Passenger Trains > Western Springs Shoefly

The view down Burlington Avenue yesterday evening.  An inbound Metra train swings onto the shoefly around the replacement of the railroad bridge over I-294.  Normally there isn't a single curve on this section of the line (the 10 miles between LaVerge and Claredon Hills).

-Eric

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Nice photo angle and lighting--  always liked those neighborhoods and older houses along the racetrack, esp in Clarendon Hills.

The CB&Q racetrack chicane!  LOL!

mp51w Wrote:
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> The CB&Q racetrack chicane!  LOL!

In fact, the term "racetrack" is a railfan term. The correct name is/was the East-End, according to former CB&Q employees.

Is there a temporary bridge that carries the shoefly traffic?

 

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

webmaster Wrote:
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> Is there a temporary bridge that carries the
> shoefly traffic?
>
>  

Yes

https://www.illinoistollway.com/projects/tri-state/bnsf-bridge

Sadly the Hinsdale Service Oasis will also go bye bye with the tollway expansion...

My inner-child always though it was neat to eat fast food while sitting on top of the expressway...

Also Carrie Fisher tried to blow up the Blues Brothers at one of the Tri State Tollway Service Plazas (Don't remember if it was Hinsdale)...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/21 21:23 by ats90mph.

ats90mph Wrote:
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> Also Carrie Fisher tried to blow up the Blues
> Brothers at one of the Tri State Tollway Service
> Plazas (Don't remember if it was Hinsdale)...

That was Des Plaines. And what a great movie that was!

webmaster Wrote:
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> Is there a temporary bridge that carries the
> shoefly traffic?
>
My understanding which a recent drive under the shoofly seems to confirm is that the north shoofly track is on a permanent structure and the two south tracks are on a temporary structure. I don’t think this indicates a fourth track on the Chicago Sub is in the immediate future as I read in the local news that this would be a setout track.

Unless something changed recently, only the portion of the Hinsdale Oasis over the tollway is being removed. There will still be gas stations/mini-marts on each side.

Posted from iPhone

kevink Wrote:
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> webmaster Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Is there a temporary bridge that carries the
> > shoefly traffic?
> >
> My understanding which a recent drive under the
> shoofly seems to confirm is that the north shoofly
> track is on a permanent structure and the two
> south tracks are on a temporary structure.

No. I live in Western Springs, and at least once a week this past summer & fall, I took out West Highland Terrier, over to the construction site, and watched them construct the whole thing. The "temporary bridge" over the Tollway is a full three tracks wide, and when it was finally finished, the BNSF Maintenance of Way teams came in and moved each main line track, one at a time over a weekend, starting with the the far south track (#3). Finally, when hall three main line tracks had been "moved over" and fully operational on the "temporary bridge" (good for 70+ MPH according to the MOW Supervisor I talked with), the Tollway contractors were supposed to begin removing the old, original main line bridge. However, I sure don't know what they are doing down there but, they have NOT begun to remove the old RR bridge, which was supposed to have been started last October.

Also, for what it's worth, the engineering proposal for the new main line bridge of the Tollway, is to be four tracks wide, which will allow for a 4th track intended to Maintenance of Way usage.


I
> don’t think this indicates a fourth track on the
> Chicago Sub is in the immediate future as I read
> in the local news that this would be a setout
> track.


Correct, i.e. only for MofW use.


> Unless something changed recently, only the
> portion of the Hinsdale Oasis over the tollway is
> being removed. There will still be gas
> stations/mini-marts on each side.

