I took this photo one morning on My way to work, back in May of 2007. Seen here travelling northbound over the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad line, is a very lenghty and slow moving Canadian National Railroad transfer train approaching the West 31st Street grade crossing.
I took this photo after work, one evening back in late March of 2007. Seen here heading eastbound on the Belt Railway of Chicago trackage, is a lenghty Union Pacific double stack container train, passing over the now single track former Grand trunk Western track. The Grand trunk Western's north south track used to be a mainline track, but is now an industrial spur serving the former Elsdon Yard between 51st and 55th Street. The former Elsdon facility is now a railroad materials storage yard, and is served by a Canadian National switching local.
I took this evening photo after work, at the Metra commuter rail station in downtown Berwyn Illinois. Departing the Berwyn station at Oak Park Avenue and Windsor Street, is an all stops local train enroute to Aurora Illinois. Notice the very light sensitive reflective materials used on the striped wall on the cab control car. My camera flash had actually set it off.
This is the only surviving example of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad's once proud fleet of 1940's era EMD E-5 streamlined passenger diesel locomotives. The C,B & Q was the only railroad to own the EMD model E-5 locomotive.
An overcast morning in the spring of 1983, finds this inbound train of electric Interurban / Commuter coaches from the South Shore railroad, arriving at the Randolph Street station.
The River Grove Public Library at 8638 West Grand Avenue,
I took this photo after work one evening in April of 2007. Seen here heading east enroute to downtown Chicago, is a CTA Pink line train. This was formerly known as the Douglas Park Elevated Line in past years, and for awhile was one of two CTA Blue line branches. The train had just left the Cicero Avenue station in nearby west suburban Cicero Illinois.
A westbound Metra all stops commuter local to Aurora Illinois, is seen arriving in downtown La Grange Illinois in Chicago's western suburbs.
I took this photo looking west on West 16th Street in the village of Cicero Illinois. Seen here through My cars front windshield, is the eastbound CSX Transportation industrial switching local that serves an old factory district.
Good morning everybody!
I photographed this rush hour bus terminal scene, in early October of 2006. This is a rush hour only auxilliary turn around loop, wich is located at West Belmont Avenue and North Octavia Avenue on Chicago's northwest side.
A northbound Pace Route # 331 bus, has just crossed over the Canadian Pacific train tracks by the River Grove Metra commuter rail station, and is now passing the Elmwood Cemetery. This was a lovely Autum morning to be outside, in lovely scenic River Grove Illinois.
I took this photo one evening after work, in May of 2007. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway's Clyde Yard, is a very busy Chicago rail hub. The activity here is practically non stop 24 Hours a day, seven days a week. Two BNSF EMD roadswitchers are seen under the Laramie Avenue overpass bridge. Notice the lead unit still in predesscor railroad Burlington Northern colors. This was a lovely evening to go train spotting on location with a camera.
I took this photo looking east, from the South Central Avenue overpass bridge near the I-55 Stevenson Expressway. An intermodal container train, and a set of diesels from the Norfolk Southern Railroad, are seen stuck waiting on a hold order. Nearby Nerska Junction was occupied with many north and south Belt Railway of Chicago transfer trains. It would be quiete awhile before these crews would be allowed to proceed anywhere on this line.
The outside temperatures are finally in the upper 70's, and the trees and plants are in full bloom. This lovely springtime afternoon scene was photographed in May of 2007, on Chicago's far northwest side near Devon and Caldwell Avenues. The Edgebrook neighborhood near the Chicago city limits, is a pleasant and upscale community near Niles and Skokie.
Hi everyone!
A large flock of pidgeons became startled and immediate took flight, as a westbound Belt Railway of Chicago track maintenance department crew movement, is seen passing through Hayford Junction. Hayford Junction is located at West 75th Street and South Central Park Avenue in Chicago's Ashburn neighborhood.
I took this photo at the Illinois Railway Museum, during the museum's annual Members Weekend Celebration back in September of 1984.
An eastbound Union Pacific Railroad freight train, has just recieved clearance from the dispatcher, and is now slowly gaining momentum as it enters the city of Chicago Illinois.
Rush hour on the three track Chicago to Aurora BNSF / Metra racetrack...can be a lesson in public safety and awareness.
I took this photograph in July of 1988, at the annual
I took this photo looking east, from the front center window of a restored 1908 interurban car from Sheboygan Wisconsin. The Recently restored interurban from Sheboygan was experiencing mechanical problems in regards to overheating bearings on one of its trucks, and was sidelined on the mainline. Cars had to be run from both ends of the now disabled interurban until further notice. The car seen from the window, is a restored Milwaukee Wisconsin city streetcar that was built in 1924.
I took this photo on a cold and very rainy evening after work, back in April of 2007.
I took this photo looking north from the east side of the South Cicero Avenue overpass bridge, way back in May of 1987. Seen here on the east side of the bridge, is a Belt Railway of Chicago caboose on the industrial spur sidings lead track. This light railed short branchline, serves the factories just north of the nearby Ford City Shopping Center in Chicago Illinois.
