December 2007

A Kraft Foods delivery truck is at the load dock of the Chicago Cold Storage warehouse. This facility can hold up to 6 40' and 50' reefers on its two covered tracks.

Chicago Cold Storage is on the right and Lake Zurich Central Freight House Number 4 is on the left. This is area is the end of the line for the Lake Zurich Central Chicago Terminal.

A view down the urban canyon that is created by the LZCCT Freight House and Chicago Cold Storage. The two tracks to the right is the LZCCT mainline.

Water towers dot the landscape. Three more water towers will join this scene in 2008. In addition the three existing water towers will be painted and detailed.

A Canadian Pacific trailer is leaving the Commercial Ave. piggyback ramp. Four loaded cars have just been spotted for unloading. By the end of the day these cars will have been reloaded for an evening pickup.

A tavern has taken up a spot on an odd-shaped lot next to Kenwood Building Supply. This little watering hole will certainly become popular with the switch crews.

A small parking area for trailers is adjacent to the Commercial Ave. ramp. In this lot are trailers for the UP, CB&Q, CP, and MILW.

A street level view of the new bar.

A customer is stopping by for a drink.

A final overhead view of the last corner of the layout to be finished. Next year's work will consist of further detailing to various scenes, weathering of rolling stock and finish transitioning to metal wheels. Note the Cy-Ride roll sign in the background.

October 2007

95^th St. is filled with new Metal Classics vehicles. This area is now a vibrant community.

A large Pabst Blue Ribbon graces the elevators of the Pabst Brewing Elevator. This model is based off the Schlitz Terminal Elevator on The Milwaukee Road's Beer Line in Milwaukee.

On the other side of the street from Pabst Elevator is Kenwood Building Supply. The building is scratchbuilt and the fences are a combination of Bar Mills Models fence kit and two BLMA Models chain-link fence kits.

A bulkhead flat is spotted at Kenwood Building Supply. Unlike the railroaders, the people here are actually working. Though they seem to have not made much progress unloading the car.

Another view of the Kenwood Building Supply site.

Two Metal Classics trucks are spotted at the docks of the new Lake Zurich Central Chicago Terminal Freight House 4.

The business side of the Freight House 4. There are three dock doors, and each door can handle two cars spotted side-by-side.

Freight House 4 is five stories tall to allow for the safe, efficient, handling of customer freight.

A large Lake Zurich Central sign graces the top of House Four. The building features the Lake Zurich Central Chicago Terminal logo featuring the Chicago skyline.

As we end this update a pair of switch engines runs down the 95^th St. branch.

August 2007

A view of the new South Shore Steels Works building from above 95^th St. The building is made from Design Preservation Models modular parts and the smokestacks are from Walthers.

The building is 10 and 1/8 inches tall and the smokestacks are another 15 inches.

A view of the newly-built True Value Hardware warehouse. Cars are spotted inside the building on the right side of this photograph and trucks are spotted on the left side.

The Shore Shore Works building dominates the skyline.

Another view of the South Shore Works.

A car is spotted at the Chicago Transfer warehouse. On the right is True Value Hardware and on the left is South Shore Steel.

A final view of Commercial Ave. from above.

July 2007

An empty coal car is waiting to be pulled after being unloaded at the new Cyclone Fuel and Material. Cyclone Fuel sells coal, sand, and gravel to area companies.

These two former Alaska Railroad hoppers have been relettered for new owners Illinois Central Railroad and subsidiary Waterloo Railroad. They are stopped in front of the newly constructed Joseph Smolak and Company Plant 1 and Plant 2.

Plant 1 on the left was a Walthers Cornerstone Background building kit. Plant 2 on the right was scratchbuilt from styrene sheet, the windows are surplus from a different Cornerstone Background building kit.

Plant 2 is a recent addition to the expanding Joseph Smolak Company. A skybridge was connecting the structures. The skybridge was made from parts of a Walthers Medusa Cement kit. Their original use as an enclosed loading shed.

A late afternoon view down 95^th St. All structures have been completed. Additional detailing will be done in the future.

A final view of Joseph Smolak and Company and the newly added hopper cars.

The Chicago Transfer company building was constructed from Design Preservation Models modular parts. The building has a unique shape to accommodate the odd-sized lot.

June 2007

A vibrant mixed-use development has sprung up around the Lake Zurich Central Chicago Terminal tracks. Multiple office buildings, shops, restaurants, townhomes, a gas station, and a grocery store have all been constructed.

Tall structures dominate the area around the tracks, and valuable blank wall space is quickly being turned into advertising space.

An ad for the Santa Fe's Super Chief adorns the wall of a building. Too bad the adjacent property owner constructed a fence partially blocking it.

