Passenger Trains > Old Chicago Passenger Trains

Nearly 20 years ago when I lived in Milwaukee and Chicago, I used to easily railfan Chicago, with Joliet and LaGrange being preferred spots.

Image #1 - A late afternoon WB Metra local train pauses at the LaGrange station along the then BN Triple track.

Image #2 - As a Metra train leaves Joliet, the Anns Rutledge (IIRC) waits to continue its westward journey. Fellow TO member Keith Schmidt was along for this ride.

Sorry image dates are unknown as the originals were scanned by a friend and are packed away for an upcoming move.

Regards,
Russ Goodwin
Buford, GA

 

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LOL...I'm thinking "old" passenger trains...like maybe from the 1950's. I guess "old" is subjective.

Nice work!

Cheers,
Jack

Like the pic with Amtrak 303 waiting for the Metra, back then it was very fun to still be a railfan!

The first photo is a timeless classic Burlington "off into the sunset" photo, seen many times with the stainless steel fluting of the original streamliners and double deck commuter cars reflecting the setting sun, a feature somewhat unique to the Burlington in this region due to its west-southwest orientation as you leave Chicago.  An almost identical photo could have been taken in the 1950s, the 1970s, or even today if the original Burlington coaches were lined up together in a train.  A wonderful and again, "timeless" photo, thanks so much for posting this.

Incidentally, a minor point, but the train in the first photo is technically a BN or BNSF train (depending on if your photo was pre or post merger).  Metra contracts with BNSF to operate the trains, and supplies locomotives and the commuter equipment (some of which is original CB&Q equipment similar to your photo), however the train crews, dispatching, and track are all BNSF, thus it is operated as a BNSF train.  Similar arrangement with UP commuter trains on former C&NW lines.  The second photo, on the other hand, is truly a Metra operation, since they took over the operation after the demise of the Rock Island.  Same on the Milwaukee District, the IC Electric District, and newly started commuter lines, are also Metra operations with Metra employees, though in some cases they own, maintain and dispatch the track and some they don't.  I understand, of course, that from the point of view of the public, it is all "Metra".

The fluting and the windows all match!  Can't do that today!  You went beyond the standard railfan shot there, for sure!