Final Days of Union Pacific's Chicago Tribune Job

On March 29th, 2024, I followed Union Pacific's YPR60B job as it served the Chicago Tribune's Freedom Center printing plant. Back in 2022, it was announced that the Freedom Center would be demolished to make way for a new casino. The Tribune would move its printing to a location in Schaumburg and vacate the Freedom Center by July 2024. Employee layoffs began in February and eventually the last car was pulled sometime in late May when the plant closed its doors.
A few days before this video was shot, it was announced that the one other customer on the line, Blommer Chocolate, would be promptly closing its doors as well. It too stopped receiving cars. The final car from Blommer arrived at Proviso on May 15th, 2024.
Today the old former C&NW branch, which once ran out to Navy Pier, is essentially abandoned. With no customers on the line, there's no need for any trains to operate. Redevelopment plans for both Tribune and Blommer make it unlikely that there will be a need for rail service, but we'll have to see what the future holds!
-------------------------
Thanks for watching! Like what you see? Subscribe! Also make sure to check out my other social media pages!
Instagram: samlovestra...
Facebook: / samlovestrains-1168791...

[@uhlijohn]

Hard to believe they only pulled ONE car out of the plant!!! We used to spot 18 cars a day! One 9 car spot on day shift and another 9 car spot on the afternoon shift!

[@25mfd]

so much has changed... i hired on with CNW back in 1993 out of butler... worked in janesville for a bit... GM plant long since gone, used to get two switches /day... the JATCO auto ramp was overflowing with loaded racks day and night back in the 90s... now it's all gone

[@uhlijohn]

@@25mfd Did you know Ronnie Gluff, the hogger on the Janesville train out of Proviso?

[@25mfd]

@@uhlijohn didn't know him personally but yes i did know of him... saw him a lot... he was a fixture on that "A" train

[@25mfd]

@@uhlijohn i'd see him at butler to because he would work the pool whenever they would take the A train off as a regular assignment and put it back in the pool... they did that often with that A train, flip flopping between regular assignment and back in the pool

[@GreenRC24]

What commodity was delivered to that plant by rail?

[@Heroduothecomedian]

It's a sad day when you see a rail line whether it's small or big, close down

[@bettym7346]

And newspapers.

[@robertszallavarysullivan9570]

America as a whole, has 'Shut down.' What does it manicure anymore? Not much of anything of value that involves a significant number of people.

[@robertszallavarysullivan9570]

'Manufacture,' typo.

[@chrisstromberg6527]

Yep! I bet will see more trucks plugging up the highways though, sad!

[@TexasRailfan21-RailfanRyan]

Very cool Chicago Northwestern caboose

[@beeble2003]

Ironic that the ex-CNW caboose says "pulling together" when now it's only used for pushing.

[@TheBigdog868]

I was in the printing industry until 2007. You could say I saw the writing on the wall, so to speak. Saddened to see the final end of an era. Even the Chicago Tribune fell 😢

[@SamLovesTrains]

Just the consequences of the internet at work!

[@JohnR.1968]

Used to pull trailers of scrap paper out of there, glad I left b4 I lost the job. The building was pretty cool inside, old school.

[@IGuessIDoThings]

The fact that the Chicago Tribune building would be torn down to build a casino is such a cartoon villain thing to happen

[@uhlijohn]

Ironic that the Tribune called it the "Freedom Plant" isn't it? Destroyed our freedoms and now the Freedom Plant is being destroyed by those nihilists. And the modern Tribune had a big hand in everything. Col. McCormick is spinning in his grave seeing what his paper has become: just another Marxist rag rooting for war and destruction.

[@paulbergen9114]

Excellent coverage of this industrial remnant. Metra zips on by where not that many years ago you'd see at least 25 plus box cars waiting to go down there. Excellent drone view of the entire complex and part of that featured in a background scene in Chicago PD. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel printing plant closed down about a year ago and now with the demolition of Froedert Malt the bustling Menomonee Belt is now a rusty streak. All of the dozen papers they still print are done in Peoria and if the Brewers game goes past 6:00 p.m. you'll read about it in the day after paper

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! Thanks for the history!

[@johnalder6028]

Thanx for added info , good to know !

