ADM Milling near Downtown Chicago

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Looking at the southeast side.

(DHKE Shortlines) There were a lot of bread bakeries in the Chicago area. This ADM Milling facility is one of the few industries that I know of left near downtown. It is especially rare because it still seems to be rail served. (Bloomer Chocolate is another industry which I passed on my way to get here, and I did smell the chocolate as I drove past the west end of their building.)
(Update: ADM is moving their flour milling operation to Mendota, IL: https://www.adm.com/.../adm-to-construct-new-flour-mill...  After the Mendota Mill starts production, ADM will close two other old mills as well. [MillingJournal] (source))

Looking at the southwest side.

Unlike elevators in the country, I can't do my normal trick of getting far enough away so that the whole elevator fits in the top half of the camera frame and then crop the picture to use just the top half. That trick avoids the edges of the structure tilting in towards the middle. Although that signpost in the lower left corner really is tilting.

There are at least a couple of hoppers under the shed next to the bins and hoppers on three tracks north of the unloading shed. The Metra/Milwaukee tracks are just north of these spurs. I wonder who handles the freight for Metra in this area.

Looking at the northwest side

Closeup of hoppers on the shed track.
The one on the outside says "Honeymead."

I saw a truck arrive, and this is where he stopped --- next to the flour (I presume) loading facility. So even though a lot of bakeries have left the area, somethings are are still using flour. This air-flow truck was working on a Saturday. (I don't drive downtown during weekdays.)

Judging from the Bird's Eye View, there was still a water tower on top of the headhouse about eight years ago.

Bird's Eye View

Bird's Eye View, looking east

Update: I added the DHKE link at the beginning. I noticed the little switcher mentioned in the comment in Doug's satellite image. So I took a look today. It is not being used because it is "burried" on the second track, but they do still have it.

Satellite

The DHKE page shows that Conrail, which would now be NS, owns a track. That reminds me that the Panhandle (Pennsy) used this corridor, in addition to C&NW and Milwaukee, because it came up the Western Avenue corridor to get to the north side of Union Station.

Joel J. Sieracki's posted
After completing their switching at ADM Milling, the crew of NS 4170 heads back west. This is former Pennsylvania Railroad trackage just west of Chicago Union Station. 7:13pm 5/27/16
Fred Van Dorpe Its NS BC35, the grain local that switches out ADM and happens every weekday anytime between the end of evening rush hour to 9pm. It also usually runs on weekends too, but sometimes skips a day. Its had a NS GP33ECO recently.

Lance Wales posted
Sort of surprised to see the NS Panhandle Line job come up to work ADM around 5 pm on Wednesday, 12-28-2016. The NS 4711 came up and grabbed the empties and then came back with a dozen or so loads. Seen here, they are doubling together the empty covered hoppers.
Mark Hinsdale When I shot #7 at 2:20 yesterday, the ADM Trackmobile was busy assembling the empty cuts together. I figured something was goning to happen, just didn't know how soon.
Fred Van Dorpe NS BC35 is the train symbol, leaves NS Ashland Ave yard, comes up the CJ to A2, and heads this way. Drops off the loads on a run around track just West of here, goes down and picks up the empties, shoves back to the siding on the other track, uncouples, picks up loads, then feeds them into the 3 tracks at the elevator. Goes back, runs around the empties, and heads back to NS Ashland ave yard. An NS GP33eco is the normal power as you caught. If its a BNSF loco its rare, but Im not sure of the conditions of what would cause a BNSF unit to be used for this local. It used to be NS GP38-2s commonly, sometimes a high hood, but not anymore with these eco rebuilds taking their place at NS Ashland ave yard. 5pm is a pretty normal time to see this. Sometimes this train can be a tad later.
Clayton Johanson BNSF power is used when a BNSF transfer from Corwith or Cicero dies at Ashland and NS steals the motor.
Fred Van Dorpe I kinda thought thats what happened, thanks for the help
Jeff Woodrick This is true, I'm on the bc35
Sam Dickey there used to be a Conrail geep on it fairly often seven or eight years back. Also once in '14 I saw it with a CP gp10 rebuild, which was really weird.
Fred Van Dorpe A CP GP20C? Thats awesome but I wonder how that happened. CP can use that run around track for a local called G47 that served Habel flour behind tower A2. I havent seen them get a shipment in a long time though, and NS does serves them. Are you sure you saw the CP loco switching ADM or were they up there on that run around track only?

Rob Olewinski Cmraseye commented on the above posting
yep, used to be a 38

Street View of the north side
Note that Google's picture taking car caught a couple of NS eco locomotives servicing the plant.

That is Noble Street Tower on the left.

27:53 video

On Facebook I found an article about this mill being closed after a new one is operational in Mendota.
The June 3, 2017, edition of Chicago Tribune had an article on the front page of the Business Section about the this mill closing after the new facility is operational. It says the daily capacity of the new plant will be 1,500 tons with both hard and soft wheat. The reporter, Robert Channick, provided some historical information:

The Chicago plant was built in 1897 by B.A. Eckhart Milling, which operated it for decades. ADM purchased it from Dixie Portland Flour Mills in 1990 for about $14 million, according to Cook County records. Located in the once-gritty meatpacking district on the Near West Side, the plant is now something of an anachronism amid the trendy restaurants, bars and office buildings that have sprung up in recent years.
The 250,000-square-foot industrial facility sits on a 2-acre site, according to CoStar Group.

