Topics

31

General Discussion / FINKL & SONS

« on: April 07, 2008, 02:28:32 PM »

Here\'s an article regarding Finkl relocating to the South side. Too bad their facility off Cortland wasn\'t big enough, they estimate they will quintuple their output plus on the good side no one loses their jobs plus they are hiring more. Would have been way more rail service.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?article_id=29597&seenIt=1

Question about re-zoning their facility to get it residential instead of keeping PMD zoning. Difference between $80 million and $29 million in real property value. Hopefully another rail customer could move in.

GM

32

General Discussion / More history gone

« on: February 26, 2008, 01:27:36 AM »

Going over the Ohio Feeder Ramp to the Kennedy on Sunday I noticed the UP is tearing up the old CNW yard that was by the Tribune Printing Plant. Only a couple of tracks left going to Blommer Chocolate. All the ties were stacked up and the track was gone. The lead still looked like it exists to the Tribune Printing Plant. Does anyone know if they are ending service to the Trib? Otherwise it looks like the North Ave yard will bear all traffic for the area. I can\'t imagine them jamming condos in that space but anything is possible with the development going on in those areas lately.

Some more downtown Chicago freight history disappearing.


GM

33

General Discussion / MP15 AQC

« on: February 24, 2008, 01:16:47 AM »

Some interesting info on the MP15 AC\'s in the Model Railroader as on of the featured products. They were introduced in 1974 and were 1500 hp but carried more fuel and used same GP trucks as the road locomotives. Also first switcher fitted with the EMD\'s Dash 2 modular state AC electrical system.

Between 1974 to 1984 255 units were built with the largest fleet going to the Milwaukee Road (as once seen on CHgo Northside Switching over the years). The Milwaukee Road had 64 and now CP has 27 not sure if this means thats all that is left from the Milwaukee Road fleet. I still remember seeing them working the northside line. Now you can see them in the Bensenville yard and in the Muskego Yard in Milwaukee of which one that worked the Northside line is now residing.

GM

34

General Discussion / Some old Pic\'s off Railpictures

« on: January 10, 2008, 05:06:03 PM »

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=151295&nseq=15

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=151294&nseq=16

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=151293&nseq=17

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=151291&nseq=18



GM

35

General Discussion / High Line Article in NY Times

« on: January 09, 2008, 12:16:04 PM »

Found an interesting article about Peter Obletz in NY who wanted to preserve the High Line on the West Side. Thought it was pertinent with the Bloomingdale Line correlation.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/nyregion/thecity/13oble.html



GM

36

General Discussion / Buena Yd interchange w/CTA

« on: December 24, 2007, 05:38:24 PM »

Some interesting pics from the CTA historical site where the Milwaukee Road interchanged at Montrose.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/towers/images/lawrence01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/towers/lawrence.html&h=496&w=900&sz=118&hl=en&start=41&um=1&tbnid=KHfn_-QTuxORiM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=146&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmilwaukee%2Broad%2Bin%2Bchicago%26start%3D40%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN


GM

37

General Discussion / Chicago Firewood?

« on: December 05, 2007, 07:10:37 PM »

Is this the name of the firewood place that Chicago Terminal was servicing on Kingsbury last year? I am wondering because there is a picture of them in the Chgo Tribune website tonight under\"pictures for the snowstorm\" delivering firewood in Old Town. The picture # is 17. Has anyone seen any evidence of delivery to this business so far this year by Chgo Terminal?

GM

38

General Discussion / Skokie Line Done

« on: November 01, 2007, 10:26:27 AM »

The old C&NW spurs that went north one to Skokie industry and the other hooking up with the main line by Northbrook are definitely not being used again. They are currently removing the bridges that went over Peterson by Saugunash and also one in the neighborhood where the 2 lines split. No trains will be heading north again. The UP does not seem interested in developing their shortline type customers. I still thought their was some industry in Skokie that could have received tank car shipments via rail. I wondered what looked different as I was driving west on Peterson when I realized the train bridges were gone. I wonder if the UP still will have land rights to this area or if it has been sold off? The images of google earth still show tank cars off that spur line at Skokie industries.

GM

39

General Discussion / Switcher working Thursday at 12

« on: September 21, 2007, 05:46:57 PM »

Saw them crossing the bridge from the Kennedy by Finkl around noon on Thursday. First time I have seen the switcher active in awhile. Any other sightings or freight cars seen at sidings?

