I wonder if the discontinued operations at the UP Canal St yard in Chicago would offer an opportunity for expanded Amtrak/HSR maintenance and yard facilities?
HarveyK400 I wonder if the discontinued operations at the UP Canal St yard in Chicago would offer an opportunity for expanded Amtrak/HSR maintenance and yard facilities?
Brings up a whole host of questions:
1. How close to full is 14th st yard (AMTRAK's present) at any time of the day? If not full how many more each of cars and locos can be handled there?
2. How far from Union station to Canal St yard? How long to ferry to/from Canal St?
3. How many track miles of CAT will be needed to get equipment to/from Canal ST and not disrupt present and future traffic?
4. Are yard tracks long enough to hold complete train sets both present plans and maybe future?
5. Can needed shelter (both open and enclosed) be built?
6. What would be the present and future capacity potential of Canal St in reference to Items 4 & 5 since some tracks might be lost?
Canal Street is not completely abandoned yet. I believe that UP still operates one set of intermodal trains into and out of Canal Street. Canal Street is actually owned by Chicago Rail Link, who provided the switching for the facility.
blue streak 1 HarveyK400: I wonder if the discontinued operations at the UP Canal St yard in Chicago would offer an opportunity for expanded Amtrak/HSR maintenance and yard facilities? Brings up a whole host of questions: 1. How close to full is 14th st yard (AMTRAK's present) at any time of the day? If not full how many more each of cars and locos can be handled there? 2. How far from Union station to Canal St yard? How long to ferry to/from Canal St? 3. How many track miles of CAT will be needed to get equipment to/from Canal ST and not disrupt present and future traffic? 4. Are yard tracks long enough to hold complete train sets both present plans and maybe future? 5. Can needed shelter (both open and enclosed) be built? 6. What would be the present and future capacity potential of Canal St in reference to Items 4 & 5 since some tracks might be lost?
HarveyK400: I wonder if the discontinued operations at the UP Canal St yard in Chicago would offer an opportunity for expanded Amtrak/HSR maintenance and yard facilities?
I can answer some of those questions:
2. Canal St. is about 5 min or less from Union Station, so not far at all.
4. Canal street should have enough tracks to hold complete trainsets.
5. Shelter could possible be built in the intermodal trailer storage areas since they wouldn't be needed anymore.
6. Expanding canal street beyond its current size would be very impractical.
Sawtooth500 4. Canal street should have enough tracks to hold complete trainsets. 5. Shelter could possible be built in the intermodal trailer storage areas since they wouldn't be needed anymore. 6. Expanding canal street beyond its current size would be very impractical.
Sawtooth: Can you guesstimate how many cars the yard could hold?
My guess is that the canal st. yard has about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 as much track as the current Amtrak yard - plus extra empty space where intemodal trailers are stored, buildings could be built there and if Amtrak needs additional maintenance shops the intermodal loading tracks would be absolutely perfect for that as they already have space around them. So to answer your question how many cars could the yard hold, well a lot, definitely much more than what Amtrak is going to have anywhere in the near future.
If you have a count of the # of intermodal wells that Canal St can hold now that would give some indication? Also the number of loose containers in the yard?
is the yard in good connections with the Milwukee District Lines as well as Amtraks Empire builder and Hiawatha?
Mr. Railman is the yard in good connections with the Milwukee District Lines as well as Amtraks Empire builder and Hiawatha?
You would just use Amtrak's run through tracks in Union Station to get access to those, the same thing that they do now. Also, I learned today that Canal St. is no longer being used by UP, they've finished moving out of it so to the best of my knowledge it's just sitting vacant right now.
Sawtooth500 Mr. Railman: is the yard in good connections with the Milwukee District Lines as well as Amtraks Empire builder and Hiawatha? You would just use Amtrak's run through tracks in Union Station to get access to those, the same thing that they do now. Also, I learned today that Canal St. is no longer being used by UP, they've finished moving out of it so to the best of my knowledge it's just sitting vacant right now.
Mr. Railman: is the yard in good connections with the Milwukee District Lines as well as Amtraks Empire builder and Hiawatha?
