Frieght Trains on UP-N, UP-NW, MD-N Metra Lines

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know where the best frieght action is on these lines?
The Union Pacific North Commuter Line
The Union Pacific Northwest Commuter Line
The Milwaukee Distric North Commuter Line

Ive seen 2 coal trains on the Northwest line in the last seven years, one at mayfair the other at Nagle Ave. And many MOW trains at Mayfair using the Single track line Paralell to Cicero Ave. Is this single track line in use still?

This one website says there are 2 unit coal trains on the UP-N but it doesnt say where.......

Ive seen 10 frieghts on the MD-N at Mayfair in seven years. One being powered by two Soo Geep's. People say north of Northbrook there is a lot of action. Also on an old Pentrex tape, Todays Chicago Railroads 1993, they filmmed at Edgebrook and a Train powered by Two F-units went through town. They said the railroad was the Calumet and Southern. Any info on this?

[zardoz]

On the UP North line, the only freights I know of are the Oak Creek coal trains and the two way-freights, and these can only be seen from Lake Bluff (mp 31) north.

At Lake Bluff is an interlocking that connects the (Kenosha sub) North Line (suburban only) to the cut-off, which then connects with the Milwaukee sub at KO tower (on hwy 41).

The Milwaukee sub and the Kenosha sub rejoin at St. Francis interlocking on Milwaukee's south side. From KO east, the Milwaukee sub heads toward Deval tower.

[CShaveRR]

To find freights on all of those lines, you have to go beyond the UP "New Line", unless you're talking about yard jobs and transfer runs. On the Northwest Line, it would be roughly Mount Prospect where the freights join, on the MILW North it's Techny (roughly Northbrook), and on the UP North it's Lake Bluff, practically right at the depot. You won't see much on the UP North. Coal trains would use that line to get to Waukegan (Com Ed) or Oak Creek (whatever they're calling Wisconsin Electric nowadays). Actually, the Waukegan trains might use the EJ&E to get into town now. You'd get the most action in the vicinity of Techny...by coincidence there's an article about a shift in the tower there in the latest issue of Trains. Deval would give you most of the same trains as Techny would, plus adding WC into the mix, so I'd have to say that for sheer volume, Deval's the best spot north of Chicago.

I don't know why any coal trains would use the Northwest Line.[?]

I'm sure what's left of the Cragin line sees some traffic for local business, but it's been too long since I've worked the Inner Zone. Much of the line north of Mayfair is gone (I think it only goes up to Skokie; someone else feel free to correct this if necessary).

[techguy57]

No coal trains on the NW line. Not a lot of frieght during the day either. There is a manifest train a couple times a week, but the bulk freight runs are autoracks. Usually a Tuesday am (8-8:30ish) and Wednesday am return (11ish)out near Crystal Lake, but it varies weekly. That is the only one I see with consistency (usually stops me on my way to staff meetings). It seems that the bulk of them run at night, but there really isn't the volume of traffic you see elsewhere in Chicago. Metra pretty much rules the day up here.

I'd have to agree with CShaveRR, Deval is your best bet. Aside from Metra, WC and UP cross there the most. And its pretty open for watching and taking pics. Barrington is the only other place on the NW I can really recommend but its still slow. Trying to catch an EJ&E is like rolling the dice though , every once in awhile you might get lucky but I do find them interesting.

Hope this helps!

[AltonFan]

Sometimes a UP local with an old CNW caboose can be seen working on the North West Line, often around the Daily Herald printing plant.

There is a siding that branches off from the New Line, crosses Touhy Avenue, and ends in a cement plant. The crossing is protected only by crossbucks and lights, but no gates. (Touhy is a very busy six-lane road in this area.) Sometimes between 9:00PM and Midnight, a crew will switch cars. When this happens the crew will leave flares burning on the median strip. The local includes DRG&W tunnel motors, still in DRG&W paint.

I have seen daytime freight trains on the North West Line, usually heading south to the New Line. I've mostly seen these in the late morning on weekdays and Saturdays. There used to be a train of ore cars that ran at night, but I haven't seen one of these in a while.

I used to drive up to Lake Zurich once or twice a week, and never, ever, saw a EJ&E train. I am told they mostly run at night.

[Anonymous]

To correct myself I saw 1 coal train with 3 Up Geeps and green hoppers and the other one was an ore train. The coal was spotted just after they put concrete ties on that part of the NW.

So are you saying that the manifest runs from crystal lake to the connection with the new-Line?

Just before Clybourn, if heading outbound, what is that little yard next to the Edens? I usally see an old MILW/Soo bandit in there.........

Any info on the Calumet and Southern?

[northwesterner]

That yard at North Avenue is used for storing newsprint cars for the Tribune printng plant at Chicago and Halsted, lumber cars for industries on Goose Island, and materials for Morton Salt on Elston, and Peerless Confection at Diversey and Lakewood.

