Anyone else going to miss the Finkl Steel shortcut? - The Chainlink2024-03-28T09:25:53Zhttps://thechainlink.org/forum/topics/anyone-else-going-to-miss-the-finkl-steel-shortcut?x=1&id=2211490%3ATopic%3A894824&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI ride through this area ofte…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-12:2211490:Comment:8957812015-03-12T03:24:47.361ZJennyhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/JennyT
<p>I ride through this area often and have been taking Southport since they closed the shortcut. I fell on Southport last winter when I got stuck in the railroad track (glad to hear I'm not the only one!) and the condition of the road has worsened significantly since then. Be careful out there!</p>
<p>I ride through this area often and have been taking Southport since they closed the shortcut. I fell on Southport last winter when I got stuck in the railroad track (glad to hear I'm not the only one!) and the condition of the road has worsened significantly since then. Be careful out there!</p> This was always my route to t…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-11:2211490:Comment:8953672015-03-11T23:36:44.660ZElihttps://thechainlink.org/profile/EliNaeher
<p>This was always my route to the Hideout and I was very sad to run up against the fence the other day.</p>
<p>This was always my route to the Hideout and I was very sad to run up against the fence the other day.</p> That line ran all the way to…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-10:2211490:Comment:8953012015-03-10T21:52:34.329ZTricolorhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Tricolor
<p>That line ran all the way to Evanston and was used by the Northwestern Elevated to expand north from Wilson. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/freight/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/freight/index.html</a></p>
<p>If you look at Google Maps from Addison south you can see how new construction fills in the rail line.</p>
<p>That line ran all the way to Evanston and was used by the Northwestern Elevated to expand north from Wilson. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/freight/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/freight/index.html</a></p>
<p>If you look at Google Maps from Addison south you can see how new construction fills in the rail line.</p> Wow. I loved riding that tiny…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-10:2211490:Comment:8950652015-03-10T20:59:22.062ZCraig S.https://thechainlink.org/profile/CraigS
<p>Wow. I loved riding that tiny stretch of Southport so many times the past 25 years. Summer nights were the best. </p>
<p>Wow. I loved riding that tiny stretch of Southport so many times the past 25 years. Summer nights were the best. </p> Thanks all for your input. Ni…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-10:2211490:Comment:8951102015-03-10T00:19:58.200ZJosh L.https://thechainlink.org/profile/jolondon30
<p>Thanks all for your input. Nice to know there are so many people that share an interest in our city's history. Much appreciative of those of you who set me straight on what exactly they made at the Finkl foundry. I knew it was finished steel products but wasn't sure about the inputs and how the process worked.</p>
<p>Len that link you provided connected me with more information about the "local train" also this very interesting architect of many local train stations (including Wilson Ave),…</p>
<p>Thanks all for your input. Nice to know there are so many people that share an interest in our city's history. Much appreciative of those of you who set me straight on what exactly they made at the Finkl foundry. I knew it was finished steel products but wasn't sure about the inputs and how the process worked.</p>
<p>Len that link you provided connected me with more information about the "local train" also this very interesting architect of many local train stations (including Wilson Ave), <a href="http://glenviewcreek.com/stations.html" target="_blank">Arthur Gerber</a>.</p> It will be missed greatly. L…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-09:2211490:Comment:8948492015-03-09T16:18:48.765ZJohnhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/John38
<p>It will be missed greatly. Late night and winter rides have had routes plotted specifically to go through the complex, and sometimes the steelworkers would invite you over by an open door to warm up and look inside. Other times massive ingots were set outside to cool, and you could feel the heat radiating from them 8 feet away as you rode past.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">They were also a good neighbor, decorating their facilities with window box planters in the summer and…</span></p>
<p>It will be missed greatly. Late night and winter rides have had routes plotted specifically to go through the complex, and sometimes the steelworkers would invite you over by an open door to warm up and look inside. Other times massive ingots were set outside to cool, and you could feel the heat radiating from them 8 feet away as you rode past.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">They were also a good neighbor, decorating their facilities with window box planters in the summer and evergreens and lights in the winter. It was always fun to bring people through to see the " I had no idea this was here" look, particularly if that strange contraption was trundling along between the buildings.</span></p>
<p>Very high end, specialty steel production was done there, and being able to see what came out of those huge, mysterious buildings made it more real. These things were at least ten feet long.</p>
<p></p> Agreed.
To the OP, Southport…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-09:2211490:Comment:8949272015-03-09T16:13:55.285ZAlex Zhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/AlexZ
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p></p>
<p>To the OP, Southport in the Finkl area was the site of my own tire falling into the rail groove as well, several years ago. I've been more careful since. :)</p>
<p>Agreed.</p>
<p></p>
<p>To the OP, Southport in the Finkl area was the site of my own tire falling into the rail groove as well, several years ago. I've been more careful since. :)</p> Hopefully when it reopens it…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-09:2211490:Comment:8949212015-03-09T14:48:48.746ZEric Rhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/EricRoach
<p>Hopefully when it reopens it will be a pedestrian/ bicycle friendly street, this is assuming <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150223/lincoln-park/industrial-residential-or-both-predicting-future-of-finkl-steel" target="_blank">it becomes residential.</a> (Link to DNA Article.)</p>
<p></p>
<p>Hopefully when it reopens it will be a pedestrian/ bicycle friendly street, this is assuming <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150223/lincoln-park/industrial-residential-or-both-predicting-future-of-finkl-steel" target="_blank">it becomes residential.</a> (Link to DNA Article.)</p>
<p></p> Yes, I'll miss it. I've used…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-09:2211490:Comment:8949182015-03-09T14:41:55.393ZAnne Althttps://thechainlink.org/profile/Anne91
<p>Yes, I'll miss it. I've used it many times over the years.</p>
<p>Yes, I'll miss it. I've used it many times over the years.</p> Josh
Finkl bought southport a…tag:thechainlink.org,2015-03-09:2211490:Comment:8947612015-03-09T13:02:40.813ZLen Krietzhttps://thechainlink.org/profile/LenKrietz
<p>Josh</p>
<p>Finkl bought southport about 20 yrs ago.</p>
<p>If your interested in the rail line below is a link to various pics of it:</p>
<p><a href="http://chicagoswitching.com/chicago/former-milwaukee-road-cp-rail-chicago-terminal/" target="_blank">http://chicagoswitching.com/chicago/former-milwaukee-road-cp-rail-chicago-terminal/</a></p>
<p>It did extend north up through Lincoln Park to Wrigleyville.</p>
<p>Josh</p>
<p>Finkl bought southport about 20 yrs ago.</p>
<p>If your interested in the rail line below is a link to various pics of it:</p>
<p><a href="http://chicagoswitching.com/chicago/former-milwaukee-road-cp-rail-chicago-terminal/" target="_blank">http://chicagoswitching.com/chicago/former-milwaukee-road-cp-rail-chicago-terminal/</a></p>
<p>It did extend north up through Lincoln Park to Wrigleyville.</p>