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Railfanning at Grayslake

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  • Member since
    July 2014
  • 4 posts
Railfanning at Grayslake
Posted by cssr on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 8:49 AM

just wondering how the action is at Grayslake is for activity on freight trains, i know that Metra uses this line but I was wondering about freight service is it fairly good for photographing freight service.

  • Member since
    September 2017
  • 5,636 posts
Posted by charlie hebdo on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 11:08 AM

cssr

just wondering how the action is at Grayslake is for activity on freight trains, i know that Metra uses this line but I was wondering about freight service is it fairly good for photographing freight service.

 

I don't know about Grayslake, but if you want a lot various kinds of freight + Metra, try somewhere on the UP-West line or (with Amtrak also) the BNSF line towards Aurora.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 1:51 PM

I doubt that there is much freight service.  Wisconsin & Southern uses the line on trackage rights as part of its connection to Clearing, but that's about it.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Antioch, IL
  • 4,371 posts
Posted by greyhounds on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 2:49 PM

Well, I live a few short miles north of Grayslake, IL.  We're (including Grayslake) on on the CN (formerly Soo Line) main line.  So there's a decent amount of freight traffic.  It's not nonstop.  I've never done a train count.  I'll guess 20 or so long freights per 24 hour day.  Metra doesn't run through here on weekends.  They only have weekday service on this line. 

Containers, oil, frac sand, mixed freight.  

"By many measures, the U.S. freight rail system is the safest, most efficient and cost effective in the world." - Federal Railroad Administration, October, 2009. I'm just your average, everyday, uncivilized howling "anti-government" critic of mass government expenditures for "High Speed Rail" in the US. And I'm gosh darn proud of that.

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