# Six Days In and Out of Chicago



## MrFSS (Aug 31, 2007)

Trip Report – My Annual Chicago Train Rides

*Introduction:* I live in Central Kentucky. We don’t have any Amtrak near so once a year or so I journey to the Chicago area to ride some trains. This year I stayed in some outlying cities and rode to Chicago and back a couple of times and then drove to Aurora and took some trains from Chicago out and back. Overall, I rode six Amtrak trains, Two South Shore Trains, and the Metra four times. In and out of CUS many times.

*Comment:* If you like looking out of a train window and seeing corn, Illinois is the place to be. I saw enough corn to last a lifetime. We have a lot of corn in Kentucky, but they make that nice amber liquid with it and age it in barrels.

I normally post some pictures in with my trip reports. This time I will simply give the links to each of the daily page of pictures and you can look at as many or few as you like. There are over 350 pictures. Too many for inclusion in a report.

*Caveat:* Amtrak doesn’t always clean the windows real well so some of the pictures aren’t the best, as I was trying to shoot through the miles of grime. Photoshop helps, but I wish they would wash their windows.

*Day One 8/24/07*

I drove to Normal, IL (Bloomington) on 8/23 and found the Amtrak station. Lot of road construction in the area, but I was able to pick up my tickets for the next day. I was to have been on the 9:00 AM train arriving CUS about 11:30 and would meet Forum Member _rmadisonwi_ for lunch before taking the train back to Normal. The Delay Website said the train had been running behind most days so I changed my ticket to the 7:00 train just to make sure.

I had a BC seat on the 9:00 and the agent told me the BC on the 7:00 would be more as I was buying it the day before travel. Not a problem. But he looked and said BC was full, so I took the coach seat so I would make CUS in time for lunch.

While on the train I ventured up to the Café Car and peeked in BC. Half full, and after checking several times I saw it never came anywhere near filling up. Agent must have had bad info. This was before ARROW went down, so don’t know what the problem was.

I was concerned as we were getting ready to board as it looked like half of Illinois State University was going to board with me that day. Getting an early start on the weekend in Chicago I guess. But, when they told us which cars to use, the groups and families had the back two cars, single travelers had the next one toward the front and when I got on it was maybe ¼ full. So, other than not as nice a seat, it worked out well, was quiet and I was next to the Café Car.

It was a good thing I did take the earlier train as it was late getting to CUS by almost an hour. But that gave me ample time to take some pictures and use the Quik-Trak machine. I had never had an opportunity to use one before. FAST – EASY – CONVIENIENT. Slip the Guest Rewards card in and answer a couple of questions and there are your tickets. It also displayed all my upcoming reservations so I know they are there waiting for me.

The consist on this train was three coaches and the Café Car. But, it was being pulled with two P-42’s. Sort of overkill unless they were simply repositioning one of them back to Chicago.

Nice trip, except for the dirty windows, and I enjoyed my first train ride of the week.

I met Robert Madison (_rmadisonwi_) for lunch. We had met last year for a meal and it was good to see him, again. If you have any questions about Chicago transportation, Robert is you man to ask. He will be at the Get Together in October, too.

After lunch I wandered back to CUS. We had met at the Northwestern Station in the food court, and there is a set of stairs from near the front of that station that allows one to walk down the ramp between trains on the north side of CUS. Lots of Metras and some Amtraks sitting around waiting for their next trip. Very dark so difficult to take pictures.

I would ride The Texas Eagle back to Normal. It was to leave at 1:45. I went into the south lounge about 1:15 and they were asking for senior citizens to pre-board. Since I am one, I was on the train by 1:25. This is where the fun started. As they were allowing all the other passengers to board the conductor announced they were short a coach car. Normally there is an extra one that only goes to St Louis. In fact, that is the car I had a ticket for but they were putting us all in the other coaches and there were a lot of folks only going as far as St Louis. They wouldn’t have enough seats. I immediately told the conductor I would gladly go to the sightseer lounge as I was only going to be on about two hours. He thought that was a good idea, took my ticket and gave me a slip of paper saying it was OK for me to be there early. I had wanted to see the train leave CUS from a good vantage point and this was it. So, as we left the station, right on time by the way, I was the only one in the lounge. Several times other Amtrak personnel asked me what I was doing there so soon, but I showed them the pass from the conductor and had no problem.

