C&NW Noble Street Tower: C&NW passenger main vs. C&NW local freight

(Satellite)  Closed in 1980
NorthAmericanInterlockings:  photo
Chicago and Northern Indiana Railroad Interlocking Towers (click the marker for the correct information)

Steven J. Brown posted
Metra F40PH 177 at the site of the former Noble Street Tower in Chicago - November 5, 2001.
I shared
UP/C&NW on the left and Metra/(Milwaukee + Pennsy's Panhandle) on the right. The spur is gone, but they still store track supplies where the tower stood: https://www.google.com/…/@41.8888377,-87.6620…/data=!3m1!1e3
David Daruszka Noble Street was a C&NW tower. It controlled the junction between the Galena Division tracks that went to the Madison Street CPT and the old line that ran to Wells Street Station. Those tracks were used for local freights.
Jon Roma I think the tower lasted till the early Eighties.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP
Dennis DeBruler In 1938 there was an incredible amount of track in the area.

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP
Dennis DeBruler An incredible amount of track! Note the viaduct that used to carry Milwaukee Avenue southeast to Canal Street.

The triangular building that we can see next to the viaduct still exists.

Fortunately, David's comment steered me away from Milwaukee or Pennsy and to C&NW. The spur we see in Stephen's photo goes down an embankment, along the south side of Kinzie Street, past Hubbard Street Yard, over the "now always up" bridge, under (and serviced) the Merchandise Mart, past the State Street Yard and the Kraft Plant, through the industries around Ogden Slip, and terminated at the end of Navy Pier.

Since the Milwaukee tracks were just south of the C&NW spur, we see the tower on the right side in the background of this photo.

Thomas Manz posted
This looks like it could be Chicago - but where?
Mitch Markovitz Coming downhill towards Chicago Union Station just east of Noble Street.
Ean Kahn-Treras Yup, Mitch has it. Not used to seeing an eastbound with an engine instead of a cab car at this location.

Noble St tower on the CNW way off in the background on the right.

Very neat find, Thomas!
Mitch Markovitz And hey kids...Not only the Noble Street Tower as a clue but the Pennsy position light signal back there.

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