Going to chiago next month staying downtown any good hot spots
for pictues /videos?
Thanks Rick
Rick How long will you be in Chicago and why are you staying right in Chicago? I will be taking a 3 week trip thru the western states via amtrak in Sept & Oct. Will be in Chicago during October for 5 days, but will be staying in Naperville on the Metra and will commute into Chicago for about $4.50 and can travel throughout Metra lines on Metra for about $2.50 all day on Saturday and Sunday.
Plenty of action anywhere on the Metra lines. Motels much cheaper outside Chicago
west chicago at JB tower.Elmhurst,Downers Grove,
stay safe
Joe
The Metra Weekend Pass costs $7.00 now. Buy one and travel anywhere on Metra for both Saturday and Sunday (this does not include the South Shore).
Pending explanation of the motel choice (something I don’t have to worry about, being a native), I may have some comments later. The locations Joe mentioned are some of the good ones that would be accessible via Metra.
Staying at the Sheraton for the DoD FDIC Fire Chiefs conference.
be up there the week 22 Aug.
You can pretty much pick any station between Chicago and Aurora on the BNSF Racetrack, and you can pretty much pick any station between Chicago and Elburn on the UP West Line or Geneva Sub. The UP is probably slightly busier while the BNSF has more variety. You can also get on a Metra at LaSalle Street and take a Rock Island train to Joliet, or you can take a Milwaukee District West train to Franklin Park, that’s busy too. Another option is taking a Metra Electric train to Homewood, the south end of Markham Yard is within walking distance of the station there.
Rick,
If you are going to be around Chicago you have to check out the Rochelle Railroad Park. It is west of Chicago but there is ALOT of freight traffic. The park is at the Union Pacific and BNSF crossing know as the diamonds. There are always good RR fans there and always alot of trains to watch. It may be a bit out of the way for you but I think it is worth your time to spend a day there.
Happy travels…Dan
Blue Island or Dolton [:)]
Where you can go depends on how you’re arriving and the time you have available. I’ll be in touch when we’re back from our vacation.
I would say it depends on where your from, I would think you’d want to see stuff you don’t normally get to see. I would agree that Dalton and Blue Island in the south suburbs are a must as you can see trains from about every road that runs through Chicago. The Indiana Harbor Belt runs through both junctions and carries a variety of trains. There is also Belt Railway of Chicago again they see trains from about every railroad in the area but I don’t really know a good spot to check them out. If you like passenger trains Roosevelt Rd. over the south end of Union station is a very busy place with Amtrak and Metra always moving something and its right downtown. If you can find one there is a book called “The Train Watachers Guide to Chicago” by John Szwajkart it covers nearly every good spot in the area. The last printing was in 1987 but all of the locations in the book are still there just keep in mind safety and accessability may be issues at some locations now. Someone mentioned Rochelle it is a busy place with Up and BNSF trains but it is almost 100 miles from downtown about a 1.5 to 2 hour drive west.
If you’re pressed for time, try the Chicago 'L. Within the Chicago Loop, board at any station above Lake St. or Wabash Ave.
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The Ravenswood 'L (“Brown” line) will take you for a nice ride through some nice residential neighborhoods and older ones in transition.
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The Lake St. 'L (“Green” Line) runs west to Oak Park and south to Englewood and Jackson Park. The southern leg includes the original 19th century elevated structure.
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The Douglas Park 'L (“Pink” line) runs west out of the city through some pretty old residential neighborhoods plus past many grimy factory buildings and warehouses. In many ways the route covers “old industrial Chicago” at its once finest.
Near the southwest corner of the Loop is the Quincy & Wells elevated stop. Several years ago it was remodeled to look like something out of the 19th century; but, NOOO the C.T.A. couldn’t leave well enough alone. They eventually replaced all of the reproduction, clear-globe, Edison Mazda lamps with more efficient lighting, a change which took away a lot of the station’s charm.
Elmhurst, Illinois is about 22-miles west of Chicago. The weekday evening rush hour (1700 to 1900) there is a veritable beehive of activity as the Union Pacific’s Overland Route mainline hosts express commuter trains, local “scoots” (in both directions) plus a nice assortment of manifest freights, grain haulers, coal buckets, and doublestacks. Unless the weather is inc