I took this photograph on Wednsday afternoon of this week.
A fast moving Metra express commuter train traveling west / northwest, is viewed passing the Oakton Street railroad crossing in Park Ridge Illinois.
I took this photograph one hot hazy and humid summer morning, during my August 1990 vacation to Strasburg Pennsylvania.
Strasburg Railroad Baldwin 2-10-0 steam locomotive # 90, is viewed departing from the Groffs Grove open air depot near Cherry Hill Road with it's consist of wooden open platform coaches in tow.
I took this photograph on the afternoon of December 1st, 2006.
An all morning lake effect snowstorm had stopped falling on the greater Chicagoland area an hour or so ago, and an eastbound Canadian Pacific transfer train, is viewed passing through snow covered winter landscape, at the River Grove Illinois Metra commuter rail station.
Within a week or so, the outside temperatures warmed up, and we soon experienced a mild December "Thaw" with temperature readings in the upper 40's and low 50's.
Hmmmmm. The way Chicago's winter of 2014 has been going so far, I hope that history will repeat itself with 2006 mild readings and soon melted snow.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this photograph last winter in Lincolnshire Illinois.
The Metra Prairie View commuter rail station on Illinois Rt # 22 / Half Day Road in far north suburban Lincolnshire Illinois, was originally my companie's north terminal transfer point, where passengers would transfer to other paratransit buses serving neighboring Lake County.
During 2013, our northern transfer point was relocated to the town of Vernon Hills Illinois.
This is one last look at the old transfer point.
I took this photograph during my first year of employment as a paratransit bus driver.
Our bus fleet back in 2008, featured several buses of 2001 vintage, that were showing their age mechanically. Some of the buses were experiencing on the road breakdowns on a very regular basis.
New Ford paratransit mini buses, were being delivered to my company at the time of this photograph.
2001 Chevrolet paratransit mini bus # 5038, is viewed being towed back to the Glenview garage, after suffering one of many mechanical failures during it's last year or so of service.
This bus was retired approximately a year after this photograph was taken.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
Chicago's winter of 2014 has been tough on most everyone, however...the many individuals who own snowplow equipped pick up trucks such as maintenance contractors and landscapers...are laughing all the way to the bank this year.
This privately owned snowplow equipped pick up truck with a folding wedge plow, was photographed in the city of Elgin Illinois.
I took this photograph one hot summer evening around sunset, way back in August of 1983.
This blue heavyweight business car from the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, was parked immediately south of adjacent West 51st Street near South St Louis Avenue.
The GTW Elsdon Yard was on borrowed time, and would close for good in October of 1983.
This business car, may have carried the GTW railroad officials to Chicago, to begin talks of closing the GTW Elsdon facility in the immediate upcoming months.
The sun was definitely setting on Elsdon Yard.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
Chicago's municipal program of street sweeping, is listed on local street signs as being from April 1st to November 1st.
However...if conditions are actually mild enough, street sweeper vehicles are often dispatched to do their respective jobs during what would normally be refered to as "The off season".
Although January of 2014 has been full of heavy lake effect snowstorms, black ice and extreme bitter cold sub zero temperatures in Chicago so far, some of our other winters past weren't so severe.
I took this photograph during the relatively "Snowless" January of 2006.
A Elgin street sweeper vehicle from the City of Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, is viewed heading westbound on West Montrose Avenue.
With partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid to upper 30's, it was a fine day to perform some wintertime street sweeping operations here in the windy city.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this unusual photograph recently in southwest suburban Summit Illinois.
Seen here looking through a chain link fence along the south side of the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad's Argo Yard in Summit Illinois, is an orange IHB EMD SW 1500 yard switcher locomotive idling between assignments in the windy and bitterly cold air.
I took this photograph during my lunch break, on a bitterly cold day in December of 2013.
A slow moving Norfolk Southern Railroad freightr train, is viewed passing through the Morton Grove Illinois, Metra commuter rail station in bright sunshine conditions.
It was clear skies and frigid bone chilling wind and air that day with outside temperatures in the teens. Brrrrrrrrrrr!
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this photograph, way back in November of 1988.
