Introduce Yourself!

[mgoedert]

Hi Guys/Gals:

I was introduced to this web site at the LaGrange/AARS train show this weekend.  My compliments on this web site, it is great.  I live up on the NW side of Chicago, near the Dunning branch.  I am a HO scale modeler (Chessie C&O), my web site is; http://www.MrTrains.com

I have an interest in learing more about North Ave. Yard operations and I am very interested in the outing on April 10th.

-- Mark G.



-- Mark G.

[linton12]

Hello everyone,

My name is Clifton Linton. I live in Alameda, CA. I am originally from the Chicago area.

I found this web site thru Bill Denton\'s web site.

My interest lies in industrial switching and belt line operations. I used to live on the Northside about 6 blocks east of the line to Peerless. Sorry to hear that is OOS with Peerless closing.

I am attempting an N-scale layout based roughly on some of the Northside switching scenes. The Bloomer Chocolate factory has always fascinated me and will be the basis for a signature industry on my layout. I will take modeller\'s license and overlay BRC and Chessie system on the layout.

Thanks to everyone for creating and supporting this valuable web site.

Regards,

Clif Linton
Alameda, CA

[haggar]

Hi guys.  My name is Joe.  Been following this great site for a while.  Thanks to all responsible for running it and contributing to it.  The information is invaluable.

Joe

Howdy, my name is Mark Hintz, but you may know me better by my username and nickname, Fuzzy.  Or, from my website, Fuzzy World 3.  I figured I\'ve nosed around this forum long enough, might as well join!

While the CP runs about 1/4 mile to the east of my apartment, and UP and CN have presences in Milwaukeeland as well, my main interest is the Wisconsin & Southern -- as well as the \"critters\" on Jones Island, or anyplace else there\'s an industrial-type switcher to be seen.  Shortlines and industrial operations tend to be my favorites, and even the Class 1 locals in the area.

The main reason I found this site is that somebody posted a link to one of the photos on my site, and I followed the link back...  Thanks to whoever did that, as I\'ve found some rather interesting information via this forum!

I\'ll be heading down that way either Friday or Monday for a couple of quick work tasks, with my day completed with some railfan photography of the shortline switching operations.  Anybody interested in meeting up with me, send me an e-mail and I\'ll reply with my cell phone #.

Well, enough playing around on the internet -- gotta get up tomorrow and get some work done!

-Fuzzy

[cnwnorthline]

Mark,

Do you still work in Thiensville WI?

-Matt

[GM]

I probably linked your photo. I like your site a lot and I am a biker as well. I am interested in the branch line that serves customers where ADM is off Mitchell Ave. and Lincoln Ave. Do they have 2 plants off both those streets? It looks like it from Google Satellite. Can you give the name of other customers that were served on that branch line that either exist today or did sometime from the 1970\'s forward? I believe this branch line connected with the CNW yard further south down the line. Is that the Airline Yard?  Thanks for any clarifications.

GM

Matt, were you addressing me?  I\'ve never worked in Thiensville, for the record, though I used to have a job site in Mequon, just for the record.

GM, the ADM facility on Mitchell is now an empty lot.  The facility closer to Lincoln is Froedtert Malt, and is one of the very few remaining customers on the line.  The old Hotpoint factory west of 43rd St. has been torn down, and replaced with Pick \'n\' Save/Menards.  No rail service, and the tracks that crossed the street are no more.  CP currently operates the line, which connects to the CP/SOO/MILW Airline Yard on the north end, and UP/CNW Mitchell Yard on the south end.  This line was once a joint MILW-CNW property, but UP swapped it to CP for some property in the Twin Cities.  For a list of customers, pop on over to my \"3um\", we\'ve got a bunch of people more knowledgeable about the area.

----------
-Fuzzy
Fuzzy World 3

[andy inserra]

Hey folks - I\'m Andy Inserra - work as a track engineer up in the Twin Cities and also am a diesel mechanic/brakeman with the Osceola & St Croix Valley out of the Jackson Street Roundhouse.  No idea how I first found the site, no doubt thru a search on Chicago Terminal in a quest for more info on them...  Anyways, shortlines, esp. interesting ones like the Chicago Terminal have always interested me and these guys certainly have an interesting pair of lines!  Thanks to all for the info and work on the site, glad folks are actively documenting these lines.

[Ian]

Hey Andy.....is your railroad under the Twin Cities Western umbrella?

-Ian

[graywolfs02]

Hi,

My name is Greg and I live in the Northwestern Twin Cities area.

I found this website through reading an issue of Milwakee Railroader at a friends operating session last night that had a story about the Deering branch.

I grew up in Naperville IL and my dad and grandfather both worked for the CB&Q but at different ends of the system.

I have had an interest in urban/street railroading and am going to try my hand at doing some free lance modelling of a warehouse area.

I think this site has great information and look to use that info to help with building my layout.

Being a transplant from the Chicago area (albeit quite a while ago) I recognize some of the area of North side of Chicago.

Thank you for putting up a great website and sharing your collected informantion.

Greg (graywolfs02) K.
Minnesota

[andy inserra]

No, actually we\'re with the MN Transp. Museum, it is the passenger operations on CN/WC\'s Dresser Sub.  We\'re an all volunteer outfit with a fair number of us who are railroaders during the week and then work as mechanics, crews, etc. on the weekends.  

The St Croix Valley Railroad north of us in Rush City is affiliated with the MN Northern and Dakota Northern.  With names so close we\'ve been mixed up on the past.  

We don\'t have any ties with TC&W on the OSCV though at work they are one of our clients...

[Jeff Wingstrom]

Hi all, I\'m Jeff Wingstrom and stumbled onto the site recently.  I\'ve always had a fascination with urban switching, not sure how it started.  I think it\'s a mixture of interests in archeology and nostalgia..

I live near Wrigley Field in Chicago, and often bike to work down Waveland Ave.  I always noticed rails peeking thru the asphalt near the ballpark, and one day decided to read up on it.  That\'s how I found this great site!

Anyhow, I followed the old C&E route south from Wrigley and took some random pics last weekend, here\'s the link.  It\'s a little slow..

http://snowdog.teamhim.com/rail/ChiSwitching/6_2_07/

Cheers,
Jeff

[mark_k]

Nice pix, Jeff. Welcome aboard.

[jcarrwalker]

Hi all--

My name\'s John Walker.  I\'ve been following the website for a while now and think it\'s great.  I grew up in Fresno, CA, and now live in St. Helens, OR.  I\'m a literature and writing professor at Pacific University.  I\'ve just completed the basic benchwork for an N-scale model railroad to depict--something.  I think the Lakewood Branch street running section, although the Deering line seemed to have more heavy industry, which I like.  Either way, I\'ll be hitting y\'all up for ideas and info on operations, details, and so on.  I live an awfully long way away.  (By the way, I\'m a Cubs fan, and a Milwaukee Road fan with a penchant for urban switching, hence my interest in the area.)

JW

[themats]

Thanks to one and all for putting this site together.

I just found out today (UGH!) that the Lakewood Branch had stopped service and have spent most of 18 hours devouring the info and pictures.

I also grew up and currently live in the western \'burbs BN/IHB/IC, but was raised on streetcars and interurbans primarily.

I toured the Lakewood Branch in the early 90s on my bike and always meant to get some pics.  I\'m glad you all have been so thorough over the years.