Myself and 6 other rail fans are coming over to USA in 2 weeks time, and would like to know best places to see/photograph Freight in the Chicago area
Have heard Joliete and Franklin Park are worth a look, anyone recommend some other places?
I know Joliet especially Union Station in Joliet also BCrandon road in Joliet down by the Dupage river .
If you’re going to venture a little ways away from Chicago I would suggest a stop in Rochelle at the railroad park there.
Tom
Anywhere along the BNSF from Berwyn, IL. west. The towns of LaGrange, Western Springs, Hinsdale, Downer’s Grove, etc, are great, as there are METRA stations in each town, offering convenient places to photograph trains from. In LaGrange Park, there is Hanesworth Park along the Indiana Harbor Belt, and of course, Elmhurst along the UP’s Geneva Subdivision. In fact, there is a great bridge in Wheaton, IL, that crosses over the Union Pacific. Great views, but, it’s a little out of the way as far as being near eateries, or convenience stores. As mention Rochelle is a great place, as is Joliet Union Station. Rochelle is about 70 miles west of Chicago, and that is where the BNSF and UP cross over each other at grade. Busy place.
If you would like, I am sure many of us would love to join our fellow rail fans from “across the pond” and show you around a bit.
Joliet, the BNSF racetrack, and Franklin Park are all excellent places to go. At Joliet the BNSF, UP and Metra cross. The UP is mainly used by Amtrak, while the Metra sees occasional freights from Iowa Interstate and CSX. Of course, the most freight action is on the BNSF with usually around 60 trains a day, but you can see power from other railways at times on BNSF. The racetrack is again a busy BNSF mainline but there are lots of Metra and Amtrak trains along with the freights, which like Joliet can see power from other railways. Franklin Park is where the CP, IHB and CN cross. I’m not sure if you can get to the CN/CP diamond, but from the Metra station there you can see many CP and Metra trains, along with the IC&E and transfers from other lines to Bensenville Yard which is just west of the station.
Saturday, May 10 is national railroad day and Amtrak is planning some activities at Union Station is Chicago. I’m not sure of all the details. Also, Franklin Park will have its annual Railroad Daze on May 16 & 17 (Friday and Saturday). That might something to plan for because there are tours of locomotives, passenger cars and I think that there was a caboose there one year. I’m not sure of the lineup for this year.
CC
Franklin Park gets a lot of trains, but IMO Elmhurst (on the UP-West Metra Line) is a little more interesting. It gets the freights just out of Proviso Yards, and also suburban commuter trains operated by Metra.
And, as others have said, anywhere on the exx-CB&Q, ex-Burlington Northern BNSF, from Berwyn out west to Joliet is great – it gets all kinds of trains: BNSF freights, Metra commuter runs, Amtrak intercity. My periodontist is in Berwyn, and I try to get there a little early to witness the “parade.” Not fast, but thick.
Depending on what part of Chicago Metro you’re leaving from (or staying at), Rochelle can be a tolerable day trip or a fun overnight. The main UP line (the old Chicago & North Western “Overland” route) from Chicago to Omaha gets about all the trains they can squeeze through there. UP also has a huge intermodal yard just west of the town called “Global III.” This means that the UP trains can run at anywhere from highball to “stop and pose” awaiting clearance. The most important factor at Rochelle is that the other western megasystem goes thorugh – the BNSF, but not their main line. These trains usually consist of TOFC’s and COFC’s and go through at a nice clip. You probably know there’s actually a city park right before these two lines cross at “double diamonds”; the park is free and always open.
If Rochelle is not running well, and it does happen, you can see the BNSF main line (or “Northern Transcom”) running full out, by heading south about half an hour to Mendota or points east. That’s where there are no more Metra trains to contend with, just Amtrak and BNSF. (The “Transcom” route was shifted northward from the old Santa Fe main to the old CB&Q main just a few years ago; not everyone knows that yet.)
There are viewing opporuntities in the
PS: Welcome to these Forums ! [#welcome] [#welcome]
Yes, indeed, welcome to the Forums! May we ask where you’re coming from?
Everyone who’s posted so far has made great train-watching suggestions. But in order to be really helpful, we need to know a few things from you: How will you be getting to and around Chicago? And what are you especially interested (or not interested) in seeing?
There’s a good web site that will help you decide what you may be interested in, covering Chicago and environs. Check out http://www.dhke.com/CRJ/
By all means, keep us informed of your plans–we’ve entertained guests from other countries before, and would love the opportunity to do it again.
Hello Carl and all others that have relied to my post!
I am coming over in a group of 8, but everone has their own agendas for the trip i am more after photos
we are flying from London Heathrow to LAX, couple of days in LA travelling on the metrolink and photographing the BNSF freights (am told Fullerton is good)
then we leave on the Southwest Chief to Williams, arriving at some v early time in morn [zzz]
Day doing the Grand Canyon Railway (hopefully with Alco’s!!) overnite in williams
Next morn also at silly o clock back oNTO SW Chief to Albuquerque, arrive there at lunch time
Plan is to do the New Mexico Railrunner/more photos, overnite in Alb
Then next morning the SW Chief for rest of trip to Chicago
Arrive at whatever time, then we have 2 days to travel on Metra/go photographing at places u have mentioned
Am really looking forward to the experience and will give you all a reprt when i get back!
