Western Railroad Discussion > CN Freeport/Joliet Sub Chicago changes, photos, question

CN work on the Chicago/Freeport Subs in Chicago has included work at Bridgeport, where there is a small yard and the Joliet Sub splits off. They rebuilt the interlocking at Bridgeport in summer or fall. They also added a new signal bridge that goes across the western end of the yard at Bridgeport. That yard was condensed down from many tracks to just two now. One remaining track is signalled, the other is not. There is no industry immediately nearby. On the Joliet Sub, Bimbo Bakery just past the Bridgeport interlocking still gets cars. On the Freeport Sub, the Sun Times printing plant closed years ago, and the first thing I see is an industry with tank cars (Ameropan) west of Ash St.

Tonight, ATCS showed a train using the siding at Bridgeport, and then heading west onto the Freeport Sub. I'm wondering what it was. The only thing I can guess is that it is local out of Hawthorne Yard that had to run around its train. Does anyone have idea?

Here are assorted photos that I've gotten as things changed.

1. Back in fall, L537 to Glenn Yard heads past the signals at bridgeport, which weren't active yet. They new signals are now cut in. This is the west end of the small yard at Bridgeport, and you can see that they were removing things
2. Wider view, as the train is about to cross Bubbly Creek.
3. This winter view shows the new switches where the Freeport Sub splits away.

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4. From the same Orange Line platform, this view shows the signal changes on the Freeport Sub. Are the old signals on the left for the old Santa Fe main tracks?
5. This view shows the old signals on the Joliet Sub, with cars spotted at Bimbo Bakery barely visible in the upper left. I'm not sure if these have been replaced yet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/20 20:32 by inCHI.

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6. Riding the Orange Line on Thursday towards downtown, I saw M337 heading west for the Freeport Sub and hopped off at Halsted to see it, but missed a photo of the head end. Minutes later, Amtrak 303 was following behind.
7. Looking southwest, you can see how little is left of the yard at Bridgeport. This cell phone photo doesn't show it well, but in addition to 303's rear on the left, M337's rear is visible in the far distance. At this moment, amtrak 300 was also heading east and probably was slightly delayed waiting for M337 to clear off Main 1 onto the Freeport Sub. 

To return to the original question, this is the fragment of a yard where I'm wondering what train would even use it still, if anyone knows.

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Old yard looks at least 10 tracks wide. CN will probably sell it to a developer

Posted from iPhone

Wasnt the IMX yard in the area at one time?

MILW86A 

MILW86A Wrote:
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> Wasnt the IMX yard in the area at one time?
>
> MILW86A 

IMX was west of the bridge and north of the Iowa Line.

inCHI Wrote:
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. Are
> the old signals on the left for the old Santa Fe
> main tracks?

I believe so.
When the BNSF ceased operation east of Ash St. the CN took
over the former ATSF North Track between Ash St. and Bridgeport
to use as a storage track. Recent satellite recon seem to show the
storage track has been pulled up.

The satellite view also shows the previous capacity constraint project has not been undone.
If I am seeing correctly, two trains on the Iowa Line cannot move through the interlocking at 
the same time.   So for PSR sized trains the CN is effectively single track now from the lakefront
to Bridgeport.  Apparently some people stayed awake during Hunter School and are still thriving.
Engineering Dept. personnel are probably getting bonuses while low level operating people are probably
being criticized for their inability to move trains.  Upper level operating people usually sign off on any
thing engineering puts in front of them because they know nothing about operating.

Interestingly during a previous (10 years ago or so) rebuild of Bridgeport there was an extra
crossover in the plant that allowed two Iowa Line trains to move through the plant at the 
same time.  That came to an end one day when two trains were moving through the plant
at the same time and as the "right size" cars on both trains were negotiating the turnouts they
came into contact with one another. The crossover was than taken out of service.

As for the ex-GM&O southbound main track east of Bridgeport, I believe that is called the 
Bridgeport Storage Track ( if my memory is not failing me),  I have been gone for 5+ years but originally it was used as
the name implies.  What you saw on ATCS was probably an industry job running around its cars or perhaps a Hawthorne to
Glenn transfer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/20 07:32 by Englewood.