I am planning in visiting Chicago in over memorial day weekend and was planning in taking some train watching trips to the south suburbs of Blue Island and Dolton. However I was told by a Chicagoan the the south side is kind of rough. Have any of you had any safety concerns with watching trains at either of those locations?
I have visited the Blue Island area many times to railfan but not in the past eighteen months. Yes, this area can be rough but if you visit in the middle of the day you should be OK. I suggest you go over by the manned tower on the IHB, you will get a great amount of action and be able to see the old RI Joliet main line passing overhead. There is a lot of traffic at this crossing and the police patrol pretty regularly but I still recommend you stay close to your car at all times. The tower operators are known to be generally friendly but don’t tresspass on RR property and you should be just fine. Have a good time.[:)]
I’m curious. What is your definition of rough eolafan?
Someday I hope to visit the US and do some railfanning, Chicago is high on my list to visit.
greetings,
Marc Immeker
“Rough” around Chicago generally means a place you wouldn’t want to walk alone at night, probably because of robbers and such. I’ve been to Dolton, and because it is extremely close to the police department HQ (about 100 feet from the tracks), the immediate area isn’t very bad (especially in the daytime)
I visit Blue Island Junction fairly regularly and generally stay on Broadway (the cross street through the junction) near the watchman’s tower. I’ve usually been there between 8 AM and 2 PM without any trouble at all. It’s not a great neighborhood but I wouldn’t consider it particularly dangerous.
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Ok, thanks for the info. I wasn’t going to do railfanning at night nor alone anyway. The reason I asked is because apparently I live in a dangerous (by dutch standards) neighborhood here in Rotterdam but I couldn’t tell you that even after 13 years of living there. Of course the vast majority of the people living in my neighborhood are not of my religion and background and that aspect counts these days with certain parts of the political spectrum in my hometown and probably reflects in the research reports…
greetings,
Marc Immeker
I have this theory, that you shouldn’t ever have preconceived notions about how safe you are, based on what area you are in. The two worst things that ever happen to me in my life, were in the middle of farm land… I’ve been through some of the most rough, ugly, intimidating, urban areas of L.A. and other large cities, for both train watching, and other reasons… Nothing bad ever happen to me in those areas, but I was spit on and threatened by a group of guys driving by, in a seemingly safe little town in IL, while watching a train.
You just never know.
Dave
http://www.dpdproductions.com
- Featuring the TrainTenna Railroad Scanner Antennas -
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That is often true. Also, different cities have different personalities.
Houston is a good example.
Many areas in Houston that would look okay when viewed against the standards of the northern cities really aren’t very good. We have a lot of very suburban appearing neighborhoods that are actually a little risky at night. You can get shot in some non-threatening appearing areas. On the other hand, we have places like The Heights that look a bit scruffy and are very blue collar, but are not what I would call dangerous.
Chicago, fortunately, is an easy city from this perpsective. In Chicago, if it doesn’t look right, it isn’t. Generally, anywhere along lower Cicero to South Chicago should be treated with caution. Some of the best places for railfanning are actually across the state line in Indiana, but the area is VERY industrial and one must take care. Hammond and Calumet City should be treated with caution. Griffith, Porter and Hegewisch aren’t too bad. East Chicago is okay near Whiting, but things become much worse once you get close to the steel mills.
If you find yourself in Gary or Indiana Harbor after dark, send us an address to the funeral home so we know where to send the wreath.
its all relative, the key is to be “situationally away” of EVERYTHING going on around you, at ALL TIMES, not to fixate on the trains.
Like that shady character, propped up the corner 150 yards away, or the beat up car coming up the street slowly.
Keep an eye on everything around you, and keep your car in easy reach and you will be fine.
EDIT, know when it is prudent to leave the area for a while, follow your instincts, if you feel like something is not “quite right” it probably isn’t…
Being from Northwest Indiana / Chicagoland, I would have to agree with the folks above. Being cautious and aware of your surroundings is your best bet. Most of Northwest Indiana’s good locations are safe enough during the day. Another suggestion that might be useful to you if you are risk averse is to do a little research of some locations. You could do that by taking advantage of Chicago’s Mass Transit system, and ride the Metra and/or South Shore Line around the area (Metra’s $5 Weekend Pass may be extremely helpful). You can also get some unique shots on the train in places that are difficult to access via car.
That’s my [2c] on the matter.
BrianLM007
I’m a proud Blue Island native–lived there 1953-1979 except college, and I still visit familiy there a couple times a year. Blue Island is generally a safe city. Yes, it may look a little ragged, but it’s a mix of blue-collar and white-collar homes, with a mixture of white, black, and hispanic neighborhoods. Trains got into my blood there, and as you can tell, still are in it. There are many historic homes and building there, in fact some buildings and neighborhoods were used as settings for films not “set” in Blue Island. (That’s what my mom said).[:)]
Train watching is good at the Blue Island junction on Broadway, at Vermont Street station, and at numerous other crossing throughout the city. Metra (commuter) access to Blue Island from downtown Chicago is excellent. With all that said, Andy J. says it best: trust you instincts at any hour of day, any location. You may want to “buddy up”, park and stay on main streets, and bring your cell phone in addtion to you camera (and lots of film for lots of trains.) [:)] Safest hours are 6:00 a.m. to about 8:00 p.m., depending on daylight. Put yourself in a resident’s shoes: wouldn’t you be suspicious of someone with out-of-state plates parked near your home with a camera? Best options: be respectful, and be obvious that you’re there to watch trains, not make judgements of neighborhoods or people. Neil 300 is right about trespassing; CSX is especially sensitive about walking on railroad property. But, you might get a peek at the crossing gate control tower. (Expect nothing, but hope for everything.) To Marc Inmeker, welcome, it’s probably safer than Rotterdam. RE Hammond and Calumet City: I visited the Hohman Ave CSS& SB depot on a recent (daytime) visit and noted that a nearby club had a dress code that prohibited gang colors, scarves, and hoodies! 'Nough said,
eh?
