Hello everyone!
A mild December Saturday afternoon with outside temperatures in the upper 40's, was spent photographing transfer trains at Argo Tower and Junction in Summit Illinois during the final weeks of the year of 1990. The tower was in it's last years of service as an interlocking train traffic control operation at these crosstracks, and would officially close in 1993. The tower was slowly demolished in stages untill 1995.
I took this photo inside the grand hall at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania located in the town of Strasburg PA.
I took this photo on the operating museum mainline at the Illinois Railway museum during an August 2000 visit. A three car train of 1920's vintage rapid trainsit cars from the Chicago Transit Authority, are seen speeding eastbound on the museum's mainline as a thunderstorm was approaching. The faint and distant runble of thunder and occasional lightning flashes in the clouds, would soon turn into a torrent of heavilly pouring rain just moments after this photo was taken. Snap the photos quickly and take cover!
The sun is going down on another Chicago winter day in January of 2007, as a northbound Canadian Pacific transfer train is passing over West Lake Street on the Belt Railway of Chicago enroute to nearby Cragin Junction approximately one mile north of this location.
I took this photo looking west along the BNSF Railway mainline in west suburban Berwyn Illinois, back in January of 2007.
The available daylight hours are now becoming shorter and shorter at this late time in the year.
The crossing gate has just lowered, as an eastbound Canadian Pacific short train of hopper cars is passing the historic Tower B-12 in Franklin Park Illinois. Franklin Park is a very busy railroad location in Chicagoland, with frequent transfer and switching local freight trains , and Metra commuter rail service.
I took this bright, sunny and very colorfull Autum photograph one afternoon, in Berkeley Illinois. Berkeley is a scenic suburban town located near Elmhurst Illinois. The foliage along Taft Avenue and the surrounding side streets in Berkely, made for a spectacular Autum season in 2007.
I took this photo one morning, in northwest suburban Schiller Park Illinois. In todays world of Mega Merging railroads, one can often find equipment and color schemes from former railroad companies acquired through merger. This former Wisconsin Central locomotive now works for the Canadian National Railroad, as is often seen working this small yard near West Lawrence and 25th Avenues near Chicago's O" Hare International Airport.
I took this photo on an overcast morning in December of 2006. This view looking up an embankment is no longer available due to recent construction activity. We are looking east, just north of Grand Avenue. A three unit set of mixed heritage Canadian Pacific diesel locomotives acquired through mergers, wait for clearance with their freight train on the interchange curve at Cragin Junction, on Chicago's northside.
I took this photo on a May 1983 visit to the Fox River Trolley Museum, located in South Elgin Illinois. This red open car wasn't being operated at the time of My visit. but made for a nice photographic subject. At some point in time, I believe that the Fox River Trolley Museum possibly traded open car # 441 to another Museum somewhere. ( These things can happen)
On September 7th 1985, I rode an all day fantrip charter from Chicago to Sterling Illinois with the 20th Century Railroad Club. Our excursion travelled from Chicago to Sterling Illinois over the Chicago & NorthWestern Railroad "West Line". The steam locomotive pulling our excursion was this 1943 built Lima Locomotive Works 2-8-4 Berkshire type steam locmotive originally from the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad , aka the Nickel Plate Road.
Being a railfan in Chicago certainly does have it's occasional "Perks" of some kind or another.
Hello everyone!
I took this rainy morning photo last week in west suburban Brookfield Illinois. A northbound Pace bus in the 2005 Blue color scheme, is seen crossing the BNSF Railway tracks by the Metra Brookfield Commuter Rail Station. After the tracks are crossed, the bus will turn right and head east along Brookfield Avenue.
I took this photo in early September of 2002, while on a business trip with a former Marketing Job that I used to work for. This unusual looking short transit coach, was working in Shuttle Bus Service working at the nearby Malls in Clinton Iowa. The bus is seen leaving the parking lot of the large Kohls Department Store.
I took this evening rush hour late winter photograph after work one day, in March of 1998. Seen here at the former West Terminal for the Pace route # 302 Ogden Stanley bus route and the Route # 304 La Grange route on Hillgrove Avenue east of La Grange Road, are two Pace buses waiting for their scheduled departure times. After the demolitiion of the La Grange Bank where these buses are seen idling, the buses were moved to a new terminal location on the south side of the Metra La Grange Road commuter rail station, located on Burlington Avenue.
I took this photo while passing through the city of Gary Indiana in August of 2004.
This is a view that greeted many a bus commuter in the city of Milwaukee Wisconsin. I took this interior photo looking foreward from the rear of a 1959 General Motors "Old Look" TDH Series transit coach, origianlly from the Milwaukee Transport Company. This vintage bus, is one of a handfull of Milwaukee City buses preserved at the Midwest Transit Bus Museum. General Motors discontinued this body style on 40 Foot long transit coaches in 1959, as the "New Look" General Motors buses with the Fishbowl Windshield, slanted sliding side windows, and fluted streamlined siding was being introduced at this time.
