Freight Traffic

[GM]

Saw an empty Center Beam freight car in the yard by Lee Lumber on the UP line right on the Kennedy expressway. Haven\'t seen one there for most of the winter. Maybe warmer weather will pick up freight traffic especially for the hoppers by the concrete company by Lee Lumber. Imagine that those loads would be frozen and unable to discharge out of the hoppers lately with the cold. Haven\'t seen any activity by Mayfair Lumber in quite a while also.

North Ave yard is noticeably more crowded now with the yard ripped up by the Tribune Printing facility.

GM

[TBurke]

It\'s been covered before but not in a long time so I will mention it again for newcomers to the website.  The track that goes to Lee Lumber and the building material company was part of a branch line that once went all the way east to the ComEd facility at Addison Street and the Chicago River.  Some traces of the old viaduct can still be seen as well as some cut-off spurs if you look hard enough.  The tracks were in place until the late 1980s when they were removed on the eastern end.

UP also services a lumber yard right at the north quadrant of where the UP (C&NW) Northwest Line crosses the CP (Milw) North Line.  Sometimes you can see boxcars in there if you take a Metra train.  It\'s hard to see into the lumberyard from Lawrence Avenue and its street entrance.  

Another customer is the Newlywed Bakery on the Cragin Line.  I\'ve seen UP locomotives pulling a single pressurized hopper up the Northwest Line then shove it down the Cragin line, usually around 1PM.  It\'s easy to see from a Metra train or the Kennedy Expressway.

What\'s the status of the factory next to the Gladstone Park station?  It used to receive occasional tank cars but I haven\'t seen one in a long time.

[GM]

Going home tonight on the Kennedy it looked like two centerbeam car loads for Big Bay were set out at the yard by Sipi metals right by the switch to the Bloomingdale line. Looked as if a Monday delivery. Noticed Gondola loads by FInkl also throughout the week.

Any news of new businesses that may be served in the near future? Wonder if they are actively seeking out new business or regaining old business like Carbit Paint. There must be some businesses that could benefit from rail delivery vs trucks given gas prices these
days. A Team Track would certainly help out local sites from long haul traffic.

GM

[raisin]

3 cars at Big Bay on Sunday when I drove by.  One of the cars is so far down the road, it\'s hard to believe the guys at Big Bay move the stuff from the car to the store.  It\'s almost a full block away.  I\'m guessing they use forklifts or something.  

I\'d love to be there someday when they are unloading the cargo.

[JohnColeman]

That\'s interesting that those cars are all at Big Bay.  For about a week and a half there has been a growing string of gondolas on the approach parallel to sipi metals.  As of yesterday there were 9 cars I believe.  

Is it that these cars are not needed yet by finkl or general iron, or that the CTR can\'t keep up?  It doesn\'t look like their engine had moved in all that time, but maybe they are bringing cars to Big Bay and leaving the others for later.  

I ride the Metra UP Northline most days, so I usually get to see the yard twice each day!

[GM]

Activity at Mayfair Lumber off the UP. First time in awhile I have seen a centerbeam car in the lumber yard. Saw int from the Milwaukee North Metra Line on Friday night, didn\'t notice it their on Thursday. Freight traffic should start picking up.

GM

[GM]

As of Friday night saw 2 more empty center beam cars in the yard at Mayfair Lumber from the Metra on the way home. Looks like the housing season may be starting to take off. 3 cars I\'ve seen in one week.

Noticed alot of car activity at Big Bay lumber also. Hopefully they can get a few more clients to save what is left of the line. Maybe they are just going to concentrate on the Bensenville Industrial Park area only.

GM

[GM]

The yard was full tonight by Lee Lumber with about 20 hoppers of sand for Prarie Materials ( I believe that\'s the concrete company located there).

Also quite a few gondolas sitting in the yard by Sipi metals. Finkl seems to be very busy these days when I go by.

GM

[raisin]

Two box cars outside Big Bay this weekend.

[GM]

Riding to work on my bike on Elston, say two loaded centerbeam cars on the curve approaching the Bloomingdale Line & bridge over Elston probably for Big Bay.

GM

[raisin]

I haven\'t seen any cars at Big Bay for a couple of weeks now.

[JohnColeman]

There is a full center beam car in the North Ave yard as of this afternoon. I would assume this is going to Big Bay.  Although I guess it could also be going to Lee Lumber?

[TBurke]

I suppose business is down for both Lee Lumber and Big Bay Lumber given the housing slump and the recession...it might translate into fewer deliveries for both.

[JohnColeman]

As of 5:45pm today there were three full center beam cars and the CTR engine sitting on the approach to the Bloomingdale line next to Sipi Metals.  Either a very late delivery today, or first thing tomorrow I imagine.

[D. Kaniuk]

On Saturday, went down to Big bay, there are 3 empty centerbeam cars in the street. One car in front of Big Bay and 2 cars down the street.