http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=125858
This brought up a question in my mind. I know that the UP operates the Metra NW line under contact with Metra. Who is responsible for the maintenance of the equipment? Would it be UP or Metra?
Metra has their own equipment maintenance facilities in downtown Chicago on the site of the old CB&Q “Zephyr Pit”.
As Jim said, METRA maintains their engines and trains, UP maintains the tracks they run on. UP crews also man the trains. Sounds kinda unusual but that’s how it works.
Mike
Where is the Zephyr Pit at? I’ve looked around on Google Earth and found what looks to be a maintenance facility at California and Grand (I can see many red and blue locomotives in the yards). It also looks like that is the closest place to switch over from the UP lines to a line (Milwaukee District) into Union Station.
I do remember seeing quite a bit of maintenance structures out the south end of Union Station from the many times I rode Amtrak, but I can’t remember if the locomotives were Metra or Amtrak or both.
The Zephyr Pit was located on 14th Street just south of Roosevelt Road.
Metra trains on the UP are not serviced by Metra, but by UP employees at their California Avenue shops (just west of the Western Avenue crossing and north of the tracks). Locomotives go a little further west to the M19A diesel shop, also staffed by UP employees.
Thanks for the clarification Carl, I did not know that…goes to show we all learn something new every day!
'T’sokay, Jim–glad to be able to help. Sorry, though, about saying “the former UP”–you’d think I’d know better!
I’m not sure how much equipment from other lines is serviced at the Zephyr Pit (Nathaniel, when you leave Union Station, Amtrak’s facilities are on your left and the Zephyr Pit is on your right, ending where the BN East End curves away from the other tracks). I believe that the Milwaukee and North Central lines’ cars are serviced at the old MILW facility, right behind the UP Cal Avenue yard (would have been handy if the CNW and MILW had merged!), and it’s possible that the Southwest Service and Heritage Corridor go there as well. These are all strictly Metra operations, with Metra crews–the BNSF line uses its own crews.
[#ditto]
Metra’s Milw Road & NCS trains are serviced at the Western Ave Yard (between California & Western Aves at Grand). A few Heritage Corridor (HC) trains are serviced there, too. I think (but am not positive) that the other HC and the Southwest Service equipment is serviced at the BNSF yard at 14th st. (across from the Amtrak yard). Metra’s Rock Island equipment goes to the 47th st. yard along the Dan Ryan.
Metra personnel run the Western Ave & 47th St. yards. Obviously, UP and BNSF run their own yards. It’s not uncommon for equipment to be transferred from one yard to another for maintenance or to be put into a consist. This includes Metra crews picking-up/dropping-off equip. from the BNSF or UP and vise-versa.
Thanks for all the great responses. [C):-)]
From what I remember, the red brick Zephyr Pit at Roosevelt is replaced by a new shop between 13th and 14th Street along Canal Street.
Yes, I don’t think any of the old CB&Q brick buildings survive and Metra has built all new steel buildings on the site dedicated to their equipment. I recall the TV show “Trackside” once took us on a tour of the Metra operations on that site.