Passenger Trains > Best spot to watch Chicago passenger trains

I will be in Chicago and I heard Roosevelt bridge or another intersection on a street is the best place to watch passenger trains any other suggestions

I heard Canal St and Clinton St 
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/21 21:12 by ANG2t2.

Roosevelt is an excellent photo vantage point.    You are limited to trains going in and out of the south side of Union Station and empty trains being spotted to run both south and north out of the station.    The lighting is fantastic for trains leaving with great views of downtown Chicago all perfectly lit in the background.    A somewhat wide angle lens can be helpfull.   Just keep in mind there is not much pedestrian traffic there and it is a little bit isolated so keep an eye on what is going on around you.   I would not stay around after sun down.

How about Clinton St and Canal St?

ANG2t2 Wrote:
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> How about Clinton St and Canal St?


I'm going to guess you haven't looked at a map or a satellite image to see for yourself?

I saw some you tube videos but google maps is really blurred in that area 

Aussieheinz place?

Was able to find some landmarks for both and googled the addresses 

Roosevelt Road and Canal Street are both excellent choices. I’ve been to Roosevelt Road many times, it’s probably my first choice, you see a lot of Metra and most of Amtrak’s trains. A little east of the Union Station tracks you can also see Metra Rock Island trains leaving LaSalle St Station, CTA’s Green and Orange Line trains, and Metra Electric/South Shore trains south of Millennium Station.

Canal Street is also a great spot, you get much closer to the action at ground level with trains going into Union Station. Metra trains go overhead from Ogilvie Transportation Center as well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/21 22:24 by RutledgeRadio.

The Canal Street grade crossing is unique in that it is more or less the only grade crossing in "downtown" Chicago. At that point, Amtrak and Metra trains are coming north out of Union Station and curving to the west, going under the UP/Metra tracks coming out of the Ogilvie Transportation Center (former CNW Terminal), going over a couple more grade crossings and heading upward to parallel the Metra West Line coming out of Ogilvie. 

Most rail lines within Chicago are on an embankment or otherwise separated from street crossings.

-- wzd



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/21 22:47 by wzd.

Picture worth 1000 words dept:  Canal Street

B&OBill

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I haven't done it in 40 years, but there is the John Hancock tower observatory to view everything from all 4 passenger train terminals. However, many tall buildings have since gone up to block some view. 

Directly south of Roosevelt Road is 18th street viaduct which gives you wider view of trains departing except that trains on the former Q have branched off.
If you are a little bolder you can walk along 18th street east, walk up along a park and find your way to Rock Island Service line

On the north side I'd recommend CP Morgan which is walking distance from Canal Street,  You can google Morgan and see where it crosses, this view is west of Morgan

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4542736,4542736#msg-4542736

Bob Jordan 

 

Another photogenic spot for passenger trains is the Racine Ave grade crossing on the Metra line just east of the Metra Western yard. Lots of Metra trains and the Amtrak trains running to/from Milwaukee.

Perhaps one of our Chicago members can update us on the status of the classic signal bridge. My photo is from Oct 2018.

WP17

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Racine Ave and CP-Morgan are (from the sign on the signal bridge) the same place. It's a good spot for photographing trains running on the former Milwaukee Road lines - better than Canal Street these days because of the tall buildings built during the past decade-plus that now cast shadows over the Canal area in the afternoon when light would otherwise be best.

Roosvelt Rd overpass, Canal Street and Racine Street grade crossings are great places to start photographing Chicago passenger trains. If you can take a trip into the suburbs on Metra, do it. Naperville is a fine spot to railfan. I went there once to railfan. Many of those stations along the same line as Naperville, known as the BNSF Line, which runs between Chicago Union Station and Aurora. I haven't railfanned at many of them.

For more info, go here:  http://dhke.com/CRJ   Scroll down to "Chicago South Side Junctions" and click on "Sites Near Union Station."

One good spot not mentioned here is Lumber St, just south of Union Station.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/21 15:03 by calumet.

Depending on how much time you are devoting to trains, here are some of my thoughts based on personal experience.

If the Metra Electric and South Shore interest you, get to the 11th Place/Museum Campus station early in the morning and see the inbound rush. Good view from the 11th Street ped bridge.

Walk a block south and head west on Roosevelt Road to the south approaches to Union Station. Spend a few hours there then head north on Canal Street and one block west to the Clinton Street crossing before 12:15 pm. You will be able to see at least one inbound Amtrak and 2 inbound and 2 outbound Metra trains (plus some possible deadhead moves) by 1 pm.

Head back to Roosevelt Road to see Amtrak #3 (2 pm) and #5 (2:50 pm) depart plus Metra trains.

Roosevelt Road is fine during the daytime, a busy commercial area with plenty of pedestrian traffic. 18th Street is quieter but I’ve never felt unsafe. The whole neighborhood along the Metra tracks west of Union Station is part of the rapidly gentrifying Fulton Market District and there are plenty of people walking and biking in the area.

Posted from iPhone

Just a couple of late afternoon shots taken on 7-18-09 from 18th Street area.  Amtraks 14th St facility is always active with equipment moves.  Dan

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