I rode on this chartered 1960's and 70's era GMC Fishbowl Windshield Milwaukee Wisconsin city bus, on a May 2000 bus fantrip charter.
For two years, I was a Member of the Midwest Transit Bus Museum, located at Route # 53 and Caton Farm Road in Cresthill Illinois near Joliet.
I took this photo one morning, in early November of 2007. This colorfull and rather golden Seasonal image, was photographed on North Osceola Avenue near west School Street on the northside of Chicago.
I took this photo last week Wednsday, during an all day rain in the greater Chicagoland area. Although the conditions were cloudy, wet and cold...It was business as usual in west suburban Brookfield Illinois nonetheless.
I took this photo, on a July 1985 visit to the Kiddieland Amusement Park in northwest suburban Melrose Park Illinois. This is one of the few operating miniature railroad crossing signals, that warns both motorist and pedestrians alike in the east parking lot, that the 14" Guage Kiddieland Limited amusement park train is approaching the crossing.
For a brief period from 1997 to approximately 2001, I was bitten by the "Traction Bug". I was living in small accomodations at My Parents place in Bridgeview Illinois, and didn't have the available space available to bring My old H.O Model Trains out of storage and build a new layout.
An eastbound Mid Day local commuter train, has just left the Village of Franklin Park Illinois, and is now entering the northwest suburban town of River Grove enroute to Chicago Union Station. Autum 2007 was a very lovely and colorfull time in the greater Chicagoland area during the peak period of Autum colors on the foliage.
I took this photo just west of the Metra commuter rail station, in northwest suburban River Grove Illinois. A westbound Iowa, Chicago & Eastern freight train, is seen moving along the Canadian Pacific ex Milwaukee Road mainline on a bright and sunny January morning in 2007.
I took this photo one evening after work, looking west from the parking lot of the soon to be replaced and relocated Eisenhower Public Library. Another sunny Chicagoland day, was coming to a bright and very colorfull close in Chicago's near north suburbs.
Some of My railfan activities involve being stuck in traffic. I stood just outside of My car, looking north on North Central Avenue near Lehigh Avenue, in Chicago's Edgebrook neighborhood to take this photograph. There are many scheduled Metra commuter trains passing through here during the morning and evening rush hours, as well as several Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains to and from Milwaukee Wisconsin. Edgebrook is a scenic, pleasant and upscale community, located at the Chicago city limits near Niles and Skokie Illinois. The Metra trains operate through here between Chicago and Fox Lake Illinois.
My Brother in Law Ralph took this photo, at the Labor Day Weekend 2007 Rock River Thresheree in Edgarton Wisconsin. Seen here in one of the sheds at Thresherman's Park, is a rusty and slighty weatherbeaten Henschell 0-4-0 T Meter guage industrial steam locmotive from Germany, currently undergoing mechanical restoration.
I took this photo, on an August 2000 visit to The Illinois Railway Museum, located in Union Illinois. This site greeted many a Chicago CTA Rapid Transit commuter going and coming from work on any given weekday. This is an interior view of a Chicago Transit Authority 6000 series Rapid Transit car. The 6000 series Rapid Transit cars were refered to as PCC Rapid Transit cars, as they were built from components that were salvaged from scrapped CTA PCC or Presidents Conference Commitee streamlined elecreic streetcars. These cars were in service from the early 1950's, to the mid 1990's. Phasing out, and last run fantrips began in the mid 1980's, as well as several being demoted into Maintenance of Way, or "Work Service Motors". The cars originally had two tone green interiors, but several wound up into the brown and cream colors that are shown here after rebuildings took place in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The standard two car permanently coupled "Married Pair" shown here, hauls visiting museum patrons today.
I took this photo one morning, in October of 2006. This is how the Metra commuter rail station in near northwest suburban River Grove Illinois actually looked like last year,
With a late 1970's era EMD F-40 PH passenger diesel locmotive on the head end, an Amtrak train enroute to Chicago Union Station, passes through Argo Tower and Junction in southwest suburban Summit Illinois. The single leval Horizon Fleet coaches indicate that this may be one of the Chicago to St. Louis Missouri corridor trains on the Illinois Central ex Gulf ,Mobile & Ohio mainline. This was a lovely and somewhat mild December day in 1990, with outside temperatures in the upper 40's.
I took this lovely Seasonal photo in downtown Riverside Illinois, in Chicago's western suburbs. The vintage buildings and quaint Victorian style gas powered streetlights, add an Old Fashioned and very classy touch to this upscale town in the geater Chicagoland area.
Howdy everyone!
