Trackage South of Grand Ave.

[RPSmith]

Ok we know that the Bobtail Swing Bridge South of Grand Ave., on the Kingsbury Branch, was removed in 1973, but what about the Trackage from Grand Ave. to the Bridge? When was it removed, same time as the Bridge or later?

Reason I ask is, even if the Trackage was removed a short time later, it would sure make a great time period for modeling the Kingsbury Branch.

\"Persevando\"

[tom mann]

hmmm....good question.  The health club parking lot has some rails still showing in places, and signs that in others the rails were just paved over.

I believe Bill Denton models three tracks in this area on his Kingsbury branch layout.

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Thomas Mann
http://www.chicagoswitching.com

[tom mann]

Forgot to mention that, as an aside, I recently learned that the MILW served the North American Cold Storage Building just south of the swing bridge.  There was a 90 degree crossing with CNW\'s Navy Pier Line in this area.

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Thomas Mann
http://www.chicagoswitching.com

[tom burke]

A single track was left in service south of Grand Avenue after 1973 for access to two industries along the eastern side of Kingsbury.  I believe Kircheimer Bros. was the last rail-served industry and at least as late as 1980 it received carloads off the Milwaukee Road.

There were unused and often isolated tracks in place both north and south of Grand Avenue on the C&E line until 1985 when the City of Chicago completely rebuilt this section of Kingsbury.  By then only Wallace Press still received carload freight by rail (boxcars) so the new Kingsbury alignment only had one track in the rebuilt street to reach Wallace and the end of the line at Grand Ave.  A runaround track was put in place just north of Erie for switching.

If you look hard in the parking lot of the East Bank Club you can see some remains of Milwaukee Road tracks south of Grand Ave, though as of 10/31 a new blob of asphalt covered most of the best remaining section of track (and brick pavers) right by the lot entrance off Kingsbury.