(Update: The engineer of the bc35 job that delivers to that mill posted a link to the Chicago Tribune article.)

I wondered how long this plant would last. That is one reason why I have already made a special trip to get photos of it, which are at the beginning of this post. I noticed on that trip that new condo buildings were being built in the area. The Tribune article confirms that the plant is in the trendy Fulton Market district. ADM does plan to sell the property.

CoStar Group from Crain's from Google Map

In fact, next to this article in the paper about this mill is an article about Time Out leasing 30,000 sq-ft that was used by El Cubano Wholesale Meats. Time Out plans to develop a "gourmet food hall."

The other reason I figured the plant must be on borrowed time was that some BIG bakeries in the area are gone. Off hand, I know of Schulze (Butternut Bread), Wonder Bread, and Oreo Cookies. Fortunately, we still have Pepperidge Farm and it is still rail served.

William Shapotkin posted
A scene not soon-to-be-repeated -- a Chicago-bound HIAWATHA (on one-time MILW trackage) passing the ADM plant at Racine Ave in Chicago. Understood that the ONLY reason NS had to operate north (timetable W/B) on the Panhandle from Ashland Ave Yard was/is to serve this plant, which either has been (or is about to be) closed (and moved to Mendota, IL (?)). View looks W-N/W in this Mark Llanuza photo (yes, I STOLE it, I admit it -- are you happy now?) from 2012. Found on the facebook page "Life after the Pennsylvania Railroad "Panhandle"."
[The NS locomotive is on the lead to the ADM plant.]

It is not worthy of its own post, but a summary of 2015 flour production is worth noting.

You Tube offered me this video when I was looking at one of my concrete truck videos. This will get you started down a rabbit hole of of pneumatic tank videos. For example "Trucker Explains Pneumatic Trailer Unloading"
(new window)



John Iwanski posted three videos with the comment:

Caught some terrific action tonight as NS 4711 switches out ADM Milling in the West Loop on a perfect night for running - and railfanning. CP Morgan makes for some good vantage points as well. Full disclosure - had no idea that Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service would come up from behind in the third clip until I saw it heading out toward A-2.

I counted 12 hoppers coming in.

Screenshot @ -1:22 of first video

Screenshot @ -0:22 of first video

Screenshot @ -0:56 of second video
[This is where the conductor jumped off the train and started trotting ahead of it. I assume he is going to try to get a turnout thrown before the hopper car reaches it. I wonder if they already unlocked the turnouts earlier when they went past the plant.]

Screenshot @ -0:00 of third video

Juan Antonio Troncoso-munoz commented on John's post
I went there the last week the old PRR signals were still standing.
John Iwanski Juan Antonio Troncoso-muñoz - I was out on a run and saw the crew taking them down. 😢 evening when I saw them putting up the Darth Vaders.
Juan Antonio Troncoso-muñoz John Iwanski i knew they were getting ready to take them down,so i drove from my house in Elgin just to get a glimpse of them before they were gone,a friend went the next day and one of the heads was already gone.

John Iwanski posted three videos of NS switching the mill. The first two videos were profile. The third one was this landscape video.
"Was walking home from work on Sept. 23 when I caught the last customer on the former Panhandle, ADM’s mill on Carroll Street, being switched out here at CP Morgan. ADM’s new plant hasn’t come online yet, but this switch job - which I’m fortunate enough to see at least once a week most of the time - is on borrowed time."
Stan Stanovich ...though it’s been while John Iwanski, I’ve had the distinct please of working this assignment on numerous occasions through the years! Wonderful coverage!!!

Screenshot @ -0:22

Jeff Woodrick posted the comment: "Today [Dec 3, 2019] is the last day for the adm mill, crew will be there today to pull last railcar."

Juan Antonia Troncoso-Munoz commented on Jeff's post
I went the last day the PRR position lights were still there,to my surprise the ADM run came by...such a shame i couldnt go back again.

Mark Losiniecki posted
FEF. Abandoned ADM elevator on the near west side 3/20/20
Mike Goggans Bc35 was a great job:/
Paul Schlichting Made me a little over time more than once waiting for them "short on time" at Taylor st to get back to ashland.
Robert Jordan This was a wheat milling plant. Originally Eckart and Swan from the late 19th century. Bernie Eckhart was one of those city names of the time and involved with the parks and contemp with Burnam and Jensen. So there is a lot of history here. A park bears his name.
.

Street View

Eric J. Nordstrom posted nine photos with the comment:

summer, 2021:

demolition of eckhart and swan milling company (flanders and zimmerman, architects).

the architectural firm of flanders and zimmerman (located at 1521 in masonic temple), designed the flour mill, warehouse and stable in 1897 for eckhart and swan milling company, chicago, ills.

the five-story factory, measuring 153 by 167 feet, was built at a cost of 160,000, employing fire-proof construction methods, with an exterior comprised of pressed cream-colored brick and a rusticated stone front or base. the building was originally equipped with steam heating, electric light, freight elevators, iron doors, conveyors, machinery, and fire escapes. w.a. & a.e. wells executed the building’s masonry work.

courtesy of bldg. 51 archive.

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