I just hope they haven't sold it yet to more Bridgeport townhomes. Anybody know someone at Amtrak who might want to reserve this land? I'd hate to want to build a high-speed (even 110 mph) network around Chicago and not have a place for the trains.
HarveyK400 I just hope they haven't sold it yet to more Bridgeport townhomes. Anybody know someone at Amtrak who might want to reserve this land? I'd hate to want to build a high-speed (even 110 mph) network around Chicago and not have a place for the trains.
You are talking about Chicago. Amtrak's needs don't count at all if they are in conflict with some well connected real estate developer. Compare Union Station as it existed in 1960 with today's rat maze, and you know what is important in Chicago and what isn't.
Canal Street is not abandoned yet, UP still runs one or two trains a day in and out of there, possibly at the behest of UPS. Also, the entire yard and paralleling NS main line are above grade level, so a real estate developer would have to level the site before he could build anything.
There may be a dormant Amtrak facility in Brighton Park that was used to service the Turboliners in years gone by.
is canal Street Yard near Global 1 at Western Avenue?
Mr. Railman is canal Street Yard near Global 1 at Western Avenue?
One forumist gave the lattitude and longitude for the various UP yards; and another wrote correctly that Canal St was a former MoPac yard which may explain why it wasn't given a "Global" designation. Canal St is at about 28th & Canal, not the former C&NW Global I at 14th & Western.
Brighton Park, the former Turbo facility, is almost 3 mi west; and IMO it's too small for any serious expansion of Amtrak service.
The Union Pacific Canal Street Train Yard Had Never Been Abandoned. Once A Week I Would Drive Under The Track From The Interstate From Downtown To Joliet And There Is An Entire Line Of Union Pacific Locomotives And Intermodal Trucks Which Would Head There.
The Chicago Rail Link Would Provide Train Service To The Train Yard Which Union Pacific Would Provide Train Movemenr Around The Union Pacific World Connection.
The Canal Street Yard I Think Could Be Abandoned With The New Union Pacific Joliet (Elwood) Intermodal Center Since Around Aurora BNSF Had An Automotive Center Which Had Been Abandoned And Moved To The BNSF Joliet (Elwood) Intermodal Center Located Less Than A Mile From The Union Pacific Intermodal Center.
Around Canal Street Yard There Is Another Intermodal Center From Union Pacific But Not Sure What That Would Be Used For.
The Canal Street Yard Would Have One Switcher From The Rail Link Work The Small Canal Street Train Yard Which Union Pacific Would Have One Local And One Road Train To And From Canal Street Yard Since The Area Is Kind Of Small.
Some Mentioned How Close This Train Yard Had Been To Union Station? This Yard Is Located About Less Than A Mile From Union Station Which Some Amtrak And Some Metra Would Run Past The Canal Street Train Yard.
These Two Are So Close That Once In A While A UP Switcher Would Work The Amtrak Area Around Union Station.
The north end of Canal Street yard is south of Cermak Road and Union Station is located between Adams and Jackson, so the distance between the two is about a mile and a half and involves the use of South Branch Bridge. The only Metra line that passes Canal Street is the Southwest Service.
CSSHEGEWISCH The north end of Canal Street yard is south of Cermak Road and Union Station is located between Adams and Jackson, so the distance between the two is about a mile and a half and involves the use of South Branch Bridge. The only Metra line that passes Canal Street is the Southwest Service.
Yes, that is a fact; but is there a point?
Perhaps it was a response to B-Daddy's post? Hard to say.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Is there any way to find out what company is running the gatehouse? I used to work here years ago & last time I checked with them to see if they were hiring & I was told they were closing. then last week I drove down 55 North & saw they were still open. Any suggestions to find out who I can contact to see if there are gatehouse job openings?
Could anyone update me on the status of this facility? Online official sources list the yard as closed, but when I was there a few months ago, they were loading and switching. Also, Google Earth imagery from this year shows it active. I write about walking in Chicago and would like to give readers a proper update. Thanks!
-Ryan Ver Berkmoes
I still ride past this yard twice daily on Metra Southwest Service and it does appear to still be active. It is currently switched by two GMTX GP38-2's (2174 & 2175) lettered for H&M International.
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