21st Street Junction, also known as Alton Junction was once the busiest junction in Chicago. Located just South of Chicago Union Station and the Chicago River on the edge of Chinatown, 21st Street hosted a diverse amount of passenger and freight traffic. From the South going North, the Pennsylvania and C&WI Parrelled. The C&WI Curved to the East and crossed the PRR as it led to Dearborn Station (long gone.) The PRR has a huge bascule bridge leading into the Station. Several trains for the Erie, Grand Trunk, Wabash, etc used the C&WI line to get into Dearborn. From the West, a ATSF passenger route and IC/GM&O line entered the junction and crossed the PRR and C&WI. The ATSF continued to Dearborn and the IC continued to long gone Central Station. GM&O trains took the connector in the Northwest quadrant of the junction that connected with the PRR over the river into Union Station. On the other side of the river, the old CB&Q "Racetrack" formed a wye once it reached the PRR tracks. 21st Street was an important meeting point for freight trains interchanging onto another railroad.
Present-day 21st Street is no where as near as busy or diverse as it once was. The 20+ diamonds have narrowed down to 4 with only two lines crossing at grade here. Theres still a connector in the Northwest quadrant leading to Union Station. The North-South PRR line leading into Union Station still exists, being owned by NS and Amtrak now. Amtrak trains to Michigan and points further East get onto the old PRR near Englewood, where they were on the ex. NYC before. The C&WI quad-main going North over the PRR is gone. It now joins with the NS/PRR at the diamonds and from there to 74th Street, Metra owns the line. Metra Southwest Service trains to Manhatten and Orland Park use the line. South of that, UP owns it and calls it the Villa Grove Subdivision. It passes through familiar junctions such as Dolton and Thornton South of here. The IC Line Still exists, now as the CN Chicago Subdivision still crossing the NS/PRR at grade. The GM&O freight tracks East of the junction are gone. Freight traffic can come from the NS/NYC, NS/Wabash or any other roads or yards South of here. Trains from the BNSF get on the NS North of here and vice versa.
The CN Chicago Subdivision is formed West of here at Bridgeport, where the CN/IC Freeport Subdivision meets the CN/IC Joliet Subdivision, an Amtrak and Heritage Corridor Metra Line. At 21st Street, the Amtrak and Metra off the CN/IC take the Northwest connector leading to the NS into Union Station. Continuing East on the Chicago Subdivision East of 21st Street is 16th Street, another bottleneck where the St Charles Airline out of Union Station meets it. Amtrak Saluki, Illini and CONO trains take it to get to the Chicago Subdivision. They cross the MetraRI line at grade here too. Freight traffic East of 16th Street is sparse now since CN owns the EJ&E. Current plans A few regular freights from the BNSF take the St Charles Airline to the CN and continue South. The BNSF Racetrack North of the river ends here and forms a wye where trains freight traffic can interchange to and from the NS. Amtrak and Metra go North to Union Station off the BNSF.
For more info about this spot, follow the link!
http://www.dhke.com/CRJ/21street.html
Without further ado, heres the line-up!
12:10PM-
Just after noon, a UP light power move from the NS/UP yard heads to the NS/PRR main to get wyed across the river. Meeting it is Amtrak Pere Marquette 371 which hopped off the NS/NYC Chicago Line South of here.
UP SD70M #3855
UP SD70M #4623
P42DC #35
P42DC #127
12:12PM-
From the West on the CN/IC, Amtrak Lincoln Service 350 is seen taking the connector leading to the NS that will eventually turn into Amtrak trackage into CUS.
NPCU #90218
P42DC #29
12:21PM-
The UP power is now wyed and heads back over the bridge into the yard.
12:22PM-
Amtrak's Wolverine 352 starts it's journey South down the PRR where it will eventually hook up with the NYC and go East.
P42DC #30
NPCU #90200
12:28PM-
The huge Chicago River lift bridge sounds a warning horn and begins to lift for a boat entering the marina next to it. The operator's cabin is actually on top of the span itself and lifts with it.
12:41PM-
Metra Southwest Service 815 heads South out of CUS doubleheaded. This is one of a few trains that goes all the way to Manhatten. Literally the end of the line.
F40PH-2 #183
F40PH-2 #113
12:54PM-
One of the things this line is known for is an abundance in Conrail power. Here, a C40-8W still in Conrail blue leads a manifest North to the BNSF, where it will eventually go West down the Racetrack.
NS C40-8W #8373
NS C40-9W #9423
1:22PM-
I looked off to the right and saw some CN light power slowly moving West on the CN/IC Chicago Sub. I was able to get ahead of it to Bridgeport Jct. It took the now lightly used Freeport Sub to Hawthorne Yard.
(c) 9th Street Productions.
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6:31
Arriving at Chicago Union Station on the Metra Milwaukee District West Lineby AmtrakBNSF7,236 views
were you surprised by the bridge going up
JasonsStories 1 year ago
i meant 2 trains at the same time you get the rest
JasonsStories 1 year ago
2 trains at the ame time nice catch
JasonsStories 1 year ago
@Amtrak1194
Thanks for the info!
DaringDramis 1 year ago
@Jabbajawz4life That's not the Hiawatha.
Everything in this video is arriving North into Union Station.
The Hiawatha would be arriving South.
Amtrak1194 1 year ago
@DaringDramis BNSF still has it's own commuter line but it is operated in cooperation with Metra. So the cars with both Metra and BNSF on them are just commuter cars operated on BNSF trackage but are operated by Metra.
Amtrak1194 1 year ago
Amazing bridge!! Great camerawork Frank,
modemeyes 1 year ago
Looks like a good spot to video trains
tyrbolo 1 year ago
That was great! The very first scene, with the UP power move racing with the Amtrak, was of a great timing.
The clouds hiding the sunlight have produced some interesting effects. It was a good idea to show the bridge raising.
Question : why does the BNSF crest appears on Metra's cars? Does the BNSF own Metra?
Two words for your work : timing and variety.
DaringDramis 1 year ago
What can I say!Awesome!You are a very lucky railfan......
Deathcult82 1 year ago