UP/C&NW North Avenue Yard

I saved a satellite image because most of the industry that used to be served by this yard, including interchange traffic with the now defunct Chicago Terminal Railroad, has been kicked out of the area by gentrification. I wonder if UP will keep this yard for just car storage. Or if they will tear up the tracks for property tax relief. The land is elevated, so if the tracks are torn up, it would join the many expensive vacant lots in Chicago.

Satellite

Edward Kwiatkowski posted
A Union Pacific Railroad EMD GP 15 diesel electric locomotive, and a former Chicago & Northwestern Railroad steel bay window caboose.
Chicago Illinois. July 2019.
Michael Bose I have seen this very locomotive quite often either crossing Irving Park Rd. at Six Corners, or Montrose at Mayfair, around midday. Usually with a couple of covered hoppers.
Dennis DeBruler Probably flour cars for Alpha Baking. It is one of the two industries that I know of that are still supported by this yard since Chicago Terminal Railroad had to abandoned the Milwaukee's former Chicago & Evanston tracks around Goose Island.
https://www.google.com/.../@41.9607066,-87.../data=!3m1!1e
Dennis DeBruler The other industry is the lower level of Blommer Chocolate. (NS serves the second level.)
https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../blommer...
Dennis DeBruler I see that Sipi Metals has paved over its spur.
https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4...
David Daruszka North Avenue Yard.[It looks like a railroad tower is photobombing the caboose.]

Street View, looking from the north side
The tracks in the foreground are the mainline. It is good that UP is storing some cars in the yard to highlight the yard tracks.

Street View, looking from the south side

Alpha Baking has three flour cars spotted at their building.  Since the section of this branch that went up from 40th Street Yard no longer exists, these cars would have to be shoved south from the Mayfair Junction with the Northwest line.

Satellite

The satellite at the beginning of these notes shows the gap between the mainline and the yard is bare. This 2011 Flickr shows that it used to have vegetation. Allan's comment on the Flickr photo:

Gosh, when I blew up this pic, it totally makes sense where this is now. You're slightly south of the Clybourn Metra stop, somewhere in the rail yard just south of that stop, and east of the Kennedy. The Morton Salt building totally gives this pic away. :)

As an exercise to learn more about Chicago and the C&NW I found the taller brown building that is to the left of Willis/Sears Tower in the 2011 Flickr photo. This satellite extract has that building in the lower-right corner. I added a red line to show the sight-line along the yard in the photo. It does catch the south end of the former Mortan Salt Co. warehouse.

Satellite

One thing I learned is why the black building along the Chicago River that had its nice river view skunked by the Trump Tower is no longer called the IBM Building. IBM has built a new building that is down in the financial district and closer to the commuter stations. The brown building is across the corner from it and Willis is a block south.

Satellite

This satellite image has to be rather old. I see three hopper cars parked by the building. I remember Morton Salt closed this warehouse facility a few years ago. So I doubt if there have been hopper cars parked at the building for a while now.

It looks like Sipi Metals has paved over its spur.

Satellite

Around 5:54 in this video, the camera rolls past this yard. The 1988 date is old enough that the yard is rather full and traffic is moving right along on the Kennedy Expressway.

d.w.davidson Flickr of three switchers parked at the south end

Carlos Ferran posted, used with permission

UP 1430 leads YNO68 north to North Ave. Yard with a generous count of 6 high cube boxcars from Tribune. Taken from high above River West.

Jan 2, 2020.

Carlos Ferran posted

Looking back from the beginning of the month, I took to the sky for a shot of YNO68 returning to North Avenue from Tribune with a total of 6 high cubes. Not bad, considering we're in 2020 and print is on the down slope. Sometimes the best way to admire UP's hold on downtown service is to look from above. However, downtown freight wont last forever, so shoot it if you can.

-----------------

YNO68

UP 1430

1/2/2020

David Dupuis posted
UP YNO68 switches out the Tribune, located off of Grand Ave in Chicago, IL. Taken today, 4/23/2020.
Daniel Rappoport Interesting that they now use 60' hi cubes, I miss the old 50' WC and Ontario Northland cars.
Terry L. Hunt I remember those paper boxes being on the tail end of GTW 393 to Proviso. They always had a subtle way of letting you know they were back there. Came in to Proviso and S/O the head end for Janesville's in 4 yard. Yarded the balance in 9 yard putting the paper boxes right where they could be grabbed to go to the Tribune.
Taylor Rich Terry L. Hunt PSR, when it was simply known as doing your job well.
Aaron Sims Chicago switching. love it.didn't know it still exist.

Erik Coleman Would that be the old passenger mains to Wells St station over to the left?
Matt McClure Erik Coleman These tracks lead to the former "low line" that [once] led all the way onto Navy Pier. Still busy to Blommer Chocolate.

