Steam & Excursion > IRM’s Electroliner Together Again

Illinois Railway Museum’s North Shore Electroliner has been undergoing a lengthy restoration. A major milestone was reached this week with the reassembly of the 4-car articulated train.
https://hickscarworks.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-electroliner-together-again.html

Still work to be done before its back in service but nice to see it together again. Kudos to the museum!

Posted from iPhone

Great news!

I was at the Illinois Railway Museum for only the second time in June when work was being done on the Electroliner.  I'll have to go back a third time to see it in operation.

I wish it were easier to get there. I don't much like renting cars and driving unfamiliar roads in unfamiliar cars. I wish Metra had a discounted weekend day trip getaway package with a taxi company from one of the rail stations out that way.  

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wish it were easier to get there. I don't much
> like renting cars and driving unfamiliar roads in
> unfamiliar cars. I wish Metra had a discounted
> weekend day trip getaway package with a taxi
> company from one of the rail stations out that
> way.  

As the "Rolling Stones" sang, you can't always get what you want,  unfortunately.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wish it were easier to get there. I don't much
> like renting cars and driving unfamiliar roads in
> unfamiliar cars. I wish Metra had a discounted
> weekend day trip getaway package with a taxi
> company from one of the rail stations out that
> way.  

From the IRM website: 
https://www.irm.org/directions/
You can take Metra's UP Norrthwest Line to either Crystal Lake or Woodstock and use McHenry County's dial-a-ride bus:
https://www.mchenrycountyil.gov/county-government/departments-j-z/transportation/transit-services/mcride-dial-a-ride
It's 11 miles from Woodstock and 14 miles from Crystal Lake to IRM.

Rideshare is also an option. A quick check of Lyft shows rides to and from the museum and the Woodstock Metra station around $20 each way. 

Yes, I'd get on the airplane to see/ride the debut trip ! My late wife and I enjoyed the first trip of the 'Liner on SEPTA between 69th street and Norristown PA.  The "electroburger" was fine !.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wish it were easier to get there. I don't much
> like renting cars and driving unfamiliar roads in
> unfamiliar cars. I wish Metra had a discounted
> weekend day trip getaway package with a taxi
> company from one of the rail stations out that
> way.

Interstates to get you there used to be "free." That was the case when I visited several years ago. Now they're toll roads. I figure I add something to deflate your motivation even more.

cchan006 said
Interstates to get you there used to be "free." That was the case when I visited several years ago. Now they're toll roads. I figure I add something to deflate your motivation even more.

Interstate 90 in that area (formerly Northwest Tollway, now Jane Addams Memorial Tollway) was a tollway when it opened in 1958.  It was certainly a tollway when you visited "several years ago."
 

filmteknik Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interstate 90 in that area (formerly Northwest
> Tollway, now Jane Addams Memorial Tollway) was a
> tollway when it opened in 1958.  It was certainly
> a tollway when you visited "several years ago."

Yeah, did some research just now, and I must have remembered wrong. Even I-88 (to reach Rochelle, which I usually do before/after visiting Union) has always been a toll road.