Delays on the Milwaukee West tonight and expected into tomorrow due to a freight train derailment in Franklin Park. The derailed freight, which apparently was eastbound and tore up quite a bit of track including, it appears, a switch at B-12 (CN Crossing), is sitting on Track 1 blocking the River Grove station. Westbounds are running on Track 2 which means they don't platform from Galewood through Elmwood Park impacting station stops (select cars only are opening at the pedestrian crossings). At River Grove, the inbound platform services Track 2 but with the derailed train there, everything to the north is cutoff (Metra is busing from Elmwood Park for those who need to get to that side - trains that normally stop at River Grove but not Elmwood Park are stopping at Elmwood Park). Lots of Metra workers were on the Des Plaines River bridge looking at it.
I was on 2231 (4:50p departure with Franklin Park first), We were the predicted 10 minutes late although it's not clear to me that it was due to the derailment. Instead of going out Track 3, we went out 1 (I think there were parallel inbounds on 2 and 3). At A-2, we stopped for a few minutes, then crossed to 2, across the UP, and then to 3 (I could see an eastbound waiting at Western Ave. with another behind it). Of course, after making the turn at A-5, we then crossed back to 2. Perhaps a delayed eastbound related to the derailment on 3 was the reason for us going out 1 but then why cross us to 3 at A-2 rather than just running us out 1 and crossing us to 2 at A-5 (on second thought, maybe it was so Milw West trains would be where passengers expected them at Western Ave,. except that 2231 is the one train that skips Western Ave.).
Upshot is 1 is out of service from B-12 to wherever the next crossover is along with the northern of the two connecting tracks for the North Central trains. Fortunately, the second 2 to 1 crossover (as you go west) is usable as well as the southern NCS connector.
Larry
Reno, NV (yes, I've moved)
ex-N&W Sandusky, Ohio