Buena Yard Interchange

[Jsu]

I was just taking the red line north today when I saw that someone (I couldn't read their uniforms or see any identification) was in the last stages of demolishing the trestle leading from the Buena Yard to The Wilson Ave. station.  They had already torn down and hauled away the trestle proper, but they were still digging up the foundations.  They didn't seem to be taking away anything else, just the concrete trestle.

[Brianbobcat]

Yes, it's part of the Wilson station reconstruction.  The Truman College parking structure demolished half the trestle back in 2008, 2009-ish, and the rest is going now.  Does it need to go because something is going there?  No.  It's in between the original substation at Montrose and Clifton and the new substation immediately next to the tracks.  There were some rails still left on the trestle, there used to be a good view from the parking structure.  I've gotten video of the demolition for my project.  It won't be long until the section the Purple Line currently uses will be removed as the Machine Shop on the south side, and Wilson Broadway Mall on the north, are already gone.

[TBurke]

Piece by piece the old C&E Line is disappearing including its freight interchange with the CTA.

http://chicagoswitching.com/chicago/former-milwaukee-road-cp-rail-chicago-terminal/c-e-lakewood-branch/North-of-Belmont-1984-2002/

Here's a photo of the interchange bridge over Montrose in this sequence.

[Jsu]

I figured it was part of the massive Wilson station reconstruction.  I'm going up that way again tomorrow, so I'll try to get some pics.

[Brianbobcat]

Talking with one of the workers yesterday, they said it would be probably middle of next week that the remaining section comes down because they need to wait for ComEd to move some power lines first.

Tom, the embankment looks so much different after they had their way with it as a park vs the rail bed.  Nice photos.

[TBurke]

Thanks.  Here's another one that shows the Buena Yard in its heyday with the former MILW Graceland train station.

http://chicagoswitching.com/chicago/former-milwaukee-road-cp-rail-chicago-terminal/c-e-lakewood-branch/Montrose-Ave-Station-Graceland-Cemetary/

[Brianbobcat]

It's all down now.  The only thing left to remove is the hulking mass that sat just north of Montrose, but a jackhammer was tearing it apart all day today.  It's sad to see it go, but the Wilson Red Line really needs the reconstruction.

[Jsu]

Yes, its sad, but I agree its totally necessary.  The CTA inherited a huge variety of infrastructure in the stretch between Sheridan and Lawrence stations, and things just needed to be simplified and streamlined.

[mark_k]

Really it was on borrowed time since 1973 so amazing it actually lasted this long.