We arrived back in Normal about 30 minutes down. Part of that was when we left CUS we got about as far as Roosevelt Road, came to a stop and sat there for 10 minutes. No announcements and I never did know what.

The Eagle isn’t near the same as the train I would ride the next day. While it was clean, the interior was obviously the older car styles and you could just tell it was worn. Of course I only saw a coach and the lounge.

After arriving in Bloomington I drove to Galesburg to spend the night and get ready for the next day.

Pictures are here: *Day One*

*Day Two 8/25/07*

Today I had BC reservations on 380 from Galesburg to CUS.

Galesburg is an old railroad town with two freight mainlines that cross near the center of town. My hotel that night was only a few blocks from all the action and I was excited until I tried to go to sleep that night. One freight after another and they blew the horn at every intersection – all night long – for hours and hours – it never stopped!

I asked the desk clerk if it bother her and she said, “Horn, what horn?” I guess you get used to it.

380 was almost a half hour late getting to Galesburg. We learned that it had to come through the big freight yard on the SW side of town as a freight was sitting on the main. This took its toll as they could only travel 5-10 miles per hour in the yard. And, I’m told it is a big yard.

Trip was uneventful the rest of the way to CUS except for being down 30 minutes. But, I had lots of pad time at CUS before taking the CZ back to Galesburg that afternoon.

At Naperville Forum Member _rtabern_, Robert Tabern boarded and met me in the Café Car. He and I had met at the Beech Grove open house last year. Robert is a Rails and Trails Guide on the EB every other weekend and if he isn’t doing that he’s riding another train someplace. If you have questions about trains out of Chicago, ask Robert. He’s your man. We sat at a table for a while in the Café Car and then I was able to “sneak” him back into BC for the last 15 minutes of the trip. The BC car was on the end of the train and we had some nice views out the rail fan window.

After arriving in Chicago Robert and I had lunch in the CUS food court upstairs. Then, Robert, being a Select Plus Rewards member was able to get us both in the Metropolitan Lounge before we boarded #5 for the trip back to Galesburg. We were able to board with the sleeping car folks and had our choice of coach seats in what had to have been one of the nicest Amtrak cars I’ve ever been in. It was fresh and new looking inside. Very clean and even the windows seemed as if they had been washed. Very comfortable seats for our two hour trip back south. A couple across from us was going to SAC and I guess I didn’t envy them doing that in coach, even as nice as it was.

The one thing I really noticed about this coach compared to The Eagle coach and lounge and to the low level trains I had ridden was how much better the ride was. Seemed as if the shock system was much improved.

Robert went to the lounge for a while but I enjoyed the coach and it was easier to take pictures. With those curved windows in the lounge you get a lot of unwanted reflection.

We arrived in Galesburg about 30 down. Another Forum Member _GregL_ – Greg Liddle – met us at the station. He had driven in as he doesn’t live far from Galesburg. The three of us had about an hour and a half before Robert would catch the last train back to Chicago. We went to *The Packing House*, a nice steak place, for dinner. It is just across the street from the Galesburg station. Nice visit as we all discussed our favorite topic. Put Robert back on 382, I went to the hotel and Greg drove back to his home. Another great day of train riding.

Pictures are here: *Day Two*

*Day Three 8/26/07*

Today was a day of rest and travel to Aurora. I slept in and had a nice buffet breakfast in the restaurant at the hotel before driving up to my next hotel outside of Chicago. I took the back roads and went through some of the same towns I had passed through on the train. On Route 34 the tracks parallel the highway quite a lot and I saw a number of BNSF freights heading for Galesburg so they could blow the horn.

