Weather and time permitting, I often walk rather than take the North Avenue bus. This Tuesday my timing was just right, and a Chicago Terminal train came trundling south across North Avenue right after I reached the crossing.
Someone had opened the gate for them ahead of time, and there were no signs of any construction workers on the site. The train tip-toed across the bridge. Not that it ever hurries anyway.
It was a good size load. They had five cars: a gondola (not sure with or without a load), two loaded center-beam flats with plywood, and two more loaded gondolas.
These last two were interesting, an old C&NW and an old ConRail, both so rusted and battered they looked to be held together more from habit than construction. It wasnÕt clear what they were carrying was scrap or some manner of castings. I know there are incoming shipments of scrap, but is the CT getting any outgoing shipments of metal? IÕve seen gondolas on the train to Goose Island before, but theyÕve been empty.
I also wonder if CTÕs interchange is now solely with the Union Pacific or whether the Canadian Pacific occasionally sends some cars its way.
be well,
bob roman
