tb_lakewood_01202004_01
A CP Rail MP15 still in Milwaukee Road colors cuts across Cortland Avenue on Kingsbury St. heading north towards Peerless Confectionary to retrieve a sugar hopper. On both sides in the background is the Finkl Steel facility, another rail-served customer. The crew would return to work Finkl Steel later in the afternoon.
tb_lakewood_01202004_01
A CP Rail MP15 still in Milwaukee Road colors cuts across Cortland Avenue on Kingsbury St. heading north towards Peerless Confectionary to retrieve a sugar hopper. On both sides in the background is the Finkl Steel facility, another rail-served customer. The crew would return to work Finkl Steel later in the afternoon.
tb_lakewood_01202004_02
A few blocks north, the MP15 and crew cross busy Clybourn Avenue. The Clybourn corridor was once the scene of heavy industries, now it hosts upscales shops and restaurants.
tb_lakewood_01202004_02
A few blocks north, the MP15 and crew cross busy Clybourn Avenue. The Clybourn corridor was once the scene of heavy industries, now it hosts upscales shops and restaurants.
tb_lakewood_01202004_03
A car quickly moves out of the way at the Treasure Island grocery store and strip shopping center parking lot as the train carefully creeps through at about five MPH. In this case, size does matter.
tb_lakewood_01202004_03
A car quickly moves out of the way at the Treasure Island grocery store and strip shopping center parking lot as the train carefully creeps through at about five MPH. In this case, size does matter.
tb_lakewood_01202004_04
Leaving the Treasure Island parking lot the train continues north until stopped by a chain at Webster St. The chain is there to stop drivers from taking a shortcut via the strip shopping center parking lot but it must be unlocked each time by the train crew to allow it to pass.
tb_lakewood_01202004_04
Leaving the Treasure Island parking lot the train continues north until stopped by a chain at Webster St. The chain is there to stop drivers from taking a shortcut via the strip shopping center parking lot but it must be unlocked each time by the train crew to allow it to pass.
tb_lakewood_01202004_05
The next chore for the crew is to move the trash receptacles blocking the alley right-of-way off to the side.
tb_lakewood_01202004_05
The next chore for the crew is to move the trash receptacles blocking the alley right-of-way off to the side.
tb_lakewood_01202004_06
Two crew members walk alongside the MP15 to flag impatient motorists as it crosses Webster St. Expensive townhomes replace former yard trackage and sidings. Most drivers and pedestrians seem rather nonchalant about their neighborhood switcher from many observations.
tb_lakewood_01202004_06
Two crew members walk alongside the MP15 to flag impatient motorists as it crosses Webster St. Expensive townhomes replace former yard trackage and sidings. Most drivers and pedestrians seem rather nonchalant about their neighborhood switcher from many observations.
tb_lakewood_01202004_07
The train heads north down another alley with more townhomes to the east, on the other side of the cinder block walls. On this particular day the engineer moved the locomotive a few paces forward, then backed up, and moving forward once again, to push compacted snow and ice out of the flangeways. The load groaning of the MP15s traction motors showed it was working hard! The former southbound main track is to the left, poking out from underneath the pavement. At one time the Milwaukee Road maintained a double-tracked branch to handle the freight volumes.
tb_lakewood_01202004_07
The train heads north down another alley with more townhomes to the east, on the other side of the cinder block walls. On this particular day the engineer moved the locomotive a few paces forward, then backed up, and moving forward once again, to push compacted snow and ice out of the flangeways. The load groaning of the MP15s traction motors showed it was working hard! The former southbound main track is to the left, poking out from underneath the pavement. At one time the Milwaukee Road maintained a double-tracked branch to handle the freight volumes.
tb_lakewood_01202004_08
Looking south this time as the train approaches Belden Ave. Compare this view with the one from last August showing the same track buried in weeds and grasses. A former cross-over track is still visible along with its switch.