As of Jan 2024:

Mark Llanuza posted
U.P job YPR60B that comes from the old CNW Des Plaines IL Coach yard near Deval and runs southeast to North Ave and switches Chicago Tribune. On this day he is switching box cars today at the Tribune company in the rain with CNW crew engineer Jeff Kaufmam and CNW conductor Ricky Davidson .This facility will soon be the next Bailey's Casino at the former Tribune printing company.
Steve Bayorgeon: Other than the chocolate factory, does it switch anything else?
Mark Llanuza: Steve Bayorgeon for now the Tribune and Chocolate its last business left downtown .They switch Alpha baking company near Mayfair/
Peter Totzke: Sometimes they do Sysco at the DesPlaines coach yard where they get the cars for the industries downtown and Alpha bakery.

Doug Kaniuk posted five photos with the comment: "3/13/2020, Cragin Industrial lead, near Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, local freight."
Doug Kaniuk Paul Musselman was always in use, served the Alpha bakery (at Armitage).
Bob Jungmann Doug Kaniuk Formerly the "Mary Ann Baking company" that at one time was the supplier for ALL of McDonalds !! That track used to run across the back side of Hermosa Park---remember it very well. Once as a young kid (early 50's Korean war time) a train full of passenger cars full of USAF members---windows up and arms out the windows, went by the park---probably headed to the USAF base by O'Hare from the NW line to Des Plaines and then down along the line that goes S. from Des Plaines to the airport.
Tim Sasse Looks like cars for all the industries served out of North Ave Yard.
Hopper for Alpha Baking
CP boxcars of newsprint for the Chicago Tribune.
A tank car for the lower level at Blommer's Chocolate.
Michael Bose This turn once upon a time, not that long ago, handled bulkhead flatcars full of lumber, plywood and drywall/sheet rock until Mayfair Lumber closed down.
Doug Kaniuk also, Hines lumber.
Karl Beetschen and Miller Bro’s. Lumber.

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5
Paul Musselman And a caboose, even!Mark Frankel With CNW markings!

Doug commented on his post
Must be a different crew, usually just the engine and hopper would go down the line. attached picture from 2010

Dennis DeBruler commented on Doug's post
Dennis DeBruler A spot that needs the leaves off the trees.
https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m6!1e1!3m4...

A video of a train going to Alpha Bakery. The comments indicate that Job 68 serves the bakery, Chicago Tribune (boxcars) and the lower level of Blommers Chocolate (tank cars).
Doug also posted.

Matthew Gibbons I have seen that caboose recently what’s the story behind it.
Brandon McShane It's now based in North Avenue Yard for Job 68.
Doug Kaniuk Job 68 out of North Ave Yard served Morton Salt, Chicago Tribune and the lower track at Blommer (corn syrup & cocoa beans). They also serve Alpha Bakery on the Craigin Line.

Not only has UP closed the hump in Proviso Yard, it seems they have closed this yard completely.

Tyson Park commented on a post:

Normally both levels of Blommer were switched out by the North Avenue-based job which ended last month. It is now switched all the way out of Proviso along with the Tribune Freedom Center. I wonder if UP has moved the operations from the Harvard Subdivision to the Geneva one? Either way to access the lower level Blommer spur and the Tribune they would have to use the ladder tracks at the west end of Ogilvie Station to go from the Geneva to the Harvard subdivision which is what the North Avenue-based job did in reverse to access the upper level Blommer spur.

Some comments on this post explains how UP serves its few remaining industries from Proviso Yard.

Dave Zeman posted

YPR60 makes a run to the Chicago Tribune with UPY 815 and a former-CNW caboose bringing up the rear.

6/22/2021

[The grass used to be a multi-track holding yard for the Chicago Tribune.]
Matthew Schoell: Anyone know who the centerbeam's for?
Dave Zeman: Matthew Schoell Heller Lumber in Arlington Heights
[At first, I didn't even see the spur that goes into Heller Lumber.]
Sam Dickey: They got the crummy back!
Ken Walker: That line also feeds the street level trans loading for Blommer Chocolate. That’s where those tank cars are spotted and that siding holds the overflow.
Tim Sasse

I believe YPR60 runs Sun, Wed round trip from Proviso to Waukegan and back.

Mon, Thus round trip from Proviso to the upper level of Blommers on the West Line and back.

Tue, Fri round trip from Proviso to Des Plaines and down to Northwest Line (also to Hellers and Alpha Baking on the Cragin Spur) down to the Tribune/Blommers lower level and back.

 

Robby Gragg Flickr

Days are numbered

UP GP38-2 815 arrives at the Chicago Tribune with YPR60. The Tribune will wrap up operations here in June to make way for a casino. Between that and Blommer chocolate closing UP will soon no longer have any customers in downtown Chicago. Chicago, IL

(Facebooked)