With the advent of the beginning of the school year, I am planning a couple of photo outings to a couple of area rail junctions/crossings. (Kids will be in school full time) This is about safety concerns. I am planning on visiting Dolton, Brigthon Park, 21st St. Crossing, and possibly, State Line, and Chicago Heights. I was just wondering, especially in the case of 21st St. and Brighton Park, is: How safe are the neighborhoods? What about 16th St? Is it even worth visiting? I can see from Google Earth that there are several tracks that cross in the area, but was wondering about the neighborhoods.
Also, anyone who is interested in going along… .let me know. I was figuring it would be sometime in early September…Maybe we could get a group together.
That whole area around 16th St, 18th, the drawbridge, St. Charles Airline, etc is fascinating. Lots of big time railroading there.
It appears that the 16th street tower is still there. Correct?
How does the Amtraks off of the IC get to Union Station? Do they go west on the St. Charles Airline, then on to the BN line and back into Union Station?
I will echo Joe’s response. Bill Gustasson’s Chicago Area Rail Junctions is an excellent resource for railfanning in the Chicago area.
The neighborhoods around 21st and Brighton Park are quite safe during the day. In fact, both areas (especially around 21st St) seem to be gentrifying somewhat.
I recently visited most of the junctions you are interested in. Here are my thoughts and observations.
You absolutely MUST, MUST visit Dolton. The action here can be intense. It is common to see 2, or even 3, trains flow through simultaneously. You stay in the parking lot of the Dolton Police Dept. The police leave you alone as long as you behave correctly. “Mt. Dolton” (a big pile of dirt behind the police station provides an fabulous bird’s-eye view of the junction and the old PRR right-of-way.
21st St is best reached by subway. Get off at the Chinatown/Cermak stop on the CTA’s Red Line. Parking is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. Chinatown is densely poplulated and very congested.
Leave Brighton Park if you see a UP train go by. A very knowledgeable friend stated that UP crews are instructed to call the UP police if they see railfans at Brighton Pk.
The area around 16th St seems to be gentrifying. The view of the junction, the St Charles Air Line, and the bridges over the Chicago River are impressive. However, the freight action is light. You will probably see more commuters than freights. The tower is still there and is manned by Metra operators. The operators seem to tolerate railfans. But then again, I would not tempt fate and stay at 16th St. for a long period of time.
Since you are in this general area, why don’t you go to Bridgeport Jct. Take the Orange Line tour to Midway and back.
Exercise a good amount of caution at Chicago Heights. A very good amount of rail activity. However, the surrounding area is definitely economically depressed and run-down.
Thanks, that’s what I was looking for. Brighton Park, Dolton, and 21st St, are the ones on my “must see” list. Hopefully I will have the time this fall to get to all three of them…
Would anyone know why UP crews would want (or be instructed) to call police about Brighton Park? None of those tracks are their railroad. UP employees are instructed to report trespassers, including railfans who trespass, so if this instruction extends to UP trains over foreign lines (I don’t know that), just be careful and stay off railroad property.
Tim, enjoy your trips to those places (I’ll add my recommendation of Bill Gustason’s web site–which I have bookmarked–and add my personal recommendations concerning Dolton). State Line isn’t what it used to be, but try it once.
I have found that East Chicago is a very interesting railroading area. There are two mainlines (NS and CSX), IHB, EJE, and South Shore. Calumet Tower is active and has good action (CSX, EJE, and IHB). Grassilli Tower closed in November but is still in place. The J has a tower at the drawbridge.
Another great area is Blue Island. The B&OCT and IHB leave their yards westbound and come together on the south side of Blue Island. The GTW comes straight north at that point and meets them along with the yard lead for Iowa Interstate and Metra passes overhead. Lots of action there also. Crews are used to railfans and as long as you don’t wander out into the middle of everything are friendly. There is a place to park on the southeast and northeast sides of the road. Dolton is very safe. The police station is less than 100 yards from where you railfan.
If you go to Dolton then you should also visit Blue Island, both are excellent places that are quite close together. Brighton Park is a ok spot but I’ll take Blue Island or Dolton over it any day. I haven’t heard much about how Brighton Park has been since the semaphores and switchtender shanty were taken out last year but be aware it is almost impossible to railfan Brighton Park without being on railroad property, so be very careful and stay back from the tracks if you do go there. CSX is also known to be pretty tough on railfans, just ask anyone that goes to Pine Junction.
Well, it looks like the possibility of getting down to Dolton is on for tomorrow, since it is going to be a very nice day.(I would like to say it is definitely on, but, when I do that, something invariably comes up) Blue Island is also on the list, but for another day, since I will have the kids in tow tomorrow. I want to get down town to 16th St/21st St, hopefully sometime before the cold weather gets here.
Definitely a hot spot, saw 6 trains with in the first 20 minutes of being there. “Mt Dolton” is quite the vantage point, but it’s a bit overgrown with brush, and weeds. If you have kids who like to train watching as well, I don’t suggest Dolton or Blue Island as there are no facilities around to accomodate the potty needs of small children. I was at Dolton for about 40 minutes before the need for a potty break became necessary. It is NOT a very nice area down there, venture about at your own risk. After detouring a bit south, and west for a suitable place with clean facilities, we went to Blue Island for about 2 hours, and saw some action. For those who bring younger kids with them, I strongly suggest sticking close to places where food, and washroom facilities are available, and safe.
Otherwise, I plan on visiting both places again soon, but only after the kids are in school, so I have the entire day to visit both places.
Glad you got your feet wet at those two places; hope the kids didn’t! [;)]
You’re right–as far as I know, it’s literally miles to a clean rest room from either Dolton or Blue Island (though at Dolton there were some Porta-potties a few years ago, and one time when my daughter fell and cut herself I was allowed to clean her up inside the Village Hall).
Can anyone explain to me how it was that when the City of New Orleans left Chicago on 28 April this year, it headed out of the station instead of backing out? I do not recall any reversing at all. When we came back in on 1 May, the train followed the usual path of heading west on the Burlington and then acking in.
What is a “Safe” junction? One you can observe without the fear of being arrested?
You shouldn’t have to worry about being arrested at any location if you make a conscious effort not to trespass or otherwise cause problems.
I’d say that a “safe” location is one where you run little risk of being accosted by criminal or gang types interested in your money, or of being hit by stray bullets from other illicit neighborhood activity.
I stay much further away from the tracks than before. I am aware of all of the tank cars with unpronouncable names, although quite frankly, if one derailed there probably wouldnt be much I could do.
I am very much aware of the ownership of the property and try not to trespass. I was never reckless in the pursuit of a train, but am now much more cautious.