Western Railroad Discussion > Picturesque first Chicago snowfall on UP Geneva Sub

My favorite shots are towards the end, but I'd like to include these first few. This afternoon about 4-6 inches of snow fell as I was in working in River Forest, IL. It looked amazing outside, as the snow stuck to everything, but while I could see the trains go by I had to keep working and wasn't  able to get one of the 5 freights that passed in 5 hours. Only later, when it got dark, could I get a chance.

One pretty funny thing happened in the afternoon. A santa appeared with a man in a conductor hat and two assistants. I asked him if he would mind if the kids I was teaching photographed him as he walked up to the eastbound platform. I asked where he was going, and he said West, and I said I was pretty sure it was on the other side (also judging by the signals.) This is backwards C&NW territory. They had 2 minutes, but made it over there, and the kids got giddy as santa posed and boarded the Metra train. I'm glad I could help, because it would have been really awkward for kids to see Santa missing a train by standing on the wrong platform!

1. Nice to see an old signal bridge, with Metra lined up to head west.
2/3. Metra appears with kids sledding down a hill



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/16 19:02 by inCHI.

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4. A grab shot of an eastbound UP stack train
5. An inbound Metra
6. People are still sledding!

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7-9. Here is where I had some time and got shots I liked. A stack train that seems like it had sat for hours finally got a light to head west, into Proviso I think. It was the first movement on the middle track in several hours, where snow had built up on the rails. In the last shot, it passes by the River Forest station/park center. In that first shot, that bridge is the ex-WC ex-Soo ex-??? route that doesn't have traffic anymore.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/16 18:57 by inCHI.

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Last, the stack train with NS/BNSF power passes under a flashing yellow signal as the tracks narrow from 3 to 2.

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Great images!

Love the second to last pic!

Doc
 

Great snow pictures!

Larry

Outstanding photography!

Outstanding bunch!
JB

GREAT stuff...!!  Thanks....

Excellent work. Especially your night photos. #5 is a winner in my book. Congratulations on "Image of the Day"
John



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/16 05:27 by jmbreitigan.

Very nice shots!

Great snow pictures. Congratulations on IOTD.

Ronda Thomas

Man, really great shots all around!

Well done, and congrats on IOTD!
- Jeff Carlson

Fantastic shots! Kid's playing outside!?! Who'd a thunk it:} Congrats on IOTD!

Thanks for the comments! If I had more time it would have been great to get a shot of a Metra gyralight lighting up the sledding hill, but on Sunday, that is only every two hours.

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Wow!

Posted from iPhone

Great photos of the location known as "Vale" to railroaders........

Great shots!

Randy Lundgren
Elgin, TX

Really wonderful pics!!!  Great job of capturing the essence of this snow.