I took this photo on My September 2007 vacation to Memphis Tennesee. Seen here is a little orange and cream colored 4 wheel replica trolley built by Gomaco in Ida Grove Iowa USA. The blue car rounding the curve by the corner Walgreens Drug Store, is a refurbished 1920's era W-2 Class tram car from Melbourne Australia. Electric streetcars are alive and well in the city of Memphis today. This photo was taken looking east, at the corner of Madison Avenue and Main Street in downtown Memphis Tennesee.
I took this photo on a June 1986 visit to the Illinois Railway Museum locateed in Union Illinois. Seen here are three classic examples of 1st Generation EMD diesel locomotives recieving some maintenance at one of the museum barns. The silver diesel locomotive is from the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. It is the sole surviving EMD E-5 passenger cab unit diesel, and was built in 1941. The second cab unit seen in orange and maroon paint, is Milwaukee Road EMD F-7 # 118C built in 1951. The last unit to the left in green and yellow paint, is a 1953 built EMD GP-7 from the Illinois Terminal Railroad. These were some of the early mass production diesel locomotives, that spelled the end of the line for steam locmotives on North American railroads.
I took this winter railfan photograph, in January of 1987 after an all morning snowstorm had fell on Chicago. Seen here in the early afternoon, approximately one hour after the snow had stopped falling, is a Grand Trunk Western freight train enroute to the nearby southbound interchange curve at Hayford Junction. The train had just recieved clearance from the dispatcher, and is departing the Belt Railway of Chicago Clearing Yard.
I took this photo from West Kinzie Street looking northeast. This is the very busy Union Pacific M-19A Diesel Shop located at 400 North Pulaski Road on Chicago's westside. This is a former Chicago & NorthWestern Facility that maintains locomotives from Union Pacific, Chicago's Metra commuter rail agency, and an occasional visiting locmotive or two from other railroads. This is a major locomotive terminal in the city of Chicago.
There is nothing like some Springtime after work railfanning. I took this photo after work one lovely Spring afternoon in May of 2007. We are looking west on the CN former Illinois Central Iowa Division Mainline at Hawthorne Junction, on a sunny and pleasantly mild afternoon,with outside temperatures in the upper 70's.
I took this photo on a lovely Spring morning, in May of 2007. A westbound Metra commuter rail passenger local, is pulling into the Grand / Cicero commuter rail station on North Cicero Avenue in Chicago's Cragin neighborhood. This view is looking south on Cicero Avenue near Armitage Street. To the left and out of view in the photograph, is Cragin Junction.
Hello everyone!
I took this photo upon arrival at Lancaster Pennsylvania, during an August 1990 vacation that I had taken to the Keystone State. A group of passengers are seen boarding the eastbound Amtrak Broadway Limited enroute to New York City. I rode the Amtrak Broadway Limited from Chicago to Lancaster and back, on a one week vacation to Lancaster and Strasburg Pennsylvania in southeastern Pennsylvania.
I took this photo during My "One and Only Visit", to the Kettle Moraine Railway in Northlake Wisconsin. I visited this tourist railroad on a one day motorcoach charter, with a group from The Railroad Club Of Chicago. I wanted to return again someday to the Kettle Moraine Railway....but I never did.
A southbound Canadian National freight train has just passed the locomotives on a northbound Union Pacific empty unit coal train, in west suburban La Grange Park Illinois. I took this photo looking north from the Harding Avenue railroad crossing, on a brilliantly sunny but cold nonetheless January Chicagoland afternoon.
I took this photo in Chicago's Mount Greenwood neighborhood near West 111th Street and South Pulaski Road, on a gloomy Saturday afternoon in November of 1989. Many changes were taking place at the Chicago Transit Authority at the time of this photograph. The old 1970's era GMC TDH Series Fishbowl windshield buses, were being repainted into a new White with Red and Blue striped scheme wich would become the official "New" CTA colors after many years of wearing two tone green and off white, as seen on the bus to the right. The bus to the left, is a 1985 M.A.N transit bus from the nation formerly known as West Germany. The GMC's would be retired from the CTA in 1996, and the 1985 M.A.N coaches just recently themselves. The evolution of the CTA fleet in Chicago.
I took this photo one lovely October afternoon in 2007. Seen here gradually picking up speed as it passes through the west suburban village of Riverside Illinois, is a westbound empty unit coal train enroute to the Powder River Basin in the State of Wyoming. The BNSF Railway sees numerous freight trains through here on any given day. Riverside is a great place for railfans like Myself and a few others, to obtain some great mainline photographs in Chicagoland.
I took this photo during a photo runby at Richfield Illinois near Harvard. The Chicago & NorthWestern Railroad, Chicago's Metra commuter rail agency, and the Chicago chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, operated this one day only "Last Run" charter fantrip from Chicago to Harvard Illinois on Saturday, October 28th 1989. The occasion was the retirement of the last three early 1950's vintage EMD E-8 passenger cab unit diesels owned by Metra. The last three EMD E-8's with commuter coaches in tow, are seen performing one of a few photo runbys at Richfield Illinois.