[@MawaukeeWiscansin]

Do you know where there is historical or current content on the Menomonee belt? I live in the area and have always been fascinated with it, almost to the extent of making a shelf layout about it; however, content is scarce… I would appreciate any insight.

[@paulbergen9114]

@@MawaukeeWiscansin I know that some photos have been published in older Milwaukee Road Historical Assn Publications but I don't remember a story about it nor do I remember the Chicago and Northwestern group doing one. On the internet there is some good information at the Froedtert malt website regarding the history and construction of the plants plus even some photos of the building under construction

[@robecon49]

As a side bar to this story, Ballys may delay or not even build the planned casino on this property, as the temporary casino located at the former Medinah Temple downtown is not performing financially as hoped.

[@SamLovesTrains]

I just read about that. A shame they made the tribune close and move out before confirming whether or not the casino would even be worth it.

[@uhlijohn]

Isn't it ironic that instead of encouraging industry to stay in the city they want them to move and replace them with casinos! Demoncrats! F***ing idiots! Any state, county, or city run by Demoncrats turns into a hell hole. But it is NOT incompetence as we would think. It is a deliberate plan. It is called Cloward & Piven....destroy everything so they can build a Marxist utopia.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Tribune was probably happy to unload the property. Sht's tanking downtown now.

[@APOTwixx]

Thank you for recording and sharing.

[@planebois]

As someone who has filmed this job and researched it a ton and covered it a lot in my old content, its sad to see it go. Great video though, and thank you for covering this job!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! I wish I was able to see it more, but I’m glad I got to document it once!

[@uhlijohn]

Wish I had a nickel for every car I spotted or pulled out of the Tribune! I was the hogger on YNO68 for a couple of years and retired on that job in 2013. Sad to see it go. One industry after another closed down. Now only Alpha Baking is left. North Ave. yard used to be a hopping place with 3 shifts. At its peak I think North Ave. had about 4 daylight jobs, 2 afternoon jobs, and one night job that mainly serviced Proctor & Gamble plant where Home Depot now located. In addition there was a switch run, PRNOA, that brought cars to North Ave. from Proviso. The good old days. Here is a link to a video of me shoving cars into the Tribune plant: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6fGYamBr7KEqqMsi=_kxytCfjcO5s-6KH

[@anthonyc1883]

Wow, that's a heck of a cut of cars compared to Sam's video. So sad what has been lost.

[@sanddabz5635]

Very cool. You've got a personal connection to all this.....a lot of history! Those were the days!

[@daniellucas6573]

Great coverage, man! Rather somber at best as times are certainly changing! Just like here in NYC, a lot of people are leaving the city! A lot of manufacturing jobs are leaving in droves! Even our transit 🚇 system is beginning to feel the effects of a city in decline!

[@SamLovesTrains]

I think North Ave. is pretty much empty these days. Chicago Terminal’s Goose Island operation shut down some years back and now this. I really wish I could’ve seen the Goose Island stuff, but I wasn’t as big into switching/local operations as I am now.

[@user-lq4mo8dw1p]

That's what happens when industry is taxed to oblivion....uncle JB hogg the governor taxes everything that moves a inch....so glad to be out of that democrat state....hired with CC back in 1994, used to work Broadview switcher....used to die in the shift. Now CN pulls 8 cars from the city all the way up to the J.....before I moved it was 3 to 4 cars.... Hershey in St Charles moved to Missouri....almost all the industry I spotted moved to Missouri or a southern state....

[@J3scribe]

Well that's a sad state of affairs. In its heyday, there was a massive coach yard, engine service facility for steam locomotives and a roundhouse packed between the North Branch and both sides of Chicago Ave. And soon the very last vestiges will be a distant memory.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Tribune and Blommer were really the final holdout for this old remnant of the CNW. Viewing an old map of the area shows how much has gone away over the years. I’m pretty sure this was once the CNW’s mainline into downtown before OTC was built!

[@J3scribe]

@@SamLovesTrains Correct, the line led to Wells Street station prior to the CNW passenger terminal and elevated lines into it were built.

[@seangall123]

RR and print media fan from Boston here, this is excellent, so well done!

[@fhowland]

Fantastic footage! Love the drone shots. Such a sad thing to see this going out of operation, but thank you for documenting history.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! I’m glad to have documented it!

