Eastern Railroad Discussion > More CN Chicago Area Questions

Good Morning:

Thank you for the responses to my earlier post. I have a few more questions......How many intermodal trains still go to Schiller Park? Any reason why this traffic isn't handled through Markham Yard (If I remember correctly, Schiller Park is a small yard). Does any traffic still run on the line south of Schiller Park to Clearing Yard?

Also, does Metra run any commuter trains over CN lines in the Chicago area?

Lastly, what traffic runs via the old IC to Joliet? Is it all local business?

Thank you in advance.

PRR_4859 Wrote:
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> Good Morning:
>

> Also, does Metra run any commuter trains over CN
> lines in the Chicago area?
>

> Thank you in advance.

From a 2018 story in the Lake County Chronicle:

Metra launched the North Central Service line in 1996. Between Chicago Union Station and the River Grove station, the line shares tracks with Milwaukee District West Line, but other than Western Avenue station, it doesn’t make any stops within the city. From there, it travels along the tracks currently owned by Canadian National Railroad to the Village of Antioch, stopping at Franklin Park, Schiller Park, Rosemont, Prospect Heights, Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Prairie View, Vernon Hill, Mundelein, Libertyville, Grayslake, Round Lake Beach and Lake Villa. 

Kim Heusel

Thank you.

PRR_4859 Wrote:
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> Lastly, what traffic runs via the old IC to
> Joliet? Is it all local business?
>
Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong, but to Joliet, as far as CN goes, yes. Glenn Yard is the base of a lot of locals that serve the industries between there and Joliet. There is a Glenn to Kirk transfer, L536/537, that is a pretty big daily train (100-200 cars, often 150 or so). I've got some recent photos of it that I'll post soon. Aside from that, heading east out of Glenn Yard, I know there is a local that goes to Bridgeport each night, reverses direction, and then goes to Hawthorne. There also is another local I sometimes see headed up from Markham to go to Glenn in the mornings, but only a few days a week. It is mostly empty centerbeams.

From Joliet, the only road freights seem to be UP trains headed towards the IHB at Argo. Otherwise it is CN locals.

South of Schiller Park, all traffic goes to the IHB at Norpaul. I am aware of 1 or 2 moves in the last few years that went to the B&OCT at Forest Park.

Metra's Heritage Corridor Service operates over the CN between Chicago and Joliet with stops at Joliet Union Station, Lockport, Romeoville, Lemont, Willow Springs, Summit and Chicago Union Station.

kevink Wrote:
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> Metra's Heritage Corridor Service operates over
> the CN between Chicago and Joliet with stops at
> Joliet Union Station, Lockport, Romeoville,
> Lemont, Willow Springs, Summit and Chicago Union
> Station.

A very minor addition: track ownership changes at a point about a mile north of Joliet station from CN to UP.   So that at the station the Heritage trains are actually on UP rails.

kevink Wrote:
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> South of Schiller Park, all traffic goes to the
> IHB at Norpaul. I am aware of 1 or 2 moves in the
> last few years that went to the B&OCT at Forest
> Park.

Good information that there's essentially no interchange between CN and CSX via the Altenheim Subdivision. Does CSX run anything (even locals) on the Altenheim sub between Rockwell Street and Forest Park?

DivergingClear Wrote:
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> Good information that there's essentially no
> interchange between CN and CSX via the Altenheim
> Subdivision. Does CSX run anything (even locals)
> on the Altenheim sub between Rockwell Street and
> Forest Park?

Last I heard, the Altenheim was out of service.  Several bridges have been deemed unstable.

The only piece of the Altenheim Sub still in service is the piece between the Belt Railway at Cicero Ave and the Ferrara Pan Company just west of Harlem Ave

The intermodal part of Schiller Park is operated by CP. Serving only CSX trains Q165-Q166 that run to and from Buffalo NY.

PRR_4859 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank you for the responses to my earlier post. I
> have a few more questions......How many intermodal
> trains still go to Schiller Park? Any reason why
> this traffic isn't handled through Markham Yard
> (If I remember correctly, Schiller Park is a small
> yard). Does any traffic still run on the line
> south of Schiller Park to Clearing Yard?

The Intermodal Traffic at Schiller Park belongs to CP, not CN as mentioned above.

kevink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> South of Schiller Park, all traffic goes to the
> IHB at Norpaul. I am aware of 1 or 2 moves in the
> last few years that went to the B&OCT at Forest
> Park.

M346 usually goes straight to the BRC via the CP Elgin Sub / Cragin Jct.
A446 goes to the BRC via the IHB to Broadview / Hawthorne Yard on the CN's Freeport Sub.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/20 22:31 by DevalDragon.

My apologies for reserructing an old post but I have two questions. Do any road freights work Joliet Yard besides intermodals and the GALCNI/CNIGAL pair or is it all locals. Also, does CN have any UPS business (or CP for that matter)? Thanks!

Mark Kennebeck
Saint Paul, MN