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Tracks next to stadiums?

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 6:16 PM
desertdog

At one time, the C&E / Milwaukee Road (a/k/a the "Lakewood" Branch) ran right past Wrigley Field.  There was even a siding.

John Timm

 

 

Probably brought a lot of coal to the coal towers (silos?) that were between the ballpark and Clark St?

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Posted by dredmann on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 9:44 PM

It has already been mentioned that the Superdome in New Orleans is near its Union Passenger Terminal--but the only thing between them is the New Orleans Arena, where the Hornets play their home games; just a street and a fence separate the Arena from the UPT tracks.

Also, as previously mentioned, IC trackage does run right by Alex Box (baseball) stadium at LSU in Baton Rouge, and then it's an easy enough walk from there to Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where LSU plays football and basketball, respectively.

 

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Posted by Jack_S on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:00 AM

 Some years ago the LA Times had a story about a stadium in the Mexican League that had a freight line cutting across the outfield.  They had to hold up the game when a train came through.

 Jack

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Posted by garyla on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 10:22 AM

The Los Angeles Coliseum is going to find itself adjacent to a rail line once again. 

The old PE "Santa Monica Air Line" ran down the middle of Exposition Blvd. (the border between USC and the Coliseum/Exposition Park).  In the 1930s and 1940s, these tracks were also used by both UP and ATSF to park and show off new passenger power and/or equipment.

Passenger service (Red Cars) left in the 1950s, freight service sometime maybe in the 1970s.

The right-of-way was preserved, and light rail service is coming to this route.

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Posted by DMUinCT on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 11:03 AM

All the replies and know one mentioning the oldest Major League Ball Park in America.

The Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park is located in the Back Bay section of Boston.  Built in 1912, rail service then was a must, and still is.   Today the double track rail line is the CSX main line into Boston and is also used by the MBTA Commuter Rail Service.  There is a passenger platform at Fenway Park called "Yawkey Way", named for the former Red Sox owner, it is used only when a Home Game is scheduled.   Also, Boston's "Green Line" Subway  (one of four Subway Lines in Boston) stops two blocks away from Fenway at Kenmore Square.   I have never driven to a game when working in Boston.

Fenway is noted for it's Left Field Wall know as the "Green Monster".  When a "Home Run" is hit over it, just clearing it, the ball will land in a parking garage behind the wall, hit a little harder it lands on the Railroad tracks, if the ball is "crushed" it can make it beyond to the Massachusetts Turnpike.

While most of the "Home Runs" land on the top deck of the garage, that double track Main Line of CSX (formally the Boston & Albany) runs next to the garage, 100 feet or so behind the "Green Monster".

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Posted by desertdog on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 11:17 AM

ChuckCobleigh
desertdog

At one time, the C&E / Milwaukee Road (a/k/a the "Lakewood" Branch) ran right past Wrigley Field.  There was even a siding.

John Timm

 

 

Probably brought a lot of coal to the coal towers (silos?) that were between the ballpark and Clark St?

I understand that there was a team track there.  It was before I lived in Chicago and spent any real time there so I do not know for certain.  There were many coal companies along the C&NW and the C&E at one time--and even the EL which had electric freight service--, so the answer is probably "yes."  As you may already know, there is an excellent website that covers the history of the line right up to what is left of it today:  http://www.mannresearch.com/lakewood/

John Timm

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Posted by aegrotatio on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 2:03 PM

The Binghamton Mets stadium was built mostly in a train yard in the early 1990s.

Freight trains would interrupt games regularly.  The organ plays various train songs while the players pause.  I remember watching the through trains above the left field fence.  Henry6 will be able to correct me but the track bed is higher than the fence and you hear *everything*.  Smoke also pours out over the field depending on the wind.

It's sort of like when the jets fly over Shea Stadium.

 

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Posted by bbb&c railroad on Monday, February 10, 2020 7:24 PM

   I was doing research on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and I found they ran

a passenger train from Union station to Buffalo Stadium, Houston, Texas

on Oct, 3, 1941

   Michael Lowe

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Posted by Steve B500 on Monday, February 10, 2020 8:55 PM

Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor is next to the Ann Arbor Railroad, which decades ago hosted multiple special football passenger trains, including power and cars from GTW and C&O. 

Spartan Stadium in East Lansing used to have a C&O spur next to it, which also had football specials.

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Posted by MMLDelete on Monday, February 10, 2020 9:30 PM

When I went to Univ. of Georgia, a CofG branch line ran right behind one end zone. At that time, there were no substantial stands at that end. The track was on a high embankment, and lots of people would watch games from there. On game days sometimes a train would come; it would approach VERY slowly, and blow and blow until the crowd moved off the tracks. Once the train was gone, the fans returned.

