metra fans

[Anonymous]

Hey im just wondering is any one here a metra fan. I love metra biggest fan.[:D]

[eolafan]

Yep, I am a big fan of METRA, riding it several times a year into downtown Chicago for conventions, etc. I love the new engines but will never forget the good old days of E and F units and the Crandall cabs on CNW. Metra's on time record is really wonderful nad enviable. Eolafan in Aurora, IL

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I'm a longtime Metra rider (twice daily on the Southwest line). Our line is currently undergoing major upgrades and I've heard that service is to be expanded.

[daveklepper]

Last time I rode Metra I had jobs in Glencoe and in Rockford, Illinois. Was expected to rent a car at O'Hara, but came into Chicago on Amtrak's Lake Shore, got a cab to whatever the C&NW station's replacement is called these days, rode to Glencoe, and the client picked me up at the station. Then planned on going to Chicago and riding the Northwest Line to Harvard. Saw the connection in Chicago was only two minutes so planned on making the connection at Clyde. But there was a howling blizzard raging, and the unprotected platform at Clyde seemed a threat . So the conductor assured me I'd make the connection and called on his radio-telephone to make sure I could do so at Chicago, and I had no problem. All trains were on time, except maybe about two or three minutes late into Harvard, with the Rockford client waiting for me with snow chains on tires. Peered out the front window into Chicago, but on the train to Harvard just reversed one of two lower-level seats, put the suitcase between the pair and stretched out asleep. All trains clean, all personal courteous, I'd give METRA an "A+" anytime. Had ridden all the earlier commuter services when living in La Grange and Westmount much earlier in life. More variety then. Dave Klepper

[Anonymous]

Yes I ride and I like some of the Locomotvies but I hate the new ones

[CShaveRR]

I guess there's a difference between being a railfan who foams at Metra and a sane, rational person who appreciates and extols Metra for the job it does so well, day after day. I'm an occasional commuter, but my younger daughter is a regular, who buys a monthly pass (she can still surprise a crewman by asking questions that only a railroader would...or someone who's been educated by one!). Her boyfriend recently moved here from San Diego, and has had nothing but nice words to say about the mobility we Chicagolanders enjoy. Hold your heads high, Chicagoans...we've got one of the best!

[AntonioFP45]

[:D][8D]Hey guys! Have a couple of "posers" for you as I am curious:

What happened to the F40C "Cowl Units" that Metra had in the 80s. (They had F45 style carbodies with corrugated sides) Have they been retired? If so did someone buy them or were they scrapped?

What is Metra using currently for motive power?
Are the regular F40PHs still in service?

Thanks![;)][:D][8D][swg][tup]

[cbq9911a]

Metra is still running F40s; they'll be around for a long time.

The F40Cs were placed in storage. They'll be disposed of in a few years.

[AntonioFP45]

Thank you CBQ,

It's good that the F40s are still in the saddle. I also saw a picture of what looked like a Metra F69 (with the angled 2 piece windshield--ugggghh!) I assume that they have a few of these.

Do you know where the F40Cs are stored?

[eolafan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45

Thank you CBQ,

It's good that the F40s are still in the saddle. I also saw a picture of what looked like a Metra F69 (with the angled 2 piece windshield--ugggghh!) I assume that they have a few of these.

Do you know where the F40Cs are stored?

Antonio, look in the most recent TRAINS magazine, there is a photo of the F40C units in storage.

[espeefoamer]

I have had several vacations in Chicago,and always ride several Metra trains. They are well kept up and are on time.I have ridden behind F40Cs,and BN E9s.I also rode the old cars on the South Shore.That was a great ride![:p]
I have done my share of foaming on Metra, and also appreciate Metra because they run the best commuter system in the country,[:)]

[Anonymous]

I am a METRA fan, basically because its one of the finest commuter rail operations in the country. I commute downtown out of Barringtom on the UP NW line. At various other times in my life, I also commuted on the Rock Island Suburban Line out of 95th Street/Beverly Hills and from Riverside on the triple track Aurora line. I miss the BN E-units on the triple track, but commuted behind, or in front of, them for several years, from 1988 until their retirement.[:)]

[jeaton]

Living just a little accross the state line, I use Metra from Fox Lake or Harvard on my occasional trips to Chicago. Sure beats the drive.

From a fan standpoint, it's kinda white bread, but for the commuter-that's something else. I once used various lines for my daily rides. If I had driven those times, I would probably now be kept in a basket in a corner of the bedroom closet.

[jgiblin]

Yes, Metra is nice to look at. Too bad it's irrelevant to most of us living here in Northeast IL who have to pay for it. According to the Chgo Tribune 75% of all jobs in this region are now in the suburbs, which is a commuting market Metra still doesn't serve. Most of us can't use Metra to get to work even if we wanted to. Problem is reflected in fact that Metra's rush-hour passenger volumes have remained flat for almost 20 years as companies like Sears and Amoco left downtown Chicago. Also, Metra's biggest stations are in Lake and DuPage Counties, two of the wealthiest counties in US according to last census. Wasnt subsidized public transportation supposed to be for lower income folks, not people who drive their Lexus and BMW's to the train station?

[jeaton]

I would rather have those cars parked at a train station all day rather than driving around and making traffic even worse.

[jgiblin]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

I would rather have those cars parked at a train station all day rather than driving around and making traffic even worse.

My friend you can afford to say that. You live in Wisconsin and don't have to pay a nickel a gallon for this boondoggle everytime you fill up your gas tank.

[techguy57]

I'm not going to argue that METRA is perfect, they do have flaws and availability to everyone in the greater Chicago area is one of them. Personally I'd love to See a Metra train run on the EJ&E line so I could ride it from BArrington to Joliet instead of having to drive. But it is a lot to expect Metra to keep up with the rapid urban sprawl happening in the suburbs. I live and work in the NW burbs near Barrington/Crystal Lake and in the 3 years living in this part of Chicagoland have seen the population in the area nearly triple. 2 years ago there was virtually nothing but industrial parks on Randall Road between Elgin and Algonquin. Now there are shops along the whole span. Metra is doing it's best to catch up but they are still a business and have to make decisions based on profitability. Until that goes out the window we are going to have to drive where Metra can't get us.

All in all, I'm a big fan of Metra. They run consistenly on schedule, their prices are reasonable, they are clean in comparison to other mass transit systems I've ridden on, and they are mostly convenient to access. I hope they continue with thei success.

Mike

[Anonymous]

i am not specifically a metra fan, but i do like commuter railroads.

i am in the process of building a good looking Metra F40PH model. here is what i have so far.

[Anonymous]

With regard to the F40C's -- those that have been removed from service are stored at the Milwaukee District's Western Avenue shops. However, as of this writing, 601, 611 and 614 are still in service.

The new locomotives are MPI MP36PH-3S's.