The line sees little traffic. Pretty much all the signals are gate-less with cantilevers and mechanical bells. Some of the the major roads it intersects include Gary Avenue, IL 64 (North Avenue), and IL Route 59, just to name a few.
Just after the Gary Avenue crossing, there is a switch, where it branches off into a smaller, industrial part of Carol Stream. The first crossing that it goes over is Lies Rd, where a gate-less cantilever crossing without a bell can be found. You pass a little switch branching off back toward the crossing, ending on the side of a building. An old flat car, which has seen better days and is rotting away, sits on this siding just before the parking lot crossing for the building. Next, the line splits off into 2 lines again. One part looks more recently used. It runs along Gary Avenue, and makes a left turn off just before North Avenue. The line comes to an official end just after the Gerzevske Ln. crossing. Between Kehoe Blvd. and the end of the line, it is very rusted and overgrown.
If you go back to the switch after Lies Road, you will see a CN hopper car on the other line. The line begins to get overgrown, as it rounds a little lake. A WC Hayes bumper will stop you just after the lake. After that, you really have to fight trees and other plants to follow the line. All the crossings along here have been ripped up. The track no longer connects on either side, and the curbs have been replaced so track can no longer run over the roads. Finally, the line branches off, and then instantly comes to an end just after the Mission St. crossing, also no longer existing.
I believe I am the first to discover this, and I'm surprised no one else has spotted this yet. I have walked most of the line, and even climbed on the hopper and flat cars. I even collected rusted railroad spikes sitting on the line, removed by mother nature, I guess.
Does anyone know any more info about the line? Below you can see pictures I took and ones from Google Earth.
A map of the line. Red is abandoned, green is active mainline.
Just after Lies Road.
Same thing, different angle, with my Mom in the photo.
Rounding the lake.
Just after a former crossing. Beginning the lake section.
Former crossing
Me on the rotting flat car.
Lies Road East crossing. Only crossing with signals along here. No gates, no bells.
8 spikes I picked up during my walk. I plan to use rust remover on these, and repaint them silver.
I love the Safetran signal that you stumbled upon.