Amtrak after Amtrak day

[daveklepper]

So how did you get to Washington, if that is where you were headed?

[Firelock76]

Was the "Acela" celebrating "Amtrak Day" when it side-swiped that Jersey Transit train in Penn Station?

Poor Jersey Transit.  Like Rodney Dangerfield, it "Don't get no respect!"

[daveklepper]

rc, thanks for reminding that Central remained open for a while.

[rcdrye]

N&W moved its Orland Park commuter trains to a platform next to its Polk Street freight house next to the now closed Dearborn Station in May 1971.  They stayed there until 1976, when the service (still under N&W) moved to Union Station.  The service eventually became today's Metra Southwest Service, slated for eventual migration to LaSalle Street Station.

[rcdrye]

Union Station:  no change to railroads that had previously operated there.  Maintenance eventually consolidated on site of former PRR coach yards from BN, MILW and GM&O yard (Brighton Park - later the maintenance facility for the ANF Turboliners!)

C&NW station:  No C&NW or B&O/C&O trains to move.

Dearborn: Only AT&SF Super Chief/El Capitan and Texas Chief moved.  AT&SF's Archer Avenue coach yard was just east of 21st street interlocking.  AT&SF switchers moved cars to Union by backing across 21st st. and then using same tracks GM&O used until all coach yard activity moved to ex-PRR yard.

Central:  Still in use until March 1972, when IC-hosted and PC-hosted (Floridian) trains began using IC's new Iowa Line connecting track to get to the St. Charles Air Line  (The Iowa Line previously connected to Central Station and Congress Street via the "Short Hill" and the "Long Hill".  Downgrading of Congress Street led to the southbound connection so IC Iowa Line trains could go to Markham Yard).  Bang across the Rock Island diamonds, through the bascule bridge and over the coach yard, then down the incline to Union Tower on the BN with a backup move from there.  This is the same move used today, except that the alternate path via the ex-IC Iowa Line to 21st st is also used at times.

 

[ZephyrOverland]

NP Eddie

ALL:

 I cannot find a web site for Pixels Publishing on line.

Ed Burns

 

Pixels Publishing was owned by Ed DeRouin and he passed away a few years ago.

[daveklepper]

Ed, most of the routes that Amtrack retained operated out of Union Station to begin with! And in many cases the leased and purchased equipmen was transfered to Amtrak away from Chicago.  The last eastbound UP Cities train that left LA 30 April, I was on it, passed a string of ex-Cal-Zephyr equipment, including CB&Q Silver Planet obs, at Ogden even though by that time the "CAlifornia Service" - Nebraska Zephyr CB&Q-D&RGW train ran only to Salt Lake City with van service to Ogden for the SP connection.

I imagine the IC used its own switchers to move coaches from its own yards to the ex-PRR-PC yards near Union Station.  Of course not all equipment was purchased or leased.  Most was not. 

Although I got off at Elgin to visit friends, and the Milwaukee used Union in any case, my understanding is that the railroads' regular terminals did not close until the last inbound of that railroad had arrived, and the Panama arrived at Central and the Super Chief at Dearborn. 

[NP Eddie]

ALL:

When the various non Union Station railroads move their passenger trains to CUS and how did the many roads get to their home rails?

As information, the late Edward DeRouin's "Chicago Union Station, A Look at Its History and Operations Before Amtrak" is an excellent history resource about the CUS. The publisher is Pixels Publishing, 2003. Is there a conpanion book regarding AMTRAK since AMTRAK day? I cannot find a web site for Pixels Publishing on line.

Ed Burns