Bullish on Blue Island,
Bruce G. Koprucki
I have a wonderful job in sales. I live in Northwest Indiana and “sell” in NW Indiana and Chicago (also get out into the rural areas).
Pretty much what has been stated earlier is correct. I am in East Chicago at least 2x week and marvel at the great railroading in that city. Lets see…you have mainline operations of NS and CSX, with steel mill backdrops of NS. Branchline industrial locals on the IHB, EJE,and South Shore, the IHB roundhouse, IHB Gibson Yard, IHB mainlines with just about anything showing up.
You have intermodal trains, coal trains, mixed freight trains, Amtraks, interurban South Shore trains, CP freights on NS; Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern trains; steel bottle trains, scrap yards with gondolas, coil cars, tank car at BP and other spots, a tank car manufacturer (Union Tank CAr) and I could keep going.
Ok, some of this spills over into neighboring Hammond, Whiting, and Gary, but to me it is pretty much all one locale.
Safety? Sure you need to be aware of where you are at all times. I try to use that discipline at all time and locations.
When you are done head over to Casa Blanca and have some great Mexican food, right next to the CSX mainline and adjacent to the CSX yard.
ed
Is that the thin tower in between the tracks by the jct? Where would be a safe and close place to park at Blue Island and Dolton.
I would strongly advise going into those places at night if you want to do some nighttime railfanning go out West of Chicago/Cicero.
Sometimes, in run down areas, espically E. St. Louis, you can get the wrong impression. Most people in E. St Louis are actually very friendly, and caution you to avoid some areas that are known for drugs and prostitutuion.
Sure, it is kind of scary if you go at night, but always be careful. Heck, you might get alot of harasment from people in the country like the guy above, and not even looked at while in run down areas.
I am sure that most people think of railfans as being to poor to even bother with, so they tend to leave us alone!
My normal railfanning route through Illinois has me go through an area that have hookers on the corner…even in the daytime! My tip is don’t make eye contact with ANYONE that is a non-railfan in those areas.
Besides staying off the tracks, which is obvious, how do you know if you’re trespassing on RR property? I never see signs. If the RRs want you off they should fence or at least post the boundries.
Neil:
I don’t live in Chicago, but I have visited Chicago many times to do some railfanning. As others have pointed out safety while railfanning is common sense, wherever you go, and Chicago is no exception; nevertheless it’s good to get the advice from local railfans about where to go to be able to safely watch or photograph trains in urban areas.
Let’s face it railroad tracks don’t always run through the best parts of many cities, but that doesn’t autiomatically make those areas unsafe. Further, some urban neighborhoods that may have been safe for railfanning in the past may have deteriorated to the point they are no longer safe.
Five years ago I went back to Michigan City, IN to photograph and videotape the NICTD (ex South Shore) trains running down 11th Street after not having been there for 30 years. Other than No Parking Signs on both East and West 11th Street where the track ran down the middle of the street the neighborhood didn’t seem to have changed that much over 30 years. However, I had a run-in with a teenage punk “whose elevator didn’t reach the top floor” while I was waiting for a train; fortunately he left.
Another place to go to photograph trains in the vicinity of Chicago is Rondout where the CP (ex Milwaukee) crosses the EJ&E. Here you will see Metra commuter trains , Amtrak trains, and possible CP freights. You can watch the action from what is now the North Shore Hiking and Biking trail which crosses the CP tracks on a bridge tht is fenced in with chain link. If you look to the south you will see the tower at the CP/ EJ&E crossing, and you can get a good shot of a northbound train passing the tower in the afternoon. Metra trains run in a push-pull mode with the locomotive on the north end. If you look north you will see Metra’s Fox Grove line entering the CP track just north of the IL 176 grade crossing.
Brian suggests using public transportation to reach some of the photography sites in urban areas, and his suggestion is well take
Tips from a guy who grew up in East Cicero, a place most of you would call a “tough” neighborhood. Please note that I am not indicting any particular group other than lawbreakers:
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Forget watching out for “shady characters.” That is a TV/movie falsehood. The most successful muggers don’t wear dark clothing and sneak around. They are the ones that look trustworthy and are dressed in light, friendly colors. They smile a lot as they approach and and try to engage you in friendly conversation so you let your guard down while they size up the value of your camera and guess how much is in your wallet and whether the “take” is worth the trouble of cracking your head open.
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The most successful muggers don’t drive “beat-up” wheels slowly down the street looking for victims. They have brand-new SUVs, pickup trucks and luxury cars. On the other hand, if they’re using a stolen car, forget the previous sentence as they could have boosted anything. Watch out for license plates covered with smoky plastic protectors – so you can’t read the plate number. Watch out if a car rolls to a quick stop and everyone exits except the driver. Or if the vehicle stops to let someone off within a block (forward or behind) of where you’re standing. Or if it comes past for a “second look.” But if you’re not standing 10 feet from your own car, you’ll probably not have time to get back to it if attacked.
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If you’re in unfamilar territory at night – what are you doing there?
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If you accidentally wander into a neighborhood that looks dangerous or creeps you out, make a safe U-turn and leave the same way you entered. Do not continue to drive and hope to find a way out on the “other side.” Being in your moving car with locked windows and doors is not a guarantee of safety. Stay on the inside lane at