C&NW Spur Remnant

[themats]

I was at the movie theater at 2600 N. Western, and remembered seeing a spur coming off of the C&NW line back in the days of my youth when the theater wasn\'t there and the land was occupied by a Zayre store. After the movie, I grabbed my camera, and, sure enough, the ramp coming off of the elevated ROW is still there, and there is rail in the ground as well. Photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36106399@N04/sets/72157626546406643/

Can anyone tell me:
1. If this spur had a specific name or the name of the industry it served.
2. If the industry I photographed (it\'s in the set of pictures) was also served.
3. A rough estimate of when it was last used.

Thanks,

Mike Murray
     

[TBurke]

Mike-

Good catch.

I have a separate site that chronicles the C&NW/UP Northwest Line with an all-time listing of industries.  Not sure if you had seen it before.  Not perfect, but it compiles information from a variety of sources.  Scroll down to the spreadsheet section.

http://sites.google.com/site/cnwnorthwestline/

You might also check out Historic Aerials.  Choose the view for 1973 for address 2600 North Western Avenue, Chicago, and it appears that a freight car is on a spur alongside a building at that address so that gives us at least one date for active rail service.

http://www.historicaerials.com/

I will do some more checking.  

My recollection is that the industries on the east side of the Northwest Line were pretty much gone by the early 1990s along with the tracks that served them.

Tom