[@WillyGoat54]

I remember seeing so many hi-cube and standard 50ft boxcars in those yards as a kid. So sad that it's all gone now.

[@JustATeenageRailfan]

Sad loved seeing these jobs I hope the new ones will still need rails

[@Nurvington]

Many thanks for filming this! Sad to see this close for good.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Glad you enjoyed as sad as it is!

[@markradaba]

CNW livery! Love the caboose!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Me too! That was a treat.

[@unpasaro]

Excellent filming, thanks for sharing this. How sad that that branch is going to be abandoned.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! It’s sadly looking like it’ll be that way.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

UP will rail bank it.

[@JohnR.1968]

They closed the chocolate company also, Blomberg, man it smelled great around there.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Yep. They announced their closure just a few days before I shot this video. Very sad.

[@MartyBecker]

The new location, 1000 Albion Avenue, in Schaumburg, has rail access from the Milwaukee District-West line.

[@cagorrie]

Great catch, thanks for the great coverage

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! Glad you liked it!

[@thomasklimchuk441]

Some the Chicago Tribune newspapers were shipped from Thorold Ont via CNR via Sarnia

[@anthonyc1883]

Great coverage, man. Thanks.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Appreciate it!

[@cjbeyer8340]

Oh how things have changed!! Love the UP!!

[@shawnpowell5876]

Nice catch of some great switching opps. The Short Line Railroads are my favorite especially when it comes to serving their customers. Thanks again for sharing this video with us. Cheers from Laurel, Delaware USA.

[@zenontrainstrucks9433]

Great video!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thanks!

[@oglemansviews675]

Excellent video footage. Well done. Thanks for sharing.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thanks! Glad I could provide footage of this move!

[@johnalder6028]

Good catch ! Greetings from Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

[@gilbertcastaneda8208]

Great video Sam. Thanks.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you!

[@MarcelosalivaTRENESArg]

Excellent video my friends awesome like 👍🏻

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you!

[@tfs4499]

Great catch!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thanks!

[@Scaletrains]

Fantastic job!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you!

[@user-bb3yv8dy7q]

The CNW Caboose is cool.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Agreed.

[@lucmarchand617]

Yes,they lots newsprint from canada now lots mills are close or made papers.sad but this was going on now today due computer.😮

[@Heritage_railfan]

Damn I would see a YBR60 in my backyard (I think) he would run LHF form Waukegan to Chicago but I have not seen him lately 😢

[@SamLovesTrains]

YPR60 will still run, but just not to this part of the city.

[@Heritage_railfan]

@@SamLovesTrains oh ok 😅 i hope he still does the Chicago-Waukegan job!

[@KiloOne]

I see that consist all the time running up and down to Alpha Baking on what otherwise would be abandoned track. I’ve been trying to figure out the history behind those tracks and if anyone else still uses them. So odd not seeing it on the NW side. Many thanks for this upload

[@uhlijohn]

That is/was the Cragin subdivision. Used to be double track, now it is single track. It ran from 40th St. yard (long gone) up to the Harvard sub. at Mayfair. North of that I believe it was the Skokie sub. and there used to be trains coming down from Wisconsin (Butler yard, I believe) years ago headed for the Belt's Clearing Yard. I think the alpha was BUBRA or B from Butler or something like that. It was dark territory controlled by track warrants. Terminal crews would pick up the train at Mayfair, release the track warrant when hind end cleared and run down to Augusta Blvd. just north of 40th St. to connect with the Belt. All hand-throws controlled by Belt dispatcher. Cragin sub. used to cross the Milwaukee at Cragin interlocking but the Cragin now dead-ends just a wee bit north of Cragin interlocking. Not sure what's south of that but I do recall years ago CNW used to store empty TTX empty flats or 5-packs on a couple of long tracks when Wood St. (Global 1) was stuffed and had no room for any more cars.

[@KiloOne]

That helps a ton, thank you so much

[@baseballislife7497]

It’s all about intermodal. That’s the bread and butter for UP.

[@beeble2003]

Well, it's also about this being a newspaper printing plant. People don't buy printed newspapers any more -- they read online.

