-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
Originally posted by ralph zimmer Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 5:12 PM I've lived in the suburbs my whole life. I grew up watching the Santa Fe in its last year or two(little did I know it at the time). I have a few questions though. First, is there anyway to get into BNSF's Corwith Yard, or a good place to watch it from? Second, are there any places in Chicago where there is still street running? Thanks a lot! Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 11:56 PM To Joeyalone: if you have a scanner and want to listen to the Indiana Harbor Belt RR, go to 160.980 for railroad activities in the Chicagoland area. That is the main frequency that the IHB uses for most of their movements. Another funny thing about the IHB is the facvt that when you look up to see where a lot of your other big roads have dispatchers at is out of state, but the IHB has their dispatchers in one office in Calumet City, right next door to the CSX System. The CSX operates on 160.230 or 160.320. I have just about every frequency needed to listen to all the local rail lines around Chicago and suburbs. I have also seen the IHB section of the dispatch center. I used to work for them, and went in there a little over a year ago, to see about trying to get back on. I was told then by an old friend that I wouldn't want to come back, to which I told him: "if you love trains and railroads as much as I do, yes I do!" He never said another word. He said in order to hire out I would have to go out to the Hammond, Ind yard to put in my application. So far I haven't found a ride out there. ralph zimmer ralphn9kym@aol.com Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 12:08 AM to: cnw8835, Interesting question about the bottle train. I see it once in a very great while. The old inland steel plant where they go to and from is having one of their buildings torn down, right along side of where the bottle trian would come in and pour part of its contests to. Now I like you am wondering about the outcome of it. Like I have mentioned so many times before, check out RailroadData.com and see if there might be any kind of information about the questions you asked. That is the only way I know of finding anything out. I wish I knew someone from the NS, then I would ask them, but I only know a former dispatcher from the IHB. ralph zimmer ralphn9kym@aol.com (old email was n9kym@aol.com) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 12:28 AM To techguy57: I read your question then went to my google, and typed in the words Pullman District, and found an awful lot of information, including upcoming events. I will save you some of the work though, just go to http://www.pulmanil.org/ and you should be able to find upcoming events, along with the History of the Pullman district. I usually have nothing else to do, and am an avid railroad fan, having worked for the IHB. So good luck. ralph zimmer ralphn9kym@aol.com (old email: n9kym@aol.com) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 1:38 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by slopes09 I've lived in the suburbs my whole life. I grew up watching the Santa Fe in its last year or two(little did I know it at the time). I have a few questions though. First, is there anyway to get into BNSF's Corwith Yard, or a good place to watch it from? Second, are there any places in Chicago where there is still street running? Thanks a lot! some street running for local traffic going between plants and western ave yard (BNSF) between 16th st and the canal to the south. "central illinois railway", check it out. another cool shortline I recently discovered is the "manufacturer's junction railway", I think that's the name of it, over there in cicero. Got some good pictures of it, including the old sign. the lots in pretty crummy shape, but it's an old, old spot. IT's abandoned, and to explore the property you'd be trespassing, but I'd be inclined to say it's worth it...old roundhouse, weigh-station, right underneath the big ol' brick tower off of ogden avenue and cicero. Beautiful old spot with a lot of history. access is behind the strip mall at cicero and cermak. check it out, but don't say I sent you. and hey ralph, thanks for the info. you seem to be a d-mn passionate train fan, there are a lot of us in chicago, makes me happy to live here. The four or five IHB workers I've talked to have always been pretty friendly and enjoyable to talk to. One of them even gave me a little key-chain Pretty units, too. Reply Edit MP173 Member sinceMay 2004 From: Valparaiso, In 5,921 posts Posted by MP173 on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 10:56 PM Street running....well sort of. Go east on Division off of the Kennedy. Around the 1000 block look south. There is a street running at an angle towards the loop. While I have never seen a train there, tracks are in the middle of the street and often there is a car of lumber parked there. Also, down on Pershing Ave, west of Halsted there is a shortline that operates. Tracks run adjacent to the street and cross over and go north. ed Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 28, 2005 3:38 AM MP173: Unles I am wrong, the road that switches in and out of...down around Halsted and Pershing, should be the Chicago River Industrial Railroad. It too is another small road that does a lot of that, along with the Indiana Harbor Belt. They used to go down there, back when I worked for the Harbor to switch