Just 5 years ago, this remnant of a 120-year-old branch (built by a predecessor to Milwaukee Road) was still seeing trains 1-2x per week. The branch was once part of the Kingsbury branch, which extended from near Union Station downtown, north past Wrigley Field. Here, what's left of the line it sees a train serving its final customer on the tracks north of Clybourn. The end of the line on this date was by the stop sign visible by the UPS to lower left.
Not long after this photo was taken, Chicago Terminal Railroad took over operation, and soon thereafter, Peerless Confection (the large building pictured) would close its doors and be torn down, no longer filling the Lincoln Park/Lakeview neighborhood air with the smells of bubble gum and licorice.
The tracks are still here, but sadly are not accessible by trains anymore. They are just a reminder (punctuated by potholes) of the unique operation that ran here for decades.
Also, note the conductor checking the "clearance" of the Grand Am wedged between the CP switcher and the Corn Syrup car on the spur track.
