Nostalgia & History > Before Metra Highliners

Given the news that IRM has acquired four Metra Highliners, let's look at the previous generation.  This is an Illinois Central Electric train at Grand Crossing on March 31, 1964.

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard

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Looks like the powered cars had two pantographs and the trailers had none.  Nothing like a trip back in time.

Yes, they ran in semi-permanently coupled pairs, and the resulting lead pipe predictable performance usually (weather premitting) meant they kept to the schedule, which was often quite tight headways-wise with the CSS&SB, branch runs and rush hour train frequencies.
They were really something else compared to those Highliners (which I still consider the "newbies" man I'm getting old)

Back in 1971, I had my only ride in the original IC electrics.  They were different from many EMUs in that they had subway-style couplers that made the air and MU electric connections as well as physically connecting the cars.  My trip was on an off-peak train to Blue Island (where I would catch a Rock Island train back to the Loop).  We had an unscheduled stop in the yard south of the terminal to let off two company officials who were there to investigate a derailment.  The motorman introduced me to them, and I remember seeing Mr. Mullin's name in the news several  months later when there was a much more serious incident in the same area.  Once the supervisors had been unloaded, the motorman invited me up front for a cab ride (I've discovered that, generally speaking, ChicagoLand folks are a friendly bunch and are proud of their area.)  He asked me what I did in Southern California, and when I said "electronics", he told me about the new cars they were getting.  "We're going to need some people who know electronics.  With these old clunkers, if the train won't start, you poke around the switch group with a flag stick until whatever's stuck drops out and you're good to go.  With the new cars, you go poking around, there's a big shower of sparks, and you're fried a $3000 module."  Then he asked me about my family, and when I said I had two daughters, he told me about the suburb where he lived, "Nice town, great schools, good place to raise a family."  But I never followed up on his suggestion, and about five months later Chicago had a ferocious snowstorm.  I wished I'd recorded his address, so I could have sent him a note along with a weather report, "Dear Lou, this is why I'm still in the Los Angeles area."

Photos:

1)  My friend the motorman, about to discuss something with his South Shore counterpart.

2)  End of the Line at Blue Island.   A break for breakfast at the local beanery, then back into town on the Rock Island Line (for which my only previous contact was the old folk song recorded by Leadbelly, Lonnie Donegan, Stan Freberg, Johnny Cash and others.)

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Bob, you sure are full of stories.  Keep 'em coming!

Marty

Marty thank you for the shot. The IC EMUs never seamed to get much attention by juice or other railfans.

DNRY122, you are so right about Chicagoland railroaders being friendly. My first visit to Brighton Park was January 1st 2004. I hung out for a couple hours and finally knocked on the operator's door to ask if I could use the porta potty. After I came out I started talking to the guy. I found out that he had worked for the CTA, retired and came to work at NS. I told him that I had worked for Sperry Rail Service then a shortline railroad and quit the railroad to drive a bus transit for Metro in Cincinnati. We both got a good laugh out of how our carriers had criss crossed each others. We probably talked for another hour about working in both transit and on the railroad but I eventually had to go to catch an Amtrak at Union Station. I too should have exchanged my address or something.

Jim

Thanks, Marty!   A few years ago I posted a series of photos about the Sept. 1971 "Goin' to Chicago" trip.  My next big adventure was the "Dog Tired Tour" in 1977, and I've posted some photos from that.  In 1981, fearing that Amtrak was on the endangered species list, I did the "No Scene Twice Seen Tour" to Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, but most of the photos from that tour are on print film and haven't been scanned.  So there's lots more, and I'll be doing some more scanning soon.

As usual, great stuff Marty.

IRM's motor/trailer pair in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH5MZqr867s