11-06-20 PHOTOS: Capitol Finish

Well what took a little under a week to complete in real life has taken well over 2 months to hash out in post production with over 2000 photos that made the cut and a few hundred more than didn't, not including all the BS city pics my second unit director took in Seattle and Chicago. Well we have finally reached the final leg in my trip that involved a relativity routine run on Amtrak's Train #30 Capitol Limited. Again, due to a missed connection with the Empire Builder we were traveling a day later than anticipated, but thanks to some creative booking we managed to retain our sleeper.

I was hoping above hope that I would be able to get one final photo survey of the B&O CPL signals on the Magnolia Cutoff which had been under threat of resignaling since the previous November, however as you will see I missed the cutover by about a week or two :-( However I was able to get some good pics of the Chicago Line between Porter and South Bend, a stretch I normally can't photograph due to breakfast and catastrophic backlighting on the westbound Train 29. I was also able to have the braised short ribs for dinner, a dish that sold out even before the Salmon on the Empire Builder and when I got it I could see why.

Anyway, you can tune in for this last set of photos here and for all of those that have kept up with this epic journey I thank you for your attention.

We begin while I was still enjoying my short ribs with this short of a couple of CN SD38's working the hump yard at Kirk Yard just east of the Indiana Harbor Steel Mill.

I had chosen to eat dinner early in order to get pictures of the remaining Michigan Central style small target searchlight signals between CP-497 and CP-483. Here is one such set at the MP 495 automatics with a TOFC train in the background.

Oh dear, it looks like our passenger train had caused another freight backup :-( Another COFC at the 493 automatic.

The westbound searchlight signals at CP-491 have been fitted with large backings due to the effects of sun glare.

NS SD60 with a short train at about MP 490.

Here is one of the several places where the Chicago South Shore and South Bend runs parallel with the Chicago Line.

Here we see the brand new CP-485 that NS constructed to replace a hand operated switch into the east end of Burns Harbour Yard.

CP-482, aka Porter, is where the Amtrak Michigan Line, CSX Pere Marquette route and the former Conrail Porter Branch all join. Previously this was a diamond crossing with the NY Central Lake Shore and Michigan Southern line with the NY Central subsidiary Michigan Central main line, but the MC was eventually routed into Chicago along the LS&MS resulting in both sides of the diamond being retained, but the diamond itself being removed. In this pic the former C&O line is foreground right, the MI Line in the far right and the Porter Branch off to the left.

Here we see a pair of CP and FURX SD40s heading west at CP-466.

This looks familliar. BNSF SD70MAC #8559 sitting on the siding just west of LaPorte.

The currently disused, but well preserved station in LaPorte.

The diamond crossing in LaPorte with a CSS&SB freight branch.

There's not a lot to see out the window in Indiana, unless you like wheat and soy.

Sun setting over the CSS&SB.

09-07-24 PHOTOS: CTA Kensington

So in Part One of my 2009 Chicago Trip I covered the trip on Amtrak's Capitol Limited from Washington to the Windy Apple. Now in Part Two I take some time to explore the city with a special railfan excursion on the Metra Electric line to 115th St - Kensington.

Kensington is not just a station, but an important interlocking on the Metra-Electric line where both the NICTD South Shore Line and Metra Electric Blue Island Branch split off. It is also the end of the 4-track section of the Electric Line which contrary to east coast practice puts the locals on the inner tracks and express trains on the outer. Until recently KENSINGTON interlocking hosted a manned interlocking tower to not only handle the busy METRA and NICTD lines, but also the adjacent CN-IC freight main line that makes use of the interlocking plant since the two services were united in the Illinois Central days.

This set of photos will cover my METRA trip to Kensington and then subsequent riding of the CTA lines in the loop district. I also took a lot of tourist type photos of Chicago, but I will refrain from going too in depth with those as I am shifting non-railfan related content to my Facebook account.

So we begin at Monroe St near the the Art Institute of Chicago where the Electric Line emerges from the cavernous Randolph St Station and into the light of its lake shore route to the south. More of the former Illinois Central yards and terminal complex had been open air, but they had been more recently covered by the new Millennium Park. Still from Monroe one can still catch a lot of good action and in this photo we see some of the new NICTD gallery electric MU's next to a classic METRA Hi-liner. The NICTD cars are returning to the yard between here and Roosevent Ave and the Hi-Liners are laying over on a station track.

Like the R40/42's you can see that the St. Louis Car built Hi-Liners are beginning to suffer from some roof rust. Here we are looking south toward Van Buren with the Art Institute sky walk connecting its two halves which are bisected by the electric line. 

The pantographs of a Hi-Liner are more robust than a typical light rail vehicle, but not the equal of an east coast electric.

Much of the thick copper catenary wire for the 1500v DC electrician system probably dates from the 1920's when it was first installed, although there is some evidence of renewal.

If anyone is wondering what a Hi-Liner looks like inside here you go, They are basically just like a gallery car only a little bit shorter and with a ramp up to the center doors which have to accommodate high level platforms.

Upon arrival at Kensington I was met by an inbound NICTD single level train which looks surprisingly similar to the MARC owned single level K-Cars. Here NICTD #34 is ready to depart northward.

Shortly behind the northbound South Shore train was a southbound headed up by NICTD #42.

This long 6-car train then proceeded to do what makes KENSINGTON interlocking famous...cross over 5 mainline tracks, 4 of which on diamonds. The 4 diamond tracks belong to the CN-IC freight railroads and are also used by Amtrak Illinois service trains and the City of New Orleans. 

Speak of the devil, but look what soon appeared. Amtrak train 390, the Saluki arriving from various points downstate led by P42 #127. This is one of two daily Illinois sponsored round trips in addition to Amtrak's CofNO.

Unlike many of the other midwest service trains this was not equipped with a F40 Cabbage Car.

 Standing silent over this whole mess of trains is KENSINGTON tower. While the tower was recently closed the interlocking was not re-signaled as the interlocking had already been re-signaled years ago, but control was kept with the local operator. As you can see the think bundles of cables heading from the all relay interlocking equipment for the field stations are still in service. Over on my other blog I have a special on Kensington tower with inside shots.