Triple Crown service

[MP173]

I was in Bridgeview Il today (suburb on the IHB southwest of Chicago) and saw a Triple Crown train parked.

It was around 1pm.

That is nowhere near the Calumet Yard which is on the southeast side of Chicago. The only thing I thought was that they run the Triple Crown out of Calumet to the UP for running to Minn/St. Paul.

Does anyone know for sure?

ed

[fuzzybroken]

Geez, I hope not. They're supposed to leave Proviso around 2pm. Then again, according to the schedules I've seen, it takes 3-4 hours to get across Chicago (!). And sometimes probably more!

BTW, how far is Bridgeview from Proviso?

-Mark
http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken

[Anonymous]

From my recollection Bridgeview is about 15 miles south of Proviso, but it takes about 2 hours on train to get there. The IHB is incredibly congested just like every other railroad in the area. I rarely take trains north of Blue Island on the IHB, but when I do it is either to Proviso or to Bensenville to the CP yard. Those trips are always a guaranteed 12 hours and it's a nice change of scenery than going to Clearing yard at BRC or Barr yard.

[MP173]

So, does that mean the TC originates at Calumet Yard? Goes to Proviso before heading north?

The IHB is congested! Always something moving (slowly) or sitting...particularly south of Clearing Yard.

n_stephenson...do you always go north out of Danville? Or ever to Evansville?

ed

[CShaveRR]

With my work schedule, I should never see those trains at Proviso, yet they often leave after I've gotten to work.

Saw one Sunday--it had over 90 vehicles on it, according to the advance consist (they started out expecting around 30!).

[daveklepper]

So, if UP does go for Triple Crown to capture the lettuce, they had better hand the train over to NS in St. Louis or Memphis or just about anywhere except Chicago?

[MP173]

I would hand it off at Memphis for the south and Kansas City for the north.

That old Wabash line from KC to Detroit is a great line. Bypasses St. Louis and Chicago. I remember the Trains story on it from about 5 or 6 years ago. It sure is a busy line. Wonder what it is like today.

At some point one would think that NS would consider double tracking it. Or perhaps taking a look at the old TPW line.

Take a look at the Official Guides from the 60's and look at the opportunities that are now gone regarding Chicago:
1. The NYC's Kankakee line which connected the Chicago - East Coast line at South Bend with the IC, Santa Fe, Rock, and Burlington.
2. The EJE's Porter branch which connected the NYC at Porter and essentially would have provided a tollway around Chicago.
3. The TPW which thankfully still exists which connected the Santa Fe with Wabash and PRR.

With a little foresite, Chicago could have been a destination terminal rather than an interline point.

ed