Passenger Trains > Metra-UP West or BNSF

How does the UP west lines compair to the BNSF Race track for overall train traffic on Sunday? A friend and I will be in Chicago tomorrow between arrival and departures of The Hoosier State. I've been on the race track several times but haven't spent much time on the UP west line and might consider heading out that way for something different. All travel via Metra. Open to other suggestions as well but want to maximize trains in our limited time.

Posted from iPhone

howeld Wrote:
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> How does the UP west lines compair to the BNSF
> Race track for overall train traffic on Sunday? A
> friend and I will be in Chicago tomorrow between
> arrival and departures of The Hoosier State.
> I've been on the race track several times but
> haven't spent much time on the UP west line and
> might consider heading out that way for something
> different. All travel via Metra. Open to other
> suggestions as well but want to maximize trains in
> our limited time.
>
> Posted from iPhone

I can't speak to traffic, but Elmhurst is a nice spot on the UP line. Good views of traffic to/from Proviso to the west.

Elmhurst is nice, (Baskin-Robbins near trackside) UP traffic usually pretty heavy along with Metra commuters - haven't been there on a sunday though.  Prefer Hinsdale/Highlands on the BNSF - BNSF traffic quite heavy and it seems more of a variety of power.. Besides the Metras, both Southwest Chiefs & California Zephyrs are "DUE" within like a 2 1/2 hour span in the early/mid afternoon.
Good Luck !! 

I would recommend the UP because the BN is normally dead on Sundays, aside from the passenger trains.

Some Sundays can be insanely busy, but not very often.

Recently I have had better experiences on the UP West Line (Geneva Sub) than on the BNSF (Chicago Sub). La Grange on the BNSF has the advantage of the IHB a few blocks east of the station. 

Whichever way you go, watch the train schedules. Sunday trains on both lines run on two hour frequencies. Assuming the Hoosier State is on time, you will have time to walk north to Olgivie Transportation and catch the 10:40 departure.

If you want to see Amtrak 3/4 and 5/6, BNSF in either Naperville or Downers Grove Main Street are two good choices.
Parking is nearby and coffee shops/restaurants are as well.
 

Ended up going to the UP at West Chicago. Thanks for the information. Had a decent day with three CN trains on the J and two UP trains while we were there and a few more on the way there and back. Raced a stack train on the inbound trip. I had my tablet computer with ATCS loaded and could see the track indications slowly gain on us at every stop and eventually over take us and then us over take the stack train as we neared downtown.

All good things to say about Hoosier State- food, service, timeliness, all great - except perhaps the ride in the last coach. Into Chicago we were in the dome and my friend and I commented that the ride was pretty smooth the entire way. Now we are in coach on the return in the last car and this car rides rough. Side to side and up and down. If anyone happens to ride coach before this train is done try to avoid the coach named Dyersburg.

Posted from iPhone

It's the track conditions, and any car in the rear position rides rough from Chicago to Indianapolis... The Dyersburg rode fine a few months ago when it was positioned behind the locomotive. These former UP ACF coaches are hard to beat for ride quality.

Whew! I'm glad you saw something! I took my own advice and headed to Elmhurst after seeing the Hoosier State at 18th Street. TO member AussieHeinz was already there and said it had been pretty quiet. We ended up having a nice chat with AH until the next Metras showed up at 1:10PM. We decided to head down to the BNSF as at least we would have the afternoon Amtraks. Turned out to be the right move as we saw all four Amtraks plus 2 BNSF freights and a westbound Z.