Western Railroad Discussion > Train traffic through the Elgin, IL area...?

Hi everyone, don't post to much on the western board as I'm from Ohio, but I might be taking a trip out to the Chicago suburb of Elgin, IL and that area soon and was wondering what the traffic levels are like out there? What railroads/train symbols/and what is/are the traffic patterns like to? TIA...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/14 09:14 by santoro2020.

Not sure exactly where you're staying, but one of the best places in the area is at Spaulding Junction. Spaulding is where the CP/Metra ex-MILW crosses CN's ex-EJ&E Leithon Sub. Since the J takeover, the line's traffic has increased tremendously, making for a pretty busy location.

More info can be found here:
http://www.dhke.com/CRJ/others-ns.html

- Jeff Carlson

Thanks! And yeah...that was one of the areas I was looking at on the map, seems like a busy place. Another spot I was just thinking of doing was just sitting at the Metra Station in downtown Elgin along the CP.

Do you or does anybody know what time CP trains 470/471/472/473 generally come through?...they seem to always have good power on them.

Does the UP go through Elgin to that much? I was looking online and saw some rail lines that were ex-CNW.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/14 11:21 by santoro2020.

Sitting at the Metra depot is a good idea. There are enough angles from public spaces to shoot, though now you probably will notice no trespassing signs for non-passengers. So, park legally somewhere, secure your belongings in the vehicle, and wander around. Keep in mind that commuter trains run west out to Big Timber, and though there is tons of public parking there at a price, if you are at the Elgin stop trains often run through. Having a Metra TT handy is good.

At that same spot, freights roll through, but hold back until the commuter rush is through. So expect a freight after rush hr. Monitoring 161.52 is good.. b17 is tower at Bensenville, east of your spot.

By the way, Big Timber is the place to go if you ride one of the Metras. Easier parking, but not all trains run out here.

Nearby ex CNW line soon to be Amtrak-ized by the state of Il. But for now freight runs in off hours for the most part. They are 160.89

Remember, as a general observation, you can spend more time trying to get to railfan locations in Chicagoland than you actually spend at any given spot, so spend some time scouting A spot and throw anchor. That's why I suggested the Elgin Metra stop, either am or pm rush. Perhaps scout a little up and down the MILw west line, but just stay close by.

There is a nice curve just east of Elgin. Busy road though.

Good luck.

Chico

The Union Pacific line is the Belvidere Sub. The primary customer on this line is the Chrysler assembly plant in Belvidere. Autorack trains are what you are most likely to see. I'm thinking the symbol(s) are ABEBE (turn from Belvidere to West Chicago) and/or ABEPR/APRBE (between Belvidere and Proviso). The line ends in Rockford where there are a few loose car customers. I'm not sure if a local runs all the way out there from West Chicago or if the manifest traffic is tacked on the rack trains.

Andrew

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Thanks for all the replies! Looking forward to going out there now.

What are the traffic levels like on the CN Line to if anyone knows? Like train symbols/traffic patterns/amount per day. I know earlier someone was saying that traffic has increased since they took it over from the "J". And is the any other freights to on the CP ex-ICE main besides 470/471/472/473? Any locals use that line?

For the "oldies but goodies", Illinois Ry. Museum is at Union, about 23 miles west of Elgin. It's one of the world's largest railway museums, with steam, diesel and electric operation. Check their website to see what's happening while you're in the area.

Traffic on the ex-EJE is in the neighborhood of 20 or so trains a day. I believe the following symbols are fairly up to date.

Intermodal:
Q113, Q116, Q118, Q119, Q188, Q193, Q196, Q197, Q198, Q199
Not all intermodals run daily. Some are only 1x a week.

Manifest:
M335, M336, M340, M341, M342, M343, M344, M345, M346, M347, M348, M349, A446, A447, A491
A small few of these manifests (not 100% sure which ones) continue on the ex-WC south of Leithton and not on the ex-EJE, so some won't go through Elgin.

Andrew

Posted from iPhone