Author Topic: More redevelopement  (Read 4289 times)

chrism

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More redevelopement
« on: May 09, 2017, 12:31:27 PM »
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-north-branch-chicago-river-development-ryan-ori-0509-biz-20170508-column.html

Apparently they want to extend the 606 like previously posted. Does this mean the Kingsbury/Goose Island line is officially finished?
 

TBurke

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2017, 12:50:53 PM »
That would be my guess.  Sipi Metals can be serviced as needed by the UP off their North Avenue Yard. 

Having to go through a long tunnel for a 606 trail extension under the Kennedy Expressway and the UP (Metra) tracks would be a scary as riders and walkers would be easy targets for robbers and rapists...the short tunnels at the current Clybourn station are scary enough and stink like urine.
 

chrism

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2017, 01:02:44 PM »
How about General Iron? Would this trail be similar to the Cherry Street Bridge?
 

TBurke

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2017, 02:43:30 PM »
General Iron has not had rail service since 2015.  Vandals stripped the wiring out of the railroad swing bridge over the Chicago River by Cortland according to a Chicago Terminal representative I spoke with.  General Iron wants to reestablish rail service but the railroad is debating whether it is worth it.  Since Finkl is gone there is no more security in that area at night.

The bridge used by Chicago Terminal over the North Branch of the Chicago River south of Cortland is Bridge Z-6 in Milwaukee Road terminology.  It is different than the Cherry Street bridge in that the North Branch is considered navigable water and the bridge has to be able to move which would be a problem for using it as a bike/hike trail.  The Cherry Street bridge used to move but has not in decades since the channel it spans which was dug out to create Goose Island is not used for navigation.

https://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2015/03/03/zed-six-chicagos-most-unique-and-still-working-swing-bridge/

Ozinga receives inbound loads of aggregates by barges which have to pass Bridge Z-6.  I don't think the bridge is high enough to allow barges and tugs to clear it unless this swing bridge is moved out of the way.  The Cortland Bridge is higher above the water level upstream.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2017, 09:50:21 AM by TBurke »
 

chrism

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2017, 03:16:28 PM »
Interesting, This article also has a link to another about the 606 extension

https://www.chicagoarchitecture.org/2016/11/29/could-the-606s-expansion-really-happen/

It basically sounds like a pipe dream. I just noticed that they removed the Ashland bridge.
 

Brianbobcat

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2017, 08:21:26 AM »
It basically sounds like a pipe dream. I just noticed that they removed the Ashland bridge.

The Ashland bridge was moved to span Western Avenue.  The embankments are still there though, so building a new, taller, bridge would be fairly simple.

TribuneFreightFanatic

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2017, 11:48:20 PM »
Today I was photographing the former Finkl site and saw two Chicago Terminal RR operators working on fixing the swing bridge. I recognized them from years past when I'd follow their runs to Big Bay. They were going from the control booth to underneath the bridge and back several times with wires and tools. Hopefully this means CTRR has a good reason for trying to get the bridge running again.
 

Jsu

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2017, 03:44:08 PM »
Oh man that's great news!  Good to know Chicago Terminal will probably still be kicking on the north side for 10 years.

GM

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2017, 12:46:18 PM »
I was driving down Kingsbury this weekend and noticed a gondola on the street trackage by General Iron. Did not get a picture. I was wondering if it was a stranded rail car or if the bridge was working again?
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TribuneFreightFanatic

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2017, 06:52:57 PM »
The bridge must be working again. One of my friends posted a quick video on social media of the car. (It was an old gondola, and it has popped up in the CTR runs for many years.) He also mentioned that there was a lot happening over there today. This is exciting stuff! I hope to go check it out and post photos sometime this week.
 

Eric

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2017, 05:36:35 AM »
Had some errands to run on North Ave. yesterday.  Here are a couple I Phone shots of two cars that were sitting over there.  I wonder if it is a move to keep the line officially active?  I believe a fence had been installed across the track north of North Ave.  Looks like it was removed.




chrism

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2017, 08:42:54 AM »
Very cool shots, I noticed the fence on Google maps as of Sept 2016. Glad it was removed.
 

TBurke

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Re: More redevelopement
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2017, 03:00:05 PM »
It would be interesting to find out if Chicago Terminal actually owns the land under the tracks or simply has an easement.  Chicago Terminal tried that move at the end of Kingsbury between Halsted and Evergreen only to learn it did not actually own the land.

When parent Chicago Milwaukee Corporation (CMC) sold its Milwaukee Road railroad subsidiary to Soo in 1985 it typically retained ownership of the property and Soo (and later, CP and Chicago Terminal) had an easement to operate over it in Chicago as was the case on the strip of land from Clybourn north to Fullerton, and in the West Loop area where the railroad once had freight yards and warehouses, leaving a narrow strip owned by Metra for commuter and long-distance Amtrak passenger trains.

Once railroad operations ceased on land owned by then CMC and its successor owners were free to sell the land or develop it themselves.

CMC existed after it shed its railroad operations to sell off in chunks its once vast property holdings of the railroad, especially timberlands out west.  It paid a very high dividend then sold off its last assets by the mid-2000s, liquidating itself.  That was the end of the last corporate connection to the former Milwaukee Road.

CMC over the years became CMC Heartland then simply Heartland Partners.
« Last Edit: June 07, 2017, 04:33:00 PM by TBurke »