Will they survive?

[Cway]

Hello all,

Now that the Chicago Terminal Railroad is operating over ex-Soo/CP rails,does anybody think that they will draw new business or will it just fold up and the Kingsbury District will be no more? I\'m asking because Finkl is moving,Peerless is shutting down soon,etc...
     I remember when Azko Salts used to have about 20-25 hoppers going down Cherry Street back in the \'90s...I also remember reefer cars staged by the old Proctor and Gamble plant as well as Waste Management...

Cway

[cnwnorthline]

Hi,

I\'ve been having the same thoughts as you.  However, talking with the crew yesterday I think we can look forward to more growth.  They are all extremely optimistic about the future.  I think part of the problem is the CP just didn\'t try.  He didn\'t want to mention anything specfic but throught the conversations he mentioned they have several industries that might appear on the S. Kingsbury line and possibly one north of Peerless on N. Kingsbury.  And, I don\'t think this is blind hope because the guy I talked helps new shortlines get started as a job.  So, he knows his stuff.  There are rumors of heading S. on Goose Island, pass Big Bay, through the stop sign that is in the middle of the track and more.  Things should be interesting.  Bud, don\'t take chances, take pictures!

-Matt

[Ian]

North of Peerless?

ok then....

Anyway.....obviously I hope they do well....but street running in a city that is more and more residentializing......(I know I didnt spell that right....).....how much more can they possibly do?

[TBurke]

Did the previous post mean \"north of Peerless on Lakewood?\"  If so that could be tough since the tracks are completely paved over north of Diversey.  At Berry Street Lakewood now dead-ends at a berm and new sidewalk, before continuing on the other side.  North of Berry the tracks were removed before repaving.

On a line roughly even with the north sidewalk on Diversey, about a foot of rail was removed from each of the two rails around 1984 when Milwaukee Road stopped going north of Peerless, after Reed Candy shut down and pulled out.  Probably some ICC requirement to prevent train operations over an out-of-service track.  That would mean that the pavement would have to be removed and new rails installed, or at least segments welded into place.

[mark_k]

Tom, I think you\'re referring to W. Barry Avenue not Berry Street.

[cnwnorthline]

Hi,

Yeah, I realized I meant north on the Lakewood branch.  Sorry, I\'m just beginning to make sense of this part of town.  This was my first (and last) time catching a train to Peerless so I didn\'t always know where I was going.

-Matt

[TBurke]

Yes, I meant Barry Avenue, good catch.  

Normally I drop the \"West\" when referring to a Chicago street on the North Side since virtually all North Side addresses are \"west.\"  The only \"east\" ones would be south of North Avenue and east of State Street.

[mark_k]

quote:Originally posted by TBurke

Yes, I meant Barry Avenue, good catch.  

Normally I drop the \"West\" when referring to a Chicago street on the North Side since virtually all North Side addresses are \"west.\"  The only \"east\" ones would be south of North Avenue and east of State Street.

South of north, but east of Western. Got it.  lol

[raisin]

I think any service on Lakewood north of Peerless would run into community opposition.  The neighborhood is different now and rail service doesn\'t fit into what the yuppies ideas about their property values.  Goose Island, Kingsbury, any place where rails are currently active (or at least not buried under the pavement) I think is doable.  But, I\'d be surprised to see any more Lakewood service after Peerless goes.

[JohnColeman]

After Peerless closes I don\'t think there really is anything left to service on the Lakewood branch.  The the ROW is built over with a strip mall at Belmont.  South of that I can\'t think of any idustrial sites until Clyborn.  Am I forgetting something?  The only think I can think of is maybe where the run around track is between Fullerton and Wrightwood.

I live at Lakewood and Fletcher in the townhouses that replaced the Reed Candy factory.  I don\'t think the train hurts anyones\' property values and I persoanlly would be thrilled to see trains on travel up this far on Lakewood again!