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Tracks next to stadiums?

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Tracks next to stadiums?
Posted by Boyd on Saturday, June 6, 2009 12:38 AM

How many stadiums have tracks next to them? I was watching the tail end of the Twins-Mariners game (Twins2, Mariners 1 in 10 innings) and  heard train horns 2-3 times. I know the Metrodome that the Twins play in has commuter rail next to it. Does it still have a spur next to it for passenger coaches?

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Posted by azrail on Saturday, June 6, 2009 1:50 AM

Chase Field in Downtown Phoenix has the UP (SP) Phoenix line on the south side of the ballpark. US Airways Center is near by also.

Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe (AZ) had an SP branch --now a part of the Phx light rail line-- meandering through its parking lot and not far from the south entrance.

And the Arizona Veteran's Coliseum/ AZ State Fairgrounds are right next to the throat of BNSF's (Santa Fe) Mobest Yard at the corner of Grand Ave/McDowell Rd/19th Ave (Six Points) in Phoenix

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Posted by JoeKoh on Saturday, June 6, 2009 5:25 AM

Safeco field in seattle has tracks right beside the stadium.If you take amtrak to Chicago from the east you will go right by the white sox ball park.In Houston they have a train inside the ball park.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, June 6, 2009 6:44 AM

Comiskey Park has Amtrak/Metra Southwest passing it to the west.  To the east, you have the CTA Red Line in the Dan Ryan median and Metra/Rock Island immediately to the east.  The CTA Red Line passes about 1/2 block east of Wrigley Field.  Metra/Electric(IC) and the South Shore pass to the west of Soldier Field.  Toyota Park (Chicago Fire) is immediately east of the IHB at 71st Street. 

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Posted by Mookie on Saturday, June 6, 2009 7:21 AM

And let's not forget the infamous Saltdogs of Lincoln NE - they are situated not too far from the BNSF main line. Same for the infamous Huskers Tom Osborne field.  In fact, I think the city fathers want to build another chunk of town squeezed right next to the main line.  We love our trains and holler about them all the time!

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Posted by BaltACD on Saturday, June 6, 2009 9:16 AM

Both Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore are built on land that was formerly the B&O's Camden industrial district and are immediately adjacent to Camden Station which is the Northern terminus of MARC commuter service to Washington DC and the CSX mainline between Philadelphia & all points South and West.

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Posted by henry6 on Saturday, June 6, 2009 9:18 AM

NYSEG Field, home of the Binghamton (NY) Mets outfield abuts NS mains and yards.

I remember 1950 watching the Cleveland Indians visit the Philadelphia Athletics from left field stands at Connie Mack Stadium while eyeing PRR action at North Philadelphia Station almost a mile away!

Look at Yankee and City stadiums in NY today; MNRR and MTA in the Bronx and LIRR and MTA in Flushing.

I think we should settle in for a long list now.

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Posted by bubbajustin on Saturday, June 6, 2009 9:24 AM

The old RCA Dome in Indianapolis Ind., and it's sucessor The Lucas Oil Stadium, have the CSX running right between them. The Indy Indians Victory Field also has a veiw ,from left field, of the CSX line.

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Posted by blhanel on Saturday, June 6, 2009 9:38 AM

Boyd

How many stadiums have tracks next to them? I was watching the tail end of the Twins-Mariners game (Twins2, Mariners 1 in 10 innings) and  heard train horns 2-3 times. I know the Metrodome that the Twins play in has commuter rail next to it. Does it still have a spur next to it for passenger coaches?

I've ridden the commuter rail past there a couple of times, but I don't recall seeing any other rail lines, spur or otherwise, near the stadium, so I would guess the answer is no.

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Posted by ButchKnouse on Saturday, June 6, 2009 10:47 AM

The St. Paul Saints minor league baseball team has tracks running just over the left field wall. About 15-20 years ago a couple named Bill and Sue went to every major and minor league ball park that was in use at the time, and they were featured on an ESPN baseball show every week. Towards the end of the year they showed a collage of trains rumbling by the various minor league stadiums, must have been a dozen.

 The California Speedway in Fontana was built on the site of an old steel mill and has BNSF yard tracks still on the grounds. They run specials from LA during the NASCAR weekends.

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Posted by mudchicken on Saturday, June 6, 2009 11:01 AM

Coors Field-Denver has BNSF for a neighbor (Including what's left of the old CB&Q engine house and shops)

Pepsi Center ("The Can") is build on top of the old original Market Street Yard (MP "0") of the DRGW in Denver

Damon Runyon Field in Pueblo has the ATSF/C&S Minnequa District and old MoPac mains as neighbors...