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Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 3:58 PM

Los Angeles Rams Guy

Don't forget Kinnick Stadium, the football home of the Iowa Hawkeyes which has the former Rock Island (now IAIS) Chicago - Omaha mainline running by it on the southwest side of the stadium.  I vividly remember when I was an elementary school kid back in the late 60's hearing the RI freights that rumble by.  

 

Back in RI days, they used to have a "Stadium track" where football specials unloaded and were parked during the game.

That track is gone, but on game days one can still take the train to the game.  The Iowa Northern (IANR's Dan Sabin was behind the idea) supplies the cars and a locomotive, painted in a RI passenger scheme and the IAIS supplies the operating crew.  Car attendents are volunteers.  The train shuttles back and forth a few miles between the stadium and parking facilities in Coralville.

Here's a flyer from a previous season.

https://www.iowanorthern.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/hawkeye_express_2014_flyer.pdf 
 

Jeff

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Posted by blhanel on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 4:15 PM

jeffhergert

The Iowa Northern (IANR's Dan Sabin was behind the idea) supplies the cars and a locomotive, painted in a RI passenger scheme and the IAIS supplies the operating crew.  Car attendents are volunteers.  The train shuttles back and forth a few miles between the stadium and parking facilities in Coralville.

Correction- TWO locos, one on either end.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 5:56 PM

Memorial Stadium in Champaign is close to the old IC line.  Years ago, there were some football specials from Chicago that parked on a siding and returned postgame. Once the entire West Point corps of upperclassmen made the journey by rail. 

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 9:03 PM

Lithonia Operator

When I went to Univ. of Georgia, a CofG branch line ran right behind one end zone. At that time, there were no substantial stands at that end. The track was on a high embankment, and lots of people would watch games from there. On game days sometimes a train would come; it would approach VERY slowly, and blow and blow until the crowd moved off the tracks. Once the train was gone, the fans returned.

 
Was told that up to the late 50s ACL would charter trains to Athens for south Ga football fans.  At That time driving took two to three times as  long as these rail trains.  Those trains were parked there on the hill and non ticket holders would watch from the comfort of the  train. 
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Posted by samfp1943 on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 11:05 PM

Sure missed this topic! Whistling

    I'd nominate Liberty Bowl Stadium at memphis,Tn.  Off Hollywood Street. The crossing is withing about 50 or 60 yards of the East side of the stadium. 

It is the ICRR (now CNR's  East Memphis  -double tracked- Freight By-Pass.) Back when the RRRR Circus had a train, and it was playing at the Fargrounds; they would park the train just off that crossing and parade through what was the Stadium parking lot.

And also the "Pyramid" venue at downtown Memphis was hard by the ICRR's (Now CNR's) Passenger line on the Bluff, and the old Poplar Streeet Station 'yard'was right by the station{ Of Casey Jones fame).  Events that required trains of animals or gear[either Royal AmericanShows or RRBB] would unload at the Poplar St yard, and parade to the area's venues.  Sigh

 

 

 


 

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Posted by guetem1 on Friday, February 14, 2020 7:23 PM
isn't there a major sports stadium that uses a train horn to signal a goal?
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Posted by tree68 on Friday, February 14, 2020 7:30 PM

guetem1
isn't there a major sports stadium that uses a train horn to signal a goal?

Fairly common at hockey arenas, I think.

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Posted by Miningman on Friday, February 14, 2020 9:05 PM

I report .. you decide ... The Blackhawks and many others definitely !!

https://youtu.be/OS7_oUApY_E

Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks probably ship or fog horns.

LA Kings and Winnipeg Jets definitely train horns. 

Someone should break from the pack and use a Steam Whistle! 

Chicago Blackhawks. Columbus Blue Jackets, Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators would be good candidates! 

Come on guys, DO IT! 

 

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Posted by SD70Dude on Friday, February 14, 2020 11:30 PM

A whistle would go well with the cannon in Columbus!

Greetings from Alberta

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Posted by rdamon on Saturday, February 15, 2020 9:04 AM

The Minor League Hockey Team in Everet, WA has a train horn proudly displaying the BNSF logo for when the Silvertips make a goal.

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Posted by Vern Moore on Sunday, February 16, 2020 2:38 PM
NYSEG Stadium isn't just next to the NS's former Erie and Lackawanna tracks. The stadium sits atop the location of the old Lackawanna freight house, which was demolished to make way for the stadium.
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Posted by LensCapOn on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 10:15 AM

Read through this and if someone mentioned Miller Park I missed it. CP, former Milwaukee Road, has a double track main line curving around the grounds on the west.

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