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General Discussion / Re: Finkl Steel's New South Side Plant-They Rebuilt Their Internal Railroad!
« on: February 20, 2016, 03:09:21 PM »
It looks like they kept at least one of their old Rail Cranes as well.
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17
General Discussion / Re: 1959 Aerial View of Milwaukee Road's C&E Line at Kinzie and Kingsbury
« on: January 10, 2016, 12:32:32 AM »
What a difference 17 years makes. Photo credit to the East Bank Club.
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General Discussion / Re: CNW Carroll Ave. bridge lowered!
« on: January 04, 2016, 11:30:44 PM »
When I found this during the spring, I was on my bike. When I do stuff like this on foot, I usually have time to talk myself out of possibly getting in a confrontation, like when I went to go back a couple weeks ago. On a bike I usually just ride though. When I walked under the sun-times building this winter, I actually did not see any security, either on foot or in a box.
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General Discussion / Re: CNW Carroll Ave. bridge lowered!
« on: November 30, 2015, 03:20:58 PM »
Awhile ago I followed the tracks under the building, through Carroll Ave. They ended in a 15ft high chain link fence under the Trump Tower. It was hard to tell, but behind the fence seemed to be rubble.
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General Discussion / Re: CNW Carroll Ave. bridge lowered!
« on: November 20, 2015, 01:30:49 PM »
This made my morning. Thanks for putting it up. Makes sense why they would do this out of tourist season. Has anyone else managed to catch it before?
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General Discussion / Re: Caboose at North Ave?
« on: October 29, 2015, 05:22:35 PM »
I do remember seeing that guy around North Ave a few times.
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General Discussion / Re: So what's left
« on: October 06, 2015, 06:50:24 PM »
Out of curiosity, what was the last business on the Kingsbury line? Was it Carbit Paint or that one-time Firewood dealer?
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General Discussion / Re: Better hurry up and see Moton Salt
« on: September 21, 2015, 08:27:08 PM »
I think it was either Medusa Cement or St. Marys Cement. As far as I know the ship was called the Medusa Challenger when it traveled up the main stem through downtown, and when it started calling out of Lake Calumet (where it still does today) it is called the St. Marys Challenger.
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General Discussion / Re: Better hurry up and see Moton Salt
« on: September 17, 2015, 06:43:51 PM »
That makes sense about the dredging. Up until the 1980's lake freighters used to come through downtown to service Tribune and a cement manufacturer (the Medusa Challenger supplied this) and they had to stop dredging cause of toxic sediments. I recall reading somewhere that Tribune would love to get shipments by water if they would be able to, but the sediments precludes them from doing so.
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General Discussion / Re: Better hurry up and see Moton Salt
« on: September 16, 2015, 06:19:44 PM »
Has rail been the only thing serving Morton, or have they had barge traffic as well? On a few river trips going past Morton, they had a dock (it is extremely corroded from heavy use), and all the unloading equipment, but I never saw anything moored there.
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General Discussion / Re: The End Of Finkl
« on: August 14, 2015, 11:31:36 PM »
This is as of yesterday morning. The rail-cranes and the ladles are all else that is left. This is the only structure either north or south of Cortland.
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General Discussion / Re: Central Illinois Railroad
« on: August 08, 2015, 12:57:49 PM »
I rode the CIR line from the interchange with the BNSF at Sangamon and 16th, all the way down Cermak and Blue Island, to the overpass at Western Avenue. All the Tracks Along this route were lightly overgrown, and looked like they had not been used for at least a year. The Switches at Kramer, Sims, and Battaglia had all been removed. The track that loops down to Domino Foods looked heavily used, and there were at least four covered hoppers down by the river. There is also an in-use siding that services LPI Distribution coming off this track. I talked to an employee at Kramer and he said there had not been any trains servicing there for a long time.
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General Discussion / Central Illinois Railroad
« on: July 25, 2015, 05:05:19 PM »
I was driving through Bridgeport today, and I saw that the tracks along Sangamon leading from the BNSF main line down to the Wye that the CIR used on Cermak had been pulled up. A week ago I saw that the tracks leading into the brickyard on 22nd place had also been torn up, and that seemed like the only customer on that area getting service (until recently.)
In addition, three weeks ago, I noticed that the former Norther Illinois RR tracks running parallel to 26th street were being pulled up. I am going to assume that all of the former CIR is now abandoned, except for the Elk Grove Village area.
In addition, three weeks ago, I noticed that the former Norther Illinois RR tracks running parallel to 26th street were being pulled up. I am going to assume that all of the former CIR is now abandoned, except for the Elk Grove Village area.
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General Discussion / Re: The End Of Finkl
« on: June 10, 2015, 08:54:34 PM »
They still had to clear out all of the nonmetal rubble, so I assume when they begin to ship out all the shattered brick and concrete they will be able to excavate the foundation, and below it. They have been operating there for over a hundred years, so I assume there must be quite a lot of contamination to dig out.
TBurke - They had already ripped out the tracks crossing Cortland when I was there in early March, and they hadn't had any of the tracks in the actual complex intact when I was there this week, so it looks like they have no future plans for the in-houe rail system.
TBurke - They had already ripped out the tracks crossing Cortland when I was there in early March, and they hadn't had any of the tracks in the actual complex intact when I was there this week, so it looks like they have no future plans for the in-houe rail system.
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General Discussion / Re: The End Of Finkl
« on: June 09, 2015, 11:37:39 PM »
Unless the CTM took the flats away at some unknown date I'll bet they were scrapped. I was glad to see the rail cranes still there, so hopefully they will be refurbished and reused either at Finkl's south plant or to a new owner.