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Posted by Chris30 on Saturday, June 6, 2009 12:05 PM

How about tracks in the ballpark? I was flipping through the channels on my TV a couple of weeks ago and came accross the old movie Brewsters Million starring Richard Pryor cira 1985. Pryor's character inherits a lot of money but has to spend a lot of it before he can get the rest. One of things he does is buy a minor leage baseball team in northern New Jersey and then pays the NY Yankees to come to the minor leage ballpark for a three inning exibition game. There's an industrial track that runs through the outfield and of course the game has to be halted when the industrial switcher with its three, or four, cars comes rolling through the outfield.

CC

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Posted by K&ARailfan on Saturday, June 6, 2009 12:19 PM

NS & CSX run under the Georgia Dome (Falcons) & Phillips Arena (Thrashers & Hawks) in Downtown Atlanta. The tracks are at the entrance of the Inman (NS) & Tilford (CSX) Yards.

The question of what CSX stands for comes up frequently on these forums, so here you go. C=Chessie S=Seaboard, X=Many More/The RR's that Chessie and Seaboard were comprised of (L&N, C&O, SCL, etc)
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Posted by jrbernier on Saturday, June 6, 2009 12:21 PM

Boyd,

  The 'Hiawatha' LRV runs by the Metrodome, basically using the old Milwaukee Road alignment that run up to their depot on downtown Minneapolis.  During the NFL Super Bowl game a number of years ago, the trackage has private cars parked their for the game.  I think all that is left now is the LRV tracks.  I have used the LRV to attend Twins games.  I park for 'free' out at the the Mall of America or the Ft Snelling station and ride to the 'dome'  The last time it was a $1.75 each way - $7.00 for the two of us.  Sure beats the $10+ parking and all of the traffic!

  Herein Rochester, MN we have a minor league team(Rochester Honkers) and they play in Mayo Stadium,  The DM&E tracks are right next to the stadium.  There is usually a 'time out' while the train passes.  The fans wave and the train toots it's horn - Then play resumes.

 Jim

 

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Posted by spokyone on Saturday, June 6, 2009 1:07 PM

Martinsville VA NASCAR track has tracks passing through the camping & parking areas. Fans walk across the tracks to get to the speedway.

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Posted by baberuth73 on Saturday, June 6, 2009 4:55 PM

Williams-Brice stadium, the football home of the Univ. of South Carolina has a track next to it filled with refurbished cabooses  they call cockabooses for the use of wealthy supporters. 

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Posted by Sealevelram on Saturday, June 6, 2009 6:41 PM

Angels Stadium in Anaheim, CA has a commuter line across the parking lot.

Last year, I rode an Amtrak to a game from Oceonside.

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Posted by matthewsaggie on Saturday, June 6, 2009 8:35 PM

Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium has the NS main passing just to the west, between the stadium and the practice fields. The practice fields sit on land that was originally part of the Piedmont and Northern's yard, off Cedar Street.

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Posted by SFbrkmn on Saturday, June 6, 2009 8:36 PM

Owen Field in Norman, OK home of the OU Sooners is next to the BNSF/Amtrak route. Up the road in downtown OKC you will find the Ford Center and Bricktown ballpark spaced two block from each othr on each side of the BNSF/Amtrk trks. Here in Wichita we will be getting our Intrust Bank Arena opening next January. Sitting one block from old Union Station and next to the BNSF Ark City Sub, the Wichita Sports Commission just yesterday submitted a bid to host the NCAA basketball  midwest regional 1st/2nd round either in 2011, 12 or 13. This will also be home of the Thunder hockey team. I go to maybe 6 hockey games a yr. It will be great going downtown instead of driving north of town out in the middle of nowhere to the KS Coliseum on 85th street. Our baseball park on the west side of downtown used to be next to the old Midland Valley/ Mopac trks which were taken out of service in 1994.

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Posted by matthewsaggie on Saturday, June 6, 2009 9:08 PM

Kyle Field (Home of the Fightin' Texas Aggies) is adjacent to the UP (former joint SP-MP) line.

Gig' Em Ags! 

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Posted by Zwingle on Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:11 AM

 At one time, the closest railroad main line to a major stadium was the Rock Island running along Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.  IAIS still runs football specials.

 

Here's an overhead shot.
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Posted by BNSF_GP60M on Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:31 AM

Chukchansi Park (home of the Grzzlies) in Fresno, Ca is across the street from the Union Pacific main.

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Posted by aricat on Sunday, June 7, 2009 6:49 AM

The Metrodome in Minneapolis did have a rail line near it when it was first constucted in 1981 and was used during the 1987 and 1991 World Series; also the Superbowl in 1992 between Washington and Buffalo.There were private passenger trains that parked their coaches on it. These were the only time I ever recall seeing the tracks in use. They did not serve a freight customer to my knowledge. These tracks were removed during the construction of the light rail which runs past the Metrodome.

