The Blackhawk Chicago - Rockford -Dubuque (split: IL Service

Per GBN's and my comments about cab signals, the last known use of an EMD E-unit in Amtrak service was the 1993 midwest floods. Detouring CZ trains were pulled to Omaha behind a Metra pilot unit, which was usually from their backup fleet of ex-CNW E8's.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7547061@N0 ... otostream/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/zJmXFr7y6Pg/hqdefault.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dollars to donuts the units weren't even online, probably isolated with just control stand and cab signals in use. The units were retired soon after, although from what I understand they were in reasonable shape and used fairly often relative to their position in the fleet hierarchy. Some went to LIRR for a bit and some went to MARC for a bit. Most are now at LTEX or IAPacific.

Tadman wrote:Per GBN's and my comments about cab signals, the last known use of an EMD E-unit in Amtrak service was the 1993 midwest floods. Detouring CZ trains were pulled to Omaha behind a Metra pilot unit, which was usually from their backup fleet of ex-CNW E8's.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7547061@N0 ... otostream/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tadman, I think you intended this link instead of the above:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7547061@N0 ... otostream/

What is the status of this project? Has all the funding been secured? Is the route decided and the design work done? Is any construction underway? Is there an expected start of service date?

quincunx wrote:What is the status of this project? Has all the funding been secured? Is the route decided and the design work done? Is any construction underway? Is there an expected start of service date?

Illinois is providing most of the money to implement this train. Some Federal money has been committed to build or restore a few stations as multimodal transfer stations (I.e. trains not needed). This project is basically in limbo with the State and CN negotiating what improvements are needed on the corridor to implement passenger service. Without an agreement, nothing will happen. CN didn't accept the results of the 2010 study. The State wants to do as little work as possible to keep the capital costs down, CN wants more work to minimize freight disruptions. So we wait.

quincunx wrote:What is the status of this project?

The other project you asked about has its problems (Repubs in Iowa, chiefly).

But it least that train will share the tracks halfway to the Quad Cities with
Amtrak's LD trains the California Zephyr and the Southwest Chief, as well as
with the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandberg corridor trains to Galesburg
and Quincy. So investments in upgrades to the first 100+ miles of the route
from Chicago past Princeton, IL, is a four-fer -- likely to save time and improve
reliability for 4 Amtrak trains, PLUS those new trains on the Quad Cities corridor.
That's good bang for the buck.

I don't think the Rockford-Dubuque route piggybacks on any other high-priority
trains, so it's harder to make the case for spending there.

Woody wrote:The other project you asked about has its problems (Repubs in Iowa, chiefly).

The Republicans in Iowa are responsible for scuttling (for now) any possibility of service west of Moline. But they're not responsible for the lack of movement on service between Chicago and Moline. The "failure to launch" (so far) of that service is occuring on the watch of a Democratic governor and legislature in Illinois.

Station Aficionado wrote:

Woody wrote:The other project you asked about has its problems (Repubs in Iowa, chiefly).

The Republicans in Iowa are responsible for scuttling (for now) any possibility of service west of Moline. But they're not responsible for the lack of movement on service between Chicago and Moline. The "failure to launch" (so far) of that service is occuring on the watch of a Democratic governor and legislature in Illinois.

Seems like the CN is slowing things down at present. Passenger trains in Illinois are a bipartisan project. Downstate service to Chicago is a popular subject with both Democrats and Republicans.

Station Aficionado wrote:

Woody wrote:The other project you asked about has its problems (Repubs in Iowa, chiefly).

The Republicans in Iowa are responsible for scuttling (for now) any possibility of service west of Moline. But they're not responsible for the lack of movement on service between Chicago and Moline. The "failure to launch" (so far) of that service is occuring on the watch of a Democratic governor and legislature in Illinois.

Looks like this occurred on the watch of
a Democratic governor and legislature in Illinois:

Illinois is expanding passenger rail service with a $177 million federal grant and $78 million from the state. Mr. Shacter said the state originally planned to contribute $45 million but recently increased the amount by $33 million … [emphasis added]

http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=667610" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, that's most excellent and IL is certainly more rail friendly than IA. Strangely, however, I am unable to find the QC service in the current timetable, and won't find it until late 2015 at the earliest and likely later than that. To bring this back on topic, the Rockford-Dubuque service is entirely IL's baby (can't blame the IA GOP for this failure to launch). Somewhere, there is a bulging bank account with all this money that's set aside for both the Dubuque and QC services. It would be nice, at some point, to see some of it actually used to create those services.

I think we've come to the conclusion in other threads that both parties are equally adept at stabbing Amtrak or loving Amtrak depending on how convenient it is for that party at that time. Amtrak has had some real high points under Obama and Reagan, and some real low points under Carter and Bush(2). Perhaps we keep this thread to the actual startup of Blackhawk service?

IGNN - Governor Quinn Unveils Six-Year, $8.6 Billion Transportation Construction Program

$60 million to re-establish passenger rail service, which includes a new station in South Elgin for the Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque Corridor in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties

http://www3.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ ... cNum=12115" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Good sense" has prevailed, and the initial Chicago-Rockford segment will be routed over Metra's Milwaukee District West Line to Elgin proper, then over the Union Pacific (former Galena & Chicago Union/Chicago & North Western Ry). After that, on to Dubuque, IA over the Canadian National (former Illinois Central). The Rockford service will start first.

This restores service to some of the route of the parallel former Elgin, Belvidere and Rockford electric interurban, and passes by the Illinois Railway Museum at Union, IL.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 4741.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pacific 2-3-1 wrote:"Good sense" has prevailed, and the initial Chicago-Rockford segment will be routed over Metra's Milwaukee District West Line to Elgin proper, then over the Union Pacific (former Galena & Chicago Union/Chicago & North Western Ry). After that, on to Dubuque, IA over the Canadian National (former Illinois Central). The Rockford service will start first.

This restores service to some of the route of the parallel former Elgin, Belvidere and Rockford electric interurban, and passes by the Illinois Railway Museum at Union, IL.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 4741.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That seems like a better use of laid-over Metra equipment with an Amtrak crew. But, hey, whatever works?

YES! I hope IRM builds at least a special events platform, though I guess any regular service station would be in Union proper, and it's a bit of a hike to IRM. But it will be nice to have yet another rail museum that actually sees regular passenger service.

MattW wrote:YES! I hope IRM builds at least a special events platform, though I guess any regular service station would be in Union proper, and it's a bit of a hike to IRM. But it will be nice to have yet another rail museum that actually sees regular passenger service.

If Union gets a depot (which I have my doubts about), there's already active IRM track to that town. No problem at all. If Union doesn't get a regular station stop, IRM is SOL except for special events - there's a bike trail between Union and Marengo (where I suspect they'd stop), and it doesn't go all the way to Huntley (where it would also make sense to stop.) Union is just too tiny and too close to Marengo, and not on a main road.