Western Railroad Discussion > Summer Vacation - Chicago and Northern/Central Illinois

From Tuesday, June 22 through June 26, myself and my girlfriend Megan took a few days off and headed to Chicago, Illinois to visit some friends and do a gathering. Instead of driving or flying out, we took Amtrak's California Zephyr, which made it a fun and memorable experience for both of us; considering Megan has never taken a long train trip before. A couple of days had some railfanning involved, which included a few areas around the Chicago area and rural Illinois countryside outside of the city. Friday, June 24th consisted of a morning and early afternoon along the "Chicago Racetrack" between Chicago and Aurora and some of the former CNW along the UP-West Line out to Elburn. Then Saturday, June 25th consisted of action on BNSF's Chillicothe Subdivision along the former Santa Fe mainline. 

• Traveling over 1,000 miles on a train, you have to find a way to pass the time. Megan draws and colors in her book while passing through the Southern Iowa countryside along BNSF's Ottumwa Subdivision.
• Passengers climb aboard an inbound Metra train to Chicago from Aurora at the Route 59 station.
• In typical fashion, Metra F40PHM-2 No. 191 leads an outbound "dinky" from Chicago approaching the Naperville station. 

There's more...

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

---

---

---

• Amtrak's westbound Illinois Zephyr comes into Naperville to do its station stop before heading west to Aurora and onto the Mendota Subdivision to Galesburg.
• The conductor makes sure everyone else is onboard as the train prepares to depart Naperville.
• In the Village of Hinsdale, a westbound oil train consisting of a CSX ET44AH and two CSX C40-8's race west through the Metra Highlands station.

There's more...

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

---

---

---

• A CSX C40-9W leads two standard BNSF units on an eastbound loaded oil train through the Village of Hinsdale at Highlands.
• An outbound Metra train races west through Highlands as the same oil load continues east on Main 2.
• A little while later, a westbound manifest with a mix of BNSF and CSX power head west at Highlands.

There's more...

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/16 17:29 by FrontRangeTrains.

---

---

---

• BNSF C44-9W No. 734 painted Red and Silver Warbonnet paint leads two NS units on the Northtown, Minnesota to Belt Railway of Chicago manifest on Main 3 through Highlands.
• Megan grabs her shots of an eastbound Q-Train led by two standard GE's at Highlands.
• The eastbound Illinois Zephyr races east through Highlands/Hinsdale on its way into Chicago.

There's more...

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

---

---

---

• An outbound Metra train from Chicago is seen arriving into the La Fox station along UP's Geneva Subdivision. From here, the train will head to its last stop at Elburn before making a turn and burn back to Chicago.
• Two UP GP15-1's and a GP40-2 lead a local west with one car on Main 2 at La Fox.

Saturday, June 25th:

• A BNSF SD70ACe and NS Dash 9 lead a westbound vehicle train under the searchlights at Verona along BNSF's Chillicothe Subdivision.

There's more...

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

---

---

---

• In typical fashion, a westbound BNSF Z-Train meets an eastbound UP trackage rights Z-Train at the cross-overs at Yost east of Galesburg.
• A little while later, a westbound Q-Train with a mix of BNSF, UP, and NS power race through Yost.
• A slow moving eastbound stack train crosses over a bridge in the small town of Williamsfield.

Some more...

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

---

---

---

• A sight that may not last too much longer... searchlights protecting the cross-overs at Williamsfield.
• A westbound stack train heads west through the searchlights at Williamsfield.
• Another westbound, this time, a Z-Train races west under the searchlights.

Some more...

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

---

---

---

• Running right behind the westbound Z-Train, BNSF's L CHI101 led by a Warbonnet painted B40-8W races underneath the searchlights in a scene I'm sure has been duplicated numerous times in the past.
• The sun has set in the western sky as a hot eastbound Z-Train led by five GE's race through the small town of Verona.
• Following right behind the Z-Train is another eastbound Z-Train led by four BNSF GE's at Verona.

Some more...

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

---

---

---

• A view from myself and Megan's seats on the California Zephyr as we return to Denver. The train is currently doing its station stop at Burlington, Iowa along BNSF's Ottumwa Subdivision.
• The California Zephyr makes its station/smoke stop at Ottumwa, Iowa. This is also a crew change point for Amtrak crews. Amtrak crews from Chicago swap here, and then another crew takes the train to Lincoln.
• Back in Denver, we have arrived into  Denver only 30 minutes. Denver Union Station was busy, that included: RTD EMU trains to Denver International Airport, and both Amtrak tracks occupied by both the California Zephyr and two brand new Siemens Chargers that are waiting to head to Pueblo for testing at the TTCI.

Thanks for looking!

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

---

---

---

Good stuff, John. Looks like a fun trip. 

Thanks for sharing, love those searchlight photos. 

Ryan

VERY nice photos, you saw some of the same trains at Williamsfield, IL that l saw at Ormonde, IL this past Saturday...  and you even got a photo of the switch engines in the yard in my home town..

Hope you had a safe trip,

Brian
Burlington, IA

Great set of photos, I especially like the ones from the BNSF "Race Track", and of the commuter car proudly proclaiming "BNSF RAILWAY" in art deco lettering.

Photo 3 is wonderful!  Excellent contrast and anticicipation.  Well done!!!

Best series I've seen in a long time! Thanks for showing

PQM

Awesome, now we got to get you to Blue Island.

Great set of photos! You do a great job with the wide angle lens...and your processing is well done. Great color and sharpness.

Ryan Wilkerson
Fair Oaks, CA

Nice work.

Lewis M.
Decatur, IL (most recently Galesburg, IL)

Almost makes me happy to work here,,,,,,,ALMOST.
 

Very nice photos - That triple track can be fun with all the scoots, and the stone structures give the area a look of permanence. I am glad I got to see the commuter stuff with the E-unit rebuilds a couple of times, I haven't been back there since. Those searchlight gantries make me think I should stop by there on my next trip east - Thanks for the report! You didn't miss much around here while you were gone, same old, same old. Have to travel to get some new variety! === === = === JLH 

Great series of photos.

Ronda Thomas