Correct again. Another interesting problem over THAT, is now that the "Hinsdale Oasis" will be removed, the village of Hinsdale will no longer receive ALL the sales tax income from the entire Oasis. Hinsdale will receive tax funds from the gas station/quick mart on their side, i.e. the west side of the Tollway, while Western Springs will begin to receive tax funds from the their side, i.e. the east side of the Tollway. Naturally, the village of Hinsdale is REALLY up-set about THAT!!!!

ats90mph Wrote:
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>
> Sadly the Hinsdale Service Oasis will also go bye
> bye with the tollway expansion...
>

It was originally a Harvey House. My mom was a Harvey girl there. The husband of another waitress on her shift was a relief operator on the Santa Fe in Willow Springs. During a conversation one night, she asked my mom if I would like to come to the station and see what goes on. A visit was arranged and I spent a few hours fascinated by CTC, telegraphy, tickets and timetables and, and, and. At the end of a few hours of visit, he said that if I wanted to come back again, I would be welcome. That was in 1958. Coming back again turned into coming back regularly and unofficially becoming an apprentice telegrapher.

I also got to see the inner workings of the Oasis. A fascinating thing was the bank of Radaranges. You put in the food, push a button, and seconds later, it comes out hot.

I see in Google images that it looks like a food court for fast food. In the days of Fred Harvey, the fast food was an all you can put on a plate buffet.

TAW

The construction of the track on the shoefly was an interesting process.  BNSF cut in a switch on 3 track and then basically built a "three track yard".  The main tracks where then cut over one at a time.  The final photo in from the Oak Street Bridge.

-Eric

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redoveryellow Wrote:
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> The construction of the track on the shoefly was
> an interesting process.  BNSF cut in a switch on
> 3 track and then basically built a "three track
> yard".  The main tracks where then cut over one
> at a time.  The final photo in from the Oak
> Street Bridge.
>
> -Eric

Thanks for the photos.  With this many tracks any small project becomes very large.

 

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

Excellent photos in this thread showing the project. Spent lots of time along the Racetrack late '80s/early '90s but haven't scanned any slides. Rush hour along this line is really something to see - pre Covid, of course.

Posted from Android

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mp51w Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The CB&Q racetrack chicane!  LOL!
>
> In fact, the term "racetrack" is a railfan term.
> The correct name is/was the East-End, according to
> former CB&Q employees.

The East Coast Main Line (Kings Cross - Edinburgh in the UK is affectionately known as The Racetrack

Posted from iPhone

I really appreciate image #4 with 3 westbounds in the photo and an eastbound lined up. Looks like the 2nd westbound on main 2 is just going over the Harbor west of the Congo. Always great to see action and improvements on the east end.

i figure id throw my hat into the ring and show of some photos from the other side of the shoefly in hinsdale, this was when only two tracks were swung over and unfortunately i dont have any good photos of trains going through the fly

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here is part 2, one close up and two of the only train that went through the swung track

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HotWater Wrote:
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> No. I live in Western Springs, and at least once a
> week this past summer & fall, I took out West
> Highland Terrier, over to the construction site,
> and watched them construct the whole thing. The
> "temporary bridge" over the Tollway is a full
> three tracks wide, and when it was finally
> finished, the BNSF Maintenance of Way teams came
> in and moved each main line track, one at a time
> over a weekend, starting with the the far south
> track (#3). Finally, when hall three main line
> tracks had been "moved over" and fully operational
> on the "temporary bridge" (good for 70+ MPH
> according to the MOW Supervisor I talked with),
> the Tollway contractors were supposed to begin
> removing the old, original main line bridge.
> However, I sure don't know what they are doing
> down there but, they have NOT begun to remove the
> old RR bridge, which was supposed to have been
> started last October.
>
> Also, for what it's worth, the engineering
> proposal for the new main line bridge of the
> Tollway, is to be four tracks wide, which will
> allow for a 4th track intended to Maintenance of
> Way usage.

I just drove under the shoofly and confirmed my original statement. The three shoofly tracks span the tollway as follows: a permanent structure (north track) and a temporary structure (2 south tracks).

I have worked on similar projects and no agency is going to spend money building a temporary structure and then replacing it with a permanent structure for a future track (setout or otherwise). We currently have one such project replacing a double track bridge over a state hughway where we are doing the same. One of the two shoofly tracks will be on what will be a permanent span for a future third track.

The original bridge superstructure has been removed. The existing abutments are still in place as the contractor works on the new abutments.