Facing south and looking down from the West 31st Street overpass bridge east of South Cicero Avenue, a Belt Railway of Chicago self propelled track machine heads south, more than likely enroute to the BRC's Clearing Yard near Chicago Midway Airport.
I took this photograph way back in January of 1987.
An all morning Chicago snow storm has finally stopped falling, as a Belt Railway of Chicago track crew takes the time to shovel out a switch west of Hayford Junction.
An eastbound Norfolk Southern transfer train is now departing from the BRC's Clearing Yard, and is passing by the track crew on this winter afternoon.
I took this photograph last week Wednsday night, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois.
With an Athearn EMD GP 35 up front and several covered hopper cars in tow, my 1970's era Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad unit grain train,is viewed approaching the Missisippi River lift bridge at the Illinois / Iowa state line border.
I took this photograph during a bitterly cold winter night after work, back in February of 2010.
An eastbound Metra local commuter train enroute to Chicago's Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago (Formerly NorthWestern Station), is viewed arriving at the station stop in Uptown , Park Ridge Illinois.
I photographed this digital video last week Wednsday night, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois.
The 9:00 PM hour was quickly approaching, and the club session was beginning to come to a close for the night.
My 1970's era Santa Fe unit grain train being led by an Athearn EMD GP 35 roadswitcher in pre 1972 Santa Fe colors and markings, is viewed being backed in to the rear staging yard near the end of the session. Most of the covered hopper cars in the consist, are from the late 1960's and early 1970's era.
Once in the rear staging yard, I will disassemble my train, pack everything away in their respective boxes, and head out to the car for the ride home.
Goodnight everyone!
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this photograph this past Sunday afternoon, in southwest suburban Bridgeview Illinois.
A Union Pacific Railroad freight train, is viewed traveling southbound over the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, just north of the West 87th Street overpass bridge.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this photograph during an August 2006 visit to the Illinois Railway Museum, located in the town of Union Illinois. www.irm.org
Two electric city streetcars from Chicago's public transportation past, take visitors for a ride around the large museum grounds on the museum's shuttle trolley loop.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this photograph way back in January of 1987.
Looking west from the top of the South Pulaski Road overpass bridge near West 76th Street, we see a Grand Trunk Western freight train waiting for clearance, to depart from the Belt Railway of Chicago's Clearing Yard.
It had snowed all morning, and had finally stopped by early afternoon that day.
The fresh white snow made for some nice photographs of Chicago winter railroading.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this photograph yesterday, in southwest suburban Summit Illinois.
A southbound Union Pacific Railroad freight train, is viewed passing through the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad's Argo Yard, and crossing over South Archer Road / Illinois Rt # 171 on a sunny, but still very cold and windy winter afternoon.
Hi everyone!
This is Eddie K, your host and photographer here at Eddie's Railfan Page.
Being one of many local Chicago area railfans myself...I have a tendency to follow several now "Fallen Flag" railroads of the past that once had served Chicago many years ago, and have long since vanished through merger take overs by other railroads.
One of my all time favorites, was the former New York Central Railroad.
Heck! With it's famous first class deluxe passenger trains, variety of locomotives and equipment, interesting and stylish corporate logos, as well as Jade green box cars and cabooses beginning during the late 1950's...what was not to like about the NYC?
I found this old 1960's era photograph from the New York Central Railroad on the internet.
Alco (American Locomotive Works) Model F A 2 cab unit diesel electric locomotive # 1009, was photographed in Detroit Michigan.
This model of locomotive was introduced during the mid 1940's, and was used on the New York Central's early dieselized freight trains. These engines operated on the NYC, until the late 1960's.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this photograph last year, in northwest suburban Niles Illinois.
Although this little "Skid Steer" construction tractor is quite small and compact, an extra wide oversized plow attatchment can still fit nicely, and perform the snow plowing job at hand quite well.
These little tractors and much larger front end loader tractors, often work side by side whenever a blizzard or lake effect snowstorm may strike the greater Chicagoland area.
These tools are important to help keep large local parking lots both safe and clear of accumulated snowfall.
Hi everyone!