That old MILW/Soo engine is stored there because the Bloomingdale Air Line was closed seveal years ago. If you are ever around on a Tuesday or Thursday, you can watch that little guy chug up Lakewood to switch cars out at Peerless. The other destinations are all on U.P.

It's been a while now, but I once saw 2 brand new C.T.A. rapid Transit cars sitting on flat cars in that yard. I still wonder where and how they got those cars from the U.P. to the C.T.A.

Like baseball is football, there's always next year

[CShaveRR]

I should have answered the question about the F units in my original post. The railroad was the Wisconsin & Calumet, which was (IIRC) owned at the time by the same company as the Chicago, West Pullman & Southern. They had trackage rights to run a train from their own line in Wisconsin (ex-MILW) to the Belt's Clearing Yard. WICT was taken over by the Wisconsin & Southern, but I haven't heard anything about similar WSOR operations...and they wouldn't be with F units!

Manifests use the Northwest Line to get from Seeger (the connection with the freight line) to go to Janesville, Wisconsin. The GM plant up there is basically what keeps this line alive. Most days of the week there are two trains each way to Janesville.

The old "branch" line crossing Tuohy is the former main line...notice that it goes straight south from the point where the current freight line curves to go around O'Hare. The new route was put in during an O'Hare expansion; you can still see an overpass for the old route, just west of the current one, near Irving Park Road, on the south side of the airport.

The nightly train of ore cars used to take gravel from somewhere around Beloit to the stone company at the west edge of Elmhurst. It hasn't run for several years now. Those ex-DM&IR ore cars were getting too old, anyway. The operation made news because it was a landmark agreement, using one crew to operate a train over several divisional jurisdictions, the only way such a trip could be made economical.

[techguy57]

Yep, Carl pretty much said what I was gonna say with a couple exceptions. There is an additional "local" manifest that runs a few times a week to switch to the factories and businesses in the area. I usually see them dropping off 16,000 gallon funnel flows and a couple of boxcars here and there in both Crystal Lake and Cary. I also know that they deliver lumber to a lumber yard on US 14, I believe in either Palatine or Arlington Heights, but that is before they get to us. But again, Carl is right, 90% of what comes through here is either autoparts boxcars for the Janesville plant or Autoracks for the same.

Now, quick question. I saw a WC at Grayslake where the Metra Milwaukee North and the Metra North Central cross. He was sitting there hooked up with ore cars belonging to SSAM, Canadian National (Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Co.). Any idea what he was hauling? I was guessing gravel but if you know pass it on.

Thanks.

Mike

[Anonymous]

I saw that too, up over by deval.

Mabey Ballast, cause they are double tracking the NCS.

You guys have been a grat help but Is there any Frieght activity mid day on any Metra Lines Near Jefferson Park? Is there a frieght at a resonable hour on the NW at Noorwood park?
Also someone said there is an Outbound Piggyback train that runs on the MD-N through Mayfair at or around 7. Can anyone verify?

Sorry about all the questions but there is another small yard just before Addison. Whats this used for? It appears to be a lumber yard. Any switching here?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

WSOR still runs its daily freight into Clearing. Current power is usually a pair of SD40-2's. Evening departure from Clearing is between 7 PM and 8 PM.

[Anonymous]

Thanks y'all

[northwesterner]

If you are referring to the string of green hoppers at Lee Lumber (Belmont and Kimble), I think they were transporting ballast for the new middle track on the UP-NW line. Two weeks ago I watched them for a little while, being pullde by 2 UP (ex-CNW) SD40-2 units. Over the years, CNW and now UP delivier sand to Lee Lumber using ore cars. I remenber seeing lots of DM&IR/DT&I ore cares there.

[Anonymous]

Ok two more questions..........
Anywhere on the UP-NW north of the connection with the New-Line will see midday frieght?

Name some places with decent frieght traffic, varried traffic, and safe for a 14 year old to go watch trains.......In Chicagoland

[CShaveRR]

I would say that you named yourself after the best spot for your requirements. Just go to LaGrange and stay at the platform. Along with BNSF you'll see some UP, some CSX and possibly NS trains (taking cars to Eola, probably), and Metra and Amtrak for variety.
And it's reasonably safe to walk down (east) to the BNSF bridge over the IHB, where you'd find a lot of variety, including CN and CP. There's also plenty of places to get food nearby, and a hobby shop a block away.

Elmhurst is good for volume, though not for variety. Again, you can just sit at the station and watch the parade.

I'm not sure about the freight schedules on the Northwest Line, but I'm pretty sure one westbound for Janesville goes through during the day.

