Nostalgia & History > Metra South of Union Station

1. From Roosevelt Road on September 19, 1987

2. Metra186 on August 23, 1995

3. Metra 194 on August 23, 1995

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/15 12:39 by MartyBernard.

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Love the pictures, but a question.  I was under the belief that METRA was a recent new name in Commuter rail, but, saw something
on Train Orders recently (can't find it right now) that showed METRA scheme perhaps in the 70s. Exactly when did RTD light blue with
red and brown stripes morph into dark blue METRA??

Thanks.

Frank30

In picture 1, the train on the right is a Southwest Service (former Wabash) Orland Park train.
At that time the equipment layed over in the Western Ave. coach yard with the Milwaukee lines
equipment and therefore had the engine on the north end. The train loaded on the north side of CUS,
Track 19, which is one of the through tracks.  That is why the train ID sign is hanging from the door
of the cab car.

The Heritage Service (former GM&O) also yarded at Western Ave. and had the engine on the north end
but they did not have a 7 car consist.

In 1987 the Southwest Service was still manned by NS crews, the trainman wearing NS uniforms.
A fireman still held down the left hand seat in the engine or cab car.
Some of the men were still out of Decatur because the jobs "belonged" to Decatur men.
If no Decatur man bid a job it would then go to a Landers man and after that a Calumet man.

The crews were top notch.  A few names I rememeber:
Enginemen: Don Wilfawn, Pete Mussuto, (?) Shepard, Howard (?)
Trainmen: Francis Gunning, "Admiral" Dewey Wharton, Bob Stehman, Don? Hanson (ex Landers YM)

A tedious trip through the back yard of Chicago railroading is ahead. Crossing the CR leads into the CJ at CP 518,
the BRC at Belt Jct, the B&OCT at Forest Hill, the GTW at Ashburn and the IHB at Chicago Ridge.

 



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/15 06:46 by Englewood.

Englewood, thanks for that information. I didn't know most of it.

Marty Bernard

MartyBernard Wrote:
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> Englewood, thanks for that information. I didn't
> know most of it.
>
> Marty Bernard

You are welcome. 
That picture is a very nice representation of rush hour.
It looks like Amtrak 48 backing down from the coach yard.
Harrison St. Tower can be seen in the background