Author Topic: Clybourn Avenue question  (Read 2864 times)

Chooch1

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Clybourn Avenue question
« on: March 17, 2009, 01:03:36 PM »
Hi,

I\'m new to this forum. This is a great site with a wealth of fascinating information. I was travelling by taxi last night (3/16/09)around 6pm heading north/northwest? on Clyboun Avenue. Maybe a block or two north of the Goose Island Brewery there is a spur track that crosses Clybourn from some street trackage.The track terminates at an industry on the west side of Clybourn behind a chain link fence and there was a gondola parked at the insustry. I haven\'t been down Clybourn in a while but I had never noticed this track before. Does anybody know what the insustry is and how does the track that leads there connect to North Avenue yard? Is this industry switched by the Chicago Terminal RR? I didn\'t realize there was any intact trackage north of North Avenue. Quite honestly all the angled streets in that area can be confusing.
 

Cway

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Clybourn Avenue question
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2009, 08:05:32 PM »
Good day,

It sounds like you are talking about Sipi Metals. There is a spur that has a chain linked fence. I am not sure who services the spur,but I want to say Chicago Terminal. If you go to the main page of this site,click on BLOOMINGDALE LINE and you will see some pics of what you might have seen...

Cway
 

Chooch1

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Clybourn Avenue question
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2009, 10:03:58 AM »
Thanks. I thought the Bloomingdale line was either abandoned or is awaiting abandonment. My understanding is that Sipi Metals is right next to the CNW/Metra mainline just north of North Avenue Yard near where the Bloomingdale diamond was. The diamond has been removed. This spur I saw crossed Clybourn about 2 blocks north of the location where the Goose Island Brewery is. I was in a cab so I only got a quick glance. There was also some street trackage to the east of Clybourn. It looked fairly new to me but as I said I only got a quick glance. I might have to drive there myself to verify the exact location and maybe take some pictures as well.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2009, 10:07:43 AM by Chooch1 »
 

Chooch1

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Clybourn Avenue question
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2009, 11:43:17 AM »
I looked at a map on the Chicago Terminal web site and I saw that the spur track I saw comes off of Lakewood Ave. street trackage. Would the company with the gondola be Finkl?
 

TBurke

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Clybourn Avenue question
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2009, 08:58:43 PM »
If you were crossing Clybourn in a taxi and drove across tracks a few blocks northwest of the Goose Island Brewery than you went across the dormant (but not legally abandoned) \"Chicago & Evanston\" or C&E line of the Chicago Terminal.  

It was operated by the Milwaukee Road until its 1985 purchase by the Soo Line.  The Soo Line used it to service Peerless Confectionary and staring in January of 2007, by the Chicago Terminal shortline railroad.  Unfortunately Peerless shut down a few months later.

Finkl Steel\'s main connection with the Chicago Terminal is off Kingsbury Street.  Are you sure you weren\'t on Kingsbury instead of Clybourn?  It\'s hard to see the fenced off area where freight cars are spotted in Finkl\'s property from Clybourn.

In the middle of the street on Kingsbury, about a half block north of Cortland, the track divides into two with a switch in the pavement.  The track that goes north and crosses Clybourn is the C&E line.  

The track that continues northwest on Kingsbury and past Southport is the remmant of the former Milwaukee Road Deering Line.  At one the Deering Line meandered northwest along the east bank of the Chicago River, crossing Fullerton Avenue and entering the Deering Industrial Area.  Now all that is left of the Deering Line is short segment that only goes as far as Dominick Street, with enough of a tail track left in place for backup moves into Finkl Steel.

Like the C&E Line, the Deering Line was another Milwaukee Road freight branch line that was taken over by the Soo Line in 1985 then by the Chicago Terminal in January of 2007.
 

Chooch1

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Clybourn Avenue question
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2009, 10:23:32 AM »
I\'m pretty sure I was on Clybourn. I could see the street trackage that I assume was the Lakewood line you indicated that was used to service Peerless. I\'ll try to get by there soon to establish the location better in my mind and maybe take some pictures. I could easily see a parked gondola behind a fence from the street from my passing cab. I was suprised to see it. I\'ll report back after I get over to that area again. Thanks for the reply.