In Aurora I stayed at the hotel right next to the Old Roundhouse (now a restaurant) and the Aurora Metra station. In fact, from my room on the third floor I could see the BNSF tracks and the Metra tracks. I was able to see the SWC and CZ going both ways that day. Pretty neat.

The hotel is decorated with a RR motif and there are lots of pictures and other items that were quite interesting to look at. I took a few pictures of some of them if you are interested.

I wandered over to the roundhouse for a light meal and called it a night early that evening. But guess what, the freights run all night and guess what, they blow their horns. Not quite as bad as in Galesburg.

A few pictures are here: *Day Three*

*Day Four 8/27/07*

I was up early as I had to take the Metra downtown and a bus to the Roosevelt Road station for my day long trip on the South Shore to South Bend, IN. I last rode that train about 35 years ago. It had been a long time since I was on the electric line route out of Chicago, too. This was to be a nostalgia trip.

I boarded Metra 1220 which left on the nose at 6:27 AM. It makes two stops at Route 159 and Naperville and then it is a straight shot to CUS. Uses the center of the three tracks and we flew downtown, arriving a few minutes earlier than the published 7:18 arrival time.

What impressed me was how crowded it was at this hour of the morning. 10 cars and it was packed! In fact some had to stand. Oh, I remember those days when you went to work every morning. Wonder if they get tired of riding the train twice a day five days a week?

I walked with the crowd up the platform in CUS but then ducked out to go to the Great Hall. The bus I wanted was at the entrance just at the top of the grand staircase. I walked outside to a nice day in downtown Chicago and waited for the 151 bus to Michigan and Randolph. Had plenty of time as my South Bend train wasn’t until 9:15. This gave me a chance to look around the new Millennium Station and have a bite to eat.

We boarded the South Shore Electric about 15 minutes before departure. I looked and looked for a seat with a half way clean window but none were to be found. They were really dirty. So was the inside of the car. Looking old and worn, too. It was about ½ full when we left right on time. Lots of stops before we hit the Kensington Junction and head east for South Bend. At every stop we lost another minute or two and were down over 30 minutes at South Bend.

I did enjoy the street running in Michigan City. To be on the train as it rolls down the center of the street with cars and trucks on both sides is quite interesting. Natives to that area are used to it and everyone respects the train’s right to be there. Saw the nice old Beverley Shores Station. In very good condition. By the way, the original Michigan City station is for sale if you want to invest in a piece of history.

Many years ago the South Shore train went right down town South Bend. Today it turns north on the west side of town and heads up to the airport. When we arrived I would ride the same equipment back to Chicago, but I had time for lunch at the airport deli. Not too bad and I had time to look at a Studebaker display they had set up, too. Some may remember that many years ago the South Shore even ran Pullmans to South Bend. When Notre Dame was playing a home football game Chicagoans would take the train and they had a spur right into the Norte Dame campus. Fans would enjoy the game and sleep all the way back to Chicago in their Pullman car.

The return trip from south Bend was a disaster. Late leaving, lost time at each station and out near Hammond the car I was in started having brake problems. They wouldn’t release fully. We crawled to Gary and a repair person got on to look at the control panel in the car. We sat there for almost 30 minutes. They then asked everyone in my car to relocate to the other three cars. This meant I lost my window seat and the chance to take any more pictures. But hey, the windows were so dirty it didn’t make much difference.

The repair person shut the brakes off in that car we had been on and said it would make it back to Chicago. They just didn’t want anyone in it. Added weight of the passengers?

We arrived back at Randolph almost an hour down. I got the 151 back to CUS. Before taking the Metra back to Aurora I had some Get Together Committee work I needed to do to help get ready for October. Got that accomplished and was back in the hotel by 6:00 PM so I could listen to the freight horns some more!