cars around and put a train together, called the "hot train" because they had so much time to grab it and take it from down there to the Blue Island Yard of the IHB, to make connection with a train that was being put together to go East toward New York. I remember it, because my dispatcher used to make the other 2 tower operators west of me mad. If we knew that train was headed my way, the dispatcher would tell me, that under no circumstances was I to let any other train go east ahead of the "hot train!" If I did it could have cost me my job. Those were the fun days. Someday if we ever meet, I can fill you in on anything else I mgith know about the IHB and their tactics. ralph zimmer ralphn9kym@aol.com (n9kym@aol.com was my old email address) Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 10:41 PM Found something, I think/hope. Lakewood avenue. I stumbled across it while looking for something on Microsoft Terraserver. http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=4&S=9&Z=16&X=4451&Y=46423&W=1&qs=lakewood+avenue%7cchicago%7cil%7c&Addr=N+Lakewood+Ave%2c+Chicago%2c+IL+60613&ALon=-87.6617419&ALat=41.9524870 I also found this site. http://www.mannresearch.com/lakewood/ Anybody know any more about this? Reply Edit northwesterner Member sinceOctober 2002 From: Chicago 117 posts Posted by northwesterner on Wednesday, May 4, 2005 6:20 PM There is a lot more at this website http://www.mannresearch.com/chicagoswitching/v3/. C&NW - Route of the Kate Shelley Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 9, 2005 3:32 AM What a great thread! I was born and raised in Chicago, along the B&OCT main and PRR 59th yard st. hump yard . Forrest Hill crossing with the BRC and Wabash (N&W) was just a few blocks south. I saw a lot the Chicago roads had to offer in those days, including the Capitol Limited with domes and Slumbercoaches, new NP SD-45's being delivered the roundabout way to CB&Q via B&O south to Blue Island, then back north to Clyde yd., a Trainmaster assigned regularly to the hump job, the first C&O Roadrailers on the Pere Marquette passenger trains, most every diesel model on the huge PRR/PC, and B&O rosters or the numerous transfers and road trains that went through Forrest Hill crossing. All those road names and colors on those 40 foot Boxcars from everywhere! What great memories! Things have changed a lot due to mergers, abandonments, etc. and some of the south side junctions are not what they used to be. Pullman Junction is nowhere near as busy, the PRR Panhandle line is gone. NS and CSX have moved all the old C&O and Wabash operations elsewhere, so Forrest Hill (75th ST.) isn't the same any more, but one can still see Metra, CSX intermodal and transfer operations on BRC and CSX. Ashland ave. is now NS ex CR/PC/NYC/Chicago Junction or Chicago River & Indiana, built to mostly serve the old Union Stockyards and related industries. Just be smart, safe and respectful, maybe take a friend or two along. Some of those neighborhoods are rough. JImmy Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 9, 2005 12:46 PM Hi all. Just wanted to say hi. I am an engineer for the UP based in West Chicago. Born in Galesburg, Raised in Santa Fe, and through a long weird twist of events ended up back here. I don't begin to think I know everything about railraods in Chicago, but if any one has some questions, feel free to post em here I check in occasionally , and if I know any answers I'll post them back. Illinirail is a yahoo group owned by one of my co-workers, and is also a great source of information and opinion on railroading in illinois. Reply Edit passengerfan Member sinceMarch 2004 From: Central Valley California 2,841 posts Posted by passengerfan on Monday, May 9, 2005 8:16 PM I too have many fond memories of Chicago arriving and departing by train many times from Union Station, LaSale St. and Central Station. Also traveled from the Northwestern Station and probably my fondest memories are arriving in the loop downtown on the Electroliners to and from the Great Lakes Naval Base. The stop on the base was not served by the Electroliners they just flashed through but we soon learned that the Electroliners did stop at Waukegan so we went to waukegan to catch the faster Electroliners to and from the loop. Visited Milwaukee a few times while their as well. This was the year before they were discontinued. Reply MP173 Member sinceMay 2004 From: Valparaiso, In 5,921 posts Posted by MP173 on Friday, May 20, 2005 5:02 PM This has been a great thread. One of the neat things about Chicago railroading (and there are tons of neat things) is the diverse operations. Think about it... 1. Super mainlines 2. Hump yard at Clearing 3. Big Industrial carriers such as the Harbor and J. 4. Drawbridges 5. Industrial settings that are gritty, yet extremely interesting (southeast side) 6. Towers I can go on and on, but this is a great railroading center. Now, a few comments...Ralph, sorry I didnt respond back to you earlier - what tower did you operate in? Looking back, I meant to say Halstead and Cermak, instead of Pershing. But, you have my interest in that Chicago River Industrial line....where does it run from and to and connect with the IHB? Looking at my CORA map,. I see a line branching north off of the NS line to Ashland Avenue Yard (between Halstead and Ashland ) which goes north to around 35th Street. It is near Best Kosher (BTW, the best hot dogs in Chicago are at the Best Kosher outlet). If I remember correctly that line winds thru a scrap metal company