23-11-30 PHOTOS: KEDZIE

For my many previous trips to Chicago I have sought out morning express runs on which to create exciting videos from the front railfan window on METRA Gallery cars. However after a decade of trips and the post-COVID decline in ridership I have pretty much exhausted the supply of available runs, so in 2023 I shifted to a more location based strategy and focused my attention to the KEDZIE Metra Station and historic interlocking tower on the former Chicago Northwestern West Line that sees trains running between Elburn and the CNW Terminal downtown. In fact this route was the subject of my 2022 METRA excursion when I caught an inbound express train from the town of Elmhurst, just past the old Proviso Yard complex. Anyway, KEDZIE is a fantastic location from which to catch the morning parade of inbound commuter trains and the outbound parade of light engines heading to the 40th St shoppes for servicing. It also provides a view of the complex at-grade crossing with the METRA Milwaukee District at Western Ave (TOWER A-2). You can check out these and other CTA related photos here ( mirror ).

Kicking things off at the Cumberland CTA station I caught a new CRRC 7000-series train with #020 on the tail end. Interior quality was on par with the 5000-series and lacked the plastics issue of the Orange Line equipment, but there was nothing that would make me lament CRRC being kicked out of the US market.

Transferring at Clark and Lake, I caught 5000-series car #5033 on a Pink Line routing.

Getting off at the KEDZIE station I caught some more 5000-series action with the sun rising behind the Chicago Skyline.

KEDZIE tower on the Metra CNW West line (currently the Union Pacific Geneva Sub), was built about the same time and serves the same general purpose as CY tower at the junction between the Metra CNW Northwest and North Lines. Built around 1960 as part of a Chicago and Northwestern Railroad modernization project, KEDZIE tower was built as part of a new Kedzie Ave station and marks the junction between passenger operations heading towards the CNW downtown terminal Controlling a modern all relay plant, KEDZIE tower has all the features of a late stage interlocking tower including angles windows and steel grid catwalks. Unlike its sibling CY, KEDZIE tower was closed in the late 1990's partly as a consequence of the Union Pacific takeover and a general effort to smooth flow in and out of the CNW's Chicago terminal.

KEDZIE sees three types of traffic, METRA CNW-West passenger service, light engines to and from the 40th St shoppes and UP intermodal traffic heading to their Global I yard along the old PRR Panhandle Route. The as with all the former CNW lines, the passenger service runs left handed with outbound trains on the southern track closest to the tower. To the west the line was three bi-directional main tracks and four single direction tracks to the east along with the two track Global I connection. Here an inbound METRA CNW West Line train led by cab car #6422 passing under the eastbound signal bridge while the signal on track #4 displays a Clear indication for the next outbound train. Note how the 9-car train of gallery cars still has two painted carbon steel cars made by Pullman Standard and another Budd built stainless car, each potentially over 60 years old.

Here another eastbound train led by gallery cab car #8450 stops at the inbound island platform. The bi-directional bracket mast governing tracks #2 and #3 was installed with the 1990's re-signaling with the interlocking was logically split into east and west halves under the same name.

Here the previous inbound CNW-West line train with F59PHI #82 passes the aforementioned outbound train with F40PH-3 #142 in the eastern end of KEDZIE interlocking. #82 is currently traversing a higher speed crossover installed in the 1990's re-signaling project to speed up inbound trains on track #2 making the transition between bi-direction single direction running. The section of ABS between here and the CNW Terminal exists due to the presence of the 1930's vintage TOWER A-2 and its US&S Model 14 interlocking machine.

The outbound train had gallery cab car #8477 on the rear and pretty much enjoyed a straight shot through the interlocking.

METRA's commuter oriented service pattern is what provides the next type of traffic through KEDZIE, light engines returning to the 40th St engine facility. While many METRA CNW district engines are fueled and services at the downtown terminal, whose attached to trainsets laying over in the California Ave yard facility north of the main tracks between KEDZIE and Western Ave get both basic and complex servicing like 92-day inspections at 4th St. This results in a parade of light engines trundling through KEDZIE and down a pair of dedicated running tracks. As I hung out at the station the, the light engine moves actually became somewhat comical. Below we see F40PH-3's #144, #217, #107, #174 and F40PH-2 #156 heading down to the engine house. #217 happens to be the highest numbered Metra F40PH.

