Sunday, August 31, 2014
Recently restored Stasburg Railroad ex Canadian National 2 - 6 -0 steam locomotive # 89 departing the East Strasburg depot. Stasburg Pennsylvania. August 1990.
I took this photograph during my August 1990 vacation to Strasburg
Pennsylvania. I had heard about lovely Strasburg PA and the popular
steam powered Strasburg Railroad for many years, and finally got to
visit the place firsthand. It was very nice and worth the trip.
I was actually hoping to see the Strasburg Railroad's 2 vintage -
Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotives in operation, but thin
worn out metal firebox sheets too dangerous to continue operation,
and too expensive to repair at the time, retired the two PRR steamers
to the adjacent Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. They were both
on display, complete with working Strasburg Railroad soot and grime.
After many years out of service, Canadian National 2-6-0 # 89, was
mechanically restored, and now in full time Strasburg Railroad service.
Another hot summer season comes to a close in the greater Chicagoland area.
Well everyone, It's that time of the year once again here in the
greater Chicagoland area. Labor day weekend has arrived.
Local public, private and charter schools are back in session,
backyard barbeques and parties are in full swing this weekend,
and the local public swimming pools and beaches
Monday, August 25, 2014
A Pace bus heads east on North Avenue at night. River Forest Illinois. January 2007.
I took this photograph after work one night, back in January of 2007.
A pace bus in the 2005 blue color scheme, is viewed heading eastbound
on North Avenue near the intersection of Thatcher Avenue, in northwest
suburban River Forest Illinois. Notice that the Pace markings are actually
reflective for safety and visibility purposes.
A foggy and rainy morning at the bus garage. Glenview Illinois. April 2014.
I took this photograph at work one morning this past Spring.
With cold damp rain, heavy fog and slippery pavement, it would
be an interesting work day ahead for myself and my fellow
paratransit bus operators. However...safety is always # 1 for us.
Preserved Chicago Transit Authority maintenance work bus BW 47. The Midwest Transit Bus Museum. Cresthill Illinois. September 2000.
From 1999 until 2001, I was employed as a delivery truck driver
for a small company based in Romeoville Illinois. Located about
2 miles south of my company on Route # 53 and Caton Farm Road
in the neighboring town of Cresthill Illinois not far from the
city of Joliet, was a small relatively unknown museum known as
The Midwest Transit Bus Museum.
Located inside a fenced and secured industrial storage rental yard
used primarily for truck trailers, this museum featured a collection
of privately owned retired vintage city transit buses. Some were
operational, while others that were rescued from Junk yards, often
were not, and would wind up in use as museum storage sheds.
One of the operational buses in the museum collection, was retired
Chicago Transit Authority work bus # BW 47. This bus was an ealy
1950's era General Motors bus, that was ordered and delivered to the
former Chicago Motor Coach Company. After the Chicago Transit
Authority purchased the Chicago Motor Coach Company in 1952, this
transit bus operated in CTA service, until the early 1970's. It was then
removed from daily service, and demoted to a non revenue maintenance
Work Bus, were it operated until the 1980's.
The Midwest Transit Bus Museum, was like an Antique Car Club
for people who were in to buses.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Recreating the former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in H.O Scale.
Photographed at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,
H.O Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois.
OPSME on Facebook.
An RTA EMD F 40PH commuter service diesel locomotive idling at Chicago's NorthWestern Station. January 1984.
I took this photograph during a bitterly cold winter day, way
back in January of 1984.
1984 was the year that today's Metra commuter rail service would
begin operations, prior to that...it was Chicago's RTA, that was
in charge beginning during the late 1970's.
An EMD F 40PH wearing the soon to be phased out 1970's era
Chicago RTA color scheme, idles at the locomotive servicing area
between runs, at the now demolished 1911 built Northwestern Station
in downtown Chicago. The commuter trains were being operated with
Chicago & NorthWestern locomotive crews at the time of this photo.
Today this facility, is the Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Center.
A westbound Belt Railway of Chicago transfer train passing underneath the South Kedzie Avenue overpass bridge / aka "Nabisco Hill." Chicago Illinois. August 1987.
I took this photograph on a hot summer afternoon, way back in
August of 1987 on the southwest side of Chicago.