Pictures of today’s trip are here:*Day Four*

*Day Five 8-28-07*

Today would be my longest ride for the entire week, Chicago to Carbondale and back. I had BC all the way and some very nice experiences on these trains, 391 and 392. Only down side was the BC car being next to the engine where I really got to hear the horns for 12 hours.

BC was boarded first at CUS and I was able to get a nice single seat with a relatively clean window for picture taking. I love these BC seats, lot of leg room, a leg and foot rest and a nice tray to use during the trip. I settled in and we left right on time. I had never been on a train across the high line so I was anxious to see how it worked. We had to back out of the station around the curve to the west and switch over to the high line track before starting to go forward. These trains to Carbondale and the City of New Orleans do this every day.

I was told that some would start scrambling to try and turn their seats around as they thought they would make the entire trip going backwards. That may have happened in coach but the 10 or so of us in BC didn’t say a word about it. They were probably all experienced on this route.

I was able to get a few very nice pictures of the Chicago skyline from up on the high line. Weather was nice and the sun shining so I hope you will look at some of those. It takes about 15 minutes to traverse the entire route over to the electric line where I had been yesterday. But, at Kensington Junction we would continue south instead of turning east.

Once on the electric line going south he opened it up and we flew, for a while. Then we started hitting CN construction points. Some were so bad in delaying us that we ended up in Carbondale at 3:25 when it should have been 2:45. But, that’s more time on the train. Other than the lost time two other things that were noteworthy about the trip down.

There were two Moms, each with a 2½ year old daughter. The little ones lost interest in being on the train about 15 minutes out of CUS and started doing what 2½ year olds do – run up and down the aisles, check out how the commode flushed in the bathroom, etc. But, everyone in the car went along with the poor Moms as they tried to control the kids and they weren’t that bad. I’ve got grandkids that age so I was used to it. And, both the little ones took naps in the afternoon. One gentleman sitting behind me couldn’t take it, though. About an hour into the trip he gathered up all his belongings and went and sat in coach. His loss.

The other thing that happened was I got to know the Café Car attendant pretty well as we went down and back together. We had a chance to talk about Amtrak a lot. He has worked for the company for almost 30 years. Once he saw that I was a rail and Amtrak fan he began opening up about all the difficulties employees have with the system.

He quite openly said that the Chicago based yard crews were not doing everything they should to prepare the trains. Not being cleaned properly, consists not put together correctly, etc. He said he has seen it where coach passengers had to walk through BC to get to the Café car as it was on backwards from how it should have been.

He also said Amtrak could do better in getting another food service. He didn’t like Gate Gourmet at all. They didn’t do what they were supposed to do about stocking trains correctly and just increased his already heavy schedule even more. But, at lunch time he fixed me the Angus Cheeseburger and it was really good. Also it is nice to get Sierra Mist on the train. They don’t sell it in central Kentucky so I don’t get it as often as I would like.

I hadn’t been to Carbondale in over 20 years. My grandmother was living there before she died, It brought back memories, but it is evident the town has grown. The new Amtrak station is a couple of blocks south of where the original station had been. Oh, it was hot – almost 100 degrees. I had enough time to look around a little while they “wyed” the train and the cleaning crew did their thing. We boarded and left on time.

Had a new engineer, a lady, who the car attendant told me “didn’t mess around and meant business.” And, she loved to blow the horn, much more so than on the way down. Two longs a short and a long at crossings became four longs two shorts and three longs. Heck, going through some towns she just kept it on the whole way through. Next year I’m going to get some earplugs!

