I was walking through the old Chicago tribune yard yesterday, just north of grand avenue and east of halsted. This yard used to be filled with strings of boxcars (mostly for the adjacent tribune plant), but it now stands empty, overgrown with weeds, and there is only one lone boxcar standing in the yard now. It’s a shame. It was a nice place with good business. Owned by CN, I think. ANybody know what happened? I’ll post some pictures of it later. Looks like it hasn’t been used in a year or so…
Could the line have been part of UP, early C&NW? Because I think there’s a freight junction at the Clybourn commuter station. “Freedom Center” is a dang corporate moat anyway.
Yeah, I think this was originally C&NW trackage, it connected to the bridge that went into the loop for newspaper runs. IT also serviced the blommer chocolate factory (which I think still recieves hoppers full of chocolate). In any case, the yard is gone. Sad.
Very sad. And I never, never see freight trains of paper (newspaper?) going down what is now UP’s North Line (thru Evanston to Kenosha and on to Milwaukee).
Haven’t seen such a train in years, but since I sometimes commute over that route I used to see one now and again.
I do know that there’s a beat-up but functional minor line that crosses North Avenue (1600 North) at what used to be the Procter & Gamble factory (ca. 1100 West). I think it belongs to the Soo, i.e., CP.
I haven’t been down that way in a while, so I don’t know the story behind the empty yard. It’s UP’s yard–and we’re still getting carloads of newsprint for the Tribune, which is sent to its usual classification at Proviso–so something else must be happening with it.
Glad to know newsprint is still going to the TRIB by train.
The wholesale fruit and vegetable markets were just north of the river in that general area as well. Was that yard used to unload all those PFE refer trains that came in on the UP/CNW?
Is not Trump building a hi-rise there? [:p][:)]
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Originally posted by Green Machine
That’s on the former site of the Chicago Sun-Times building…
OK thanks. [:p]
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Originally posted by Green Bay Paddlers
It sucks to see a once great yard gone. hope nothing like that will happen to me.
Matthew
You know, I never did see much in the way of perishables with a Chicago destination, so–at least for 30 years or better–the answer has to be no to that yard being used for perishables. Most of the perishables that come through here on UP continue eastward on connecting lines.
I just talked to somebody who works for UP. They informed that the tribune yard is still ocassionally used (but not nearly as much as before), and that the the north avenue yard (right near the best produce market in chicago - stanley’s on north and elston) is shared by CP and UP, and that UP wants to contract that yard out to SCAB labor because it will be cheaper. I think the company Illinois rail link was mentioned? anyway, we had a good talk, though. You can also still catch a glimpse of an CNW caboose in that yard.
I think you might be talking about C&NW Hubbard St. yard. It was used for the Sun-Times and the reefers were delivered by the SOO job to a warehouse around Morgan st.
The tribune is on Chicago Av near the river for about twenty years now, the Sun-Times moved their production to the south side around 2002, I think.
Trib- http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=4&S=10&Z=16&X=2232&Y=23190&W=3&qs=777+W.+Chicago|Chicago|IL|&Addr=777+W+Chicago+Ave%2C+Chicago%2C+IL+60610&ALon=-87.6470297&ALat=41.8963531