BNSF, NS, Metra & CTA Action at Douglas Park, Chicago, 13.06.11

For lack of an official name that I know of, I am calling this location Douglas Park, since its namesake park is just a block to the north. Here, BNSF's "racetrack" main line crosses under Chicago Transit Authority's Pink Line 'L' (formerly the Cermak Branch of the Blue Line). The racetrack here has four tracks. Western Avenue Yard and an interchange to CSX/B&OCT and UP are just to the east, and Clyde Yard in Cicero is not far to the west. Road freights to/from Western Ave, the B&OCT/UP line, or connections elsewhere via 21st St/Canal Street at the end of the "racetrack" downtown, pass through, as do all BNSF Metra trains and Amtrak trains running on this line. It also sees heavy coal traffic, and of course, 'L' trains pass overhead constantly. Crossovers are located on the main line on either side of the 'L'.

Train 1:
Mostly unseen on the elevated structure above, a CTA Pink Line train heads to the California Avenue stop and the Loop.

Train 2:
A run-through Norfolk Southern freight proceeds west on the "racetrack", having accessed it from NS home rails at 21st St via the Canal Street Wye near the Amtrak shops downtown. NS C40-9W #9843 and SD70 #2563 lead.

Train 3:
A Pink Line 'L' train heads west toward 54th/Cermak in Cicero / Berwyn.

Train 4;
Light power heads west from Western Avenue Yard: straight-GP38 #2308 in Heritage One paint, and ex-BN GP28M #1515 in Cascade Green.

Train 5:
Another Loop-bound Pink Line train passes overhead.

Train 6:
Inbound Metra BNSF Line train #1264 from Aurora is six cars long and pushed by F40PHM-2 ("Winnebago") #195 as it passes under the 'L'.

Train 7:
BNSF SD70MAC #8872 and ES44ACs #6173 and 6170 lead a loaded coal drag east. It will wait at Western Avenue until cleared to proceed through Union Avenue Interlocking, either to downstate Illinois via the St Charles Air Line, or Northwest Indiana via 21st/Canal St and the NS Chicago Line.

Train 8:
Another eastbound coal train waits further west on the main line.

Train 9:
As the coal drag clears, another Pink Line train heads to 54th/Cermak.

~Thanks for watching!~

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• BNSF
• Burlington Northern Santa Fe
• NS
• Norfolk Southern
• Metra
• CTA
• Chicago Transit Authority
• el
• elevated
• metro
• subway
• Pink Line
• Douglas Park
• Chicago
• IL
• Illinois
• freight
• manifest
• coal drag
• commuter
• passenger
• Chicago Sub
• racetrack
• main
• GP28
• GP38
• F40PHM-2
• SD70MAC
• SD70
• C40-9
• ES44AC
• Dash-9
• GEVO
• train
• trains
• rail
• railroad
• railway
• railfan

[UPDetector]

Nice catches

[quimbyt]

You should have had your camera in Oswego today, we had a plane crash. I was close by when it happened, but no camera.