Western Railroad Discussion > Chicagoland Update - 6/10/2024

Hello all!

It's been nearly two months since I posted my last update of activity occurring in the Chicagoland area (besides my separate posts regarding the Empress). There's been a lot of trains with interesting power that have come around, but for the sake of brevity, I will share 12 photos of some of the highlights. If you wish to see more, visit my Flickr page below.

Enjoy!

Daniel Fredrickson | Flickr

1) Metra's Milwaukee Road heritage unit leads an outbound under the Milwaukee-era signals at Tower B-12 in Franklin Park. Fitting isn't it? 4/27/24

2) Amtrak 301, the "Day 1" ALC-42 Charger, leads Amtrak 382 past the former CB&Q depot (now Metra's Fairview Avenue station) in Downers Grove, IL. The engine was reportedly testing a new shunting device which will hopefully help with the many documented shunting issues on the CN Chicago Sub / former IC mainline. 5/1/2024

3) After the Empress's arrival in Chicago on May 6, a couple railfans and I went to the Elmwood Park Metra station to shoot the outbound rush hour trains in great light. Here, METX 500, the class SD70MACH wearing the Regional Transportation Authority heritage scheme, leads a train through the station.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/24 17:51 by trainmandan.

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4) Another Elmwood Park shot, this one of METX 99, a former GO Transit F59PH, leading a former Amtrak Surfliner F59PHI.

5) Amtrak heritage units 160 and 161 were teamed up on one of the Hiawatha turns for at least a week. Here, the evening outbound departs Union Station and passes under the signals at Racine Avenue with 160 in charge. 5/24/24

6) CN 2920 leads an unidentified manifest through Barrington and past a well-placed puddle created by the day's rains. 5/24/24

 

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7 & 8) UP 1995 recently visited the Illinois Railway Museum to partake in the Museum's C&NW Weekend, which also coincided with the C&NW Historical Society's annual convention. Afterwards, the locomotive was assigned to UP's MBEBE turn from Belvidere to Proviso for a few days. In these two shots taken two days apart (5/24 and 5/26), UP 1995 leads MBEBE (first as a train, then as light power) past the historic depot in Wayne, IL.

9) Metra 405 makes another appearance; here we see it push an inbound out of the Bensenville station, reflecting off another puddle. 5/28/24

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They're all great shots but that CN one is AWESOME !

10) After being delivered to Bensenville Yard on CPKC 181 earlier in the week, KCS 2016, a relatively rare "Grey Ghost" GP38-2, is assigned to local I47, which switches the Mars and Newlyweds plants on the Elgin and C&M Subs, respectively, on M-W-F. This Wednesday night's train is seen passing the Elmwood Park water tower on its way to switch Mars. 5/29/24

11) KCS 4006, the colorful Veterans unit, leads CPKC 180 out of Bensenville Yard. 6/3/24

12) Finally, another appearance from UP 1995, now assigned to MWGWG, a turn between West Chicago and Rochelle, seen here crossing the ex-CNW bridge over the Fox River in Geneva. Tonight's train also has UP 1983 third out, having been picked up in Rochelle after delivering MGBG3 earlier that day. 

Thank you so much for looking!

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Very nice series. Hard to pick a favourite.

Great set!  Thanks.  Will have to visit your flickr stuff.

texchief1

Last image (#12) is an IOTD candidate, enjoyed them all, thank you!
Oliver Barrett

ShoreLineRoute Wrote:
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> Last image (#12) is an IOTD candidate, enjoyed
> them all, thank you!
> Oliver Barrett

They all are!

Spectacular scenes! 

Kit Courter
Menefee, CA
LunarLight Photography

Outstanding bunch.
JB

Killer series! Really enjoyed the UP Heritage engines and that KCS Gray Ghost!

Many nice shots!

TJY

Beautiful group of images, makes me yearn to visit Chicagoland again.

Rich

Excellent series, many good looking shots!!

Larry

 

You came away with some very, very, nice images, especially the night work!
GK

AWESOME series!!!

trainmandan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello all!
>
> It's been nearly two months since I posted my last
> update of activity occurring in the Chicagoland
> area (besides my separate posts regarding the
> Empress). There's been a lot of trains with
> interesting power that have come around, but for
> the sake of brevity, I will share 12 photos of
> some of the highlights. If you wish to see more,
> visit my Flickr page below.
>
> Enjoy!
>
> Daniel Fredrickson | Flickr

Having lived in the Chicago area almost all of my life, I have seen many of the photo locations you choose.  However, the big difference you looked for an artist's view of those locations.  You have set a new gold standard for me.
Thank you for posting and describing these photos.
Ron 

GREAT shots!!  Thanks for posting these.