The Abandoned Track of Jeff's Marina

(Update: I made a second trip to trace the branch back to the former GM&O yard.
Allied Metal now has its own post.)

20150705 2511

While looking for picture angles of the Canal Street RR and Canal Street Bridges, my feet felt something "funny." When I looked down I saw the remnants of an abandoned turnout! After some research, it appears this abandonment was rather recent. When I checked out a satellite image, I not only saw a lot more track, I saw a building that no longer exists!

Satellite

The building and tracks have been removed to expand the parking lot for boats. When I checked out the Bird's Eye View, I not only learned that the building was Allied Metal Co., I noticed that a couple of boxcars were parked by the building! So these tracks were probably still actively used in the 21^st century.

Bird's Eye View

FlashEarth

To get a more current view, I used FlashEarth (left image) and caught the building being torn down.

The boxcars raise the question of which railroad served that building and where did the tracks come from? Looking at the Bird's Eye View, you can see tracks in and along Grove Street.

Bird's Eye View

By placing "South" at the top of the map, we see the track is a continuation of the industrial lead that leaves the east side of Alton's Halsted Street Yard. So I conclude that those boxcars were spotted by CN/IC/ICG/GM&O/Chicago & Alton.

A 1915 map confirms the conclusion that C&A served this building.

pdf copy from 1915 Smoke Abatement Report, p. 344