I live in the far northwest burbs of Chicago. Saterday my wife and I took Metra to Arlinzgtzon Park Race Track. The train was full by the time we got to the track. A weekend pass is still only $5. At the station at the track I remembered that the CNW had run race track trains on the weekends and the trains would layover at the track. I did not see any trains in the siding and did not see anything about race trains in the timetable. When did these trains stop running. Did they stop because of OTB?
The train home was the same as our trip in. Jammed. Looked like many people had been to the Cubs game. You can’t get a better deal than a weekend pass. That is what most were traveling on as I saw the pass in the ticket clip.
I can’t answer your question but I remember the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines running long [and I believe daily] Race Track Specials from Philadelphia to the Atlantic City Racetrack (which was actually some miles outside AC) all during the 1950’s. They were still steam powered as late as 1957. Not sure when they quit and whether or not the interstate quality Atlantic City Expressway was the final blow.
I believe that the race track specials ended when the passenger service was taken over by the RTA/Metra in roughly 1980. I don’t remember any Metra race track express trains except for specials to the big Arlington Million race. It’s a good question and I’ll have to do some better checking when I have time.
I believe the Long Island Rail Road still runs Belmont Park race specials/ A long time ago it also ran Auqaduct race specials. The subway’s Rockaway “A” train makes special stops there now instead.
Until the 1970’s there was a horse track in the south suburbs of Chicago called Washington Park. It burned down.
The IC had an electrified branch off its suburban line directly to the track and ran special trains from Chicago on race days. In days before that they also brought the horses in/out via that track.