This is Eddie K, Your host and photographer here at Eddie's Railfan Page with an important announcement here at my blogsite today.
Effective today, Monday, January 20th, 2014...all future videos uploaded to my Flickr photo page, will no longer feature the heading title "Digital Live Sound Video".
Due to space limitations and better efficiency, new video uploads will feature the heading "Video":.
The previous video uploads will still read "Digital Live Sound Video"for the time being.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this photograph at work today during my lunch break.
My paratransit bus company, sent me on a passenger pick up in Palatine Illinois, heading out west to the city of Elgin.
I took a lunch break after the drop off, and spotted this local historical landmark on National Street on the east side of the Fox River in downtown Elgin Illinois.
Seen here is the preserved Watch Factory Depot, which had served the factory workers at the Elgin National Watch Factory just a few blocks west of here.
I will be doing some research on this old early 1900's era wooden train station, which I may believe to have been serving the passengers on the Chicago, Aurora And Elgin Railroad prior to 1957, when all C,A & E passenger service had ceased.
I took this photograph last week Wednsday night, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club.
The club's layout is delightfully huge, and two train meets on the layout's mainline happen here as they do on real everyday railroads.
These two trains are viewed crossing the Missisippi River lift bridge, at the Illinois / Iowa state line border on the club layout.
Thanks.
Eddie K
I took this photograph on a rainy summer afternoon, back in early August of 2009.
A special visitor to northwest suburban Franklin Park on this weekend, was preserved Lima Locomotive Works 1941 built G S 4 class 4-8-4 "Daylight" steam locomotive # 4449, from the Southern Pacific Railroad.
The locomotive was on display adjacent to preserved Tower B 12, and drew many railfans with cameras to the site. Occasionally the engine crew would blow the whistle or ring the bell.
Souvenier stands were also nearby, and I bought myself an S.P Daylight T Shirt that day, and met a few fellow railfans.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this festive holiday picture this past December.
This Christmas tree and presents display, was photographed inside of the huge Portillo's Hot Dogs on South Harlem Avenue, in southwest suburban Summit Illinois.
Christmas holiday cheer is wherever you may find it these days.
I took this photograph one afternoon while walking along West 51st Street in Chicago's Elsdon neighborhood on the southwest side of the city.
The Grand Trunk Western Railroad, had just recently closed their Elsdon Yard facility shown here back in October of 1983, however...this little section next to their single story yard office building, would remain in operation as a locomotive and crew change terminal, until September of 1986.
True, Elsdon Yard was now only a shadow of it's recent former self, but it was interesting to occasionally see these idling diesel locomotives being fueled on site by a tractor trailer tank semi tank truck. Unfortunately...this happened when I wasn't carrying my 35 mm camera with me.
These locomotives are parked on a curve immediately north of adjacent West 51st Street, just a block and 1/2 east of South Lawndale Avenue.
I took this photograph one morning during my lunch break, back in February of 2010.
The sky was partly cloudy, the snow was fresh, and the air was bitterly cold on this winter morning. That didn't stop me from taking a lunchtime drive to Wilmette with my camera at the ready.
A slow moving northbound Chicago Transit Authority purple line rapid transit train, is viewed crossing Maple Avenue, and entering the Linden Avenue terminal and yard at the north end of the line.
I thought that this photograph would make a fitting close for today's posting of Eddie's Railfan Page.
I took this photograph this Wednsday night, at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club.
It was starting to get near the end of our Wednsday night operating session, and soon we would all be packing up our trains for our respective rides home that night.
My 1970's era Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad freight train, was making it's final laps around the club layout mainline. My train may have been in the home stretch prior to take down, and is viewed heading in to the tunnel.
Shortly after I had taken this photograph, My train was backed in to the rear staging yard, My cars and locomotive placed in to their individual boxes, everything was packed and ready to go, and then it was out to the car for the trip home.
Goodnight everyone.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
I took this photograph after work one evening back in December of 2012.
A heavy and very windy lake effect snowstorm had just passed through Glenview Illinois within the afternoon hours, and now two of First Transit's Ford paratransit mini buses parked outside the Mechanic's garage in the back of the property, are now covered in snow.
