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Want to clarify a couple things out of this. First, modification of an amateur radio to transmit outside of the amateur bands is not illegal in itself, it only becomes illegal if you use it to do something illegal such as transmit where you shouldn't be. MARS/CAP modifications serve an important purpose and do exactly this, the difference is those operators have permission. Simply having a radio capable (key word there) of transmitting outside where you have authorization is not illegal, whether it came that way or it was modified. It may void the type acceptance or warranty, but it doesn't make the radio illegal per se unless you use it for something illegal. The UV-5R absolutely can transmit on railroad bands, depending on how old it is and probably more importantly where you got it. Older UV-5Rs and similar came wide open, and I have never bought one that actually came locked to amateur frequencies like it was supposed to be. If the radio is Part 15 certified it may actually be locked now, I don't know, and I'm honestly not sure if they can be expanded through software, but I would guess yes. Part 90 radios are designed (supposedly) for use by public safety and similar services and definitely do not require modification to operate on those frequencies, including railroad frequencies. The user may have to unlock it in software, but the capability is there when it's brand new. In the bigger picture it really isn't a big speed bump for those with malicious intent. Compare this with Yaesu, Icom, etc which cannot transmit outside amateur bands without hardware modifications that most people wouldn't bother with. There's a difference. My point with talking about these radios is to be careful with them if you choose to go with one for whatever reason. Some may not be capable of it, but they were sold for YEARS with that capability and especially if you're buying on a site like eBay you may not know what you're getting.

@@TylerTheCentralILRailfan Thank you for clarifying as you clearly know much more about this stuff than I do. My UV-5R is newer, and as such is locked to the amateur range of frequencies. And yes, it's stupid for a non-employee to transmit for any reason with any radio on the railroad bands.

Nice to be back!

Thank ya and thanks for watching!

It should be because IG4LB has started running again. Before, Long Beach blocks ran to Santa Teresa on IG4SIB then moved on to ISILB. With G4LB running again those blocks were removed from G4SI. The difference would be noticed as less international containers on IG4SIB. I’m not sure what they’re doing with Tucson blocks, as far as I know they’re still running on G4SIB. Thanks for watching!

All the time, yes. Bensenville will usually only use symbol to ID, B17 usually only uses symbols unless they call multiple times and are trying to narrow down who they’re calling. The Elgin, C&M, and KC Drawbridge all use symbols except for things like track warrants on the Chicago Sub where you have to use engine numbers for safety. When calling dispatchers trains usually only use symbol, but can use both, and after passing a detector they’ll usually use both too.

Thanks and welcome!

Regular eastbounds are 181 and 252, regular westbounds are 180 and 253. The eastbounds sometimes come in during daylight but can be all over the place as far as timing. 180 usually leaves Bensenville between 8-8:30 PM, 253 usually leaves between 9:30-11:30 PM. If you’re lucky you’ll get an ethanol train during the day, they’re averaging a couple a week lately, but these are pretty unpredictable and can run any time of day. K68 is the local for the Chicago Sub that runs during the day but it rarely goes east of Pingree Grove and never east of Randall Road.

Unfortunately no. There’s a local that runs south from Janesville sometime after evening rush hour to Proviso and back north the next morning but that’s about it unless they run an extra.

Photoshop for overlays and any stills, Audacity for audio, Adobe Premiere Elements to put it all together.

Thanks for watching!

As far as Metra, on Saturdays they generally run every 2 hours except they're every hour inbound in the morning and outbound in the afternoon. Intermodal, you won't see much. The only trains you may see are 132/133, which run most of the way as CSX I166/I165 and take the IHB. These (I think) run out of Schiller Park so you'd only be able to see them as they cross at Tower B12. I'm also not sure on the timing of these. The other C&M Sub intermodal trains always use the west end of Bensenville and do not run through FP. For manifests, your easiest catch will be 247 to St. Paul if it runs out the east end of Bensenville towards Tower A5 like normal. You can usually expect it sometime between 11 AM and 1 PM. It sometimes-but not normally-does run out the west end though at B17 and you wouldn't see it. Its southbound counterpart 246 very very very rarely can be seen east of Bensenville, it virtually always uses the west end. 248/249 are to/from the Belt Railway of Chicago's Clearing Yard and almost always runs through FP, although 249 has been known to shove back after coming off the BRC clear of A5 and running that way in which case it wouldn't. NS 17V from Elkhart to Bensenville also run through FP, although timing is a bit all over the place. I believe the IHB has a run too but I'm not familiar with it. 230 to Toronto usually runs out after the evening rush (7-9 PMish), but 231 usually comes in sometime in the morning or midday. Both those trains run via the BRC. 230/231 are manifests but MAY have intermodal: these trains were carved out of the former 130/131, which in turn was once 140/141. They became more manifest than intermodal so they changed the symbol. There are a ton of locals and transfers that run all throughout the day. YPRCP comes off the IHB from the UP at Proviso and comes in early, sometimes before sunrise and sometimes after. The power for that train (usually something UP) then becomes I41 back to Proviso at some point. I45 and I56 are to the BRC Clearing Yard, I57 and I59 are back from it. I52 runs to the NS Calumet Yard. I47 is the local that actually works the Elgin Sub, running east M-W-F, but usually runs at night. There are 2 intermodal transfer jobs that you can see running between Bensenville and Schiller Park: IY11 runs midday, IY21 runs evenings, although not sure they run on weekends. You've also got a metric ton of bulk trains that run at various times and various regularities. Ethanol is the most common, with sand probably 2nd. These run fairly regularly but are mostly unpredictable. For the ethanol trains if it has NS power it's probably 540/541. If it has CSX it's probably 546/547. Westbounds are interchanged from either CSX or NS at Bensenville, while eastbounds will run past Bensenville to either CSX Barr Yard on the IHB or Rockwell Street Yard on the BRC for the NS. You may also see 528/529 which is also ethanol but is entirely a CPKC train on either end of Bensenville and doesn't run very often. I believe these run via the BRC. There isn't really a time I would recommend that's better than any other on the weekends, it just depends on the day. If you can, bring a radio. You can get away with just listening to 161.520 (AAR 094, road channel for the Elgin Sub), although there are a bunch of channels that the yard uses that you may or may not want to listen to-sometimes I do, but I find if the yard is busy they can tie up the radio and make me miss things. Anything that leaves yard limits to the east will talk to the CPKC Elgin Dispatcher, anything to the west will talk to Tower B17 (and sometimes also the dispatcher to set up PTC or mark up). IHB also has their own channels, as does the CN that crosses at B12.

@@TylerTheCentralILRailfan Thanks for the info

I haven’t been there yet except riding through on Amtrak, but it is on the list! Problem is a lot of trips like this one are done in conjunction with something else I have to do in the area and I hardly ever have another reason to get down towards Joliet.

@@TylerTheCentralILRailfan That is fair. def worth finding a reason to makeit down there! IAIS goes through about 7:30-9pm on weeknights, only reasonable time to see a freight cross all 4 diamonds. Hope you can make it down there sometime soon

Google ATCS Monitor, the group you have to join to download it should come up.

@@TylerTheCentralILRailfan oh thanks