It's done. I got to the area a day earlier than expected, so I did my riding on a $10 weekend pass. I have some comments and questions:
Train 2006, Aurora to Chicago, arriving Union Station at 9:47. Are the trainsets owned by METRA or BNSF? Are they run with METRA or BNSF crews? This was familiar territory, having made this trip numerous times in the past.
Train 8313, Millennium to South Chicago. Millennium Station is one of Chicago's best-kept secrets. After walking over to where it is, I spent at least a half hour looking for an entrance. An event security guard told me to go to a black building on Randolph and take the elevator to floor 2.5. I did, and found no indication of where the station might be. The only exit that I found was to the parking garage. Finally, someone directed me to the stairway on Randolph on the corner of Michigan. I caught the train (10:40 a.m.) with minutes to spare.
The run to South Chicago was quite interesting. The stations are closer together than many of the stations on the Green Line el!
At the entrance to the tunnel where the South Chicago line leaves the Main Line, there is an "End CTC" sign. What kind of train control is in effect between there and the end of the line. There are signals, but do they do anything more than indicate whether the next block is occupied? Some of the signals were spaced very much like subway signals, that is, very close together.
It's probably too late to ask how safe train travel is to South Chicago; I'm not concerned, but my wife is.
Train 8314, South Chicago to 55-56-57, 11:39 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Got an RFW view. Were there any freight customers on this branch? If any were to materialize (like the metal recycling operation), what line would provide service? I was surprised that there was no whistling for any crossings.
Train 815, 55-56-57 to University Park, 12:25 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. We stopped at most of the flag stops between 59th & 111th. CTC ends on this line as well. What type of control is in effect for south of the end of CTC? Most of the south end was spent on the left track as if it were a one-track line. I assume that opposing traffic, including movements from storage, can be done between revenue runs.
South of 18th St., there is a track on the west side of the track on which all the trains that I rode traveled. Its signals were green for much of the way south, except for a flashing amber, an amber, and a red, followed by a greens again. What traffic uses this track? Most of the stations do not have platforms for that track.
Train 818, University Park to 55-56-57, 1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. At Matteson, there is a wye to the east. It appears to be an interchange track (with another wye at the other railroad). With what railroad is the interchange?
I'm surprised that there isn't a station in Highland Park.
At 79th St., there is an overpass which appears to have been a railroad overpass at one time, but now is abandoned. Any ideas as to what railroad this was?
There is an abandoned station south of 63rd St. at about 67th St. When was this station removed from service?
Train 8521, 55-56-57 to Blue Island, 3:15 p.m. to 3:48 p.m. I assume that, except for some rush hour service, there is no need for the passing siding at West Pullman.
I'm surprised that METRA maintains service to Blue Island both on the IC electric branch and the RI. Having said that, I'm surprised that the last electric train from Blue Island to Chicago on weekends is 3:08 p.m. And there is no late evening electric service to Blue Island.
Train 122, Blue Island to LaSalle St., 4:56 p.m. to 5:25 p.m. There was a Sox game, so we had a lot of passengers for that game. That delayed our arrival at LaSalle St. by about 5 minutes.
Train 2023, Chicago to Aurora, 6:40 p.m. to 8:01 p.m. The delay on 122 caused me to miss 2021 to Aurora at 5:40 p.m. by not much more than a minute. We left from track 20, which is amongst the AMTRAK tracks. When I went to check on 2021 on track 20, I was challenged by the AMTRAK security people, wanting to know where I was going. Since most of the evening's trains to Aurora departed from track 20, I would think that the AMTRAK people would understand this.
Next up are Manhattan, Elburn, Harvard, and Joliet via Heritage Corridor (return via Rock Island).
Train 2006, Aurora to Chicago, arriving Union Station at 9:47. Are the trainsets owned by METRA or BNSF? Are they run with METRA or BNSF crews? This was familiar territory, having made this trip numerous times in the past.
Train 8313, Millennium to South Chicago. Millennium Station is one of Chicago's best-kept secrets. After walking over to where it is, I spent at least a half hour looking for an entrance. An event security guard told me to go to a black building on Randolph and take the elevator to floor 2.5. I did, and found no indication of where the station might be. The only exit that I found was to the parking garage. Finally, someone directed me to the stairway on Randolph on the corner of Michigan. I caught the train (10:40 a.m.) with minutes to spare.
The run to South Chicago was quite interesting. The stations are closer together than many of the stations on the Green Line el!
At the entrance to the tunnel where the South Chicago line leaves the Main Line, there is an "End CTC" sign. What kind of train control is in effect between there and the end of the line. There are signals, but do they do anything more than indicate whether the next block is occupied? Some of the signals were spaced very much like subway signals, that is, very close together.
It's probably too late to ask how safe train travel is to South Chicago; I'm not concerned, but my wife is.
Train 8314, South Chicago to 55-56-57, 11:39 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Got an RFW view. Were there any freight customers on this branch? If any were to materialize (like the metal recycling operation), what line would provide service? I was surprised that there was no whistling for any crossings.
Train 815, 55-56-57 to University Park, 12:25 p.m. to 1:20 p.m. We stopped at most of the flag stops between 59th & 111th. CTC ends on this line as well. What type of control is in effect for south of the end of CTC? Most of the south end was spent on the left track as if it were a one-track line. I assume that opposing traffic, including movements from storage, can be done between revenue runs.
South of 18th St., there is a track on the west side of the track on which all the trains that I rode traveled. Its signals were green for much of the way south, except for a flashing amber, an amber, and a red, followed by a greens again. What traffic uses this track? Most of the stations do not have platforms for that track.
Train 818, University Park to 55-56-57, 1:40 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. At Matteson, there is a wye to the east. It appears to be an interchange track (with another wye at the other railroad). With what railroad is the interchange?
I'm surprised that there isn't a station in Highland Park.
At 79th St., there is an overpass which appears to have been a railroad overpass at one time, but now is abandoned. Any ideas as to what railroad this was?
There is an abandoned station south of 63rd St. at about 67th St. When was this station removed from service?
Train 8521, 55-56-57 to Blue Island, 3:15 p.m. to 3:48 p.m. I assume that, except for some rush hour service, there is no need for the passing siding at West Pullman.
I'm surprised that METRA maintains service to Blue Island both on the IC electric branch and the RI. Having said that, I'm surprised that the last electric train from Blue Island to Chicago on weekends is 3:08 p.m. And there is no late evening electric service to Blue Island.
Train 122, Blue Island to LaSalle St., 4:56 p.m. to 5:25 p.m. There was a Sox game, so we had a lot of passengers for that game. That delayed our arrival at LaSalle St. by about 5 minutes.
Train 2023, Chicago to Aurora, 6:40 p.m. to 8:01 p.m. The delay on 122 caused me to miss 2021 to Aurora at 5:40 p.m. by not much more than a minute. We left from track 20, which is amongst the AMTRAK tracks. When I went to check on 2021 on track 20, I was challenged by the AMTRAK security people, wanting to know where I was going. Since most of the evening's trains to Aurora departed from track 20, I would think that the AMTRAK people would understand this.
Next up are Manhattan, Elburn, Harvard, and Joliet via Heritage Corridor (return via Rock Island).