We were to arrive back in CUS at 9:35 PM. But, there is a lot of padding between Homewood and downtown Chicago so I felt I might catch the 9:40 Metra back to Aurora. We actually started back over the high line about 30 minutes before the schedule time into the station. I thought, WOW – I’ll be able to catch that Metra for sure. We were about 90% down the ramp and came to a stop. Out to the south of us was a slow moving freight full of container cars. We had to wait till it went by. We started moving again and just as we backed into the station I could see my Metra leaving one track over. Next one in a hour so I had to sit and wait. 10:40 came and we had a trip back to Aurora stopping at every station along the way. This put me in the hotel right at midnight. A very long day.

Pictures are here: *Day Five*

*Day Six 8-29-07*

I was able to sleep in a bit in the AM and had breakfast before checking out and driving to Union, IL to visit the rail museum. I had been there before but it is a fun place to visit and see some of the classic equipment they have.

Before going to Union I stopped by Forum Member _EverydayMatters_ (Betty F) as she is on the Get Together Committee and we hadn’t met yet. We had a nice visit before I headed over to the museum. Again, a very hot and humid day and then a few rain drops so I didn’t stay as long as I could have. I also had to drive back to Indianapolis where our daughter and grandkids live as my wife would fly in from MSP the next day and I had to picker her up before driving back to Kentucky. I would lose an hour to the time zone change so it was almost 8:00 PM before I arrived in Indianapolis.

Pictures are here: *Day Six*

*Final Comments*

One thing that was common to all my train riding on Amtrak, Metra, and the South Shore Line was – I met some interesting people and had some great conversations with people I will never see again in my life. That’s one of the things train travel is all about. I can sit next to a person on a plane and neither of us says a word to each other. Not on trains. Everyone usually wants to talk to you. Even on the commuter trains.

I remember the lady going from Normal to CUS who I talked with about all the train trips I have had in the past and how interested she was in knowing about _*The Canadian*_ and what it was like.

I remember the lady, probably in her late 70’s who boarded in Carbondale and as her daughter, who wasn’t going on the trip, helped on several of us assisted in getting her settled in and her luggage stowed. Her daughter than asked if I would mind helping her off at Homewood where another daughter would be meeting her. We had some delightful conversations that evening and I learned about her world as she did mine.

I remember the postal worked on a Metra train riding back to Aurora as we just happened to discuss the events of 9/11 and where we were on that day. He was in the Chicago Federal Building and said many there thought they could be next before they were all let off for the day to return home.

I remember a gentleman from Tunisia who had now lived in the US for almost 30 years after going to college on a soccor scholarship, was married to an American lady and had 3 great kids at home. We discuss world events and what the world has become in the last 30 years. A great conversation.

I remember meeting Robert, Robert, Greg, and Betty and the great conversations we had and how I made new friends I hope to have for a long time to come.

That’s what Amtrak is all about. Meeting people, sharing experiences, and . . .

*Listening to the engineer blow the horn!*


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## RailFanLNK (Sep 1, 2007)

Excellent trip report Tom! Sounds like a blast to me! Nice pics too! Whats the deal with the Snuggery? Just kiddin! :lol:

Al


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## WhoozOn1st (Sep 1, 2007)

Thanks for the report, Tom! I'll get to the photos piecemeal.

Some comments of my own:

1. Corn. What, no soybeans too!?

2. Windows. Yeah, the dirty windows sometimes make shooting difficult. A little story: On the northbound Silver Meteor (Jacksonville to D.C.), one guy bugged the sleeper attendant at every stop to get the windows cleaned. The attendant finally got sick of it and told the guy "Okay, at the next stop I'll get you a ladder, a bucket and a brush." That shut him up. HAHAHA!!

3. Outlying Areas. I do this too. Not only a good excuse for riding more trains, but lodging is usually less expensive. I've stayed at Elgin and Franklin Park, just so I could ride Metra every day into the city and back.

4. South Shore. Took a cab once from CUS to Randolph (Millennium), just to learn the route. Since then I've walked it. An invigorating and fun stroll in either direction. I don't bother looking for clean windows on the South Shore because on the way to South Bend I stand up front and take pics looking forward while reveling in the sound of the horn once the train is out in rural territory, which is also the speed run portion. Since the South Shore is nonsmoking, like all trains these days, I became intensely jealous when I saw a motorman smoking like crazy in the cab. I wanted a smoke too, but said nothing.

