail operation is now isolated from the rest of the railroad.
Articles in the Chicago Tribune in 2003 speculate that the dormant Bloomingdale Line might be saved as an urban bike trail. It travels some six miles on a raised viaduct across Chicago's West Side. Rusting tracks are still in place. A good vantage point is from the CTA line where it crosses the former Bloomingdale Line.