Steam train near Chicago 5/6/24?

[John Bredin]

I was running lunchtime errands in downtown Deerfield (IL) at 1:35pm when I heard what sounded like a steam train with chugging and a steam whistle! I was less than a block from the tracks but there were buildings and trees in the way so I saw little, but I'd swear I saw some steam or smoke. The train was definitely southbound.

So is/was there a steam train running on the Metra Milwaukee North (Canadian Pacific/ex-Milwaukee Road) commuter line today?

 

[jiml]

CP steamer 2816 is currently on tour, travelling beween Calgary and Mexico City, so may be what you saw/heard. It was due into Chicago sometime this week on the original itinerary. No idea whether it is on schedule.

https://www.cpkcr.com/en/community/final-spike-steam-train

 

[jiml]

Locomotive number is wrong in the video description:

 

[John Bredin]

That sounds right. As it says in your link, "May 6, Portage, Wis. to Bensenville, Ill."

 

[user535733]

Here it was southbound at Grange Ave, Milwaukee, an hour before you (almost) saw it.

Perfect for the lunch hour. Great weather.

WisARP notified their members last week about the event, and is asking their members to contribute their photos to the organization's shared webpage.

 

[sporksradiant]

Interesting. Texas route for it shows it going East and avoiding San Antonio .

Wonder if the flooding might make them detour west and we'd be able to see it passing

 

[MARC Rider]

Interesting. Texas route for it shows it going East and avoiding San Antonio .

Wonder if the flooding might make them detour west and we'd be able to see it passing

That's probably because it's a CPKC operation, and it's following the CPKC route, which doesn't go through San Antonio. The route used by the Texas Eagle and the San Antonio - Laredo route is all UP.

 

[Grooviness]

Here are some pictures from Columbia County, Wisconsin.

 

[Shanson]

Interesting. Texas route for it shows it going East and avoiding San Antonio .

Wonder if the flooding might make them detour west and we'd be able to see it passing

It should pass through Victoria. Gas up your car. And take the day off work.

 

[sporksradiant]

It should pass through Victoria. Gas up your car. And take the day off work.

No car unfortunately. Can't drive due to disability.

Wish we could. If it were using UP lines from Houston, we could sit at the park near my house and watch it, as we did with Big Boy when it left San Antonio

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

This is pretty cool - though I will say it's very "rainbow fleet" in some ways.

 

[west point]

The engine certainly runs a very clean stack. Can you imagine those persons who know steam locos but has not heard of the tour how startled they would be seeing the train and its higher pitch whistle.?