Recent Posts

1

General Discussion / Re: Pulling Up Lakewood

« Last post by TribuneFreightFanatic on February 03, 2025, 08:22:19 PM »

Fellow Chicago Switching member Tom Burke was featured in this 01/23/25 WBEZ 'Reset' interview, offering additional reflections on the Lakewood branch

https://www.wbez.org/reset-with-sasha-ann-simons/2025/01/23/where-chicagos-l-meets-the-railroad-a-history-is-dug-up-in-lincoln-park

2

General Discussion / Re: Alpha Baking

« Last post by TribuneFreightFanatic on February 03, 2025, 08:16:07 PM »

Happy to report that Alpha still receives hopper cars. Caught the UP crew switching out cars a couple weeks ago.

Unsure whether or not Alpha's rail-served days are numbered at that facility. They could continue for years to come, but given the state of other Northside switching operations, the future seems rather uncertain.

3

General Discussion / North Ave Trolleybus

« Last post by themats on February 02, 2025, 09:55:56 AM »

The fantastic trolleydodger Facebook page has posted a couple of photos of the North Ave trolleybus next to Proctor & Gamble and also at Kingsbury.  Check them out.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=9585986921412939&set=pcb.2360991540944237

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=9585987918079506&set=pcb.2360991540944237

Mike

4

General Discussion / Alpha Baking

« Last post by cnwnorthline on January 30, 2025, 01:38:41 PM »

Hi,

We've all heard about the demise of the Tribune and Blommer.  I haven't heard anything about Alpha Baking.  Any word on whether they're still rail served or not?

-Matt

5

General Discussion / Pulling Up Lakewood

« Last post by chuck on January 02, 2025, 08:47:31 PM »

https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/01/02/century-old-railroad-tracks-in-lincoln-park-are-being-removed-but-their-history-remains/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2ET1TdCq7EDng9VPty_U-jyCjLXEs0oxKRH1Ebe56nYQCoVK5NR85HbZM_aem_N61v1LMEUxfCF3f2WKV2Xg

6

General Discussion / Is The City Reviving Efforts To Build El Paseo Trail In Pilsen?

« Last post by TBurke on November 24, 2024, 05:55:50 PM »

Apparently BNSF still owns the land.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/11/19/is-the-city-reviving-efforts-to-build-el-paseo-trail-in-pilsen/

7

General Discussion / Re: Cool Video of Boxcars inside the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center Being Unloaded

« Last post by haggar on July 08, 2024, 06:49:55 PM »

Great catch Tom. I saved a pic a while back of this.   Apparently it's a grab from this video.

Joe

8

General Discussion / Re: Chicago Tribune Freedom Center switching videos

« Last post by TBurke on July 07, 2024, 04:20:50 PM »

Thanks for posting them.

Interesting time capsules with so many boxcars being shoved into the Freedom Center. I didn't see a conductor ride the lead boxcar.

And even by 2011 the Grand Avenue Yard tracks are empty. I recall even into the early 2000s those tracks were full of boxcars.

At the one minute mark on the first video I see there was no fence yet installed along Union Avenue where it makes the curve. I had to climb through a hole in the fence to get pictures of the same scene in the last few years and look out for the homeless encampment below the Ontario/Ohio ramps.

At 1:33 in part three it looks like a man is walking toward you dressed in black. Was that a UP crew member of a security guard from the Freedom Center? I noticed the video abruptly stopped as he got close LOL.

9

General Discussion / Chicago Tribune Freedom Center switching videos

« Last post by haggar on July 07, 2024, 02:54:03 PM »

I added some Tribune switching videos to my youtube channel. Not the best quality but I uploaded because there are so few videos of this operation. I have some more from an HD camera that I'll get around to sometime.
My youtube channel:  https://youtube.com/@joeavey173?si=3wdTiG2N5lu75YvR

10

General Discussion / Cool Video of Boxcars inside the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center Being Unloaded

« Last post by TBurke on July 05, 2024, 11:44:56 AM »

I came across this promotional video which shows Crown forklifts being used in the Freedom Center some six years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47etZQhbgpE

Of interest is the long string of boxcars, some five or more. The forklift goes inside one of them to retrieve a roll of newsprint.

The last delivery of newsprint to the Freedom Center was in April. The Tribune has until the end of July to vacate the premises then demolition may start as soon as August to prepare for the new Bally's Casino. It is in the permitting stage.

Print production of the Tribune and other newspapers like the Sun-Times, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal is now done at the former Daily Herald printing press in Schaumburg which Tribune parent Alden bought in 2023. That much smaller facility is served by CPKC via a long lead.