GM

40

General Discussion / Picture of MP15 1540

« on: August 23, 2007, 06:17:12 PM »

http://www.fuzzyworld3.com/fuzzyphpfoto/cp01/gg.htm

Check out 1540 shown in \"Running Light to Peerless\" pictures under the \"Lakewood Branch pictures\", is now working up in Milwaukee off the Menomonee Belt Line. At least it\'s still in service. It looks like 540 but if you look closer you can see the \"1\" in front of 540. Once running the Lakewood line, now working the back lines of Milwaukee.

Thanks to fuzzyworld.com for the pic\'s, Mark Hintz has recently posted pictures on Chicago North Side Switching about Illinois Terminal service in Elk Grove. I was wondering if those engines used here were kept in Bensenville or up in Milwaukee. I wonder if they stay permanently at those locations or get moved around from yard to yard?

GM

41

General Discussion / Freight Traffic

« on: July 03, 2007, 05:48:03 PM »

Anybody see any shipments lately. No mention of Kingsbury or Goose Island activity from anyone lately? Obviously Lakewood is dead.

GM

42

General Discussion / Trains Mag June issue

« on: May 31, 2007, 11:59:27 AM »

Some really good articles on shortlines in this month\'s issue and how they are growing business. One of note is Progressive Rails in Minnesota who has worked a number of deals with CP to open branch lines that were not used or used lightly. They increased carloads on their Airlake line from 600 carloads to 7000. In addition they are growing in the Minnesota, Wisconsin and now Michigan areas. Hopefully Chgo Terminal can grow business in our area with their best chance up by the Elk Grove and Bensenville Industrial Park. Progressive made their success with serving Industrial Parks. Maybe Chgo. Terminal can use the same concepts for growing success here also. It would be nice if rail service could still grow maybe by getting some closed business sites open again by getting new businesses interested that need rail service. The old Aetna Plywood building, Hanna engineering come to mind along with drumming up some new customers with existing industries on Goose Island/Kingsbury that would be better served by rail. They mention the problems that now are existing with the trucking industry regarding gas prices and lack of drivers. Time for a rail comeback. There may not be as many Class I railroads as in days of old but their are still a lot of shortline railroads that exist and fill a niche for branch customers that can\'t get serviced properly by the big guys. This is a new trend for the future that is very profitable for those short lines that service the customers and the Class I railroads like it because they benefit from the increase in rail traffic. Take a look at the Progressive Rail article if you get the chance in the 6/07 issue of Trains. Lot of CNW & Chicago Great Western lines now being used again by them along with old Milwaukee Road lines. The owner by the way is a railfan fanatic. He has his engines washed and waxed regularly to show a positive image of the company. Not only that, his employees are happy and the owner says he knows he will have been successful if his employee\'s kids and grandkids eventually want to work for Progressive Rail too. Nice attitude, especially when all you hear these days is news about layoffs and disgruntled workers. He concentrates on the happiness of his customers and workers.

GM

43

General Discussion / Sugar Relief late for Peerless

« on: May 30, 2007, 05:18:43 PM »

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/search.pl

Article in Crains about 10% relief in sugar prices. Maybe if it were sooner Peerless could still have made a go of it.

GM

44

General Discussion / Article i Classic Trains

« on: May 08, 2007, 03:56:55 PM »

Very good article in Classic Trains magazine about freight service on the CTA up north by Wrigley with mention of transfer of freight cars from the Milwaukee Road (Lakewood line)to CTA for Lil Coal and Oil and Hines Lumber. Nice pictures from Montrose Ave., Wilson, Lawrence where tracks went up to \"L\" level from street level past Wrigley FIeld by Graceland Cemetary. Buena Park station used for freight station. Check it out if you can, makes mention of passenger service that use to exist for Evanston and Wilmette.

GM

45

General Discussion / Link to Historical Bridges

« on: April 25, 2007, 05:35:16 PM »

Hope this link works. Great info on the Goose Island Bridge and some great pictures from an architecture point of view.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.historicbridges.org/illinois/northrr/cook169.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.historicbridges.org/illinois/northrr/index.htm&h=480&w=640&sz=96&hl=en&start=5&tbnid=VZ7QfjwVJ6udXM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3DGoose%2BIsland,Illinois%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den

GM