[@user-lq4mo8dw1p]

​@@beeble2003 I'm a retired train conductor...now a OP trucker.....all of us truckers by newspapers....except for the newest generation

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Intermodal is how railroads got us to subsidize their long haul business by dumping the costs of local switching on to the roads that we pay for. The Chicago area has hundreds of truck only warehouses way the fck far from intermodal yards, in places like Morris. Also grail elevators filling containers instead of covered hoppers.

[@kingofthemonsters3712]

The city of Chicago is really proving to be a problem for them, shutting down that factory, and now the employees there are getting laid off work, basically, THEY TOOK THEIR JOBS!

[@dogyerf21]

They took their jerbs!!

[@beeble2003]

Tell that to all the people who get their news online instead of buying a printed newspaper. I mean, when did you last buy a printed newspaper?

[@user-lq4mo8dw1p]

​@@beeble2003 today, just bought one at the roadranger truck stop....before that 2 days ago in Barstow California

[@glenhietala2529]

The printing plant used to do about 3,000,000 copies of the Tribune a day. Now the total print run is about 275,000 because most people don't read hard copy newspapers. But tell us again how it's Chicago's fault that the plant is closing.

[@CNUPRAILFANOFSOUTHERNILLINOIS]

I’d say Union Pacific will load Trash in the Train for the new Casino or Railcar Storage

[@centraliowarailproductions2810]

Nice video!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@centraliowarailproductions2810]

@@SamLovesTrains I did. Speaking of locals, UP has a SP painted GP60 leading the local out of Marshalltown and it’s leading out of town on a former section of M&STL mainline.

[@SamLovesTrains]

@@centraliowarailproductions2810 I’ve seen some photos of that one on Instagram lately. There’s also a Cotton Belt painted GP60 on locals out of Butler, Wisconsin. I tried catching it the other day, but didn’t get lucky.

[@centraliowarailproductions2810]

@@SamLovesTrains ok. Interesting, I caught the SP GP60 on that local last week and chased it briefly.

[@uhlijohn]

Looks like this footage was shot in the early spring by looks of the leaves on the trees.

[@SamLovesTrains]

This was shot on March 29th

[@Amigafur]

Don't think of it as the end of an era. Think of it as a mission completed.

[@-SkyCat-]

Sucks but i guess a casino is what Chicago needs?? the new location has Rail to it as well

[@SamLovesTrains]

I now hear that the casino might not end up being built anymore with how their other location has been preforming.

[@BronsonWally126]

Interesting the last car was a CP Canadian boxcar

[@SamLovesTrains]

This likely wasn’t the very last run, but one of the last handful of runs.

[@uhlijohn]

Most of the cars we spotted at the Tribune were Canadian cars. That's because that is where most of the newsprint originated from: Canada.

[@DouggieFresh50]

Just like what happened in draper Utah now half of the Utah Draper line that challenger went on is now Ambandond now this

[@J50Fan20]

Realy sad. What's gonna happen to the ROW?

[@Guaga_]

very funny how Freedom center is being replaced by a casino

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

That development has all but tanked already.

[@joshthetrainfan]

That CNW caboose has had journal wheels swapped with roller bearing wheels…

[@user-lq4mo8dw1p]

I believe that class had roller bearings....it was the international class from 67 that had that

[@joshthetrainfan]

@@user-lq4mo8dw1p no those are journal trucks…the way they’re shaped says it all-

[@user-lq4mo8dw1p]

@@joshthetrainfan don't know buddy....my dad worked at CNW.....and I worked at CC....I have no interest in American railways....

[@joshthetrainfan]

@@user-lq4mo8dw1p fair enough

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Definitely can't leave UP hands. Journal boxes are non interchange regardless of being converted to rollers. Probably aged out if it is considered a freight car too.

[@armandoperez7967]

Are they going to be getting everything by truck now?

[@beeble2003]

As stated in the description, both customers are closing. The newspaper print works is moving to a new location, which other commenters have said is rail-served.

[@chrisstromberg6527]

Sure looks that way with all the trucks clogging up 294

[@bettym7346]

CNW caboose

[@GEVOlutionCPKC]

Excellent 🫵🏼🚂🫶🏼🔝New subscribe 🎉

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@JohnR.1968]

Blommer chocolate

[@robertszallavarysullivan9570]

As far a railroading being 'fun' for train crews, the disappearance of the caboose was the beginning of the end........ Implementation of new technologies throughout the years such as the loss experienced in the size of train crews arguably was to be expected, and made railroading safer. Yet, now it can be argued that for a variety of reasons, railroading 'Has lost that luvin' feeling' for train crew members, as it's not as safe as it was, or could be, since crew sizes have dwindled to two and in some cases, one man crews. Give me a break. A one man crew is in no way safe. And it certainly doesn't involve fun........

