The industrial tracks at West Hinsdale came off main 1 eastward. The switch was directly across from where the Hinsdale municipal pool is today on the south side. Can't think of the name of the cross street at that point. There was an inside switch with a short spur going westward about a car length. It may have been longer in past times.
The track going east was parallel to the main and then another split off to a lower elevation. There may have been more in the past. The one next to the mainline went all the way back to the second street xing west of the Hinsdale depot. Soltwich (sp) Plumbing,or what preceded it seems to have been one customer. I've been told these tracks also went to the Hinsdale Freight
house. In the 70s a company was receiving box cars of bricks on this spur. Pretty regularly at a couple cars a week.
Shoot,almost every station on the east end had Spurs back in the day. That's why the east end w/f was such a long winded job back in history. I've been told by a couple different guys there were 3 Brkmn on the job. Haven't found anything in writing though.
Yes, we discussed the contemplated line from Joliet here,maybe a couple years ago. According to the documentary history,vol 1 it was named the Joliet,Rockford and Northern. It was intended to run from Joliet to Sheridan then to Rockford. In 1882 a total of 19.45 miles were built from Sheridan Jct(Burgess Jct/Catherine) to Paw Paw. Three segments of the line lasted into the 80s.
Earlville to Paw Paw was used by the Rockfalls w/f and that job also ran Earlville to Baker as needed. There was also the stub at Burgess that served an elevator. Discussed and showed pictures of the moves required by the Fox River w/f to switch that location in the recent presentation.