I’m from chicago, born and raised, grew up on BNSF’s Chicago to Minneapolis to Seattle High Line, grew up with the sound of the green machine zooming past my bedroom window. I remember that sound well, from age four on. Also nearby was a section of the Harbor Belt, shuttling trains between Global 2, Bensenville, Clearing Yard, Glenn Yard and Blue Island. Chicago is a railroad town, and the thing that’s always amazed me is the never-ending entanglement of different lines, local connections, transfers and enormous yards. Where is that train going? Where did it come from? Where will it end up and who’s carrying it? I’m interested in starting a post dedicated to Chicago rail topics, and if anyone has any knowledge of other similar group forums please let me know. And does anyone know where DS trains from Seattle end up after getting into Clyde Yard? How many of these trains continue on east? Is it true the air line is going to be removed so the city can put up condos on the property? What will happen to the perpetually raised 16th street bridge? The mystery surrounding rail operations in this town is seemingly infinite. So let’s get started. And by the way, yes, I’ve read the july, 2003 issue of trains. Let the dialogue begin…
I work in the Chicago area in sales and have a great opportunity to watch and photograph trains.
I would strongly recommend the CORA map and the rulebook, if you can get ahold of them.
The thing I enjoy the most about Chicago rails is the large number of towers still in operation. I just caught a northbound CSX last week going by the tower at Archer and Western Avenues. It is the one with the operating semaphore signals. All trains must stop before proceeding. Cant recall teh name of the tower, but it is unique!
What other towers do others know of?
Two others are Calumet and Grassilli in East Chicago. Dont know if Calumet is still manned, but Grassilli is …I believe 2nd shift.
MP173
I don’t know by street but I know that Dolton Junction still has an interlocking tower because of the vast amout of CSX and UP trains with IHB bottle and switching trains. Close to the number of trains in Fostoria in a day!
That junction you’re talking about where you saw the CSX train at western and archer is Brighton Park Junction, with the manual semaphores. I guess they’re supposedly going to build an overpass, a flyover of some sorts so that trains no longer have to stop at signals and wait for eachother. Such an update will be nice technologically but it will destroy the fun of train watching there somewhat. Just north of that is a pretty cool junction, too, right at the canal there. That rail bridge is enormous and most likely was built at least eighty years ago. You can climb out to the middle of it, if you don’t mind the risk of falling in the fetid water below ( who knows what’s down there!), when I was a kid we used to hang out and drink beer there and watch trains go by, a pretty great feeling it is to have the trains going by overhead. Loud! There are a million great spots like that in this town, that’s what makes it so fantastic for train buffs. Has anyone checked out the spot at western and eighteenth?
hey, what’s the CORA map and rulebook, by the way?
My reply to this suddenly disappeared, so if two of these show up…my apologies.
Been to Dolton Junction, BUSY!
The area around 18th and Western would be the CSX and either BN or UP (old CNW intermodal yards). Never explored around there.
CORA is the CHicago Operating Rules Association, which is a loose leaf maunal of all railroads in Chicago area from Gary to Waukegan (essentially the EJE terrritory). This is used for employee timetables instead of employees having to carry the ET and rulebooks for each railroad they operate on. It is about 2 inches thick and has sections on each railroad and detailed maps and explaination of signal indications.
The CORA map is the official map of the area. I bought mine frm the IHB several years ago for about $10. Made copies at a blueprint copier and keep the copies for use. The map is about 48 x 36.
You can find the CORA book by typing in “Employee Timetable” in a search. There is a guy in Downers Grove that sells ET’s and he regularly has the CORA for sale ($15 or so)…a huge bargain. A wealth of information at your fingertips!
MP173
Speaking of Brighton Park, how do you get to the junction? Will RR police kick you out? I work 15 minutes away and for the last 2 years i havent stop there yet. Also 18th St. overpass near Canal St. offers greats views of Amtrak’s locomotive facility, St. Charles Air Line, the Lumber St. drawbridge, and of course the Chicago skyline.
I have not been to Dolton Junction yet, but from what I have research on the trains it is much busier than rochelle.
Here’s something for Chicago fans to chew on.
I was by the Broadway crossing a couple of weeks ago, and noted that it had been repaired and upgraded (center barrier…maybe so trains don’t need to sound horns?), but hadn’t noticed any new track. I’ll look more closely next time I’m down that way (should be soon!).
This is from the UTU website.
CSXT completes Illinois track project
BLUE ISLAND, Ill. – CSX Transportation (CSXT), the rail unit of CSX Corporation (CSX), has completed a $21.7 million track and crossing improvement project to enhance the safety, capacity, and speed of freight rail traffic in the region, according to this release issued by the company.
The two-year project included the rebuilding of Chatham, Western, and Broadway Avenue crossings at an area where eight rail lines come together, known as Blue Island Junction, a major intersection of CSXT, the Indiana Harbor Belt, and Canadian National railroads.
In addition, a new mile of main-line track from CSXT’s Barr Yard in Riverdale, Ill., to Broadway Avenue was constructed to increase the efficiency of freight rail movement to and from the terminal. Several older interlockings were replaced with modern equipment and five new switches were installed to allow trains to travel through the junction at higher speeds – up to 30 miles per hour.