[@SamLovesTrains]

Yeah… I have friends who work for the railroad that say it’s nothing like it used to be. Even in the past 5 years it’s changed so much.

[@csxns]

So did 18 wheelers take over the business around here trucks haul about everything.

[@beeble2003]

No, the internet took over the business. This is a newspaper printing facility. Nobody buys printed newspapers any more.

[@garysprandel1817]

A lot of the industry that used rail is gone. Trib and Blommer Chocolate were the last holdouts. Ever since Daley Jr Chicago has decided that retail and high end condos were a better use than industry and now the last two are out of the way.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Well now retail and offices are going away, not much reason for hedonistic dbags to stay in the city anymore.

[@TomStarcevich-fb3qo]

🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃

[@fjkelley4774]

A casino. Yeah. When I think of casinos I don't think of Vegas or Monte Carlo or even Atlantic City. I think of the Windy City. Is this the last stage of get rick quick schemes or some shoddy waste of money to enrich someone who needs it as much as my cat does?

[@RailfanEngineer]

mmm yes, destroying a factory to make way for a casino and giving more of the population a gambling addiction is totally what this economy needs, even if the location move is a good idea i still dislike it

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

It has been said Bally's does not even have the financial capital and may never build the casino.

[@northlandg5207]

Good video of a sad happening! I used to watch this job when it ran and when I worked near there. .....unreal to see another Casino coming to steal money with

[@paulbergen9114]

Its surreal how especially now with inflation people have any money left to piss away. I wasn't aware of this casino but I understand there's one coming to Rockford and I guess the one in Kenosha got approval and here in Milwaukee we get the ads for this new one in Waukegan they opened a new one recently in Beloit and just finished remodeling a good part of the one in Milwaukee and added a sports book.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thanks! That’s just the world we live in today.

[@suppylarue220]

that caboose and the hopper are filthy with graffiti. need to start painting all equipment with protective anti graffiti coatings. easy to do, cheap, and done only once. first rain will wash away any markings.

[@shortliner68]

I always wondered if there was some type of coating that could be applied which wouldn't allow any added spray on paint to stick.

[@bettym7346]

@@shortliner68 There is. Used to protect scenic rock formations in the high desert of So Cal. It works great. Called "elephant snot" around here. Not cheap, but one coat ends the problems. To my mind, grafitti=decay=more grafitti=more decay. People may call them graffiti artists, but they are vandals! I hate seeing them all over the trains!

[@shortliner68]

@@bettym7346 I sometimes wonder what rail freight customers think when they have products to ship and completely defaced rail cars are spotted on their siding. I wouldn't be surprised if they think, "You expect me to ship my valuable products in that!?" You don't see truck trailers all vandalized with paint while you're driving down a highway.

[@beeble2003]

@@shortliner68 Customers obviously have no significant problem with it, or the railroads would do something about it.

[@beeble2003]

"need to start painting all equipment with protective anti graffiti coatings" Why do they _need_ that? If they _needed_ to do that, they'd already be doing it. The fact that they're not doing it strongly implies that it's not needed.

[@Victorseafog]

Where do the goofs get the money to graffiti the trains with expensive paint?

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Jobs. Most of the uppest Chicago writers are old guys now.

[@JS-fk9oj]

Too much camera clicking. Unwatchable.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Then don’t watch

[@beeble2003]

@@SamLovesTrains It is pretty annoying, though. I'd recommend standing farther away with the stills camera.

[@SamLovesTrains]

@@beeble2003It’s sometimes hard to do, especially with other photographers on scene who don’t know or care that I’m filming video.

[@chrisstromberg6527]

Take it as constructive criticism.

[@beeble2003]

@@chrisstromberg6527 What's constructive about complaining about something and condemning the video as "unwatchable"? That's just criticism.

[@thurmandavide]

Replacing products with bad ideas.

[@CPForgeProductions]

Excellent video!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you very much!