Railfanning in Chicago- a day trip report with photos!!! Check it out (if you want)

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Since yesterday, December 23 was my first day of winter break, my dad and I deided to kick off our winter breaks ( my dad is a high school administrator, so we get the same break) by doing some downtown Chicago railfanning.

So, here ya go, a trip report with photos… ENJOY!!!

So me and my dad left the house pretty early in the morning. We encountered little traffic on the way to Chicago, so it was only a 40 minute trip. Our first stop was a small BNSF yard on Western Avenue. I really like this spot because you can get the sears tower in you pics, and there are usually a few trains waiting for clearence… Okay, I will let the photos do the talking…
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=128682
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=128686
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=128870

We then headed to Global 1, a UP intermodal yard, and saw these three units up on a bridge. Since I despretly wanted a shot, my dad and I climbed an embankment and walked up on the acces road leading to the bridge, and I shot this shot.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=128699

Is that second unit rare?

Our next stop was Corwith Yards, a large BNSF locomotive facility.

I then saw something I really wanted to see- a GP60M!!!
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=128713

After snapping that photo, I heard the distnat rumble of a GEVO and…
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=128720
These things are sharp!!! Before I took this photo, I had turned around to see what all the noise was, and slipped on a sheet of ice…but I saved the camera, and thats all that matters. Who cares that my leg still hurts? I saved the camera. So I got up from the cold wet ground and fired off that shot.

Next, an intermodal train came barreling through…
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=128742
I believe the third unit is a GEVO

Afte

2

Very nice! Plenty of GEVO’s out and about. The second unit in your CSX photo is one of the GEVO’s CSX had delivered in primer. I’m not sure how many there are but there isn’t a huge number of them around.

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I wasnt aware the CSX had their primer units lettered CSX…
Very Nice Pics! What kind of camera are you using?

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…Yes, a nice group of photos and subjects.

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Thanks for sharing… very nice pictures. Weather wise, it doesn’t get much better than yesterday (12/23) for Chicago in December - @45 degrees and sunny (heat wave! because the rest of this month has been stuck below the freezing mark).

Happy holidays,
CC

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Did you happen to notice that the two BNSF GEVOs were numbered serially?

Looks like a nice day out!

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Very nice photos. Looks like you and your dad had a great time. But be careful on that ice, hear?

8

Neat stuff! [:o)]

[quote]
Originally posted by rgroeling
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9

Chris, how did you manage to get so far within Corwith yard (seemingly all the way to the engine service tracks) without being found and trown out?

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It was the day before Christmas eve, there were very few people, and those that we did see sim[ply waved, smiled, and wished us happy holidays. Very Lucky, I guess… to try and answer your question!

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Chris:

Great shots. Nice and sharp.

It is nice to have a little heat wave right now, isnt it?

ed