“CSXT has initiated a project which will allow trains to move through the junction more quickly, which will improve rail efficiency in the area,” said Pete Sitavich, CSXT’s Blue Island Project manager.
CSXT worked with the Chicago Transportation Coordination Office (CTCO), an operating center including senior staff from most of the nation’s large railroads, to reduce scheduling conflicts for trains in the Blue Island area.
“We were very grateful to the citizens and leadership of Blue Island who worked with us on this successful project,” said Pete Burrus, CSXT Chicago Division Manager. "M
I’m guessing the CORA timetable would explain all the transfers (BN-NS) (UP-CSX, etc.). Jesus. I can only imagine. I typed it into google and got one post that came up. You don’t by any chance, know the contact info for the guy who sells it in Downers Grove, do you? How well does that timetable explain interchanges and what not?
It doesn’t…just gives the pertinent rules, a few track diagrams (and employee timetable information for the lines in question), and signal interpretations. Each railroad has its own section.
Can’t believe it’s on the “open market” now. We had to guard them with our lives when they first came out!
For the “official” info regarding the Chicago project, see:
To get to Brighton Park go to the junction of Archer and Western. There is a Burger King on the NW corner. The west end of the BK parking lot has an access road up to Brighton Park. I have never been harassed there but I get my picture and get out in a hurry. Not that it is a really bad neighborhood, but it is Chicago and I am usually dressed in a suit…making me an unusual site.
I will try and find the guy in Downers Grove selling the ET’s.
Regarding the transfer runs, I think those are based on agreements between the railroads, the CORA book only governs the movements.
BTW…has anyone seen the BNSF Logistics Park in Elwood? I was out there today on business, what an interesting real estate developement going on. That is a HUGE project.
MP 173
Behind Burger King, got it. Thanks, I’ll check it out on some Sunday after work. Today i drove past the St. Charles Air Line while making a delivery and saw a loading BNSF coal train sitting and a Metra work train. It had Metra SW1200 and 4 hoppers, 2 loaded with rock and 2 empty.
Another way to get a view of Brighton crossing is to use the Orange Line trains. Park at Midway Airport CTA lot and ride east to Ashland station and return on another train. Or stay on the train to ride all the way thru the loop & return from downtown. The Midway terminal is right next to the Belt mainline, and you may catch a Clearing transfer run. As you go east, you pick up the old GTW & the site of their Elsdon yard. The line swings north past Railport on it’s way to Brighton. Going east, you follow the old GM&O line until you get to Chinatown & the old ATSF passenger yard. Might cost more to park than to ride the train!
The junction just north of Brighton Park near the Ship & Sanitary Canal is Ash St. The City of Chicago has fenced off the access to Ash St. and easy, public access is virtually impossible today.
An EXCELLENT web ssite explaining the major rail junctions and hotspots in the Chicago area is Chicago Area Rail Junctions. The URL is: http://dhke.com/CRJ/
As promised earlier, I made another trip past Blue Island today, to check out the improvement. There does seem to be a new track shoe-horned in there, east (and north) of the others, yet I don’t think that the total number of tracks crossing Broadway has changed.
Also the crossovers connecting the IHB and B&OCT have been rehabbed and lengthened out; it definitely ought to increase the permissible speed. When I first arrived at the crossing today, a solid string of Auto-Max cars was passing through south (east)bound. I couldn’t see which railroad(s) it was on (B&OCT or IHB; not GTW/CN), but it wasn’t doing any 30 m.p.h.
It appears that a byproduct of the recent construction is a graveled area north of Broadway and east of the tracks, in which I saw one railfan-owned vehicle. It’s not posted yet, but I expect that it won’t take long before it is.
I’m not from Chicago, but I live in Milwaukee, and occasionally travel down to Chicago. And of course I try to do as much railfanning as possible! Years ago, I went with my brother (12 years older than me) to Rondout and Dolton Jct., and other places that I don’t remember anymore. More recently, I took a trip down to Waukegan and Rondout, and got some great EJ&E, UP, and Metra pictures, as well as discovered where the North Shore once ran – now a system of bike trails.
By the way, you might want to look into Yahoo Groups. I know that there is an Illinois Railroads group (Illinirail), but you may want to start your own Chicago railfan group.
-Mark
Milwaukee, WI
http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken
I grew up on Western Ave. between Brighton Park Crossing and Ash Street Junction down by the canal watching switching ops behind the old Campbell Soup plant located on 35th street just west of Western Ave. Pennsy, B&O, C&O and B&OCT ran on the numerous tracks back there, passenger and freight. This was in the mid-1960’s. Those were the days.
Never checked things out train-wise around 18th, in general we didn’t go north of the canal as kids because this was considered a “bad neighborhood”.
MP173, Im trying to get a (fairly recent) CORA map, but am having trouble finding any. I tried IHB but their online store seems to be down. I was wondering if you might be able to help me out.
Any help would be great.
Sal
WFB, WI