I had a chance to take a drive through the former Lumber District today on Cermak and the nearby area. Looks like the tracks are totally gone east of Halsted Street along Cermak and Lumber Street-as in removed, paved over, regraded. It's like they never existed. They left behind a signal box at the SW corner of Halsted and Cermark that once operated the crossing signals.
Colonial Lumber had a boxcar on its spur just west of Halsted. However the H. Kramer smelter spur that cuts across Cermak looks like it has not been used in a very long time from the mud and debris on the track and the rusty condition of the rails. Does anyone know if it is permanently stopping the use of rail? I know they had to reach a settlement last year over the air pollution they were putting out and had to install scrubbers.
A spur is still retained off the main track alongside the south side of Cermak just west of Morgan for what appears to be a scrapyard. All other spurs in the immediate area were severed recently (except for the tail track and spur into Colonial Brick) so hopefully a new rail customer will open up there.
