mtuandrew wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2019 4:15 pm
Tadman wrote: ↑Thu Jun 20, 2019 6:29 pmHe's saying that ATSF was 50/50 on joining Amtrak, and they decided to do so because they were worried that CUS terminal fees would be obscene, or alternatively, Dearborn Station terminal fees would be even worse as ATSF was the only tenant left in that scenario. Evidently they felt those were the only two options.
I wasn't there at the time time, but I'm not clear why they didn't follow N&W's lead and run their Super Chief and Grand Canyon (only trains left?) from the N&W commuter platform mid-day. N&W decamped from Dearborn and used a track off to the side but not on-premises for their 1x to Orland Park. I don't know for sure, but it sound like they had similar reasons.
There are a few pics out there somewhere of this side terminal, but they're quite rare.
I wonder why N&W and Santa Fe didn’t consolidate with the Rock at LaSalle for that same reason.
Tad and Andrew: I remember the facility that the N&W Orland Park commuter train used in Downtown
Chicago - it was a spur track (or two) alongside S. Clark Street with a small square building at the SE
corner of W. Polk Street which contained an employee facility along with a ticket office.
This facility closed in the Fall of 1976 when the single N&W commuter train run was transferred over to
Union Station. The RTA replaced the N&W equipment adding a second pair of trains in 1979. As many
in the Forum know this would evolve in time into Metra's Southwest Service.
The N&W train laid over during the daytime on weekdays. On Friday evenings the train would deadhead
to Decatur for servicing and to allow the N&W crew - which were from central Illinois - to return home.
Some crew members lived in employee accommodations at the Orland Park depot during the week.
The small facility that the N&W used which was the last remaining portion of the Dearborn Station area
would have not been sufficient for the remaining ATSF intercity trains such as the Super Chief - it barely
was adequate for the single Orland Park weekday run.
Transferring the ATSF intercity train operation to Union Station was the right move by Amtrak. Noting the
close proximity to LaSalle Street Station from Polk and Clark Streets a move there would have made far
more sense then using any remaining Dearborn Station remnants...MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS