Passenger Trains > UP Engineering Special in Chicago

Upon receiving word last night that there would be a passenger special down the Milwaukee Sub, I couldn't help but make the 15 minute drive to the tracks. UP 1111 "Powered by the People" or as the railfans say "powered by the furloughs" was pulling the 5 car train. I've included the passenger car photos on the passenger trains board and just the locomotive photos on the western board. The train ran from Adams, Wi to Butler, then south to Proviso then west to Global 3. It is to proceed west to Council Bluffs tomorrow from what I heard. I took full advantage of the fact that there would be a crew change at Proviso to beat him down York Road from the Milwaukee Sub to the Geneva Sub. 

The 12 or so railfans in the photo line in Des Plaines attracted the attention of a passing motorist who decided to call 9-1-1 and report us. Two squad cars with officers three deep and two deep came and talked to us and explained that a concerned citizen saw us with cameras and thought we were protesting so she called the police to have them sent out to the gate crossing. After living in Ohio for three years it amazed me there how few people could put two and two together and see camera plus
person standing trackside and equal railfan. People in Chicago in general have figured it out for the most part (especially at Metra stations) and know what a railfan is and what it looks like. This made for my 5th time having law enforcement called on me in 2020 watching trains. Last year I was stopped by law enforcement 13 times (including threats of arrest from an NS officer in a black Dodge Durango at a public road).



Howard Ave in Des Plaines:

UP 1111 
(I was not moving fast enough for the power car) 
Powder River
5779 Flag Car 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/20 06:58 by sethamtrak.

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Lake Bluff
Idaho

York Road in Bensenville running around the west side of the O'Hare Complex

UP 1111
 

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-UP 207 - Power Car featuring a United 737 on very short final to runway 10C 
(Powder River (tottally photobombed by a semi truck cab))
-Flag Car (cropped to remove a black mercedes-benz)
-Lake Bluff 


 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/20 14:46 by sethamtrak.

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Idaho
Whole train

Elmhurst Station 

UP 1111 advancing up to notch 8


 

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UP 1111
UP 207
Powder River 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/20 18:49 by sethamtrak.

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Flag Car
Lake Bluff
Idaho 

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Idaho going away shot featuring plenty of foam spaced 6 feet apart onthe parking garage roof.

Thanks for making it this far! 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/20 18:53 by sethamtrak.

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say what you want the UP is a class operation

The cleanest trains around, just like in the 60's.  Love the bright silver trucks.  Nice effort, Seth!

I think you meant Powder River for the truck bombed shot.
That's funny, with the foamers on the parking garage!
I wonder what the public thinks when they see this train?

mp51w Wrote:
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> I think you meant Powder River for the truck
> bombed shot.
> That's funny, with the foamers on the parking
> garage!
> I wonder what the public thinks when they see this
> train?


Corrected. I saw that a lot of drivers did pay attention to this train. Something about seeing a passenger train where it ordinarily doesn’t belong along with how vibrant the yellow paint is always draws eyes. People along York road couldn’t keep their eyes on the road. People out and about in Elmhurst who just happened to be crossing the street we’re pointing at the train and such. The kids really enjoyed seeing the yellow train doing 60mph. The public did in fact take notice.

I know it’s been said over and over but there’s something special about seeing a train, and the whole marketing/public relations aspect and such. Hopefully this year chicago sees an entire OCS.

NYC4096 Wrote:
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> The cleanest trains around, just like in the
> 60's.  Love the bright silver trucks.  Nice
> effort, Seth!


Thank you very much. You can clearly tell that UP puts in great effort in maintaining their “heritage” fleet.

Nice catch with the 737 on final. In my 1K flying years, I loved approaching O'Hare looking for trains. Not desiring to nit-pick, I believe the 737 is landing on 10C.

BB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/20 07:21 by bmarti7.

bmarti7 Wrote:
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> Nice catch with the 737 on final. In my 1K flying
> years, I loved approaching O'Hare looking for
> trains. Not desiring to nit-pick, I believe the
> 737 is landing on 10C.
>
> BB


I'm currently a Platinum Pro with American. I'm always on the lookout for trains when coming into O'Hare too. And yes you're correct! That is the 10C side, I forgot they did a flow change when the winds shifted.