tb_lakewood_01202004_08
Looking south this time as the train approaches Belden Ave. Compare this view with the one from last August showing the same track buried in weeds and grasses. A former cross-over track is still visible along with its switch.
tb_lakewood_01202004_09
In the last photo of this sequence, the MP15 crosses very busy Fullerton Ave. The only protection in place is a pair of round, yellow RR street signs affixed to street lamps along Fullerton. Two decades ago this grade crossing was protected by overhead, gantry-type signals with lights and crossbucks. If you look carefully you can see their footings in the sidewalk by the track.It was amazing on this day to see cars pull right out in front of the huge locomotive crossing the street. On the return trip this photographer saw a school bus stop, look, then proceed to cross the tracks despite the CP Rail locomotive bearing down on it from the north via the health club parking lot!
This particular trip might be considered a waste of time for the crew since apparently Peerless Confectionary was still emptying the hopper at their factory spur. The MP15 returned light back down the Lakewood branch where it would eventually back onto the Deering Line to switch out Finkl Steel.
tb_lakewood_01202004_09
In the last photo of this sequence, the MP15 crosses very busy Fullerton Ave. The only protection in place is a pair of round, yellow RR street signs affixed to street lamps along Fullerton. Two decades ago this grade crossing was protected by overhead, gantry-type signals with lights and crossbucks. If you look carefully you can see their footings in the sidewalk by the track.
It was amazing on this day to see cars pull right out in front of the huge locomotive crossing the street. On the return trip this photographer saw a school bus stop, look, then proceed to cross the tracks despite the CP Rail locomotive bearing down on it from the north via the health club parking lot!
This particular trip might be considered a waste of time for the crew since apparently Peerless Confectionary was still emptying the hopper at their factory spur. The MP15 returned light back down the Lakewood branch where it would eventually back onto the Deering Line to switch out Finkl Steel.
tb_lakewood_1985_01
Almost two decades earlier, in 1985, here is what the same area looked like at the start of the massive redevelopment on Chicago’s North Side which would replace almost all of the industries lining the right-of-way. This view looks north from just past Clybourn Ave. at the Milwaukee Road yard where the Treasure Island grocery store and strip shopping center now sit.The track to the right that veers behind us in this view still went inside a machine shop building off Clybourn in 1985. Customers in this immediate yard area at one time were Birk Brothers Brewery, A. Lakin & Sons Tire Yard, Belden Oil, and Clybourn Coal. The Lakin facility is on the right behind the fence, while the others have been torn down already. At the vanishing point in the distance you can make out the Lakeshore Athletic Club at Fullerton.
Just three years earlier there were four customers north of Fullerton served by the Milwaukee Road-a fuel oil company on Racine Ave., Reed Candy Company, Hostess Bakery, and Peerless Confectionary. By the time of this 1985 photo only Peerless remained as an active, rail-served customer. In another year, the Milwaukee Road itself would be history as well as this view.
tb_lakewood_1985_01
Almost two decades earlier, in 1985, here is what the same area
looked like at the start of the massive redevelopment on Chicago’s
North Side which would replace almost all of the industries lining
the right-of-way. This view looks north from just past Clybourn
Ave. at the Milwaukee Road yard where the Treasure Island grocery
store and strip shopping center now sit.
The track to the right that veers behind us in this view still went inside a machine shop building off Clybourn in 1985. Customers in this immediate yard area at one time were Birk Brothers Brewery, A. Lakin & Sons Tire Yard, Belden Oil, and Clybourn Coal. The Lakin facility is on the right behind the fence, while the others have been torn down already. At the vanishing point in the distance you can make out the Lakeshore Athletic Club at Fullerton.
Just three years earlier there were four customers north of Fullerton served by the Milwaukee Road-a fuel oil company on Racine Ave., Reed Candy Company, Hostess Bakery, and Peerless Confectionary. By the time of this 1985 photo only Peerless remained as an active, rail-served customer. In another year, the Milwaukee Road itself would be history as well as this view.