When the Metrodome was constructed a Rock Island freight house used to be located near there,and that trackage may have been remenants of that. I don't know who owned that trackage, but it did access the Milwaukee Road by the East 25TH yard which was still active in 1992. All traces of that yard are gone. The MTC has built their light rail maintenence facility near there and Hiawatha avenue reconstuction and light rail trackage got the rest. The bridges over Franklin avenue which used to carry the Hiawathas,Pioneer Limited and Twin Star Rockets,now carry light rail.

The new Twins ballpark will have the BNSF Willmar line running by it. Part of that trackage had to be relocated while the stadium was under construction. I don't know if you will be able to see passing trains from inside the staduim.

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Posted by ButchKnouse on Sunday, June 7, 2009 7:28 AM

spokyone

Martinsville VA NASCAR track has tracks passing through the camping & parking areas. Fans walk across the tracks to get to the speedway.

http://flickr.com/photos/30052848@N02/3054751162

Those tracks used to be closer to the race track than they are now. Back when they first started televising live races from there the trains used to pass by going about 30-40 MPH. Apparenly somebody realized that a live TV derailment would be a bad idea and after a year or two the trains started crawling by.

The old Pikes Peak Raceway in Fountain, CO was across I-25 from the BNSF and you could see 2 or 3 trains every race. Memphis Motorsports Park has what appears to be a spur serving a grain elevator running right behind the backstretch, but I've never seen a movement during a race. A small dirt track, Grove Creek Park, east of Willmar was built right up to the BNSF and the the ROW berm (30 feet higher than the race track) was more or less used to contain the cars. That place was fun. Racing, plus at least 1 train per hour. Now it's a drag strip. I've seen televised races from Cedar Rapids where you could see trains on 2 different lines running at a 90 degree angle to each other. I have been to several small dirt tracks that were built right next to railroad lines.

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Posted by ndbprr on Sunday, June 7, 2009 8:50 AM

The PRR High Line through Philadelphia runs right next to the curved end of Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Posted by ndbprr on Sunday, June 7, 2009 8:53 AM

One other that no longer exists was the old Municipal Stadium in Philly where the Army Navy game was played.  Greenwich yard was right next to the stadium and on game day a stub end terminal was used for up to thirty GG1 hauled trains from all points.  It is one of the classic PRR calendar pictures.

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Sunday, June 7, 2009 10:09 AM

Back when New York City had three Major League Baseball teams, all three were immediately adjacent to rapid transit:

  • Yankee Stadium - (Then) IRT elevated station just off the northeast corner.  Don't know what the old IRT is called now, and the new Yankee Stadium is several hundred yards farther away from the same ststion.
  • Ebbetts Field - served by the BMT.  Don't recall the station, and have no idea what's there now.
  • Polo Grounds - had its own spur line off the IRT route that served Yankee Stadium.  It left the main (elevated), ran on elevated structure, then tunneled through a high bluff before crossing the Harlem River on a swing bridge.  The terminal station was right at the ball park.  That line and the bridge across the river have long since been removed.

When I went to Tuscaloosa to watch the NCAA Womens' Gymnastics finals some years ago, I recall seeing a freight train running just over the parking lot fence to the south of the fieldhouse.

The configuration of nearby streets makes me suspect that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was once served by a trolley line.  Downtown, the venues that hosted USA Gymnastics' Nationals were and are within easy walking distance of the Amtrak station.

Chuck

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Posted by big G rr fan on Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:16 PM

Smile,Wink, & GrinAnahiem Stadium in Anaheim Caliornia is Located next to the Amtrak/BNSF (Santa Fe)  mainline to San Diego, Reser Stadium @ Oregon State University in Corvallis Oregon is next to Union Pacific's (ex-Southern Pacific) Mainline to Portland & Oakland-Alameda County Stadium (can't remember the current name right now) is next to the Union Pacific's mainline to Los Angeles-Portland Oregon are three that I know of.

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Sunday, June 7, 2009 1:27 PM

First of all, I am shocked that nobody mentioned Wrigley Field in Chicago. The CTA Red Line runs just east of Sheffield Avenue and sports the Addison Street station. If you are sitting in the upper deck, you watch the trains coming and going, including some great arcing action from the third rail, well visible even during a day game.

Here in San Diego, Petco Park is right next to the trolley orange and blue lines and the rail line coming up from the BNSF yard towards Santa Fe station. In Mission Valley, the trolley green line runs through the southern portion of the Qualcomm Stadium parking lot and stops at a station there.

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