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The Top 5 most traveled railroad lines in the US

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 4:22 PM
I do hear that it's really hot to watch the trains in the Barstow-Daggett area in the summertime, what time of year would you recommend going to Barstow-Daggett, I've never seen a train go 70mph before and that is definately something I would like to see.

It's kind of unfortunate about the railroad tracks in Stockton and Colton that they have to be located in a not so good neighborhood, I've done some railfanning in Pasco and it's not a good neighborhood, I like to go railfanning outside the city limits rather than inside the city limits.

I can understand why you favor UP over BNSF cause it brings you back some memories of your favorite railroad, although I love both railroads, I prefer BNSF slightly over UP cause I had alot of fond memories with BN, SP is also one of my favorite railroads.

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Posted by chad thomas on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 4:38 PM
Sept-June it's usually quite tolerable out that way.

Bad neighborhoods and railroads go hand in hand. It doesn't bother me at all as I've lived in some of the roughest hoods there are, but out of towners should be forewarned.
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Posted by wcaudle on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 6:25 PM
I have railfanned most of the lower 48. I was raised near Hinkle OR, near the Tri-Cities. I am a UP fan, first and foremost, but I enjoy the ATSF, as they run some serious high speed trains across the Mohave. I have been to Fostoria OH and Horseshoe Curve PA, but my top 10 will be: 1) the 3 and 4 track service from West of North Platte to Gibbon NE; 2) Barstow area, including Tehachapi; 3) Rochelle IL; 4)Amarillo TX - 5 mains cross there; 5) The awesome Powder River Basin in WY; 6) Vancouver WA junction; 7) the Racetrack at Aurora; 8) the Funnel just East of Spokane WA; 9) Belen NM; and 10)anywhere around Kansas City. Railfanning is like a collection, it is your own, with your own styles and twists. Have fun, be friendly and be safe.

Semper Fi
I love the Rails - especially the European Train and Trams (Stadtbahn).
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Posted by BrianLM007 on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 6:56 PM
This isn't exactly a line, per se, but it does see many trains in a given day: State Line Interlocking in Hammond, IN. You get to see a little bit of everything from locals (IHB, the CSS&SB, and CSX, NS to a smaller extent), unit trains (CSX (B&OCT) & NS (ex Nickel Plate) to commuter trains (NICTD, better known as the South Shore Line).

Even now, this still has to be one of the busiest interlockings in the U.S.
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Posted by theswitchman on Tuesday, August 23, 2005 8:28 PM
Shouldn't Mr.Hemphill be keeping his head down?
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Posted by eolafan on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 8:26 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by UnionPacificRR6737

The railroad tracks that went at the Chicago Racetrack, wasn't the line formerly used by Burlington Northern or ATSF?

About how many times per day (on average) would you see a train at the Chicago Racetrack?


BNSF's Chicago Racetrak must be high on the list. The hourly commuters add up, + 3 Amtrak + freight.

This may be a question that's impossible to answer. If you set up say at
La Grange Road & counted how many trains operate in each direction on a weekday?



Good exchange of information...to answer your question, the BNSF Chicago "Racetrack" goes from downtown Chicago to Aurora, about 36 miles as the crow flies, and sees about an average of 75 freight movements a day (plus locals and misc. power moves, etc.) as well as several dozen Metra and six Amtrak trains per day, making for a very busy stretch of track (triple track for most of the line). The Racetrack was originally CB&Q and then BN before becoming BNSF some years back. Rochelle has the old C&NW line (now UP) and the old CB&Q line known as the C&I to and from Minneapolis crossing at grade...this is a wonderful place to catch about 100 trains a day and a foamers delight. Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Eolafan (a.k.a. Jim)
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Posted by spbed on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 8:37 AM
Yes my wife wanted to know why I wanted to go to all this different towns in Utah to railfan & I told her each place is like watching a different movie & you never know what you are going to see until you get their. I was invovled in a tornado in May near Gibbon & see my web site to view the results of that experience. Also came across a train wreck on my way back to Omaha from Gibbon which is also on my web site

Sombody else mentioned Vancouver Jct & I will be there beginning of Oct to see it live & in person.

