I saw something yesterday that made my day. I was riding with a friend in a suburban town just outside the Chicago city limits and everyone knows that Chicago was once the rail capital of the United States. Anyway there are a set of railtracks that run down the middle of 16th street and go into a couple of factories/yard. I grew up in this area and am only 31 but I’ve never seen these tracks used EVER!. Well yesterday I saw a yellow SW-2 running down the middle of the street and this is in a urban area even though its the suburbs. The crossing signals (no gates) were flashing and some ppl got out their cars and stared with shock because I’m presuming they never seen any type of rail action on these tracks either as they looked abandoned much like the most of the street tracks in Chicago. The tracks only go about two or three miles but it was nice to see.
My question is …I know with more urbanization most of these tracks across the U.S. go unused and are probably abandoned but I wonder why they don’t ever have railfanning days where the bring back a loco or two and run them down the street(s) just for fun. I know its probably not safe or practical with all the cars, people, and industries built up over the years but hey I can dream and fantasize can’t I? [:D]
Are there any places where some of these loco’s go through town or urban area in the midwest? I know in the current issue of MR…there is a S scale layout that nicely depicts this in their layout.
Virtually every railroad line in the US runs through the middle of a town (or what was the middle of a town). What you are asking about is street running where the tracks are in the pavement. If you search for images of “street running railroads” you will probably find multiple pictures.
It once was pretty common but due to fewer rail served industries and the cities desire to get the trains off the roads (supported by the railroads) they are becoming fewer and fewer. The railroads hate them because they are difficult to operate and a maintenance nightmare. Cars and trucks block the tracks, you have to looking for the ownersdrivers do even stupider things when driving with a train than they do crossing the path of a train. It ties up traffic, its dangerous for the train crews. Most major cities had miles of lines that ran in the streets, especially around ports and dock areas and in warehouse districts. Delaware Ave. and American St. in Philadelpia were full of street running.
Norfolk Southern runs a coal train right down the middle of the street in West Brownsville, PA. It’s a paved street with tracks embedded in both concrete and asphalt, with just enough room to clear parked cars on one side of the street. Railfanned it a few times with my Son and caught a Conrail locomotive still in it’s Conrail livery not even two years ago (and no it wasn’t the heritage unit…although we’ve since caught a couple of those). There is a small yard at the far end of town where you can always find a few idling locomotives. On the other side of the river is a CSX line that is also pretty active with coal trains. You can YouTube " West Brownsville, PA" and come up with some video. Pretty cool to stand so close to the big locomotives as they moe past!
That’s exactly what I was thinking. That loco was huge when it was right next to us and it made my heart skip a few beats because of the closeness but I was in awe of how cool it felt to be so close to something to powerful and this was only a switcher! Lol But it definitely had me thinking could I encorporate that somehow into my upcoming new layout… Would be nice to see a EMD or GP series running down the street in a HO scene (downtown perhaps???) with some modern cars parked right on the side of it…
Someone mentioned LaGrange, KY. The town is located a few miles east of Louisville, and the CSX line from Louisville to CIncinnati runs through downtown on a street.
Here is a photo taken from a trackside restaurant. We had dinner there a few months ago, and they have good food at modest prices in an informal setting. Just make sure you bring your camera to get a tableside photo.
The Monon had lots of street running right into the 1980s. Pretty much all gone now, but IIRC, there is a small bit left on the south end but is inactive and used only to access stored rolling stock.
Your’e forgetting,no your not,you weren’t born yet,anyway Chgo had street cars running on almost every,North-South St and Madison St, out to Cicero,12th,16th,from Halsted to Racine was Industrial area and steeple cabs would do most of the switching,rather that steam…A lot of the streets from State to Ashland ave…where I grow up by the way,was all brick streets,with street car tracks running on them…They started paving a lot of them about 1950,they paved right over the brick and tracks,I know because,I watched them doing it…
Here in Gettysburg, Pa, CSX has a branch that runs from from Hagerstown, Md to York, Pa then down to Baltimore, Md. It runs right through teh middle of town. When a long train comes through it will block all of the north south streets in town and at 10 MPH they take quite a while to clear town.
Youtube "Street Running Jack London Square " in Oakland, Ca. BUSY UP Mainline goes right thru a part of the city down the middle of the road next to the bay, ABSOLUTELY GREAT PLACE to spend a day train watching. Safe parking, got an Iced Mochaccino coffee drink, sat at tables outside, clean restrooms nearby, when I got bored, went into a bookshop (hope its still there) and browsed a few reads.
Here in Kingsville, TX we have rails which break the town in half. Kingsville is the Home of King Ranch and this was a major rail-head, back in the days of the Old West. Today we have two streets which are un-guarded, except for RR crossing signs. We have a locomotive shed that is still in use to this day. The trains come up from the Valley (South Texas) and normally come through about 0530 North bound and 1900 headed South. These trains are long and take as much as 30 minutes to traverse the town of Kingsville. We do have fire houses on both sides of the track.
There are a couple of videos on YouTube of BNSF trains running on the streets of Fort Collins, Colorado. I remember seeing it as a kid when my family vacationed there, it was a neat sight.
In Abilene, TX where I live, UP’s main splits the town literally into the north and south side. Midland and Odessa, TX cuts the lower half, all have populations of 100k plus and the main is near street level for easy railfanning.
Were talking about street running…where the train is running right next to cars, trucks, ppl and everything else. I imagine though that most of these trains aren’t probably going that fast. Probably about 20 mph
VSMITH already mentioned my favorite street running spot, Jack London Square in Oakland California.
You will be able to see UP, BNSF, Amtrak and Cal Trans. You can get really close to running trains just by standing on the side walk. Check out the trespassing idiot in the 5th picture down jumping off a well car.
