Interested Forum members from SE Wisconsin and NE Illinois will have an Amtrak detour photo op this coming Saturday. Due to bridge work on the CP in Milwaukee, both east and westbound Empire Builders will move between Rondout, IL and Duplainville, WI via Metra’s Fox Lake line to Prairie Junction and then Candian National.
If on time East bound (#8) should hit the CN diamond at Duplainville between 1 and 1:15 pm. I estimate that the westbound (#7) will divert to the Fox Lake line at Rondout about 2:50pm or so. I’m planing to photo #8 at Duplainville and then head South to see if I can get #7 somewhere before dark.
Anybody have current radio frequencies for these locations?
The CN road channel between the two areas is 161.295. I don’t remember offhand what the freq is for the CP, but the AAR channel is 44 44.
I’m going to guess it could be near Rondout between 3 and 3:30pm, I think most of the track is good for 60, excluding Waukesha (20mph) and Burlington (35mph).
I hope someone gets a shot of one of the trains next to the old WC/Soo line depot in Burlington.
I have been thinking that I might try to da***o Burlington after the eastbound leaves Waukesha. I doubt I could pace the eastbound but maybe the westbound will get there before it is too dark.