Brian Daniels
Western Thunderer
Were those SD70 new build or secondhand refurbished jobs?
Richard's American Train Adventures
- Thread starter richard carr
- Start date
Scale7JB
Western Thunderer
So is this the Rock Island route, or did it come out of Chicago in a different direction?
JB.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
We've become so conditioned to visiting any large through or terminal station in the UK/Europe where we have regular interval services and constant train movements as can be seen on the Zürich HB, Freilassing, York and Amsterdam CS webcams.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
Hi Brian
I believe they are all refurbish jobs, mainly ex BNSF, I thin they bought 22 and have option on a further 30 or so if they can find the money for them.
Richard
richard carr
Western Thunderer
No JB, this is not the Rock Island route, that went to Van Buren Station at Van Buren and La Salle streets. The bridge I'm on does go over that line if I'm looking towards the city it's about a 5 minute walk to my right, you can see the trains on that line in the distance from where I'm stood.
Richard
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
They are two separate railroad companies, Metra and Amtrak.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
The switching continued
Then the super switcher brought it's coach to join with the one above
But finally a train arrived
Then Amtrak joined the party
The GP39-2 went in then came back out again
Then another train arrived
Another Amtrak mid west service arrived
Then this arrived the first car is from the Federal Railroad Association
and finally another Metra, by then it was time for to head back to the office by Uber
Then the super switcher brought it's coach to join with the one above
But finally a train arrived
Then Amtrak joined the party
The GP39-2 went in then came back out again
Then another train arrived
Another Amtrak mid west service arrived
Then this arrived the first car is from the Federal Railroad Association
and finally another Metra, by then it was time for to head back to the office by Uber
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Then this arrived the first car is from the Federal Railroad Association
The livery on the cars in the background is almost Network SouthEast.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
Here's a few photos for Dave of the "L"
This is a brown or purple line train just leaving the Merchandise Mart station, the Merchandise Mart the big grey building on the left was once the largest in Chicago occupying a whole block. The L takes a tight curve here as it moves from running on Wells Street to Franklin street for it's journey north.
One heading south too.
After the trains stop at the Merchandise Mart they cross the Chicago river on the Wells Street Bridge
I'm now stood outside our office, thats probably a Green Line train crossing La Salle Street.
This is a brown or purple line train just leaving the Merchandise Mart station, the Merchandise Mart the big grey building on the left was once the largest in Chicago occupying a whole block. The L takes a tight curve here as it moves from running on Wells Street to Franklin street for it's journey north.
One heading south too.
After the trains stop at the Merchandise Mart they cross the Chicago river on the Wells Street Bridge
I'm now stood outside our office, thats probably a Green Line train crossing La Salle Street.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Thanks Richard. Nice to see these. Shame your office is not next to one of these lines and able to open a window .
.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
So Friday morning I picked up the rental at 6am and headed to Pines Junction in deepest darkest Indiana. It's about a mile east of Gary Airport, but is effectively in the middle of nowhere, just lots of railway lines and lots of industrial wasteland.
The tracks on the right are Norfolk Southern going to Elkhart, the tracks on the left are CSX going to Deshler, the bridge over the tracks carries Canadian National, to the left towards Griffith and the former GTW mainline and is part of the J that CN bought in 2009. To the right the tracks curve round down a steep gradient to run parallel to the NS tracks and enter Kirk yard. Behind that is US Steel. The one track you can't see here is the South Shore Lines City Branch which is further to the left behind the trees.
This is looking east along North Clark Road, the tracks int he foreground are NS, then NS Pines yard. The bridge is CN going into Kirk yard and the tracks with tank car are also CN going into kirk yard.
This train was parked there when I arrived, heading north into Chicago
This manifest heading to Elkhart soon arrived.
CN was busy putting a train together.
CSX arrived from Deshler with a stack train
Complete with DPU
CN was climbing the hill
Then another CN train arrived at the yard
The manifest didn't go too far before it came to halt, and the autoracks were still there.
The tracks on the right are Norfolk Southern going to Elkhart, the tracks on the left are CSX going to Deshler, the bridge over the tracks carries Canadian National, to the left towards Griffith and the former GTW mainline and is part of the J that CN bought in 2009. To the right the tracks curve round down a steep gradient to run parallel to the NS tracks and enter Kirk yard. Behind that is US Steel. The one track you can't see here is the South Shore Lines City Branch which is further to the left behind the trees.
This is looking east along North Clark Road, the tracks int he foreground are NS, then NS Pines yard. The bridge is CN going into Kirk yard and the tracks with tank car are also CN going into kirk yard.
This train was parked there when I arrived, heading north into Chicago
This manifest heading to Elkhart soon arrived.
CN was busy putting a train together.
CSX arrived from Deshler with a stack train
Complete with DPU
CN was climbing the hill
Then another CN train arrived at the yard
The manifest didn't go too far before it came to halt, and the autoracks were still there.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
Next to arrive wsa this Gp38-2 taking about 20 tank cars to somewhere.
Then another stack train arrived, this time on NS from the Elkhart direction.
I'm now looking east, the two tracks you can see are the CSX lines to Deshler, there's a small yard with a CSX coal train parked, it's waiting to take the city branch and then turn 180 degrees to enter the US steel plant via the CN tracks. There are also a pair of GP38s from the South Shore Railway waiting to move. They had been there since I arrived and were still there when I left. They may have been waiting for a path onto the CSX tracks.
