The auto distribution facility was for Datsun(now Known as Nissan). The
cars came in from the west coast through St Paul and the C&I trains. Cars
were set out Eola and then the Nabisco job would spot them. The distribution
center was the largest customer in the Naperville Industrial park developed by
the Q. The empties were picked up at Eola and they were has "hot" as the
loads.
These auto loads were very high priority. One day for some reason(unknown
to me) an eastbounder brought his Datsun loads to Cicero. My pool turn was
ordered to operate an extra from Cicero to Nabisco with the 18 or so loads. We
pulled into the tracks parallel to the main,ran around the train,grabbed the
Waycar and went back to Cicero and tied up. Total time on duty less than two
hours.
The long siding parallel to the main at Nabisco was used to temporarily
hold cars destined to Congress Park interchange with the IHB.
Nabisco was the first industry in the park in the late 60s. It received
bulk raw products and shipped retail cereal,etc.
Today there's two industries left that are served by rail, a plastics
plant facing rte 59 and an auto,parts distribution warehouse. Even the
relatively new Weyerhaeuser operation has closed. All those car dealerships
along Aurora Ave are located on the site of the Datsun facility. I think every
brand of car made can be purchased along that strip of road
Or rte. 34.
Leo Phillipp
That used to be an autorack unloading facility for all the car
dealerships in the area. I don't know when it opened, but it closed in the
early 2000's and the tracks were removed. They also ran refrigerated
roadrailer trains out of there for a brief period in the late 1990's or
early 2000's. They closed the auto ramp after the huge Logistics Park
Chicago intermodal/automobile facility was completed in Elwood on the former
Santa Fe mainline.
Joe
LeMay