Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in the American Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. For questions specific to a railroad company, please seek the appropriate forum.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in the American Midwest, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. For questions specific to a railroad company, please seek the appropriate forum.
What is the railfanning like these days in Hammond/Whiting on the ex CR mainline? Is it a safe spot to railfan at and what are the traffic patterns like for NS? Do they run any through traffic out of Colehour Yard? Is the bridge at CP-509 over the Chicago Ship Canal next to the Skyway accessable for railfanning?
Wow, you couldn't get more local for me... Yes, Whiting is a very safe spot to railfan. Usually, alot of inbound traffic in the morning then it dies off about 11pm til 3pm or so with the Amtrak's and a few freights. I know there's a local that leaves colehour to the BP refinary and a wayfreight in each direction. I'm not sure on times though. After about 5pm you get all the hot intermodals out of Chicago with Amtrak's Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited mixed in.
I'm not too sure about the CP 509 bridge, I've been out there once and it's quite a hike, plus the bridge tender may ask you to leave.
Thanks for the info. Also your photos on rrpictures from that region are well done, and hopefully someday when I do visit Chicago I can railfan in that neck of the woods.
Get yourself a meal at Phil Smidts while you're there. It's right across the NYC/PRR alignment from the Amtrak station, to the south. Check out my crappy map below - the "I"s are calument avenue, the dashes are tracks 1&2. buildings are denoted by brackets.
I[Station]
-I---------- (track one)
-I---------- (track two)
I
I[Phil Smitdts]
