Track removal on Google Maps

[tom mann]

Thought I would take a virtual tour and see what has changed.  I was surprised to see the Kingsbury track removal project.

[Brianbobcat]

According to Google Earth, the current shots were taken March 12, 2012.  The weird, and sad, thing to me, is that I didn't find out about this project until April 6th, which by then most of the main track had already been removed.  I was able to go out and still get some good shots for a project I'm doing, but not of the main line itself.  Why was there seemingly no advanced notice of the removal, especially by other users on this site?  I snooze I lose, I guess.

[TribuneFreightFanatic]

Take a scroll on over to the Tribune Yard while on this link to peep some good old Newsprint Switching! 

[Brianbobcat]

Another interesting thing to take note of are the tracks across Halsted & DIvision.  The city removed about 1/3 of them during the repaving for the new Halsted Bridge, but not the remaining part.  Now with the Kingsbury work, I woulda though the rest would go with that, but so far, they seem to be using the stretch of Kingsbury between Scott and Division as a staging area.

Speaking of Tribune, anyone have word on why the amount of trackage in the Tribune yard has been decreased over the years?  I take it they probably don't need as many cars and thus tracks anymore, so my guess is that as maintenance was needed, tracks were just removed and simplified rather than being replaced.

[TBurke]

It's too damn depressing for me to see what track has been removed!   

[TribuneFreightFanatic]

@BrianBobcat...
You got it. Due to the decreasing supply of newspapers (all the new electronics and e-books takin over recently),
 The Tribune required less freight cars of the paper supply. So they removed several track segments in 2007 and stored the newsprint cars at the North Ave. Yard. Besides that, I'm guessing that the closing of the Sun times plant by Merchandise Mart in the early 2000's added to the decrease as well. It's sad to see this slow and gradual decrease in fright service. [Speaking of removal] The question I have for everybody is why did they get rid of most of the CN cars and replace them with CP and Ont. Northern cars suddenly? Back in the day, all you would see in the yard was CN and CV. ((any answers??)) Anyways, hope this helps. 

[haggar]

Speaking of Tribune, Grand Avenue yard was packed with cars today.  Saw them pull a cut out of the building around 9:40 in the morning.
In regards to the CN and CV cars, they have sadly been scrapped. They were built late 60s to early 70s.  The only ones left might be left are the 1973 lot of DW&P cars, but I haven't seen one in a long time.
I spent many hours in the Grand Avenue yard taking pictures and measurements of those CN, CV, and DW&P cars.  Lots of variations, repaints, etc. I drew up computer artwork for HO scale decals which I had Microscale print up.  I have other boxcar decals available: CNW/ROCK, Milwaukee Road PS 5344, 2 sets of Wicsonsin Central, Escanaba and Lake Superior "blue bullets".  Currently working on Wisconsin and Southern, Green Bay and Western, Marinette Tomahawk and Western boxcars.  Got tired of not having the correct decals available, so I learned Adobe Illustrator and took matters into my own hands.  I want to eventually build a layout of Northern Wisconsin, but I'd also like to so a Kingsbury/Goose Island type of thing too.
My decals can be viewed at:

 http://wc2scale.org/index.php/marketplace/17-decals

I also may have mentioned I occasionally work on the elevators in the Trib and I have some great hi-def footage of switching operations including some filmed on the actual Tribune property.  One day I'll get around to posting them, lots of problems with computer lately.

Joe

[TribuneFreightFanatic]

Joe,
Thanks for the fast reply-- that makes total sense. Glad to hear there's some action at the yard this week-- I was there a few weeks ago to watch their good-old morning switch as well. As far as your photos and videos, definitely post them when you can!! I would love to see some older photos of the yard from before they scrapped the CN's and tore up the extra tracks.   
                                                       

[haggar]

Most of my pics are detail shots of car lettering I took for decal artwork research.  I think I do have a few overall car shots though.  I also have some Soo switching Big Bay and Akzo from the late 90s that I'll have to scan.  As for the Tribune movies, they are only recent from within the last 2 years.

Joe