Thanks again for the report, and I look forward to the pictures.


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## gaspeamtrak (Sep 5, 2007)

Great report!!!  Loved looking at all thoses pictures!!! 

I have been to Chicago many times too. I would like to also ride all those new trains Illnois added!!!

I to have stayed at the Journey's End hotel in Aurora to!!! It's a great hotel!!! I will certainly stay there again!!!


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## opaque (Sep 5, 2007)

WhoozOn1st999 said:


> one guy bugged the sleeper attendant at every stop to get the windows cleaned. The attendant finally got sick of it and told the guy "Okay, at the next stop I'll get you a ladder, a bucket and a brush." That shut him up. HAHAHA!!


I think if I was that bothered (I would be but just not the sort of person to say anything) I'd happily get out there with the bucket and the brush!


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## WhoozOn1st (Sep 5, 2007)

opaque said:


> WhoozOn1st999 said:
> 
> 
> > one guy bugged the sleeper attendant at every stop to get the windows cleaned. The attendant finally got sick of it and told the guy "Okay, at the next stop I'll get you a ladder, a bucket and a brush." That shut him up. HAHAHA!!
> ...


It actually did cross my mind to take the attendant up on his offer to the complaining guy to get a ladder, bucket, and brush, because the windows really were uncommonly filthy. But since most of the trip was at night I didn't bother.


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## Brad C. (Nov 14, 2007)

"The Delay Website said the train had been running behind most days so I changed my ticket to the 7:00 train just to make sure."

Where is the Delay Website?

Brad


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## battalion51 (Nov 14, 2007)

Great report Tom, you definitely aren't shy with the camera are you? Look on the bright side with the Engineer you had from CDL-CHI, at least you weren't on the CONO trying to sleep while she was running. Or living nearby when she rolls through at 3 or 4 in the morning. :lol:


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## gswager (Nov 17, 2007)

Brad C. said:


> "The Delay Website said the train had been running behind most days so I changed my ticket to the 7:00 train just to make sure."Where is the Delay Website?
> 
> Brad


Here's is it: Amtrak Delay Website


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## wayman (Nov 17, 2007)

WhoozOn1st999 said:


> 2. Windows. Yeah, the dirty windows sometimes make shooting difficult. A little story: On the northbound Silver Meteor (Jacksonville to D.C.), one guy bugged the sleeper attendant at every stop to get the windows cleaned. The attendant finally got sick of it and told the guy "Okay, at the next stop I'll get you a ladder, a bucket and a brush." That shut him up. HAHAHA!!


I was taken quite by surprise when, while stopped in Denver on the CZ, my (upper-level coach) window was suddenly covered in suds and squeegied from the outside! I jumped out at that point to find two Amtrak personnel washing every window on the train, one with a short squeegie for the lower-level and one with long-handled one for the upper-level. (No ladders involved.) The windows were spotless for crossing the Rockies, and it was wonderful.


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## MrFSS (Nov 17, 2007)

wayman said:


> WhoozOn1st999 said:
> 
> 
> > 2. Windows. Yeah, the dirty windows sometimes make shooting difficult. A little story: On the northbound Silver Meteor (Jacksonville to D.C.), one guy bugged the sleeper attendant at every stop to get the windows cleaned. The attendant finally got sick of it and told the guy "Okay, at the next stop I'll get you a ladder, a bucket and a brush." That shut him up. HAHAHA!!
> ...


Several years ago when I rode _*The Canadian*_ from Toronto to Jasper the dome windows were dirty the entire way. We got off in Jasper and watched them wash the dome windows for the trip into the Rockies. I guess they didn't want us to see the rest of Canada!


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