What do you see?

[northwesterner]

What kind of action do you see on a regular basis? I live in Chicago. near the lake and I commute daily 32 miles to Buffalo Grove.
Along the way:
I pass under the CTA Brown line;
Cross the CP Goose Island line;
Pass under the Metra UP North and Northwest lines;
Pass under the Metra UP Northwest line (again);
Pass over the UP Skokie freight line (no longer in use);
Cross the UP freight line to WI (the New Line?);
Cross the Metra MILW North line (also Amtrak and CP);
Cross the Metra North Central line (also CN).

On a good day, I've been stopped by freight/commuter/Amtrak trains three times! Good thing I allow plenty of time to get to work.

The funniest thing sometimes happens. I got stopped on the UP freight line one evening, and as soon as the gates came down some of the "I'm-in-a-hurry" types started making u-turns. I noticed the 2 engines were both yard types, followed by a caboose. I said to myself: "Self, this is going to be a short train". Sure enough, 6 covered hoppers later, the gates went up and we were on our merry way! [:D][:D][8D]

[Anonymous]

It's dependes but I can see BNSF, Metra and AMTRAK

HAPPY B-DAY NEBRASKA

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Doggy

It's dependes but I can see BNSF, Metra and AMTRAK

HAPPY B-DAY NEBRASKA

Nebraska thanks you!

[Anonymous]

I see....

Amtrak on the NEC
CSX on the old B&O main line to Philly
NS on the NEC (auto plant)
Brandywine Valley RR

[Willy2]

In Omaha we see...
UP
BNSF
Amtrak.

Willy

[JoeKoh]

At work I hear ns running along the old nyc all night long.But when I come in I see them running an intermodal and Amtrak.and I see the cranes they parked in our siding.In town I see Csx using any power it can to get the freight to its destination.
stay safe
joe

[Mikeygaw]

i'm at a good spot, the NEC and the branch of to New Jersey
NS
CSX
Amtrak,
NJ Transit
and SEPTA

[Anonymous]

At home I don't see anything, since there actually aren't any rail lines through my hometown! (San Diego isn't the best railfan's city, with only one active line in and out, though the trolleys do offer some action east of the city.) But at school in Riverside, outside L.A., I can see and often hear BNSF freights on the Hemet branch line from my dorm window, and when I go home every two weeks, I often see BNSF and UP freights and Metrolink commuters on the mainline through downtown Riverside.

[Anonymous]

I drive over the BC Rail spur that runs down to Roberts Bank Container Port.

I usually see CP and CN coal trains and lots of CN intermodal. Weird part is, the line used to be dominated by BC Rail trains, yet the past four or five years I haven't seen one.... could just be a coincidence though.

[bnsfkline]

Me, I pass a Burned Out Hobby Shop

[Anonymous]

BTW - I was just down at Roberts Bank, and there was a CP intermodal with a lead unit from the E&N (railway based on Vancouver Island). Never seen an E&N in person, first time for everything!

[mike-65]

UP, Amtrak, Caltrain (SF-to-San Jose commuter line, lotsa old F40's)...
Do MUNI, cable cars or BART count??...



(...I miss the WP - 'sniff! sigh!...' )

[dharmon]

I spy with my little eyes
the Port of San Diego BNSF yard in the morning as I drive by.
At night like a thief, or as they say here ... bandito, I can hear
BNSF's local on the branch line to Escondido.

[CShaveRR]

I can stretch an eight-mile commute to work into about eleven by taking the "scenic route" (along the UP Geneva Subdivision, in Lombard and Elmhurst). I'm pretty much guaranteed seeing one scoot (Metra suburban train on the UP West Line). Any one of three different westbound freights is another good possibility. Other'n that, it's dumb luck. Train totals (I take a little under an hour on the bike on this route, and less than half of that is close enough to the tracks to see anything) have ranged anywhere from zero to seven.

On very rare occasions, CN will run a train on its ex-IC (CC&P) when I'm around.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Some might say I have it made. In the morning, I ride an express bus which passes over Clearing yard and takes I-55 into Chicago along the former ATSF main and near the IMX at Damen Avenue. In the evening, I ride the Southwest Line to Oak Lawn, passing by Amtrak's 18th St engine facility, UP's Canal Street yard, Belt Junction, and Landers yard, among other things.

[northwesterner]

CShaveRR:
Is the CC&P the line that "flies" over the west end of BNSF's Cicero yard, then crosses over I-290 near Hillside, then crosses North Avenue in Villa Park? I've got a small decal for that line. (My dad knew a guy in the RR supply business).

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

To northwesterner
The line in question is originally the IC Iowa Division, later the CC&P, reabsorbed by IC, and now part of CN (!)

[CShaveRR]

Yes, Northwesterner, that's the line. I encounter it less than a mile east of where it goes under the UP main line, between Elmhurst and Villa Park. Their trains move through pretty fast, especially considering the track condition.

[tree68]

I cross the CSX Montreal Secondary on my daily commute. Occasionally I'll catch one in the morning (usually a southbound), and often have either a NB or SB in the afternoon. All depends on how things are running today...

[Anonymous]

In my home town I see CP frieghts. Period.

[AntonioFP45]

Tampa, Florida.[C):-)][:)]

On the former Atlantic Coast Line running east out of Tampa we get to see CSX 100 car intermodals, CSX Auto Carriers, the Amtrak Palmetto and a few 40 or 50 car general freight trains all usually at a nice 50 to 60 mph clip. [tup][:D][:)]
Get to see a lot of foreign power here. BNSF, NS, and in the past year or so Union Pacific. In all a nice mix of EMD and GE motive power.

Running parallel on the former Seaboard Airline, just 2 miles south: plenty of Phosphate trains pulled by six axle power.

[8)]One thing I"ve noticed: I rarely ever see EMD switchers anymore! When Seaboard Coast Line was running the show, SW8s and SW9s were crawling everywhere! Today, most of the switching in the Tampa-St. Pete area is performed by GP38-2s. I read a while back that Class 1s were not ordering many switchers anymore. Guess that is true, at least for CSX here in the south.

[Anonymous]

I see a lot of UP where my parents live in texas at home in MISSISSIPPI
i see NS IC G&M ex GM&O KCS a few BNSF on the KCS NS mains
some [:I] CN CV GT WC & other CN locos AMTRAK city of New Orleans
& the Cresent Amtrak had planned on a new route the the Cresent Star
but moneys short times are hard and theres no f---ing new boxcars
just the improved ones[8D]but where im at now we mainly see CSX & FEC

[espeefoamer]

Here on the left coast, I see BNSF,up Amtrak, and Metrolink.