P.S. i live in Gloucester (sw England)
Sounds like a fun trip, but the fact that you’re traveling by train pretty much rules out Blue Island or Dolton (unless you don’t mind walking through some “interesting” areas–there’s strength in numbers), and definitely rules out Rochelle.
If you arrive early enough in the afternoon on the Southwest Chief, you might want to consider getting off the train at Naperville and catch the Dinky Parade. You might get a few freights in with that, but you can catch Metra the rest of the way into Union Station after you’re satisfied. I don’t know whether you’ve set up lodging plans, but I can’t think of anyplace near the tracks anywhere (others maybe can–but we never worry about hotels around Chicago 'cuz we’re right here!).
Metra trains will take you to some of the spots for freight-train watching that have been mentioned before: Joliet (mostly BNSF), Franklin Park (CN and CP), Elmhurst (UP), LaGrange/Downers Grove (BNSF), and Homewood (CN). If you want a small taste of railroading east of Chicago, I’d recommend taking a ride on the South Shore Line as far east as Michigan City, Indiana, and return. You’ll be parallel to NS in various places, not far from CSX in others, and riding down the middle of the street in Michigan City.
The biggest potential variety (not necessarily volume) of freight action can be found along the Indiana Harbor Belt. For that, you’d need to take Metra’s BNSF line to LaGrange; the IHB goes under the BNSF line a few blocks east of the station. You can also catch IHB at Franklin Park, but a lot of the variety has disappered by that time, having gone to the UP at Proviso.
Dolton Junction in Dolton a south suburb. IHB, CSX, UP and other freights with several crossings and interchanges. Right next to the police station and railfans are encouraged.
Sorry, but I am having a hard time with this. The L.A - Chi transcon route didn’t shift. By far the majority of transcontinental traffic from L.A, Oakland area runs on the Santa Fe line the whole way to Chicago, with the exception being a few stack trains (1-2 a day) running to and from Cicero that get on to the CB&Q at Galesburg. Traffic on the CB&Q through Mendota is mainly coal from the PRB, Amtrak and a few freights. ONLY the Amtraks run to the west coast (not even on BNSF beyond Denver!), beside the few stackers.
On the other hand, the CB&Q line through Rochelle hosts probably around 10 trains that run directly to Seattle/Tacoma and Portland. How can you say the Mendota line is “the” transcon?
And Metra ends at the same point on both CB&Q lines, at Aurora, where the lines split.
Hey Badmonkey;
What does your name mean?
To a guitar player like me, it means this.
Are you a guitar player or is it just a coincidence?
Hi Badmonkey; I lived in Malvern some years back and am a fan of British Steam. They gave you some excellent advice in the forums. Fullerton is a good bet for watching freights. Too bad you don’t have time to go to Cajon pass. If you can find time it is worth the trip. If you are going to Chicago on a weekend don’t forget that you can ride all the trains that you want for five dollars on Metra. I recommend Hinsdale, Wheaton and Joliet. All three are excellent for photos. ARICAT
From Albuquerque to Lamy to Trinidad to La Junta things will get sparse. Like possibly the only other train you may meet is Amtrak #3 going the other direction somewhere between Las Vegas (NM, not NV)and Albuquerque. At least you should be in daylight when you go over the top of Raton Pass and into the tunnel. Keep an eye out for all the “stuffed and mounted” steam along the way. (Las Vegas, Trinidad,La Junta, Lamar,Dodge City)
Fullerton, Bandini and Hobart/Redondo/Mission towers are busy places. (the towers are all now not exactly in nice neighborhoods)…the stop at Barstow unfortunately skirts most of the action there.
BadMonkey,
If you ride the Rail Runner,PLEASE get some pics of it and the stations ! There is not anyone on this forum from that area that has ever posted pics from it that I know of… Welcome,and enjoy your visit in our country…
Hi Aricat
Thanks for the advice, 2 of the the lads am going with are after metra loco number 100 so we will be doing a lot of Metra moves!
Malvern is a nice place, i can the the hills from my kitchen, i also have the bonus of living right next to the main Bristol-Birmingham Rail line, so dont have too far to go to see stuff passing
Sadly most of it these days is Multiple unit type things, only locos we get are on the freight
www.badmonkeyspix.fotopic.net thats my site and will put my pics on when i get back
Bye for now!
Perhaps someone here can confirm for you whether Metra 100 is still assigned to the Rock Island District trains. If so, a trip out that line to Joliet ought to be satisfying.
Aricat’s other recommendations for suburban photography are also good. From Hinsdale you can walk east to Highlands, which is a justifiably popular picture-taking location; from Wheaton it is a short distance west to a bridge from which you can get some overhead angles.
Its just a coincidence! But i do play a mean Air Guitar!!!
Am looking forward to visiting your country and will give u all a report when i get back