Nostalgia & History > 12 trains in 40 minutes

Here's a video of BN's evening commuter rush at Clarendon Hills, IL on the fabled triple-track 'East End' (also referred to as the  'Racetrack').  This video was shot on Sept 27, 1990, and the commuter E-units would last another 2 years before these elegant ladies were retired.  Only one train was pulled by a sign of things to come.

Enjoy the show!

Steve Zahn
Glenview, IL

 

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Very nice video.  Keep in mind that at least 5 or 6 of these E units were sold to the Maryland DOT for MARC Commuter Train service and they were in operation on the former B&O Railroad from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. and from Brunswick, Maryland down to D.C. in 1992.  They continued to operate with MARC for at least another five or six years.
John

Looks like those E-8's knew only run 8 or idle with the loads they had.

Outstanding!

Thanks for the memories.  

Marty Bernard
 

tomstp Wrote:
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> Looks like those E-8's knew only run 8 or idle
> with the loads they had.

That's pretty much how I remember them!  Run 8 or idle.

Outstanding! Thanks for taking the time to put the video together and posting it here.
BTW, great camera work. 90% + of fan videos are unwatchable due
to no tripod / excessive panning & zooming.

Robert Pierce
Sugar Land, TX
SWRails.com

Not a big commuter train fan, but that was fun - well done.

Seems like trains on the center track were moving faster than trains in the same direction on the inside track. Wonder why?

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> Not a big commuter train fan, but that was fun -
> well done.
>
> Seems like trains on the center track were moving
> faster than trains in the same direction on the
> inside track. Wonder why?

Assume the ones on the inside track had more local stops . . . .?

Craig
http://www.mcmrailvideos.com/

Not familiar with Chicago area, but from a historic standpoint, how did CB&Q become heavy in the commuter business and the parallel ATSF not get in the commuter business?

Great video, I enjoyed seeing the E units in MARC service!

The CBQ line to Aurora was one of the first in the Chicago area, completed in 1853. The Santa Fe line was completed 35 years later, in 1888.
Lots of residential development along the Q during those 35 years. Additionally, the open terrain the Q traversed was ideal for homesites, whereas
the ATSF line cuts through what was by 1888 a heavily industrialized area.

Robert Pierce
Sugar Land, TX
SWRails.com

Fantastic!  Thanks for sharing!

~Joe P.
Hainesville, IL

The middle track was all express trains and the far left was for the locals. Metra runs some trains point to point with only one or two stops on the far end of the line. They board up to 1,800 riders at Aurora, the western terminal and then not to much further east at Naperville. Locals make close in-stops and at some point double back to get another load sometimes in service but during the rush periods the will make an empty equipment move so as to be in position to protect the schedule.

The "E's' are unfortunately gone but I know for a fact that most of those Budd cars are still in service, amazing what aluminum and some rehab can do for you.