Messages

1

General Discussion / 12/28/06-Business Strong on the C&E Line

« on: January 02, 2007, 11:47:56 AM »

I was at Peerless on 12/28 and was not alone. There were three other railfans, (including a car full of Chicago\'s finest) watching the CP crew drop off their last cars. Funny thing, Peerless wasn\'t even open.

2

General Discussion / Goose Island team track

« on: May 25, 2006, 11:34:34 AM »

I also recall seeing the team track used to load and unload corn!! into trucks where the Waste Manangement facility is now.

3

General Discussion / Proctor & Gamble

« on: May 25, 2006, 11:32:29 AM »

Yes, C&NW was always bringing in covered hoppers which I\'m sure carried raw materials. I never saw any railcars with what I would guess to be finished goods.

4

General Discussion / Chicago Tribune Yard...

« on: January 02, 2006, 03:11:27 PM »

This just an educated guess on my part. But now that the Sun-Times has moved its presses to the suburbs, the UP no longer has to provide newsprint service to the Sun-Times building on the Chicago River. Perhaps some of the Tribune\'s yard was used for storing cars for the S-T. That would free up some track space at the Trib. Anyone else have thoughts?

CNW - Route of the Kate Shelley

5

General Discussion / Proctor & Gamble

« on: August 30, 2005, 06:18:05 PM »

I noticed in Tom Burke\'s recent photo study, he mentioned the Milwaukee Road serving the Proctor & Gamble plant on North Avenue. I often passed this plant when it was still operating. Often at night, the C&NW would be switching cars in & out of the plant, and onto Magnolia Ave. Am I correct in understanding that MILW accessed the plant from the north side via the spur track that curves though Sipi Metals parking lot, then down Wabansia?

6

General Discussion / The Sandman lives!

« on: June 27, 2005, 11:22:14 AM »

It is apparent that with summer being here, construction is at a fenzied pace in Chicago. As I passed Pioneer again on Friday morning. I noted that the lumber cars were now gone, and the sand pile was completely gone. Perhaps a train load of sand would be here soon.
Saturday morning: it\'s baack! The sand train, that is. Two notable differences: 1)There two U.P. locos at the south end of the Lee/Pioneer team track, probably because Metra is on its weekend schedule so less interference with them, and  2)In the past the cars used for this service were tuscan red in color with \"Union Pacific\" spelled out; these cars are turquoise in color with just the U.P. shield on them.

7

General Discussion / The Sandman lives!

« on: June 22, 2005, 02:49:56 PM »

Passed Lee & Pioneer this morning (wednesday). The aggregate cars are all gone, the lumber cars remain, altough they have been unloaded.

KAw

8

General Discussion / The Sandman lives!

« on: June 21, 2005, 05:11:34 PM »

I pass Lee Lumber (Kimball, just east of I90/94) daily to and from work. I just re-read Taylor Rich\'s description of the activities there. I remember the Ex-DMIR ore jennies that C&NW used to provide sand to Lee and Pioneer.
As I passed Lee on this Monday morning, I noted to myself that the sand pile looked low.
This morning (Tuesday) there were approx. 16 U.P. Aggregate cars and two lumber cars on the siding by Lee. This move must be at night, because I have never seen any locomtives in the vicinity. My prediction is that the cars will be gone tomorrow morning. It is nice to know that some things are remarkedly constant in this busy high speed age.

KAW

9

Modeling / Modeling the CNW Navy Pier Line

« on: May 16, 2005, 08:06:25 PM »

I worked in the area inthe late 70\'s. The plant was definitely called Sucrest and I recall there was a large tank there filled with ? (sorry..). The Kraft Foods building on Peshtigo Court between Grand Ave. and Illinois Street was strictly offices in the 70\'s, but had been a manufacturing facility in the late 50\'s/60\'s. There were tracks just south of Grand Avenue near where McClurg Court now goes through to N. Water. This could be used instead of Curtiss.
I recall seeing C&NW switching newsprint cars out of the Tribune onto the tracks at North Pier. I think they were using SW\'s. Somewhere i have photos of the cops towing cars off the tracks.

Hope this helps.

KAW >