My Community
Chicago Switching => General Discussion => Topic started by: TBurke on March 02, 2021, 08:40:05 AM
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I posted a new track diagram from the Milwaukee Road that shows the C&E Line from Altgeld north to School yesterday on Flickr.
For those who have not seen them before or do not follow me on Flickr there are a number of vintage track diagrams posted in this collection that cover the C&E, Deering, and Bloomingdale Lines plus Goose Island and more.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/39092860@N06/albums/72157715114878692
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Thanks - this is great!
I don't recall the business just north of Belmont served by the track coming off between Melrose and School. That is, I don't recall ever seeing freight cars here in the 1970s. That said I turned 9 in 1980, so not sure I'd really remember. I do have memories of Milwaukee Road switchers crossing Melrose.
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Service was cut back to Melrose Avenue circa 1981 with enough track left to serve as a tail when working Reed Candy just south of Belmont. Isolated tracks were left in place in various spots north of Melrose including a section at what is now Margaret Donahue Park which was taken up about ten years ago when the park was built. The vision for the original park was to retain the section of track and integrate it into the park with a marker talking about the railroad heritage of the Milwaukee Road in the neighborhood. At some point the Cubs got involved in funding the park which is named after a long time Cubs employee and the railroad heritage was shoved aside.
There was a building supply company that was served by the Milwaukee Road off Melrose alongside the east side of the tracks. At School Street was what looks to be a coal yard and tower. I believe there was also a piano factory near there too.
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Service was cut back to Melrose Avenue circa 1981 with enough track left to serve as a tail when working Reed Candy just south of Belmont. Isolated tracks were left in place in various spots north of Melrose including a section at what is now Margaret Donahue Park which was taken up about ten years ago when the park was built. The vision for the original park was to retain the section of track and integrate it into the park with a marker talking about the railroad heritage of the Milwaukee Road in the neighborhood. At some point the Cubs got involved in funding the park which is named after a long time Cubs employee and the railroad heritage was shoved aside.
There was a building supply company that was served by the Milwaukee Road off Melrose alongside the east side of the tracks. At School Street was what looks to be a coal yard and tower. I believe there was also a piano factory near there too.
Awhile back I posted a couple pics of this plot on School when the track was still visible, just before the park was built- http://chicagoswitching.com/forum/index.php?topic=516.msg2174
Maybe I'm imagining it but I could swear the initial build of the park did include a railroad tribute (as seen in the diagram further down on that page). I recall some sort of rail-bed graphic in the playground surface, aligned with the actual ROW...
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Service was cut back to Melrose Avenue circa 1981 with enough track left to serve as a tail when working Reed Candy just south of Belmont. Isolated tracks were left in place in various spots north of Melrose including a section at what is now Margaret Donahue Park which was taken up about ten years ago when the park was built. The vision for the original park was to retain the section of track and integrate it into the park with a marker talking about the railroad heritage of the Milwaukee Road in the neighborhood. At some point the Cubs got involved in funding the park which is named after a long time Cubs employee and the railroad heritage was shoved aside.
There was a building supply company that was served by the Milwaukee Road off Melrose alongside the east side of the tracks. At School Street was what looks to be a coal yard and tower. I believe there was also a piano factory near there too.
Awhile back I posted a couple pics of this plot on School when the track was still visible, just before the park was built- http://chicagoswitching.com/forum/index.php?topic=516.msg2174
Maybe I'm imagining it but I could swear the initial build of the park did include a railroad tribute (as seen in the diagram further down on that page). I recall some sort of rail-bed graphic in the playground surface, aligned with the actual ROW...
Your memory is correct, there was going to be recognition of the railroad in this park. I was asked to provide background information on it. Then the Cubs got involved and donated money so the railroad theme was discarded and it became a tribute to the Cubs and the former employee.