This is from Niko Stefani via radioman911.com:
6/14/16 8:00 Hrs. Highwood FD disbanded after 126 years of service. Highland Park has absorbed their small fire district following a March 15 vote. The 30-year contract is reportedly projected to save $9.3M within the first decade. – Goodbye radio traffic from RED Center video by Niko Stefani
#1 by Bill Post on June 20, 2016 - 8:49 PM
Drew those tracks that you are talking about of which some were finally torn up within the last 10 to 15 years were actually part of a little used freight line that was being used by the old Chicago and Northwestern railroad for limited freight service. The tracks that had gone south of Oakton and south of Howard Street had gotten off of the main line around Mayfair Junction (about 2 blocks east of Cicero between Montrose and Wilson) and further split into a second branch near Peterson Avenue which continued northeast into Evanston while the line that you are talking about continued due north and at 7800 north the CTA and the former North Shore line tracks would parallel the freight line that you are talking about. Those were two separate sets of tracks. That single freight service track ran just west of the old North Shore line which was electrified all the way to Milwaukee and to Mundelein. When that freight line was still intact it would meet up with the current freight mainline just south of Skokie Boulevard and Lake Cook Road.
#2 by Drew Smith on June 20, 2016 - 4:54 PM
Bill, you are correct about the interurbans. While gone for many years some remnants exisited up until not so long ago and perhaps may still be found if one cares to look. Tracks existed in Northfield, Lincolnwood, and Skokie and if you go on Google earth you may still see tracks in some spots along the ComEd right-of-way from Devon north into Lake County.
#3 by Bill Post on June 20, 2016 - 9:50 AM
The town of HIghwood for many years was the location of the main shops and yards for the Old North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad. I’m sure that there are a number of people on this site who remember or at least know about the Old North Shore line. The Chicago Northshore and Milwaukee was one of the last of the Electric Interurban railroads but the unique thing about it is that when it ran it made getting to MIlwaukee or Mundelein or Libertyville or many of the communities in between as easy as getting on an Elevated Train. It ran on the Chicago Elevated system from Wabash and Roosevelt around the Loop and stopping at key stations along the route. Where todays Yellow Line ends the track would continue and the service during the day would be hourly to Milwaukee.The railroad went out of business in January 1963 and was used as a Tax Write off for the out of state Susquehanna corporation.
I know that this has nothing to do with the fire department but it was another good reason to have the fire department where it was located. The tracks were east of the current Metra (Union Pacific) Tracks.
#4 by FireTroll on June 20, 2016 - 7:20 AM
I hear their downfall began with small changes to the lights and colors on their apparatus. After that it was a quick slide down to disbanding.
#5 by Max O on June 19, 2016 - 9:58 PM
I Think you mean HIghwood
#6 by Admin on June 19, 2016 - 10:20 PM
damn auto correct – thanks for catching that, I missed it