A peek over the fence shows the entire Super Chief ad.

Through the tall buildings a commuter train can be seen dashing into the city.

Illinois Central E-units rest a top the 95^th St. Branch during the middle of the day.

March 2007

Development is coming to 95^th St. A new grocery store has opened up at the corner of 95^th and Stony Island Ave.

Joggers have already started to visit the neighborhood

A view down the newly paved 95^th St.

A new Lake Zurich Central sign adorns the bridge, recent concrete patch work resulted in mismatching paint.

Another view of the new logo on the bridge as the branch local rumbles by.

An aerial view of 95^th St. and Stony Island Ave. shows the new street and the forthcoming development. Additional projects under development include a hotel, additional office space, condos, and shops. A Jimmy John's has been proposed, but has not been finalized.

Affordable, quality construction was arranged through local crime familes.

A final look of the bridge and new logo as a branch local works the scrap yard.

December 2006

A local working the 69^th St. Branch passes by new weeds and bushes. A pickup truck left in the bushes has become a shooting target.

More bushes and trees are popping up all over the place.

The newly erected loading platform at Calumet Oil has been painted. Workers are already loading product while touch up work continues.

A Santa Fe caboose nears the end of its life at F. Sanford and Son.

Switchmen sit around playing checkers while they take their lunch.

Once the game is finished up, the crew will hop on their power, grab their spots, and head down and work the mainline industries.

Another view of the abandoned car.

November 2006

Ballast work has begun in the Lake Zurich Central Chicago Terminal's main yard.

Locomotives and cars await the next days local to come out and spot the industries.

Smiley's Towing Service and F. Sandford and Son's scrap yard have developed on land previous owned by the railroad before the new main was built and the yard leads reconfigured.

Always efficient, Mr. Sanford has used surplus railroad cars and containers to erect a wall around their property.

Coming soon! A new customer!

People are working at hard and deliveries are being made at Smiley's

No tows yet today, but plenty of junk to clean up.

Smiley is walking around looking for work.

The guy on the left is a manager.

A LZCCT Trainmaster catches a nap while looking for ops test failure.

September 2006

First run to the Lake Zurich Central Chicago Terminal's Commercial Ave. Piggyback Ramp. Two LZCCT SW9s with four cars, a business car and a caboose wait for departure.

The engines are fueled and ready for the passengers to board.

Pooled trailers with other railroads allow for a flexible equipment supply.

The newly opened Stony Island Ave. bridge easily handles the weight of the passing train.

The new bridge over Stony Island allows for the surrounding area to develop.

Customers and employees take a view down Stony Island Ave. Contact your local Lake Zurich Central representative for development opportunities in this up and coming area.

The cars are spotted. Unfortunately, the railroad has not lined up a crane or ramp to take the trailers off the cars.

Soon after this photo was taken the Hands-of-God turned the cars around so that an importu circus ramp could be erected.

With morning availability and evening cutoffs the new Commercial Ave facility is an excellent complement to the Lake Zurich Central Freight House across the tracks. This new concept of combining transload and intermodal services is known as a “Logistics Square”.

August 2006

WC 6677 sits at the future locomotive facility at the to be named yard.

Looking toward the yard leads

ATSF Coach is spotted at the F. Sanford and Son Scrap Yard.

Future home of the Calumet Oil Company.

The 69^th St. Branch passes over a neighborhood decimated by poor urban planning. Soon new buildings will be built here and this will become a vibrant neighborhood where people will want the railroad line torn out.

Economic development has begun. Next step... finish the bridge on the mainline and put roofs on the buildings.

In the foreground a Cyclone Fuel and Material will receive coal, rock, and cement shipments. In the background the South Shore Steel Works mini mill.

The in front will be the Chicago Transfer Warehouse. The Walthers Background Building will become J. Smolak and Company.

Part of an abandoned industry spur still remains. Do not worry, that nice nail has kept the point straight railed for high speed locals.

The first elevators of the Pabst Brewing Company elevator have been erected. In the foreground a True Value Distribution Center will be built. In the lower right is the Kenwood Building Supply (formerly The Lumber Yard). Redevelopment dollars will be used to tear down the old building and a new, more adequate facility will be built.

A large, tall, building will be placed here for the Chicago Produce Terminal.

Looking back Commercial Ave. will run between the mainline and the industries to the left.

Future location of the Lake Zurich Central's Commercial Ave. piggyback ramp.

From left to right, the first and second tracks are double outdoor spots for Lake Zurich Central Freight House 4, three and four are the mainline and the fifth track in the piggyback ramp.

A Kato WC SD45 waits for its next assignment.