and from there....I dont know. The Chicago Northside switching website looks promising. Does anyone know if the line to Navy Pier is still in operation. There is a drawbridge over the Chicago River that is tucked into near northside buildings...sure would be an interesting photograph. Anyway, lets keep this thread going. ed Reply MP173 Member sinceMay 2004 From: Valparaiso, In 5,921 posts Posted by MP173 on Friday, May 20, 2005 5:42 PM Ok, I just spent 30 minutes on the Northside switching website. I highly recommend it to any Chicago railfans. It is a great site, with many articles, photographs and documentation of a nearly vanished aspect of railroading in Chicago. ed Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 20, 2005 6:08 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by dbld1218 Ok, BNSF LaGrange, i have some answers. i grew up in Mt. Prospect and recently moved to NW side of Chicago (3 blocks from MD-N Grayland Station) so this area is my specialty. See if i can help. #1 - The UP Cragin line only operates from Mayfair about a mile south, serves one maybe two industries. When the one car train does runs its usaully in mid-morning. #4 - Like CNW1995 said the "sandman" which runs at night. i know Sat. mornings around 6:00 a train departs Chicago Ave Yard for Proviso. And 2 auto trains each way between Proviso and Janesville. #5 - That CP train is #183, Bensinville to Twin Cities intermodal daily. #6 - No, WSOR here at Mayfair, NB 11:00p & SB 1:30a. On slow days the NB may go thru here as early as 7:30p. #7 - A few years back the SB came thru W. Chicago Between 8-9:00a. Not sure now. #8 - Yes, the EB, train MNABE may still pass B17 at 9-11:00a. #13 - Belive it switches on Tues. & Thurs. #14 - Yes, WC is still fairly common. DMIR i wish. But a few IC units have been popping up. Hope this helps. I work for CP Rail and I bill this train everyday from 4541-4865 Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 27, 2005 10:47 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFLaGrange Can I take the South Shore Line out to Hammond Indiana? When I say Hammond I mean the Rail Junction named Hammond as listed on the Chicago Rail Junctions site. The Hohman Avenue (Hammond) crossing is less than a mille south of the South Shore station. The station itself is on Hohman. It's not a long walk. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 27, 2005 10:50 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by sommerkamp can someone help me locate where [ashland ave.] rail yard is. whose yard is it by name of railroad. do all railroads have access to it. i have seen trains at a number of places in greater chicago, including roosevelt blvd in the late 50s when all the passengers were open and several outlying sites. i just cannot find where ashland ave. is located. thanks for your help. crosstie@wowway.com Ashland Avenue Yard is located between Western and Ashland avenues near 39th Street (Pershing Road). It's now a Norfolk Southern facility. The neighborhood is a little risky, and access to the yard is difficult. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 27, 2005 5:47 PM Does anyone know when the local runs out of the BNSF's Joliet yard toward Lockport and Lemont? Also, when does the local run up the Woodridge/Romeoville branchline? Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 29, 2005 6:27 PM The local is usually Southbound through Joliet in between 5:00 and 7:30 P.M. That's when I usually see it, but I'm not sure about the Woodridge/Romeoville Branchline. I'm at Joliet Union Station all the time. I've there two or three times a week. I live about 15 minutes from the station. Hope this helps. [:)] Nick Reply Edit Green Bay Paddlers Member sinceJuly 2002 From: Green Bay, WI 197 posts Posted by Green Bay Paddlers on Monday, May 30, 2005 8:42 PM Anyone know when the BNSF local services the Argonne spur? Reply pkielty Member sinceFebruary 2005 39 posts Posted by pkielty on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 1:53 PM Your question #1, about the Cragin Line. As of last winter, I know that there is one customer that is north of Devon,and I'm pretty sure south of Touhy, but I never traced it past Pratt. The rumor is that the customer uses a chemical that is best transported via rail, but I used to see the local pass our business maybe once a week. As for watching, a good place is in Glenview/Northbrook, anywhere between Downtown Glenview and Techny. You can see the Metra locals, and Amtrak, and whatever freights come down into the City, while eating an ice cream or yogurt from the famous "Dairy Bar". Your mom or dad would even enjoy that. At Willow Road and Shermer Rd, the UP goes over the highway and MD-N about 1/2 mile apart,and you will see a lot of unit coal trains going up to Kenosha on the Milwaukee Subdivision, and vice versa,a lot of traffic coming down from Wisconsin. Sometmes the power parks by the CP interlock by Shermer Road, and I have seen the engineers getting a beef sandwich at Mario's, or at the Subway which is right there on Shermer. Sometimes you will witness the CP which interlocks onto the New Line from Techny. I think the best time is between 9 and 4 pm. because the New Line feeds into Bensenville, where there is an evening METRA rush hour. That may answer why you might see SB freight (CP) going into Chicago, because going into bensenville on the CP can get backed up at early evening. I never hang out at Techny, but if you get the Amtrak schedule, and the METRA schedule, you'll