We are facing east from on top of the South Kedzie Avenue overpass
bridge adjacent to the huge Nabisco factory at approximately West
75th Street. A short red Belt Railway of Chicago steam era transfer -
caboose, brings up the rear of a slow moving BRC transfer train at the
border of Chicago's Wrightwood and Ashburn neighborhoods.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Afternoon switching activity at the Canadian National ex Illinois Central Crawford Yard. Chicago Illinois. May 2007.
Crawford Yard was closed by the Canadian National in 2011, and the
yard tracks were soon removed afterward.
An eastbound Burlington Northern freight train approaching the Berwyn commuter rail station. Berwyn Illinois. July 1985.
I took this photograph from the south or "Eastbound" platform, at
the Berwyn Illinois Metra commuter rail station. It is a very hot 90
plus degrees summer day in July of 1985.
An eastbound Burlington Northern Railroad freight train, is viewed
slowing down on approach, to the very nearby BN Clyde Yard to
the immediate east a few city blocks away, in neighboring west
suburban Cicero Illinois.
The lead locomotive, is a recently painted and delivered EMD model
GP 50 roadswitcher, in the orange and black Tiger stripe nose color
scheme, which was pretty unique to that Burlington Northern model
of EMD roadswitcher diesel electric locomotive during the 1980's.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Eddie's Railfan Page opens a "New" branchline location @Facebook.com!
Hi everyone! This is Eddie K, your host and photographer here at
Eddie's Railfan Page, with an important announcement for all!
Eddie's Railfan Page has been on the internet now since February
of 2006 @BlogSpot.com. My photo and discussion group page has
grown by leaps and bounds. Originally started as a straight train
photo page aimed at railfans...it quickly evolved in to a local Chicago
area special interest page with topics ranging from local Chicago
neighborhood photos, vintage Chicago photos, a feature for bus fans
and many many more items of fun and interest for all to enjoy.
To better facilitate this growth and expansion and to reach out
to a larger audience, Eddie's Railfan Page has now opened a
2nd branch location @Facebook.com. Now with easier uploading
of photos and videos, combined with a larger fan based audience,
you can now view Eddie's Railfan Page on Facebook as well.
If you have some train photos or comments that you would like
to share, you are more than welcomed to do so. Please keep
the input positive and friendly, as this is a family oriented page.
Thanks.
Eddie K
All A-Boooaaard!
A 1950's era Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad switching local in H.O Scale.
Photographed at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers, H.O Scale
Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois. This group also has a photo
page on Facebook known as OPSME.
The River Grove Metra commuter rail station around sunset. River Grove Illinois. Late June 2014.
I took this photograph after work one evening, back in late June of 2014.
One of my favorite local Chicago area commuter rail stations I enjoy
visiting with my camera in hand, is the Metra / Milwaukee District
west line station at River Grove Illinois, which is located between
Elmwood Park on the east, and Franklin Park to the west. This is a
busy location on the Canadian Pacific ex Milwaukee Road mainline.
The San Antonio Zoo Train. San Antonio Texas. June 2014.
My lovely wife Cheryl and I, went on a much deserved vacation
in June of this year, to the city of San Antonio Texas. We went
to many places in town, but unfortunately...I wasn't really able
to do much in the line of rail fanning. The San Antonio Zoo Train
helped me to fill that void.
Northern Pacific Railroad Alco RS 11 diesel electric roadswitcher locomotive # 907. Minneapolis Minnesota. October 23rd, 1969.
One of my all time favorite American railroads, had to be the Northern Pacific
Railroad. The Northern Pacific utilized a very stylish dark green / almost black
with gold and red highlights color scheme on their freight diesel locomotives.
This late 1960's era vintage photograph, is from my Link page Fallen Flags.Org
which is located to the right of your computer screen at www.rr-fallenflags.org
Friday, August 08, 2014
A new photo group page entitled "Bus Fan's Boulevard" begins operations on Facebook!
Hi everyone!
This is Eddie K, your host and photographer here at Eddie's Railfan Page, bringing to you an important announcement!
Due to the popularity of my occasional "Bus Day" posting features, I have started a "New" photo and discussion group page site on Facebook, for all the bus fans out there.
Bus Photos Boulevard, is a site dedicated to people who enjoy viewing photographs and video clips of buses. This is an open public group, and it is a very clean, fun family oriented web site featuring historic and contemporary photos of buses, and it also gives a chance for all the bus fans, and transit workers alike to swap comments and input.
