Western Railroad Discussion > Two trains on CP, with CP, DM&E, KCS, and CSX power

It's a grey day, but this was quite a bit of dumb luck. I had an errand to run that crossed the path of the Metra/CP C&M Sub between A5 and A20 in Chicago. Few freights take this route. A regular one is 284 (correct if wrong), a Bensenville-Minneapolis freight that is often heavy with racks. Usually when I see it is a GE or two, a lot of racks, and maybe some mixed freight. Today, it was running about 2 hours behind its usual time with an SD60 and GP40-2 as power, screaming along with 149 cars, including about 45 racks, lots of steel loads, and many other blocks of loaded mixed freight.

So that was some odd luck. But then I look in the distance and see another headlight... one that isn't coming fast. Metra is 20 minutes away, Amtrak just went trough - and it was another freight, led by a KCS unit. Two trains in a row at this location is pretty great here; a few years ago the only freight would be a train at 8pm, and two after midnight. Maybe the UP is doing some work on the New Line which prompted this one to head via A5.

In the last shot, you can see the new incredibly bright LED signals that were just installed, plus some new rail waiting to be installed.

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Very nice shots!!

Larry

Was the first train about 2/3 empties? That is really pushing it!

Posted from Android

GTWMISteve Wrote:
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> Was the first train about 2/3 empties? That is
> really pushing it!
>
> Posted from Android

I really doubt it. The 45~ racks were loads. The hefty blocks of covered hoppers mostly seem to be loads. There was a cut of 10-15 coil cars which were loads. I saw some empty lumber and maybe empty tanks, but it seemed like at least 2/3rd's was loads, not empties.

inCHI Wrote:
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> GTWMISteve Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Was the first train about 2/3 empties? That is
> > really pushing it!
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> I really doubt it. The 45~ racks were loads. The
> hefty blocks of covered hoppers mostly seem to be
> loads. There was a cut of 10-15 coil cars which
> were loads. I saw some empty lumber and maybe
> empty tanks, but it seemed like at least 2/3rd's
> was loads, not empties.

Wow. A Head Hunter special to the extreme! Harrison is the true epitome of corporate greed!

Great photos.

Ronda Thomas