Passenger Trains > Numerous Private Cars in Chicago

The C&O "Ann Arbor" arrived in Chicago on 49 Saturday morning, the Colonial Crafts arrived on 49 this morning. The Charter Club and St James Place arrived on 351 from Pontiac on Friday morning and went home to Milwaukee on Hiawatha 331 along with two Metrolink cars. The NP 313 and NP 549 arrived on the late 4 yesterday (with the Metrolink cars at the head end) and they just left Chicago on 48 on-time. 6 private cars in Chicago on the same day is not too bad given the current restrictions that are in place. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/26 20:37 by sethamtrak.

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48 departing Chicago

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sethamtrak Wrote:
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> 48 departing Chicago

I wonder how far those private cars will go on 48?

Seth - nice video of departing  #48 with the Chicago skyline !  The NP cars are owned by Webb Rail and are based out of Albany , usually stored just north of the station there .

Great pics and video

Posted from Android

Great shots and an excellent video.
Gary

That sure is a nice nighttime video of Chicago. Thank you for posting it.

ts1457 Wrote:
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> sethamtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 48 departing Chicago
>
> I wonder how far those private cars will go on 48?

I suspect they are returning to their home base in Albany-Rensselaer.

 

The C&O lettered private car "Ann Arbor" looks a lot like the "Chapel Hill".   Is this the same car, renamed to Ann Arbor?
 

Yes

tonymarchiando Wrote:
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> The C&O lettered private car "Ann Arbor" looks a
> lot like the "Chapel Hill".   Is this the same
> car, renamed to Ann Arbor?
>  

Thank you for these wonderful pictures and video.

On a  somewhat related note,  has anyone heard any news about whether there will be future over night trips on Hickory Creek?  The car's  New Jersey based owner,  the United Railroad Historical Society, last ran some New York-Chicago excursions in 2024, and the much more frequent New York -Albany trips  disappeared as well at about the same time.  I think URHS discontinued the trips because it was having problems with Amtrak,  and now Hickory Creek seems only to operate on summertime daytime excursions in the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York.   The URHS has been unresponsive when I've inquired about  plans for future Hickory Creek trips.  

Thanks for any information!  The 20th Century Limited was an institution near and dear to my heart when I was a kid.




 

Marvelous nighttime video of the Chicago departure. Wow, what current digital video can do, and you used its capabilities fully. Such resolution and exposure control, right down to being able to see the pinpoints of lights in the skyscrapers in the distance through the lighted dome windows on the ex-NP dome as it passed. Just stunning, and so, so far beyond the capability of film in the past (or even earlier digital).

Wonderful video - full marks. And that second shot of the two cars spotted in the yard with the nighttime skyline in the background is a killer image too. Very well done, Seth - thank you.

Would you share a comment on your gear and technique? Being able to get content like that has been a dream for so many of us through the years, and now it's perhaps readily in reach. Would appreciate your comments on how you did it. Thanks in advance.

MC

Odd name, since the C&O never went to Ann Arbor. Maybe the new owner went to U of M. 

C&O rear end obs on 48 eastbound today, difficult to positively id at 70 mph at Northeast and Fairport but presumably is "Ann Arbor".

Magritte55 Wrote:
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> Thank you for these wonderful pictures and video.
>
> On a  somewhat related note,  has anyone heard
> any news about whether there will be future over
> night trips on Hickory Creek?  The car's  New
> Jersey based owner,  the United Railroad
> Historical Society, last ran some New York-Chicago
> excursions in 2024, and the much more frequent New
> York -Albany trips  disappeared as well at about
> the same time.  I think URHS discontinued the
> trips because it was having problems with
> Amtrak,  and now Hickory Creek seems only to
> operate on summertime daytime excursions in the
> Finger Lakes region in upstate New York.   The
> URHS has been unresponsive when I've inquired
> about  plans for future Hickory Creek trips.  
>
> Thanks for any information!  The 20th Century
> Limited was an institution near and dear to my
> heart when I was a kid.

The URHS is still in a dispute with Amtrak over billing, so they won't be running their cars on Amtrak for the time being.  Not sure why they would be unresponsive to inquiries, though.  

Topfuel,

Thanks for the information.

Thank you all for the kind comments. The video was shot with my iPhone 16 and a steady hand. No special equipment on this one. 

sethamtrak Wrote:
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> Thank you all for the kind comments. The video was
> shot with my iPhone 16 and a steady hand. No
> special equipment on this one. 

I have to say that I am seriously impressed. Thanks for the info, and the fine images and video.

MC

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