Metra Electric South Chicago Branch

[Otto Vondrak]

So I'm going to have a few hours to kill on Friday morning, and I want to shoot the South Chicago Branch... Any ideas?

-otto-

[doepack]

The South Chicago branch definitely won't win any awards in terms of scenery, since all of it is in an urban setting, but the South Shore station at 71st & South Shore drive is a pretty good spot. If you set up on the NW corner, you can get a good view of the southbound trains coming in from the west as they follow a slight curve into the depot; this is where the ROW begins to turn southeast from 71st St., and follows Exchange Ave. During midday, if you time it right (about :30 past the hour), you'll see the northbound train heading west towards downtown, followed about 15 min. by the southbound train...

[Otto Vondrak]

I followed the route in Google streetview, I am intrigued on how the line runs down the middle of the street on a median. Past that, I'm up for anything...

[Pacific 2-3-1]

I once had piano lessons on the second floor of a building that overlooked the tracks running down the middle of 71st Street, between "Bryn Mawr" and "South Shore" stations. It used to irritate my teacher that every time an electric train went by, I would jump up from the piano and run to the window to watch the train! And in those days, that was probably every ten minutes.

[Otto Vondrak]

Weather is not looking bright for Friday... It's like you knew I was coming!

[JamesT4]

I use to live just 3 blocks west on Windsor Park Station on 75th St with my sister., and used it when I first started my current job, before I moved towards the suburbs, The area is kind of rough, but the area is improving, but just be on guard.

[stevegaarder]

Back in the 1960s my grandmother lived in a 2nd floor apartment on that line. I used to enjoy watching the trains out the window. Since there was a full set of crossing gates at each intersection, you'd hear the bells clang in the distance, then get louder as the train neared each successive crossing. Then the train would go by, and the sound of the bells would slowly fade away.