Steam & Excursion > NKP 765: Steam, Storm and Awe at Blue Island

Last Saturday evening, NKP 765 and its train headed back from Joliet, Ill. to its overnight location at Metra's 47th St. Yard in Chicago (the former Rock Island "Rocket House") following two successful round trips from Joliet to La Salle Street Station in Chicago that day. The passage through the south suburb of Blue Island in a brief but intense thunderstorm was, for the handful of people who witnessed it, probably one of the most memorable encounters with a steam locomotive or passenger train that they will ever experience.

Trainorders member "stuporchief" previously posted a wonderful video of this event. Here's another take, from a slightly different angle, and longer duration. The excitement of the small group huddling under the eaves of the Vermont Street station (or standing out in the storm!) is in the audio track as the train approaches. But also their quiet awe with not a word spoken as the train charges past while the storm is at its most intense. To excite and teach people about steam railroading is why groups like FWRHS and railroad partners like Metra work as hard as they do to turn back the hands of time for moments like these, even on a ferry trip leg. Surely, most sincere thanks from us all to them both for their superb work.

This video is dedicated to the memory of Mia Mather of New York City, who recently passed away. She was an ardent steam fan, who in riding dozens of steam trips throughout the country, would have savored these three minutes or so at Blue Island. Enjoy this marvelous, memorable moment in time once more, my friends.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan

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Awesome!

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Very, very nice.

How about a TO poll:
What do you think is a more effective safety device
Ditch lights
or
Mars light ?

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
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> Awesome!
I agree 100%.
Wow is all I can say!! That is some video especially with a Thunder Storm, Heavy Rain, and a Steam Engine. Thank you so much for posting and sharing your video.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Dang... that is pretty sweet.

Love the Mars light. Sure miss those things.

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations

I can honestly say I rode behind a mainline steam locomotive at 70mph in New York Central’s “20th Century Limited” Hickory Creek Observation Car at night during a thunderstorm departing Chicago. In the year 2017! I was one of three people in the Hickory Creek for this run from Joliet to Metra’s 47th Street yard, the other two being the car attendant and his wife.
Thank you Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society for a magical exhilarating once-in-a-lifetime experience I will never forget!
Matthew Malkiewicz

Stunning. Magnificent. Perfection itself.
A 15 on a scale of 1 to 10.

That last flash of lightning illumined
the train at the perfect moment.

Thank you, sir.

Wow................

If Mia is the person I think I remember, I rode with her east from Portland in 2009 during 4449's trip to Steam Fest in Michigan. We shared vestibules and conversation together over those several days and I saw her again on a subsequent West Coast trip. IRC, she had been a librarian in the NYC area and visually impaired. She did so much enjoy riding as much as I do to this day (just got off #5 from Chicago last night). I'm sorry she has passed; she will be missed by her many friends many of whom are railfans.

Thank you for this great video; I'm looking forward to seeing it when I get home and watch it on my big computer screen.

Fantastic video - Thanks!
Gary

That was terrific, and thanks for filming and sharing it. Matthew M riding in the Hickory Creek, I'm so jealous!

Fantastic!..how did you get the lighting to flash at just the perfect moment?

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Boomer92 Wrote:
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> Fantastic!..how did you get the lighting to flash
> at just the perfect moment?


Promise of a large donation in the collection plate the following morning?

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Boomer92 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Fantastic!..how did you get the lighting to
> flash
> > at just the perfect moment?
>
>
> Promise of a large donation in the collection
> plate the following morning?

I had a gigantic flash array that extended across southeastern Chicagoland from the Lake Michigan shore in Hammond, Indiana all the way down to Homewood, Illinois on the CN (ex-IC). Three Commonwealth Edison plants that had been mothballed were put back on line to supply the power, and so that Chicago wouldn't go dark when the big flash occurred. All done wirelessly by a bluetooth-enabled control module in my smartphone. Turned out pretty well.

Seriously, it was just providential. Pure luck. Of which I obviously have now completely used up my supply to possibly win Powerball or MegaMillions. Or, more hopefully, a small endorsement by the almighty that I'm living right. In any case, there were prayers of thanks that evening and in church. Additional monetary expressions of gratitude in the collection basket and to come.

nycman Wrote:
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> That was terrific, and thanks for filming and
> sharing it. Matthew M riding in the Hickory
> Creek, I'm so jealous!

I am too!!! As wonderful as this experience was, I might well have traded it for Matthew's ride in Hickory Creek. I was thrilled that the car was in the consist, although disappointed that it wasn't placed as a tail car. Probably operational reasons for that. It was wonderful to see it up close during the layover at La Salle Street Station in Chicago, and to briefly visit inside. I have always wanted to see that car. While on board I thanked the owner for his excellent restoration, and for the privilege of visiting.

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very, very nice.
>
> How about a TO poll:
> What do you think is a more effective safety
> device Ditch lights or
> Mars light?

For me, Mars light, hands down. And the video pretty much shows the advantage in my view. You get the flash and the oscillating pattern both, and from an angle well off to the side as vehicles are approaching the grade crossing. THAT would sure get my attention, just as it did on SP and Cotton Belt engines when I grew up in St. Louis.

Cumbresfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If Mia is the person I think I remember, I rode
> with her east from Portland in 2009 during 4449's
> trip to Steam Fest in Michigan. We shared
> vestibules and conversation together over those
> several days and I saw her again on a subsequent
> West Coast trip. IRC, she had been a librarian in
> the NYC area and visually impaired. She did so
> much enjoy riding as much as I do to this day
> (just got off #5 from Chicago last night). I'm
> sorry she has passed; she will be missed by her
> many friends many of whom are railfans.

That was Mia. I was also on board that trip. I had not seen Mia in many years at that time, and it was a joy to see her again. She was a wonderful person, and an ardent steam fan, with many friends in the NRHS and railfan fraternity, and steam circles particularly. Here's a link to a posting here on TO on her passing, including a link to her obituary from the New York Times: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4317400,4317400#msg-4317400

Thank you all for your kind words concerning the video. I'm glad that you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the experience that evening in Blue Island, and sharing it with you here.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan

Historically I've never been a big fan of railfanning videography. But once in a while a video comes along that blows everything else away with its perfection. MC, you have reached that level with this one. This will be the very first video I've ever downloaded from TO. VERY well done, sir!!!!

Lance

Perfectly still camera, subdued voices in the background, pattering of rain, lightning and thunder, the grade crossing bell, the Mars light, and the power of the passing loco - wow. I was magically transported back to my youth in the same Chicago suburbs in the 1960s, anxiously waiting for a GTW 5629 excursion to round the curve at Maynard Junction and pound the ground through the onion fields on the way to Chicago. Thank you for creating this wonderful time machine experience.

That was one of the best videos l have seen on Trainorders in some time. The night ,the storm with the lightening , the thunder and the train with heavy rain ! Classic

In this case ditch lights ,the Mars light was shinning up in the sky

Reminds me of the 1991 NRHS ferry move to Cincinnati. Very nice video.

Well done Mark. Mia was a great lady. I was lucky to know her a little bit.

Great stuff!