Eastern Railroad Discussion > Home Sweet Homewood (CNIC)

"Home Sweet Homewood" as the slogan on the water tower in Homewood, Illinois says. I'll take their word for it since I live in Ohio. After a morning at Blue island it was off to Homewood to spent a few hours at this former Illinois Central location. The town's IC heritage is celebrated in a couple of different ways, one of which is a stuffed and mounted ex IC GP and wide vision caboose. The geep is fenced in, so I just tried to work the IC logo in with the water tower. One of the draws these days at this location is you'll see just about anything pass by. CSX, BNSF, and NS power was seen in the few hours I was there along with a sample of the CN "family" roads.

Looking through the fence towards the water tower.

CSX power up front- including CSX 5000 with it's "Diversity in Motion" decal 2nd out. In the background a CN former LMS/BCOL pair wait with an NS unit back in the yard.

Yard power this day was interesting, a CN GP-40-2W and two EJ&E SD's, seen passing the CSX powered train.

RAD

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Roster view of the 9424. These were some of the original North American "comfort cabs", it was neat to see it still up and running. Many of these were part of 100 CN units Conrail leased during 1976 and 1977 to ease a power shortage. Back then they were a breath of fresh air in an all standard cab world.

Some "J-balls" help the northern transplant.

A pair of BNSF ACe's haul coal south at Homewood, passing the IC display unit. Sorry about the wire shadows, not much could be done about those lol. I am on the Amtrak platform, that's the Metra high level platform to the left.

RAD

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A mural close to the pedestrian underpass. Steam, Green Diamond, CN, and Amtrak fill the "roundhouse".

Closer view of the Green Diamond door.

Smaller painting on the wall leading down the underpass stairs, again the Green Diamond is the subject.

RAD

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Amtrak's slightly late "Illini" pulling into Homewood.

I shoot a lot of CSX in Ohio, but not with electric MU's a few tracks over.

Classic IC logo on the caboose with the static GP.

RAD

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Nice shots Roger, we were also in Homewood a few days back and saw some of your power in different settings.

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I caught the other side of that CSX 5000. Those DIM decals are looking pretty rough...

RAD

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Homewood's always been a favorite spot of mine. Great photos.

Lewis M.
Carbondale, IL

I like the way you framed the Green Diamond door.
John

You had a GOOD day...!! :<)

Although faded, this ICG grain car's lack of major tagging required a photo.

RAD

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Nice pics, it looks like a lot of fun, Blue Island is a place I'd like to visit, with all of the bridges & all.

BTW ... in the first pic, do I see a headless body?

- Denny

RAILWATCH Wrote:
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> Nice pics, it looks like a lot of fun, Blue Island
> is a place I'd like to visit, with all of the
> bridges & all.
>
> BTW ... in the first pic, do I see a headless
> body?
>
> - Denny

Ha Ha, when I went and looked at the picture, I did a REAL double take for a moment!

RAILWATCH Wrote:
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> BTW ... in the first pic, do I see a headless
> body?
> - Denny

Ha! I did a double take on that too. The man is wearing a white hat that blended in with his white shirt....or is it a long ago ghost passenger waiting for the City of New Orleans?
I had spent the morning in Blue Island, a neat place too....see attached IAIS photo.
RAD

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What a grand pic!

- Denny

Now that last photo is a classic, no flags, no banners, no one around and a solitary engine amongst a sea of tracks and signals,
I really like. ( like button > O < )

Very nice! Any problems with being on the stairs of the old Gate Tower at Blue Island? Seems like a nice view!

I'll be there on Friday I believe. Perhaps I'll try that angle just before I leave!

-Tom

Love that last picture.

Jim

I'm surprised CN didn't run that coal train via the connection at CN Junction to the old GTW Elsdon Sub.

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