A Chicagoland Railfan slide show will be held at the River Grove Public Library at 8638 West Grand Avenue, in near northwest
I took this lovely Springtime morning photo in Brookfield Illinois, in May of 2007. Looking to the west, We see an eastbound Metra commuter rail train enroute to Chicago Union Station, leaving the tiny flagstop depot named Congress Park.
I took this photo in northwest suburban Schiller Park Illinois, one morning in May of 2007.
I took this photo of a public swimming pool with a water slide, near the Franklin Park Metra commuter rail station, back in April of 2007.
Another day is coming to an end, as night time approaches northwest suburban Elmwood Park Illinois. The sun is already well over the horizon, as the fading and colorful remnants of a lovely early Spring day, capture the Grand Avenue
A Chicago Transit Authority Brown line train enroute to downtown Chicago, is seen leaving the west terminal at west Lawrence and north Kimball Avenues, on the northside of Chicago.
I was enroute to My families house in Bridgeview Illinois for a visit after work, back in May of 2007. I had to stop at the Walgreens drug store at the intersection of west 79th Street and south Harlem Avenue to pick up a few household items for My parents, and took this rainy Chicago springtime evening photo from the parking lot.
I took this photo looking south from the Citgo convenience filling station, at the intersection of west Grand and north 75th Avenues, in northwest suburban Elmwood Park Illinois.
I took this evening photo after work one day, in May of 2007. Seen here looking west along 26th Street, is a cut of double stack intermodal container cars waiting to be backed up in a switching move, at the CECO intermodal terminal.
Two green open wood coaches, still lettered for the now defunct Brookfield, Salt Creek & Western Railroad, are seen on a temporary lease to the Hesston Steam Museum in northwest Indiana. On Memorial Day weekend in May of 1985, the museum's enginehouse caught fire and burned to the ground. Several pieces of wooden narrow guage rolling stock were destroyed in the inferno, and several locomotives were damaged.
I took this photo during a July 1988 visit to the Illinois Railway Museum. Around this time, I was getting bored just taking photos on the immediate museum grounds, and had started to take rather lenghty, but very safety concious walks along the museum mainline. This view was taken within a mile from the end of the museum's operating mainliine, wich is approximately 4 miles long one way. The state of Illinois and other parts of the midwest were experiencing a major draught condition due to a month and a half without rain. Notice the straw brown grass here in the narrows. It was a hot day to be taking a long walk of such magnitude, but the photos made it all worthwhile.
Hello everyone!
Another day is coming to an end in northwest suburban Elmwood Park Illinois. I took this photo looking northwest from Grand Avenue, while I was taking a refreshing walk that evening. Soon the barren wintery looking trees will bloom, as Springtime arrives in Chicagoland.
This photograph was taken by My Brother in law Ralph last September, on a Labor day weekend visit to Edgarton Wisconsin. Seen here getting some mechanical attention, is a miniature steam train that operates every year at the Rock River Threshers Association during the Labor Day Weekend , in Edgarton Wisconsin.
A group of passengers are seen enjoying a demonstaration ride on the museum's mainline.
I took this photo one evening after work, back in May of 2007. Two EMD diesel roadswitchers are seen getting ready to couple on to a cut of tank cars at Crawford Yard. Crawford Yard, is located alongside west 33rd street ( approximately) between south Pulaski Road and south Kostner Avenue. This is a former Illinois Central facility on the old Iowa Division mainline. Notice the locomotive to the right, still painted in 1970's and 80's Grand Trunk Western RR blue and red with white lettering -numbers -and sill stripe.
I took this photo looking north, from the Metra Chicago Ridge Illinois commuter rail station. Seen in the background, is a northbound Union Pacific RR unit coal train traveling on the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad mainline. Chicago Ridge, is a pleasant suburban town, located near the villages of Oaklawn and Worth Illinois. This was a lovely Spring afternoon to be on location with a camera.
Hi everyone!
The traffic has come to a complete stop on west 31st Street, as a slow moving northbound Canadian National freight train is occupying the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad line. It will be a long wait for these somewhat impatient motorists.
This is a photo I had taken on a trip to Ottawa Illinois back in July of 1986. This is a preserved 
I was spending a springtime afternoon at Hayford Junction with My 35MM camera,
This is one of the last photos I had taken, of the abandoned Grand trunk Western Elsdon Yard roundhouse and engine terminal. This complex was closed for good in October of 1983, and sat forelorn until 1987 when it was demolished, and redeveloped into a strip mall. By the time of this early September 1986 photograph, several of the terminals lead tracks had slowly been dismantled. The GTW Elsdon roundhouse, was located at west 49th Street and south Kedzie avenue, in Chicago's Elsdon neighborhood community on the southwest side.
Daylight is fading away on a cloudy March evening in 2007. A westbound Metra commuter train to Aurora Illinois, is seen coming to a stop at the Berwyn station, located at Oak Park Avenue and Windsor Street in west suburban Berwyn Illinois.