Funny I was in Hinkle to see the loco shop there last May

Originally posted by wcaudle
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Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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Posted by conman on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 9:57 AM
Don't have to go West to see trains.
NS around Reading, PA, Rockville Bridge area, Altoona
all see a good amount of long freights. Stay East!
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Posted by spbed on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 10:18 AM
Have you ever been to say Cajon Pass, Barstow, Daggett, Colton or Riverside? If not how can you compare those western spots to Reading? [:o)][:p]


Originally posted by conman
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Posted by mrunyan on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:59 AM
Sure Rochelle sees 100 trains a day and some are really great, new equipment, brand new centerbeams being delivered, old SD9's believe it or not. Mostly intermodal on UP due to Global 3 yard just west of it, and some locals. But it is just 2 lines going into Chicago which sees at least 500 trains a day, where's the best viewing, I'll leave to the more learned, and some have stated spots already.
Stay safe.
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Posted by spbed on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 12:10 PM
Where are there 500 trains a day[?][?][?][?][?]

Originally posted by mrunyan

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Posted by Wdlgln005 on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 9:37 PM
It would be fun to have a helicopter & do another Chicago Odyssey for trains coming into & out of the area. Might even make a great page in Trains to show the remaining hotspots.

Starting with the North lines, Soo/CN, MILW/Soo, or C&NW/UP?
going to the West side, ATSF, BN, C&NW/UP? how busy is Corwith (ATSF)?
not forgetting the GM&O/ICG/UP Alton line?
moving further south IC/CN Mopac/UP/L&NCSX?

then the state line on the East NYC/Conral etc
what a jumble of roads & connections from the "premerger" days!
From Rondout to McCook to Dolton, what are the hot spots of 2005?

For commuter service, it seems Metra is busier than ever. Perhaps Amtrak has something to learn from them!

Glenn Woodle
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 25, 2005 2:16 AM
Rochelle is definately one place where I wanna go to if I wanna do some railfanning,
I also wanna visit Chicago and do some railfanning there as well, what are some of the best areas to watch the trains go by the Chicago area?




QUOTE: Originally posted by mrunyan

Sure Rochelle sees 100 trains a day and some are really great, new equipment, brand new centerbeams being delivered, old SD9's believe it or not. Mostly intermodal on UP due to Global 3 yard just west of it, and some locals. But it is just 2 lines going into Chicago which sees at least 500 trains a day, where's the best viewing, I'll leave to the more learned, and some have stated spots already.
Stay safe.
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Posted by spbed on Thursday, August 25, 2005 6:31 AM
Dolton/Blue Island. [:o)][:p][:)]


Originally posted by UnionPacificRR6737
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Posted by Cheviot Hill on Thursday, August 25, 2005 8:22 PM
How about Winton Place, a northern suburb of Cincinnati? It gets 100+ trains a day along the triple track of CSX, NS, I&O. Thanks to directional running of CSX and NS, between Cincinnati and Hamilton, things are running pretty smoothly.
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 28, 2005 2:14 PM
Are there alot of trains in the Dallas/Fort Worth area?

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Posted by Junctionfan on Sunday, August 28, 2005 2:40 PM
Rosenberg in Texas is pretty intense for rail traffic.
Andrew
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Posted by northwesterner on Sunday, August 28, 2005 3:13 PM
I personally like LaGrange Road on the BNSF Racetrack, just west of where the BNSF tracks pass over the IHB. If you get hungry there are about 6 restaurants within walking distance of the Metra statrion there. I also enjoy the Elmhurst Metra station on the UP. It's just west of Proviso yard. All safe, pleasant places to watch them go by.
C&NW - Route of the Kate Shelley
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Posted by railfan619 on Sunday, August 28, 2005 4:10 PM
WELL if no one has said this one the Old CN&W line between RACINE and BUTLER WISCONSIN where it runs though oakcreek, so. milwaukee, st francis, milwaukee, west allis and so on and so forth. I think you get the Idea another busy line that runs though my neck of the woods is the CP/ SOO line which run along with amtrak from west right though milwaukee and down to the south and that line gets some pretty long frieght trains to that's about it for now [:D][:D]

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