Recent Posts

51

General Discussion / Railfanning at Tribune Freedom Center - Sun-Times Article

« Last post by TribuneFreightFanatic on December 25, 2022, 11:25:43 PM »

Hi All,

My N scale model railroad layout of the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center was recently profiled in the Chicago Sun-Times. It's a huge honor to be featured in this way-- quite the full-circle moment for my little layout that I started nearly 10 years ago. I've linked the article below. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2022/12/8/23499878/freedom-center-model-chicago-trains-railroads-halsted-steinberg

52

General Discussion / Video of ROW in 70s

« Last post by themats on July 10, 2022, 06:20:57 PM »

If anyone is in David Harrison's 'L' / CHICAGO ELEVATED FB group, he posted a nice b/w video of the northside L in the 70s.  Starting at the 2:50 mark, there is a clip of a combined 6000s/5-50s train going over the MILW ROW on the Ravenswood.  There are additional clips of the MILW crossing at Addison and Buena yard.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3027704194214804

Cheers,

Mike

53

General Discussion / Re: What's going on at North Ave. Yard?

« Last post by TBurke on November 28, 2021, 07:57:26 PM »

UP stopped using the North Avenue yard in June of last year as a base for local freight operations as business dried up. Remaining freight work is now done directly out of Proviso Yard. From what I can tell the North Avenue yard is now just a staging area for MOW work on the Northwest and North lines.

I wonder how long until UP sells off the excess land at the North Avenue yard for development as it adjoins the Lincoln Yards mega residential and retail project?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/39092860@N06/49999302378/in/photolist-2jpQrLD-2jbBEkf-2jccZiV-2jch4dj-2jbguDy-2jbguBQ-2jbkszQ-2ipgbjv-2fnzuxV

54

General Discussion / What's going on at North Ave. Yard?

« Last post by GM on November 22, 2021, 04:52:20 PM »

Saw a lot of crew working on North Ave. yard off of Kennedy by Morton Salt. Are they laying new yard track or ripping it up?

55

General Discussion / "New" Freight Customer on the West Side?

« Last post by TBurke on November 16, 2021, 08:24:21 PM »

I stopped by yesterday and got some shots of Marcell's Paper & Metal Recycling at 4221 West Ferdinand and got some pictures of a pair of boxcars on a spur that runs between the street and the building and which is attached to UP. At another site I presume they operate at 4330 West Ohio Street were more boxcars on a different spur that comes off what is left of the connection to the Cragin Line which is abandoned on its southern end.

Are they a relatively new customer?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/39092860@N06/51684298402

https://www.flickr.com/photos/39092860@N06/51682683301/in/dateposted-public/

56

General Discussion / Re: Chicago Ave pics

« Last post by TBurke on October 20, 2021, 04:15:01 PM »

Nice catch.

57

General Discussion / Chicago Ave pics

« Last post by themats on September 22, 2021, 08:51:07 AM »

The Trolley Dodger, a fantastic photo resource, has a couple of pics of Chicago Ave. trackage in the latest post:

https://thetrolleydodger.com/2021/09/21/old-and-improved/

They're 27 pics in, about 1/3 of the way down the post.

58

Modeling / Railroad Model Craftsman Features "Kingsbury Line" June 2021

« Last post by TBurke on June 02, 2021, 02:51:35 PM »

The latest issue of RMC features an HO layout supposedly based on the Kingsbury Line aka C&E Line in Chicago in the Chicago Terminal era. It's full of nicely done street trackage but it does not resemble any of the actual industries or settings that CTM served. The author is clear that they were not going for a full-on prototype model but instead wanted to capture the feel of the former CTM operations.

The layout was built by a newly reconstituted model railroad club at Illinois Tech formerly known as the Illinois Institute of Technology.

59

Modeling / Re: HO Chicago Terminal SW8

« Last post by TBurke on June 02, 2021, 02:45:34 PM »

That is really good. I saw it on Flickr also.

60

General Discussion / Re: Online Collection of Milwaukee Road Track Diagrams of C&E, Deering, Etc. Lines

« Last post by TBurke on May 12, 2021, 08:24:35 AM »

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.