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Chicago Terminal spotted these gondolas on the former C&E line between Belden and Webster in May of 2009. Within weeks they were covered in graffiti as seen in these photos from June 2, 2009. Later in June they were moved by Chicago Terminal to other locations on their tracks. It was the first movement of trains on the line north of Clybourn since the private car movement in August 2008 up to the former Peerless spur.

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This photo from June 22, 2009, shows the attempt by the Chicago Terminal to clear the pavement off the rails that was put there by the adjacent car wash and gas station which probably assumed the tracks were abandoned.

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More gondolas parked at the southern end of the Chicago Terminal's tracks on the strip of land between Kingsbury and Halsted.

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Gondolas parked on the former Peerless Confectionary spur along Lakewood Avenue. According to the petition filed by the Chicago Terminal they are leased for customers Finkl, Sipi, and General Iron Industries and due to the recession they are being stored. The switch mechanism looks badly damaged so it must have taken some work by the train crew to crowbar the switch points open enough to shove the cars down the spur. These photos date from June 22, 2009

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This June 26, 2009, photos show a string of four gondolas which were shoved onto this stretch of track for storage. There's room for two more gondolas. The lead gondola derailed. It was apparent that the wheels on the gondolas were riding on pavement and packed dirt and not the rail heads on closer examination. The nearby 2" x 4" was probably used by the crew to re-rail the gondola.

If you look closely you will see a man climbing into one of the gondolas in search of scrap metal perhaps-or maybe he was just curious.

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This view looks southeast at the intersection of Cherry, North Branch, and the ironically named Bliss Streets in Chicago on Goose Island. It's anything but bliss for fans of the Milwaukee Road/CP Rail on Goose Island as a stop sign is now bolted across the inactive tracks. Naz-Dar still sees a boxcar or two behind us [edit: 10 Jan 2005. Naz-Dar does not receive rail shipments.] , and Big Bay Lumber gets several flatcars a week, but it's not like the old days. Compare this photo with the action shots at the same spot in the late 1980s.

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Soo Line switch job crosses the Chicago River channel around Goose Island on an old bascule bridge, rumbling south towards Goose Island.

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"Paul" rests on the railing of this MP15 still in Milwaukee Road colors as it heads south with cars in tow. To the upper left is the old Proctor & Gamble plant on North Avenue which at one time was served by both the C&NW and the Milw Rd. It was torn down soon after this picture and replaced by commercial development.

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The train heads down Cherry St. on its way to Big Bay Lumber. The tank cars will be left at the runaround track just ahead for delivery later to National By-Products, using the track that veers off to the right in the photo.

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This time the train passes the old Milwaukee Road freight offices.

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The crew disembarks at Division Street for a bite to eat, leaving the idling MP15 locked up.