Possible picture of Milwuakee Road near Wrigely

[cnwnorthline]

I was shopping at a Target with my family today and I saw an old picture of Wrigley Field.  I\'ve never been completely sure about the Milwaukee Road tracks in the area but it really looks like there is a crossing on the left side and a N&W open hopper to the right of the street light in this picture:

http://www.target.com/s/191-2414413-2367404?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=tgt-index&keywords=wrigley%20flied&ref=sr_bx%5F1%5F1&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchPage=1

If you\'re burning time in Target check it out.

-Matt

[robertmroman]

Yeah, that is interesting. I think someone posted (here?) a photo of roughly the same spot from a few years earlier. That is a crossing gate in the background, and this photo does show much more clearly than the other photo that the cylindrical structures in the background are grain elevators (or, at least, there\'s a sign that seems to be advertising Pillsbury Cake), but I\'m not sure about the hopper car. In front of the grain elevator is another structure that has a sign that seems to advertise the Collins & West Coal Company. But that\'s only what this geezer\'s feeble eyes think they can discern.
be well,
bob roman

[TBurke]

Yes, the Milwaukee Road did pass right in front of Wrigley Field until 1973 when service was cut back to School Street.  There were two main tracks plus a spur for the coal yard and another spur used as a team track that ran alongside the west side of the ballpark almost to where the ticket offices are.

The 1995 Milwaukee Railroader magazine article on this line features a picture of an SW switcher paused in front of Wrigley Field with the Cubby Bear in the background.  You can also see the bumping post for the team track.

You can see where the tracks ran as they cut across Clark and Addison then headed due north at Waveland to the interchange with the CTA at Irving Park Road.  In the past year the Cubs laid new asphalt over the exposed track in the sidewalk on the south side of Waveland by the NW corner of the ballpark.  You can still see the rise where the buried tracks cross Waveland however.

The Cubs themselves were a rail-served customer for a time, receiving boxcars of bats each spring.

The Milwaukee Road crossed at grade the Clark Street line of the Chicago Surface Lines (CSL).