[zardoz]

LaGrange-
If you go north from the new-line connection on the Kenosha Sub (see my previous entry), there used to be a daytime way-freight job that starts at Waukegan. I do not know what time it goes on duty, but they are frequently swithching at Bain in the afternoon (Bain is in the same general vicinity as the Pleasant Prairie power plant, which sees 1-2 coal trains per day).

There is also a crew on what is called the "Rock Job". That train runs between Kenosha north to Racine, then back to Kenosha, through Kenosha to Bain on the Milwaukee sub (via the KD sub), where there is a transload facility for the rock. Then the train runs down the Milwaukee sub south to Upton (just north of the EJ&E crossing), then back to Kenosha. The job ties up at Bain, usually around 5pm.

At Bain (Bain Station Road) the UP and CP tracks are only about 1/2 mile apart. In addition, with a good scanner and a real good antenna you can pick up the CP detectors (160.77) at mp 36.7 and 57.6, as well as the UP detectors (160.485) at mp 44 and at 63.2. That way you will be advised as to what is coming in plenty of time to get into position for viewing or photographing.

[techguy57]

LaGrange-
Not much (except METRA) past the new line runs on the NW midday, at least not this far out, and what does is only about as regular as a constipated elephant. The only regular train I've seen is the morning auto train, especially lately since they are doing A LOT of MOW work out this way (I've been stopped by a 20 machine MOW parade twice now on my way to work, not that I'm complaining). There is a normal daily westbound freight but the schedule varies depending on the day and how many set offs they have to do for the industries along the way. Often the entire consist is headed for Janesville.
Still feel free to visit! There is always something to see out this way and the area is nice. I just keep hoping we get some more big business out this way. It's coming, I know, but then again so is Christmas!

I'll try to keep tabs and maybe talk to the UP guys and see if I can find out any more info! Hope this helps for now.

techguy

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know whether the ex-C&NW Cragin line used to connect directly to the ex-C&NW Mayfair Cutoff? Walking south on the Mayfair Cutoff, one can eyeball an alignment that appears too coincidental...

[CShaveRR]

Historically, the two lines have been part of the same subdivision; Wisconsin freights used to get into and out of 40th Street that way. I have a feeling that those crossovers are easier to maintain than diamonds would have been (or that the angle's too sharp for diamonds). But I couldn't state for sure whether or not there were diamonds there at one time. I think that's what you're asking, right?

[Anonymous]

Exactly. [:)]

[Anonymous]

I know on the Milwaukee North Line their is 40 to 50 trains a day North of Techany, The UP northline runs very few freight Trains When I've been in Kensoa see Reltives with my Grandma I've only seen 1 frieght Train in all my years and for the Wisconsin Southern I've only seen tehir trains once and that was late at night

[zardoz]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR

Historically, the two lines have been part of the same subdivision; Wisconsin freights used to get into and out of 40th Street that way. I have a feeling that those crossovers are easier to maintain than diamonds would have been (or that the angle's too sharp for diamonds). But I couldn't state for sure whether or not there were diamonds there at one time. I think that's what you're asking, right?

Years ago, the Green Bay freights used to proceed directly south through Milwaukee through the depot, to St. Francis, then on the Kenosha sub to Lake Bluff interlocking, (then directly south through Lake Forest, Highland Park, etc) rather than take the cutoff towards KO interlocking, then to Valley. These trains did turn SW at the interlocking between Central and Davis streets in Evanston (I cannot remember the name of the tower right now). This track proceeded west to Mayfair (refered to in another thread) on the Mayfair cutoff. This was way back in steam days, way before my time.

After the mayfair cutoff was downgraded to yard track, the 40th street trains used the Lake Bluff cutoff, then used the Milwaukee sub (then known as the New Line sub) to get to Vally interlocking, then proceeded south via the old North Shore tracks to 40th street via Mayfair.

I was so glad when the CNW closed 40th street yard. The tracks were so close together, there was not enough room for a person to SAFELY walk the train; the tracks were in such a bad neighborhood, that we had orders that if we encountered a problem with the train, we were not to get off the engine until a cop showed up. We were also told to lock the locomotive doors, and we were not to stop after hitting anything (other than a person). In addition, the "locals" wold do what they could to stop the train (putting whatever they could think of on the tracks, so they could open up the traincars and steal whatever they could. They would even put mannequins and/or dummies (clothes stuffed with paper or rags to resemble a person) to try to get us to stop. The guys in the caboose really had it bad; they would occasionally get shot at, or the caboose boarded. And if we had to stop, we tried our best to stop with the slack stretched so they could not pull the pins.

[CShaveRR]

I guess the use of the Weber line for through freights was a bit before my time (that interlocking, by the way, was "Canal"). I do remember being stopped at Cragin and being unable to start again (someone had closed an angle **** to give themselves a little more time).

As for clearance between tracks at 40th Street, I had a hard time going down through there when I was young and slender! Fortunately, I only had to do it once.