If you have some photographs or short video clips that you would like to share at this "Free" family oriented page, or you would like to share a few stories or comments, feel free to hop onboard at your computer keyboard terminal.
Thanks.
Edward Kwiatkowski (Eddie K.)
Thursday, August 07, 2014
A 1960's era American freight train being pulled by an ALCO model RS 27 demonstrator diesel electric locomotive.
Photographed at the Oak Park Society Of Model Engineers,H.O Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois. OPSME on Facebook.
Wednesday, August 06, 2014
Your host and photographer Eddie K driving an old 1950 General Motors transit bus. Photographed at the Midwest Transit Bus Museum in Cresthill Illinois. September 2000.
From 2000 until 2002, I was a member of a relatively unknown group
of Chicago area bus enthusiasts, known as The Midwest Transit Bus
Museum. This was a group of men, who had a collection of retired
vintage antique transit buses, which were stored in an industrial storage
lease lot at Route # 53 and Caton Farm Road in Cresthill Illinois. This
group was much like an antique auto club, for people who enjoyed buses.
Here I am at the museum's annual September 2000 "Member's Day" event.
Here I am driving (Under supervison) preserved West Towns Bus Company
1950 General Motors 40 foot transit bus # 776. This bus is operable,and
was being used for a number of local Chicago area civic parades and events.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
Monday, August 04, 2014
Time to go and enjoy a fun lunchtime roller blading session at a local park!
Hi everyone! This is Eddie K, your host and photographer here
at Eddie's Railfan Page.
Aside from my obvious interests in trains and transportation subjects,
I am also an avid roller blader, and I enjoy an occasional chance or
two, to take in some fun outdoor inline roller blade skating sessions,
at a local Chicago area city park or two when I have the time to do so.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
A 1970's and 80's era Santa Fe local freight train in H.O Scale.
This picture was photographed at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O
Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois. OPSME on Facebook.
My Athean model of an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad EMD Phase
#1 round cab model C F 7 light roadswitcher painted in the 1972 Santa Fe
"Yellow Bonnet" color scheme, pulls a string of 1970's era American freight
train cars through the town of Bellwood on the club layout.
The locomotive has been modified with a Soundtrax Tsunami sound decoder.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
A view from above the clouds aboard an American Eagle jet plane enroute to San Antonio Texas. June 2014.
I took this photograph earlier this summer, enroute to my June 2014
summer vacation to the city of San Antonio Texas.
Seen here is an above the clouds view up in the sky, aboard an American
Eagle jet plane, during the final leg of our flight to San Antonio Texas.
During our flight and for much of that week, many states were experiencing
heavy frequent rain storms, and flooding conditions in some areas of the nation.
Chicago was especially hard hit that week, with heavy torrential rain storms.
Westbound BNSF Railway freight train. Riverside Illinois. Sunday, August 3rd, 2014.
I took this photograph yesterday morning, in west suburban Riverside
Illinois. A westbound BNSF Railway freight train, has just slowly -
passed the Harlem Avenue railroad crossing at the border of Berwyn
Illinois, and is now steadily gaining a little speed and momentum, as it
approaches downtown Riverside Illinois and points beyond.
The Village of Harwood Heights water tower repaintng project coming along nicely. Monday, August 4th, 2014.
With much prepping, sanding and paint priming
work recently accomplished, the municipal water
tower / tank on North Oketo Avenue, is receiving
a nice fresh coat of light gray or white exterior paint.
Friday, August 01, 2014
A 1970's era Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad caboose hop.
Photographed at the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers,H.O
Scale Model Railroad Club in Oak Park Illinois. June 2014.
The locomotive and caboose, are both Athearn models.
Your host and photographer Eddie K. Roller blading at Brooks Park in Chicago's Edison Park neighborhood. Friday, August 1st, 2014.
After a long morning sitting behind the steering wheel of my bus, It
was time to head out to a nice park, and do some laps on my inline
roller blade skates. The weather was nice, and I headed out to a local
Chicago city park, known as Brooks Park in Chicago's Edison Park
neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago, near the city limits
border at neighboring northwest suburban Niles Illinois.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
The Chicago, North Shore And Milwaukee electric interurban railroad logo.
Photographed at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union Illinois.
www.irm.org The museum has several pieces of surving North
Shore line equipment in the collection. Many operating today.
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