can see a lot of trains in a short time. the nice thing about Downtown glenview is you can get the ice cream and catch the Empire Builder stopping, and the NB freight in the evening. There also is a new station called North Glenvview, whih is on Lehigh just souht of Willow RD. I live in Arlington Hts and at 10 PM plus or minus a few minutes, you can see the freight that someone mentioned from Janseville, I just don't know how many nights it is scheduled, and if your lucky you see the sand or stone trains that feed the Aztec Ready Mix yard, which I think is about Kimball or Belmont right along the Kennedy. That train must pass your Gladstone Park address. Occassionally, you might ses the DM &I on the Soo line, the old wisconsin Central, but I don't know wher the best place to see that at. Maybe at Mannheim Rd and Higgins before they come into the CN yard. (Des Plaines). Good luck with all that. Try Glenview for some instatnt success. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 7:51 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Jimitrain The local is usually Southbound through Joliet in between 5:00 and 7:30 P.M. That's when I usually see it, but I'm not sure about the Woodridge/Romeoville Branchline. I'm at Joliet Union Station all the time. I've there two or three times a week. I live about 15 minutes from the station. Hope this helps. [:)] Nick Any idea when it runs northbound? I've seen the local a few times but have never thought to note when it was. I'd like to see it around Lockport, switching the one factory or running upgrade to Woodridge. I just had a memory though. I think I saw a local working the Woodridge/Romeoville branch once, fairly early in the morning. Like I think before 10:00, but that was a good 4 years ago. I think it also has to run caboose first. I'll have to get out early one morning and try and get pictures of it. The question is though, does it work Lockport first or on the way back, and what days does it run? Nick, what days do you usually see the local on? Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 31, 2005 8:50 PM I've seen the Northbound running in the afternoon on a Saturday once. I saw it around 1:00 or 2:00. It had a Green BN Caboose on the rear. A Santa Fe Bluebonnet B23-7 was leading it. I always see the Southbound during the week. I also see a local coming into Lockport Northbound sometimes. It comes around the curve, goes a little ways down the line, and then heads back to the grain faculity. Then it switches for a while. I was at Joliet Union Station last week, the local stopped right in front of me. [:)] On Railpictures.net, you said you were at the Jackhammer's game while I was there. Here one of my shots of the local passing a westbound BN SD40-2 #7868 M-IHBGAL. It had the ATSF Caboose 784 at the back. Take care. [:)] Nick Reply Edit 123 Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Login » Register » Search the Community Newsletter Sign-Up By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR Austin TX Sub
QUOTE: Originally posted by slopes09 I've lived in the suburbs my whole life. I grew up watching the Santa Fe in its last year or two(little did I know it at the time). I have a few questions though. First, is there anyway to get into BNSF's Corwith Yard, or a good place to watch it from? Second, are there any places in Chicago where there is still street running? Thanks a lot!
QUOTE: Originally posted by dbld1218 Ok, BNSF LaGrange, i have some answers. i grew up in Mt. Prospect and recently moved to NW side of Chicago (3 blocks from MD-N Grayland Station) so this area is my specialty. See if i can help. #1 - The UP Cragin line only operates from Mayfair about a mile south, serves one maybe two industries. When the one car train does runs its usaully in mid-morning. #4 - Like CNW1995 said the "sandman" which runs at night. i know Sat. mornings around 6:00 a train departs Chicago Ave Yard for Proviso. And 2 auto trains each way between Proviso and Janesville. #5 - That CP train is #183, Bensinville to Twin Cities intermodal daily. #6 - No, WSOR here at Mayfair, NB 11:00p & SB 1:30a. On slow days the NB may go thru here as early as 7:30p. #7 - A few years back the SB came thru W. Chicago Between 8-9:00a. Not sure now. #8 - Yes, the EB, train MNABE may still pass B17 at 9-11:00a. #13 - Belive it switches on Tues. & Thurs. #14 - Yes, WC is still fairly common. DMIR i wish. But a few IC units have been popping up. Hope this helps.
QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFLaGrange Can I take the South Shore Line out to Hammond Indiana? When I say Hammond I mean the Rail Junction named Hammond as listed on the Chicago Rail Junctions site.
QUOTE: Originally posted by sommerkamp can someone help me locate where [ashland ave.] rail yard is. whose yard is it by name of railroad. do all railroads have access to it. i have seen trains at a number of places in greater chicago, including roosevelt blvd in the late 50s when all the passengers were open and several outlying sites. i just cannot find where ashland ave. is located. thanks for your help. crosstie@wowway.com
QUOTE: Originally posted by Jimitrain The local is usually Southbound through Joliet in between 5:00 and 7:30 P.M. That's when I usually see it, but I'm not sure about the Woodridge/Romeoville Branchline. I'm at Joliet Union Station all the time. I've there two or three times a week. I live about 15 minutes from the station. Hope this helps. [:)] Nick
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