Both paths to Blue Island from downtown Chicago via METRA offer express options. Electric trains often run express from Kensington to Randolph Street Station after exiting the painfully slow Blue Island branch, and Rock Island trains that travel the Main Line between Blue Island and Gresham Jct also bypass the closely spaced stops through Beverly.
Furthermore, with the replacement of the old METRA Highliners now complete, all Electric Division trains now offer railfan windows in both direction and, of course, the push-pull trains offer a railfan view on inbound trips. I was able to string together a wonderful pair of trains that provided a full RFW round trip express run. Outbound, I caught an early morning reverse peak express to Blue Island, basically a deadhead move that bothered to collect a few extra fares. Inbound I caught the last Joliet Express of the morning.
Here is the Electric Line express run from Randolph Street to Kensington. Other stops included Van Buren, Roosebelt, 57th St, 63rd St and Kensington. This video was shot with a GoPro cupped under my hand as I stood at the front RWF to avoid any issues with the crew. Check out around the 14:00 mark for one of the last Highliner trainsets still in service.
This second video is far less exciting and shows the METRA Electric Blue Island branch. This is a single track branch with a single passing siding at Pullman. Trains move via the Controlled Block system, which is basically APB. No dispatcher intervention is needed to switch traffic or display signals. All the stops are flag stops and with few passengers, few stops are made, however since we were then running early there was a bit of a delay at Pullman waiting for the inbound train to pass. Also note the wheel screech on the sharp curve entering the branch.
Finally here is the inbound Rock Island express trains. It makes the two stops between Blue Island and Gresham as well as 35th Street near the White Sox Stadium. This was shot with my usual still camera. Note towards the end the train passing through the famous 16TH ST crossing interlocking with its 1902 vintage interlocking tower. Also note the lineup of MP36PH-3 power at La Salle St Station.
Well that's it for this week. Next time we check in with Ye Olde Baltimore Streetcar Museum.
Showing posts with label Rock Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rock Island. Show all posts
Friday, December 4, 2015
15-12-04 PHOTOS: Blue Island
Those of us from Philly like to point out things like the Chestnut Hill East and Chestnut Hill West lines as an example of extravagant redundancy. However, this sort of setup is not unique to the Philly area with its dueling railroads. In Chicago both the Illinois Central and Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, wound up serving the southern Chicago suburb if Blue Island with competing commuter rail services. In this case the community was actually located on the Rock's main line, while the IC was the one reaching in with electric service from is own main line in Kensington.
In addition to two parallel stations, Blue Island also hosts an active interlocking tower with a vintage 1950's CTC panel that controls a sizable portion of the Rock Island line between here and Joliet. The Rock was almost completely abandoned in the 1980's with METRA directly purchasing the commuter portion and Iowa Interstate nabbing the rest. Like other examples of commuter railroads in the Northeast, METRA was slow to close the towers with ROOT ST, GRESHAM JCT, BLUE ISLAND and UD (in Joliet) all in operation up through the 1990's. Today only BLUE ISLAND is still manned.
My trip to Chicago also included brief stops at the Halstead St. METRA station along with a brief walk across the famous Roosevelt St. bridge. You can check those and all the other photos out here.
We begin at the Rosedale CTA stop where 3600 series Budd #3023 is arriving at the head of an inbound train.
Amtrak P42DC #88 passing through the infrequently served METRA Halstead Station on the Aurora Line with an Illinois service train.
I was visiting Halstead St to take pictures of the old 1990's vintage searchlight signals at the large UNION AVE interlocking plant. Unfortunately they had been alreadyreplaced. Of course the searchlight signals in the Eola area are still standing some 3 years after re-signaling efforts began.
Moving to Roosevelt Ave, here we see the lineup of trainsets in the METRA storage yard awaiting the evening rush.
F40PH's #122 and 189 outside the engine-house.
BNSF operates the Aurora Line under contract to METRA and sometimes supplies its own switchers to work the coach yard. Here GP39-3 #2655 switches a trainset.
Across the way Amtrak P32-8W #500 switches private car Sierra Hotel.
Amtrak cabbage F40 #90219 sits attached to a trainset of Superliners, possibly marking it as the Pere Marquette.
The next morning I encountered more CTA Budd 2600 cars at Rosemont.
Gallery Highliner #1243 at the IC Blue Island Station. How I got there will be the subject of a forthcoming video post.
You can see how close the RI station is to the IC station. Forget about a Swampoodle connection to enable electrification to Joliet, the IC line is terribly slow, runnung down streets and through back yards at 40mph. It is also single track with only a single passing siding.
METRA's BLUE ISLAND tower was high tech shit back in the 1950's when it was built. CTC signaling using an N-X model board all contained in something akin to an air traffic control tower.
In addition to two parallel stations, Blue Island also hosts an active interlocking tower with a vintage 1950's CTC panel that controls a sizable portion of the Rock Island line between here and Joliet. The Rock was almost completely abandoned in the 1980's with METRA directly purchasing the commuter portion and Iowa Interstate nabbing the rest. Like other examples of commuter railroads in the Northeast, METRA was slow to close the towers with ROOT ST, GRESHAM JCT, BLUE ISLAND and UD (in Joliet) all in operation up through the 1990's. Today only BLUE ISLAND is still manned.
My trip to Chicago also included brief stops at the Halstead St. METRA station along with a brief walk across the famous Roosevelt St. bridge. You can check those and all the other photos out here.
We begin at the Rosedale CTA stop where 3600 series Budd #3023 is arriving at the head of an inbound train.
Amtrak P42DC #88 passing through the infrequently served METRA Halstead Station on the Aurora Line with an Illinois service train.
I was visiting Halstead St to take pictures of the old 1990's vintage searchlight signals at the large UNION AVE interlocking plant. Unfortunately they had been alreadyreplaced. Of course the searchlight signals in the Eola area are still standing some 3 years after re-signaling efforts began.
Moving to Roosevelt Ave, here we see the lineup of trainsets in the METRA storage yard awaiting the evening rush.
F40PH's #122 and 189 outside the engine-house.
BNSF operates the Aurora Line under contract to METRA and sometimes supplies its own switchers to work the coach yard. Here GP39-3 #2655 switches a trainset.
Across the way Amtrak P32-8W #500 switches private car Sierra Hotel.
Amtrak cabbage F40 #90219 sits attached to a trainset of Superliners, possibly marking it as the Pere Marquette.
The next morning I encountered more CTA Budd 2600 cars at Rosemont.
Gallery Highliner #1243 at the IC Blue Island Station. How I got there will be the subject of a forthcoming video post.
You can see how close the RI station is to the IC station. Forget about a Swampoodle connection to enable electrification to Joliet, the IC line is terribly slow, runnung down streets and through back yards at 40mph. It is also single track with only a single passing siding.
METRA's BLUE ISLAND tower was high tech shit back in the 1950's when it was built. CTC signaling using an N-X model board all contained in something akin to an air traffic control tower.
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