19-03-27 PHOTOS: Chicago Line Backlit

On the first morning of my 2019 Amtrak trip from Washington, DC to Dallas, TX, my westbound Capitol Limited is surprisingly on time as it passes through Elkhart, IN. Unfortunately for eastward photography, the former Conrail Chicago Line aligns with the riding sun for most of its route resulting in what I will generiously describe as "sub-optimal" lighting conditions. Nevertheless, some twists and turns, combined with conditions changing over the course of the morning resulted in a halfway reasonable set of photos running from CP-435 near South Bend to Amtrak's 21ST ST crossing in Chicago.

I'll begin with an example of the severity of the backlighting as my Amtrak Train 29 passes through CP-425 at the west end of Elkhart Yard. The hour is so golden I was expecting a Transformers film to break out!

Near South Bend the right of way finally turned out of the path of the rising sun. CP-435 sports some original Conrail signals along with a Conrail style relay house with an NS high-rail pickup parked nearby. 

Capitol Limited making a stop at the inconveniently located South Ben passenger station located about 2 miles west of downtown. Shoved out of the historic passenger station to eliminate platforms and other legacy infrastructure gumming up the junction between the Chicago Line and the Grand Trunk Western South Bend Subdivision, Amtrak located its new Amshack at the South Shore's non-downtown South Bend terminal. Later the South Bend relocated its terminal to the adjacent airport, stranding Amtrak passengers in the middle of nowhere.

Evidence of a major derailment at the MP 460 intermediate signals.

Pair of NS C44-9W's heading east with a unit train of autoracks.

CP-483, aka Porter Jct, is where the lake Shore and Michigan Southern crossed the Michigan Central railway and joined with the Pere Marquette (seen here heading off to the left, now owned by CSX). Today the Michigan Central is Amtrak's M110mph ichigan Line and Porter marks the beginning of the congested Chicago Terminal zone where morning Amtrak Wolverine Service and Long Distance trains do battle with NS freights as they try to get to Chicago on time. 

Overtaking a westbound NS doublestack train led by NS ES44AC #8053.

Eastbound CSX train with run through BNSF power consisting of ES44AC #6151, ES44DC #7581 and ES44C4 #8005 on the CSX Barr Sub at Curtis. 

Rear end of NS C44-9W #9308 as it tows some uncovered steel coils near Gary. 

Another pair of eastbound NS C44-9W's, #9362 and #9099, between CP-501 and CP-502 in the Indiana Harbor area. 

HICK tower no longer controls the complex around CP-502, but one Penn Central era signal bridge structure still survives along with the tower itself.

Only one of the 4 NY Central bascule bridges over the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal are still in use.

Trio of NS C44-9W's, #9771, #9741 and #9887, westbound on the third track between HICK and CP-509.

Head of that train, a westbound doublectack was pulling into the yard at CP-507 across from the General Hammond-Whiting station with NS C44-10W #7591 and ES44AC #8174.

A westbound NS merchandise train, with SD60E #6940 leading and C44-9W's #9579 and #9831 behind, waits on track #2 for a CSX merchandise train crossing the Calumet River drawbridge at CP-509 with AC4400's #126 and #316.

The new METRA flyover at the formerly at-grade crossing at CP-ENGLEWOOD.

Rounding the home stretch NS C44-9W #9331 and GP33ECO #4714 were waiting near the 47th St intermodal yard. The 28 GP50 rebuilt GP33ECOs are part of a Federally funded air pollution reduction project for the Chicago and Atlantic terminal areas with 14 specially painted units assigned to each. 

NS C44-10W #7662 and C44-9W #9130 at the head of an intermodal train approaching CP-518.

Former Alton/GMO diamonds at Amtrak's 21ST ST crossing.

Inside the South Branch Bridge at 21ST ST.

Arriving on time at Chicago Union Station, the NS dispatchers did a great job of getting us around a ton of westbound NS traffic. Here is Amtrak P42DC #136 hanging out on one of the higher numbered tracks.

Well that's all for the Capitol Limited portion of the journey. Next week tune in for a special video segment.