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| PHOTOS: 2003 CHICAGO TRIP (1641286) | |||
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PHOTOS: 2003 CHICAGO TRIP |
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Posted by Jersey Mike on Thu May 15 14:26:15 2025 In 2003 I undertook a solo Amtrak long distance trip to visit a friend in Chicago using the since-canceled Three Rivers for the outbound leg and the Lake Shore Limited for the return. This was before I had the money or the wherewithal to book sleeper rooms, but also after the point where I had obtained a digital camera and had enough online resources to find interesting things to take photos of. Today this trip would have consumed at least 2 or 3 photo sets, but back in 2003 I was pretty much limited to 300 or so photos between uploading them to a desktop so I will be presenting a rather wire variety of material as this trip to the Nation's rail hub wound up being a mile wide and an inch deep ( mirror ).In the winter of 2003 the NY to Chicago Three Rivers ran practically its entire route in darkness, with the sun setting shortly after Philly and rising after South Bend. While this schedule is great for intercity travelers wanting a full day at their destination, it is sub-par from a railfan perspective. The highlight of the westbound trip was actually lucking into a tour of STATE tower while Train 41 laid over at Harrisburg to have mail and express cars attached, although much of that is a story for another post.   Both the Three Rivers and Pennstlvanian were part of Amtrak's experiment with mail and express services, which was ultimately wrapped up in 2005 as the cost in staff hours and passenger impact (ie delays) did not justify the revenue earned. At Pittsburgh I tried to get some photos of the roadrailers behind the coaches, but night digital photography wasn't great back then.  Fast forward 7 hours and I found my train passing HICK tower on the outskirts of Chicago.  I wasn't the only one getting some shuteye as I grabbed this shot of a CSX conductor sleeping in the cab of C40-8 #7525 just west of the Quad Draws.  Passing through the yards on the approach to 21ST crossing I spotted Central Kansas Railway GP7u #903 and UP C41-8 #9078.   One interesting catch was LLPX #2247, which was actually a former LIRR passenger service GP38-2 which had been sold to Locomotive Leasing Partners and then leased to Union Pacific, which painted it in its own scheme.  It was customary for Amtrak trains to wye themselves prior to arrival at Chicago and my Train 41 was no different, pulling off onto the old CBQ tracks just west of the South Branch Drawbridge. While waiting to proceed Metra F40PH-2's #117 and F40PHM-2 #188 were making their own wye moves out of the Union Station yards.   2003 came during a real nadir of US rail transportation with many Amtrak routes running well under capacity and urban cores still at a low point after decades of high crime followed by 9/11. This is in evidence with the complete lack of foot traffic at 9am on a weekday in Chicago's Union Station. Today Amtrak makes much better use of the space, but in 2003 the preservation of the waiting room felt somewhat pointless as all the active station facilities were in a Penn Station style rabbit warren.   My friend lived on the North Shore so it was off to the CNW Station to catch a Metra train. With some time to kill I went out to the extreme end of the platform to check out Metra F40PH-2's #147 and #132.   Metra's 1902 vintage LAKE ST tower is still open as of 2025, but in 2003 the plant still features a mix of B&O style CPLs and GRS semaphore dwarf signals.   While taking pictures a Union Pacific hi-rail truck rolled up, but instead of yelling at me the operator, whose name was Alvin, gave me his cars with a desire to see the photos. I did end up e-mailing him, but never heard back.  My friend had accommodations in Lake Forest on the CNW-North Line with its classic Chicago Northwestern left hand operation. Here northbound Metra F40PH-2 #149 arrives at the station just in time to meet a southbound. Note the carbon steel Pullman-Standard gallery car in the consist.   Passing Metra F40PH-2 #132 while I was returning to the city the next day.  CY tower, which unfortunately closed in 2024.  Back at LAKE ST with Metra F40PH-2's #155 and #168 running lite to get serviced.  My transit adventure for that day involved riding the Metra Electric all the way out to University Park and back. Somewhere around 63rd St my train passed an inbound, but due to a lack of numbers on the front I can't tell if it was a St. Louis High Liner or later Bombardier copy.  Passing IC SD40-2 #6123 while on the single Metra Electric track north of University Park.  St. Louis Highliner #1502 at University Park. Built in 1971 for a 1500V DC electrification system, the Highliners feature a controller similar to those found in contemporary NYC Subway cars like the R42.   To cut costs University Park did not have a terminal interlocking with train switching being hand thrown.  Heading back past the IC's famous Homewood Yard, I encountered pair of Soo Line's SD60's #6038 and #6057, with the latter being the ultimate member of the class.  Interesting power was pretty plentiful that day with CN C44-9WL #2513 on the old IC main line adjacent to the Metra Electric.  On the Metro Electric the express tracks are on the outside between KENSINGTON and Museum Campus. Here my train is just about to switch over to the northbound express track as it passes BN SD70MACs #9410 and #9499 leading a train of Power River coal.  If you like double slip switches and of you like scissors crossovers, then you are in luck with this double slip scissors crossover at Metra's 67TH ST interlocking, which at this point was still controlled locally by a staffed interlocking tower.  Of course I was going to ride the El. Highlights included this flag painted Boeing 2400-series #2483 at TOWER 12.  Also at Howard, pantograph equipped Skokie Swift 3200-series car #3446.  The next day I had a late Lake Shore departure from Union Station so I caught an afternoon CNW-North line train back to the city. On approach to the CNW terminal I spotted UP GP15-1 #551 running lite between jobs of shuttling empty coaching stock back to various yards.  Sliding into the CNW Terminal past LAKE ST tower and the dwarf semaphores.    With some time to kill I walked across the Roosevelt Ave overpass south of Union Station.  I was a little bit concerned due to a major winter storm that was in the process of 2+ feet of snow in the path of the Lake Shore Limited, however back in 2003, Amtrak would actually try to keep the trains running through inclement weather and when I woke up the only impact on the train was blown snow collecting in the vestibules.  The LSL was actually running on time because the snow had closed all of the freight yards along the former Conrail Chicago Line. Here is former NY Central caboose #21775 at Utica.  Passing the Albany diesel shoppe I spotted Phase IV heritage P40DC's #815 and #808 along with P32AC-DM #709.    Amtrak Phase IV heritage painted P32AC-DM #714 was on the adjacent track attached to an Empire service train.  The Lake Shore's engines were off the platform, but I was able to get a picture of Amtrak heritage dining car #8507 built in 1957 by Budd for the Northern Pacific Railway's North Coast Hiawatha.  The last photo I'll present is of Metro North FL-9's #2008 and #2010 sitting in the Croton freight yard. Not sure if they were still in service or just awaiting disposition.  That's all for my early 2003 Chicago trip. This would wind up being my last Amtrak LD trip via Chicago until the winter of 2005 when I had another go at the Three Rivers shortly before its elimination as my winter 2004 trip only made it as far as Alliance, OH. |
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