This afternoon I drove over to our little railfan spot where McClure Road crosses the BNSF triple track "racetrack" in Aurora and immediately saw a great big warning sign that alerted motorists that McClure was to be closed permanently to traffic at the tracks on Wednesday, December 17 (tomorrow) and will not be reopened to traffic. Well, to many of us Aurora area railfans this will mean the end of CB&Q/BN/BNSF trains blowing for the crossing. I have personally been frequenting this spot for almost 19 years now and will kind of miss the "old days" but on the other hand, my ears will be the better for it.
How do the rest of my Eola-fans feel about the closing? Please let me hear from you guys and gals.
I'll have to see how it goes to get there from the south side of the tracks, and what I encounter once I get there. I've expressed apprehensions about this before, and I don't want to go into that again--we'll just have to wait and see.
Michael's not happy, though.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Eola was my home turf growing up, and it will be sad to see the change. Then again, railroading is constantly evolving, and Eola is a perfect example of that fact. The demolition of the "Old Rickety Bridge," the addition of the Eola Road Viaduct, the demolition of the roundtable, etc. etc. Despite all those changes, there's still no place I'd rather hang out in my hometown!
-ChrisWest Chicago, ILChristopher May Fine Art Photography"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." ~Ansel Adams
I hate it that another quiet zone begins tommorow. At the rate we're going trains won't be able to honk in any of Chicagoland in a few years. If the CN/EJ&E deal goes through the vast majority of the EJ&E will become a quiet zone as well. Mike isn't the only one mad about the closing of the crossing, I am disgusted at the city for doing it. They are stupid for closing a somewhat busy road to put in a quiet zone. What's the point of a quiet zone at McClure? The area is mostly industrial anyway with very few residential areas nearby.
CShaveRR Michael's not happy, though.
One road crossing closed and thousands more to be closed!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Will the so called railfan area still be open for access?
It may take a while for us cheeseheads to figure out how to get there since we usually came from the north after a swap meet at DuPage
Dave Nelson
I'll withhold comment until I see how the change shakes out, Jim. BNSF will have to leave an avenue open for its vehicles to move from yard to yard, yes? Will there still be warning lights and bells?
However, I was against any changes to that area. I loved it when engineers had to blow for the crossing. Quiet zones stink.
If folks want quiet, let them go to a library. The railroad has been there about 140 years.
dknelson Will the so called railfan area still be open for access? It may take a while for us cheeseheads to figure out how to get there since we usually came from the north after a swap meet at DuPage Dave Nelson
Exactly, if people don't like the horns, they shouldn't move by railroad tracks. The people moving in know that trains go through often and they honk, so they should expect it when moving in. I still just don't see a point of putting a quiet zone at a mostly industrial crossing. I still think if the city wanted a quiet zone they should've put medians or wayside horns up, both would work at McClure Road and the road would be able to remain open while still getting the quiet zone.
I think the gates and lights will remain as is until some kind of failure happens that requires significant work. When that happens, BNSF will probably remove the crossing equipment and simply have the crossing protected by crossbucks.
When road crossings are Officially closed....initially barricades are put up to prevent access. The crossing protection is disconnected. The road surface is removed and then the crossing protection is physically removed. Leaving the equipment in place creates liability issues.
BaltACD When road crossings are Officially closed....initially barricades are put up to prevent access. The crossing protection is disconnected. The road surface is removed and then the crossing protection is physically removed. Leaving the equipment in place creates liability issues.
The triple-track main runs thru the middle of the yard, creating a westbound yard and an eastbound yard. There currently is no other crossing for BNSF vehicles to take crews from one yard to the other across the mains except at McClure, I believe.
You are correct, I think everything will remain as is but BNSF will turn the crossing into a private one. I don't see BNSF entirely closing the crossing anytime soon, but rather just making it a private crossing. I don't think trains have to honk for private crossings. If they remove the crossing BNSF workers would have to go all the way to Farnsworth then come in from the south, which would be rather inconvienent for them, McClure is the only way for workers to get quickly between the north yard and the south yard.
Matt and I enjoyed that little area this year(thanks Carl).Hope to come back next year.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
As of this morning (Saturday, 12/20) the public is still using the McClure Road crossing scheduled to close on 12/17, but yesterday I saw a BNSF bulldozer clearing snow from the area where we railfans park which is unusual and I can only assume that would be to clear parking for other (non-railfan) vehicles or equipment associated with the (soon to be) closing of McClure.
Couple of comments.(and maybe a dumb question.)
Looking at google maps sat view, It looks like their is a car park on the SE corner there. Looking at it,it seems like their are railfans parked there. Looks like one very good place to watch trains.
Rgds IGN
narig01 Couple of comments.(and maybe a dumb question.) Looking at google maps sat view, It looks like their is a car park on the SE corner there. Looking at it,it seems like their are railfans parked there. Looks like one very good place to watch trains. Rgds IGN
eolafan Y'all come out and join us there some warmer day (it is -8F here in Aurora right now and nobody in their right mind will be out there today).
Y'all come out and join us there some warmer day (it is -8F here in Aurora right now and nobody in their right mind will be out there today).
And yet what do you bet someone is out there today!
dknelsoneolafan Y'all come out and join us there some warmer day (it is -8F here in Aurora right now and nobody in their right mind will be out there today). And yet what do you bet someone is out there today! Dave Nelson
I waited a couple of hours and I didn't see anybody!
(Just kidding.)
Well folks, it finally happened today. At about 1:00 p.m. this afternoon a crew from a contractor came to the McClure Road crossing and installed a steel barricade on both sides of the crossing, followed by the City of Aurora crew to put up "not a through street" signs on both approaches and reflective barricades to warn people who do not know of the closing. While I was there for a couple of hours countless cars kept coming down McClure expecting the crossing to still be open (there has been an electronic warning sign there for over two weeks warning of a 12/17 permanent closing but since that did not happen until today most folks simply ignored the sign). Finally the BNSF crews came and put concrete barricades on the corners of the steel ones to keep idiots from going around the new steel barricades and across the tracks (there was actually enough room for this). As expected, people going north on McClure to get across the tracks to the junk yard have already begun parking at the south side barricades and walking across the tracks to the junk yard, which will no doubt drive the engine crews nuts in the future. I can't help wondering how long it will take BNSF to issue new rules that crews no longer need to whistle for the crossing and when they will take the crossing gates down.
Well there goes another good shortcut to avoid some traffic. It's just another small adjustment to make. One point that hasn't been made here yet is the number of knuckleheads who swerved around those gates trying to save a few minutes in their precious lives. I never saw anybody get hit but I did witness some close calls. I'm sure that there's been a collison, or two, there over the years. Personally, I think the BNSF will convert the private crossing at the signal bridge just east of McClure so that their vehicles can cross there.
As a side note that is off topic but in response to the quiet zone on the J listed in a above post. That quiet zone has been rejected because of the two Illinois Prarie Path crossings in the Aurora / N. Aurora area that do not have any crossing protection.
CC
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.