Flashback to 1988-Video of a Ride on C&NW Commuter Train on the North Line

[TBurke]

http://www.cnwnorthline.com/play_mp4_1.html

Cool video from 1988 taken by Eric Ellis WHEN HE WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL that in part one captures the entire distance from the C&NW passenger terminal in Chicago up to the Braeside station in Highland Park.  I took a few notes and saw-

1:31 minutes into it the Lake Street L bridge.

2:32 the bascule bridge of the C&NW line to the Sun-Times printing press.

4:38 boxcars for the Tribune and Sun-Times-look at how many more there are than today!

5:57 North Avenue Yard

6:50 Tower CY and the crossing with the former Milwaukee Road Bloomingdale Line, then operated by the Soo Line (CP Rail)

9:30 spur that left the North Line and crossed Ashland to reach a scrapyard and cement plant.

10:21 spur to Chicago Transparent Products-the last rail served customer on the North Line in Chicago. 

10:45 spur to the former Stewart-Warner plant.  A few seconds earlier another spur is shown on the east side that led to fuel oil dealers off Ashland and north of Diversey.

12:15...OK you sleuths what industry did this spur serve?  I am stumped.

15:27 spur to Temple Steel

16:48 spur to S&C Electric

25:17 southern leg of wye with the C&NW Weber Line.  By this date it had already been cut back to McCormick Blvd and south of Oakton, on the west side of the North Shore Channel. 

25:21 tower that controlled movements between the North Line (Old Line) and the Weber Line

34:59 former CNS&M (North Shore Line) interurban Shore Line route right of way on the left or east.

36:00 foundation of former North Shore Line passenger platform.

[themats]

I'd also add:

9:23-9:29 is the spur that went down the east side of the embankment and crossed Ashland.

9:38 it crosses the former Strawberry line.

Thanks for the link!

Mike Murray

[TBurke]

Here's another clue at to that industry at 10:15 running time in the video.  The location is Montrose Avenue between the L tracks and the C&NW North Line.  I found this picture using www.historicaerials.com from 1973.  You can see the spur drop down to ground level and run alongside the eastern edge of the buildings.  Then at some point it looks like another track enters the property and potentially into a building. 

[chrism]

I never knew S&C was rail served.

[TBurke]

Yes and using Google satellite view you can still see some of the plant trackage at their Rogers Park site.

[TBurke]

Super railroad sleuth Doug Kaniuk identified the industry at Montrose as Schulhof Co,  4243 N Honroe - Plumbing and Heating

12:15...is where the spur comes down off the North Line in the video.  It has an interesting track arrangement which had to fit into a tight space with two different tail tracks.