07-16-2011, 04:44 PM
This 'photo is c. winter 1995, taken on a remnant of the old North Chicago Switch, in North Chicago, IL (approximately four miles south of Waukegan). The industry being switched is Coleman Cable Systems, out of sight behind everything - yet another car of PVC pellets to manufacture the jacket part of electric/electronics cables. This was once a very busy spot, interchanging between EJ&E, C&NW, and CNS&M (North Shore). The North Chicago Switch was at one time electrified, and served the large North Chicago Hardware foundry; many of the buildings still exist, but they have long been used by other truck-serviced industries, or this Coleman Cable job. All rail service is gone now. The rail history of this location has some amplitude and is worthy of research.
