Blue Island Tidbits: Metra, UP & BNSF

By the way, ignore the "IAIS" in the title sequence of this video- I did see an IAIS Geep doing some switching under the Metra bridge, but lost that particular clip...

Starting off, seen from the Western Avenue bridge over the Rock Island District/Iowa Interstate tracks and the Calumet-Saganashkee Channel, a Pace suburban bus northbound on the S Western Ave route, #349, passes overhead while a Metra MP36PH-3S brings 9 bilevels south over the Cal-Sag on the massive Rock Island bridge.

Next, at Blue Island Junction itself, Union Pacific SD70ACe #8648 leads AC4400CW #7866 with an autorack train northbound on the Indiana Harbor Belt, while another 9-car Metra passes overhead.

Closely following is another autorack train, this time BNSF, powered by ES44DC #5721 running solo.

Later on, well into the evening rush at Metra's Rock Island District Blue Island-Vermont Street station, MP36PH-3S leads an outbound express from La Salle Street Station to its first stop here, while a local train prepares to head back to Chicago via the Beverly Branch / Suburban Line. As the express leaves for the southern suburbs and Joliet, an inbound train for the Main Line with 8 cars arrives for reverse-commuters from the 'burbs to Chicago.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Metra
• Rock Island District
• Rock Island
• passenger
• commuter
• train
• rail
• railroad
• railway
• UP
• Union Pacific
• BNSF
• Burlington Northern Santa Fe
• Blue Island
• IL
• Illinois
• Chicago
• Vermont Street
• station
• suburban line
• main line
• Beverly Branch
• MP36PH-3S
• ES44DC
• AC4400CW
• SD70ACe
• railfan
• railfanning

[EaiteRandjamee]

Damn! That UP SD70AC has a nasty horn. The BNSF's horn was a little less harsh :)