Then a short Amtrak train arrived
Then finally the auto racks got going
And CN was building another train in the background.
Then another Amtrak train
I hadn't even been here 2 hours yet.
Then another stack train arrived, this time on NS from the Elkhart direction.
I'm now looking east, the two tracks you can see are the CSX lines to Deshler, there's a small yard with a CSX coal train parked, it's waiting to take the city branch and then turn 180 degrees to enter the US steel plant via the CN tracks. There are also a pair of GP38s from the South Shore Railway waiting to move. They had been there since I arrived and were still there when I left. They may have been waiting for a path onto the CSX tracks.
Then a short Amtrak train arrived
Then finally the auto racks got going
And CN was building another train in the background.
Then another Amtrak train
I hadn't even been here 2 hours yet.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
Hi Tony
As I understand it about 50% of all freight int he US moves by rail.
Richard
As I understand it about 50% of all freight int he US moves by rail.
Richard
richard carr
Western Thunderer
Next it was the turn of the empty coal hoppers going back to the powder river basin
CN still building their train
By now I had been there about 2 and quarter hours and decided to move on to Elkhart, another 90 minute drive east, it was also freezing cold with winds gusting to 40 miles an hour, I had had enough.
So I set off underneath bridge in the photo then turning left to be met with this.
This is at the bottom of the incline
and then on the adjacent track this. Initally I thought they were Geeps, but in fact they are Bessemer and Lake Erie SD18s
They were making a right old racket heading up the hill.
CN still building their train
By now I had been there about 2 and quarter hours and decided to move on to Elkhart, another 90 minute drive east, it was also freezing cold with winds gusting to 40 miles an hour, I had had enough.
So I set off underneath bridge in the photo then turning left to be met with this.
This is at the bottom of the incline
and then on the adjacent track this. Initally I thought they were Geeps, but in fact they are Bessemer and Lake Erie SD18s
They were making a right old racket heading up the hill.
76043
Western Thunderer
Wow, that's impressive, I guess it's a huge country and all that. It makes sense unlike the UK and it's measly 8% or rail freight.
Tony
richard carr
Western Thunderer
I arrived in Elkhart about 11am, first I went down to the Depot but not a lot was happening, a stack train went through but the Boss had called and I was busy talking to her.
The main reason for stopping in Elkhart was that I had seen the local to the Elkhart and Western using a GP60 on virtual railfan, so I was hoping to catch that in action, I wasn't going to be disappointed.
So I drove round to the exchange siding behind Martin's supermarket, there were plenty of boxcars in view and then I noticed some were moving..
And here it is GP60 7132 picking up 4 boxcars to take back tot he yard in Elkhart, it was ready to depart, so I grabbed a few shots then drove up the road to catch it going over one of the grade crossings.
It's crossed a main road by the exchange siding and is now approaching a second grade crossing with just wooden signs to protect it.
It then parks up just the other side of the mainline waiting for the signal to let it enter the yard.
Here's a short video of it heading to the yard.
The main reason for stopping in Elkhart was that I had seen the local to the Elkhart and Western using a GP60 on virtual railfan, so I was hoping to catch that in action, I wasn't going to be disappointed.
So I drove round to the exchange siding behind Martin's supermarket, there were plenty of boxcars in view and then I noticed some were moving..
And here it is GP60 7132 picking up 4 boxcars to take back tot he yard in Elkhart, it was ready to depart, so I grabbed a few shots then drove up the road to catch it going over one of the grade crossings.
It's crossed a main road by the exchange siding and is now approaching a second grade crossing with just wooden signs to protect it.
It then parks up just the other side of the mainline waiting for the signal to let it enter the yard.
Here's a short video of it heading to the yard.
richard carr
Western Thunderer
After the excitement of Elkhart I continued my journey east to Deshler another 2 and half hours away.
When I arrived I had to make a pit stop at the gas station, when I came out the train was already passing through, but fortunately it was heading south, so crawling round the west to south curve. I chased after it but it still beat me to the first grade crossing, so a quick turnaround and 2 more grade crossings south I got ahead of it.
Hiding at the back was this GP40 with the engine on doing it's bit
I headed back to the rail park, but it all went quiet, so after 50 minutes I decide to call it a day and head to the hotel.
Of course as I approached the crossing going out of town the lights started to flash, so I quickly went over the crossing and parked up onthe other side.
A refurbished SD70 MAC hiding at the back.
So that was Friday, a very good day, hopefully Saturday would be just as good.
When I arrived I had to make a pit stop at the gas station, when I came out the train was already passing through, but fortunately it was heading south, so crawling round the west to south curve. I chased after it but it still beat me to the first grade crossing, so a quick turnaround and 2 more grade crossings south I got ahead of it.
Hiding at the back was this GP40 with the engine on doing it's bit
I headed back to the rail park, but it all went quiet, so after 50 minutes I decide to call it a day and head to the hotel.
Of course as I approached the crossing going out of town the lights started to flash, so I quickly went over the crossing and parked up onthe other side.
A refurbished SD70 MAC hiding at the back.
So that was Friday, a very good day, hopefully Saturday would be just as good.
Jordan or Plymouth Mad
Mid-Western Thunderer
Seeing the position of the amber beacon on the cab roof, why did the word "Dalek" go through my head..??