Here we see #107 and #156 duck walking down the jointed running tracks as they are passed by the inbound CNW West line commuter train with a 8400 series gallery cab car and F40PH-2 #151. As KEDZIE is lightly used due to the adjacent CTA station, only a few peak service METRA trains actually make stops here.

In this video METRA F40PH-3 #144 running lite to 40th St past passes a METRA commuter train with cab car #8422 and F40PH-2 #159 actually making a station stop at the Kedzie island platform before divering over the #1 crossover from main track #1 to main track #4 en-route to TOWER A-2 (WESTERN AVE). After exiting KEDZIE interlocking the train swaps out deadhead riders at the California Ave Yard employee stop before getting a quick lineup to cross the three Milwaukee District tracks from the operator at TOWER A-2 with a Clear signal indication on the 26R signal.



Due to the pair of short ABS signal blocks between KEDZIE and TOWER A-2 it is possible to watch the signal progression behind eastbound trains. After making an employee stop at the California Ave yard, F40PH-3 #113 proceeds through the diamonds at TOWER A-2 where the ABS signals behind it can be seen to react to the change in block state.

Perhaps the most distinctive visual element at Kezdie is the bi-directional bracket mast in the middle of the island platform. Splitting the interlocking into east and west segments on tracks #2 and #3, the bracket is most frequently used to display eastbound diverging routes over the higher speed #1 crossover on the east side like the Diverging Clear indication shown below.

Next up on the light engine front were F40PH-3's #130 and Operation Lifesaver unit #173, with the traditionally painted #130 getting lit up to go first through the interlocking.

At the same time Union Pacific Yard Ops GP15-1 #711 pulled out of the California Ave yard, needing to make a reverse move to head back to the CNW terminal downtown. Union Pacific currently runs the former CNW district commuter lines under the METRA brand and supplies its own yard engines for switching and deadhead equipment moves. METRA is currently in the process of taking over these operations, but the the formal date has been continually pushed back due to the complexity of the operations.

I also captured the whole sequence involving METRA #130, #173 and UPY #711 on video.



The saga of UPY #711 was not over. After proceeding eastbound the little light engine found itself in need of an eastbound METRA passenger move to get a window to cross the busy Milwaukee District diamonds at TOWER A-2. This came with METRA F40PH-3 #133 pushing cab car #8465 through the KEDZIE higher speed crossover and down track #3 for a double employee stop at California Ave. With the signals clearing behind it, the METRA run gets a Clear indication through TOWER A-2 only after resuming its eastward progress to the operator's satisfaction. At the same time #711, which had been waiting short of the crossing for a good 10 minutes, gets a lunar white Restricting indication on track #1 (for reasons unknown) and continues its journey towards the CNW terminal, perhaps to grab a set of empty coaching stock.



Here we see lite running METRA F40PH-3 #129 with a slightly different lightning scheme than the others. Note the dead line of old carbon steel Pullman Standard gallery stock in the distance.

So if you recall the three types of train movements through KEDZIE, we've seen METRA commuter runs, we've seen light engines so the only thing left is an intermodal freight. Well a diverging Clear signal indication on track #4 eastbound indicated that it was TV time and sure enough an eastbound stack train appeared with ES44AC's #8077 and #7625 leading. The train is running against the current of METRA commuter trains on track #3/4, however with poor reverse peak frequencies there was ample leeway for the dispatcher to cross it over from track #2 or #1 west of Oak Park.

Back at the Kedzie CTA stop I caught more 5000-series action before heading back towards the loop.

I took a headway at Clin-Ton to get some photos of METRA's CNW Terminal operations including F40PH-2 #158 running lite and #161 at the rear of an inbound train.

A got some bonus time at Clin-Ton due to some MoW flagging west of the station and after passing through TOWER 18 I was treated to a Budd Built 2600-series ride on the Blue Line out to Rosemont.

Although this is a little out of order, I'll finish with a rear facing railfan window video from the rear of an inbound 2600 series train on the Blue Line between Harlem and State/Lake. It's a little dark out, but that makes the 3rd rail arcing more visible.



That concludes my morning at KEDZIE. Tune in next time as I take a spin on South Jersey's newest tourist train.