"Homewood" railroad days?

[traingeek087]

Does anyone have any infromation on the "Homewood" railroad days? Any infromation is accepted. Thanks for the heip.

[XG01X]

Sun, 5/2/2004
Categories
Excursions, Model Railroad, Operating Exhibit, Photo Exhibition / Slide Show, Railroad Memorabilia, Toy Train / Collectible Show, Train Show and Sale Location
Homewood Village Hall/Firehouse
2020 Chestnut Road
Homewood, Midwest/Chicago Metro, IL 60430
United States
Times
10AM-4PM Central Time
Admission Fees
Free, with $1.00 Donation suggested
Description
Homewood's 1st Annual Railroad Heritage Day! Celebrating our 150 year "life on the railroad!" Special METRA IC colors only train running on Electric Line (normal fares apply, $5.00 weekend pass). Vendors, Running displays, Lionel layout and more. Op Lifesaver, plenty of IC history and memoribilia, ICHS, TCA, NRHS, many others. Food and fun for the entire family. Steps away form busy CN/IC mainline action all day.
Directions
Take Halsted Street exit south off I294 tollway. West on 175th Street, south on Ashland past CN headquarters, west on Ridge Road, south on Dixie Highway, west on Chestnut to Village Hall
Contact Info
Paul W. Burgess
Homewood IL Railroad Corridor Committee
708-798-3683 evenings
[e-mail]


http://www.trains.com/community/events/event-info.asp?eventid=5083

[Anonymous]

Is Homewood Railroad Days for motorists only or can you get there without a car?

[XG01X]

Metra, the bus, and I believe Amtrak can get u there to.

[jeaton]

Ahem...Having been there a time or two...If I may.

Metra Electric has Sunday two hour departures southbound from Randolph Street station starting at 6:30am to 10:30PM. Running time to Homewood is 51 minutes. Northbounds depart at 6:04am to 10:04pm. Amtrak carries passengers from and to points South of Homewood on the City of New Orleans and the Illini trains, but won't carry passengers just traveling between Homewood and Chicago.

Homewood actually was quite the busy spot on the Illinois Central. The south end of Markham Yard is just to the north of the train platforms and the yard extends four miles to the north. In the days of loose car business, it had both northbound and southbound yards, humps for classification on both sides. Woodcrest Shop was (is?) one of the major locomotive servicing facilities.

I would venture to say that at one time the Illinois Central at Homewood was just as busy a spot as the Burlington in Galesburg. However, given that Homewood and the adjacent rail facilities are only a small part of the Chicago metropolitan area, it just never stood out in the same way the Burlington (and the Santa Fe) did in Galesburg.
Oh yes, the IC mainline has NO grade crossings between downtown Chicago and some point several miles south of Homewood. If it weren't for the commuter service , would anybody know it was there? Last I heard the name of the railroad had changed, probably just to satisfy the egos of some big shots in some country north of us. Whatever.

[XG01X]

Here this is a better list:

The Village of Homewood, IL, is proud to announce the 1st Annual Illinois Central Railroad Heritage Day!

When: Sunday, May 2nd, 2004

Where: Homewood Fire Station and Village Hall Complex, Dixie Highway and Chestnut Road in Homewood, IL

Time: 10AM-4PM

This new annual event features the following CONFIRMED events and attendees:

-SPECIAL PASSENGER TRAIN- METRA, the Chicago Regional Rail Transit Agency, has agreed to operate an all Orange and Brown consist over the entire mainline of the former IC Electric District, all day long, in honor of the IC. This train will make use of the remaining (4) Orange and Brown ex-IC M.U. "Highliner" cars that METRA still operates. Since the removal of the platform turnstiles, the METRA platforms at all suburban stations are available to photographers wishing to film this special event. The train will also be available to ride, at normal weekend fare rates.

-SHOW/DISPLAYS- Vendors and Display groups will be setup at the Firehouse and the first floor of the Village Hall. CONFIRMED attendees, so far, include:

-National Railway Historical Society
-Train Collectors Association
-Illinois Central Railroad Historical Society
-Homewood Historical Society (IC Slide Show)
-Lionel Operating Group (Layout)
-Railroad Art Display
-METRA
-PACE (Suburban Transit Agency)
-Illini Rail Corridor Committee
-Several Hobbyshop vendors/dealers
-food/refreshments

The following events/attendees are tentative as of this date (10 Jan 04)

-Amtrak
-Canadian National Railways ("Lil' Obie"/Op Lifesaver)
-Illinois Central Model Internet Hobby Group (Display)
-Illinois Central Sightings Internet Hobby Group (Spring Meet)
-Illinois Railway Museum (Info Booth)
-Kankakee Model Railroad Club
-additonal vendors/dealers

It is hoped that, pending funding approval (expected soon), that a formal groundbreaking ceremony can be held at 11AM for the HOMEWOOD RAILFAN PLATFORM, a new train-watching platform located along the IC mainline in downtown Homewood. Tentative plans include attendance by CN (IC) Motive power at the ceremony.

Also, please come and see the exciting plans the Village has for the future, including a Railroad Equipment Park, refurbishment of our historic 1926 train station, and several other items. Additionally, students from Homewood-Flossmoor High School's Art Department will be hard at work painting the existing METRA commuter access pedestrian tunnel with an IC/Homewood themed mural. Come and watch them get started!

Anyone who would like to display models, equipment, memorabilia, clubs that want to have a booth, or dealers or vendors interested in attending, or simply for further information, please contact me directly at [e-mail]

I hope all you IC fans out there make plans to attend. It is our railroad's special day, come out to Homewood and help us make it a great one!

More updates as info becomes available.

Thank you!

Paul Burgess
Village of Homewood
Illini Rail Corridor Committee
Publicity Chair for IC Heritage Day

[traingeek087]

It looks like I have to scratch this trip off. Since it's may 2nd, I'm still in school. Disappointing.

[wcfan4ever]

What are you talking about? There's always time for trains! Of course, i'm still in high school so its easier to go watch trains rather than college. I'm gonna try to hit Homewood this year for the show. It would be so hard to pass this one up.

QUOTE: Originally posted by traingeek087

It looks like I have to scratch this trip off. Since it's may 2nd, I'm still in school. Disappointing.