The Best of Metra, Plus Amtrak 145, at Tower A-2, Chicago, 13.02.12

Enjoy the action of the early evening Metra commuter rush on the Milwaukee District North and West Lines and the Union Pacific West Line, as well as Amtrak's Hiawatha Service and Empire Builder. Light power and empty equipment moves to and from the coach yards to Union or Ogilvie stations, F40C #614, "class unit" F40PH #100, the Metra UP-North Line club / lounge car, and Amtrak Phase III Heritage P42DC #145 are all seen, showing off the best of Metra operations on the north side. All of this is framed by the Chicago skyline, Pennsylvania Railroad and Chicago & North Western signalling, and Tower A-2's complicated interlocking. You can hear the almost century-old pneumatic switch machines operating as the towerman lines up dozens of trains through the plant.
~Thanks for watching!~

[@repowers2]

1:45 to 2:00 -- what a great catch!!

[@techadmin7704]

The author climbed up the embankment at Claremont Street where it dead ends on the south side of the tracks just east of Tower A-2. His shot east down the tracks still shows the original Pennsylvania signaling on the right side of the signal bridge. The Pennsylvania RR came up the IHB just west of A-2 and had a yard that ran from Western Avenue east to Canal Street. The PRR freight house ran from Clinton Street, east under the CNW (now UP) and along Canal Street to Fulton. After the Conrail breakup, the yard and rails sat rusting for many years because CSX still serviced an ADM Flour Mill on West Carroll Street, adjacent to the Milwaukee Road. Once the CSX contract ended for the ADM Flour Mill, the yard rails were pulled, the old freight house demolished and the three track main was realigned to accommodate the turn into CUS. All that is left is a siding off the former Milwaukee that allows Metra to switch in/out flour cars. The former Penn RR signaling has since been removed from the bridge since this video was taken.

[@repowers2]

0:15 Ah, that Mars light. Used to see 'em lighting up the trees and skies at night along the Cotton Belt in the rolling terrain of NW Louisiana. I oughta get out to film some nighttime Metra just to see that same effect of the Mars light fanning the sky as the train makes its way to the top... of... the hill... hrm. I think I've spotted a flaw in my plan.

[@Nachtwolf1]

Metra stores equipment for the Heritage Corridor trains in Western Avenue Yard- they run engine-first to, then through Union Station to the South Concourse. The HC trains are usually pretty short, thus the reason you see #100 running engine-first with only three cars.

[@bnsfwarbonnet]

nice catch on metra private car

[@Nachtwolf1]

Thanks. It sure does- Metra is the most diverse commuter railroad in the country.

[@BurlingtonNorthernModeler]

Very cool video. Metra sure has a lot to offer

[@michaelglass4701]

AWESOME

[@CuriousKitty83]

2:11 my favorite bell from metra F40PH Love that bell the most sound nice

[@dwkcamman611]

Excellent!!!

[@METX141railfan]

1:57 the 138 and 157 chase

[@MilwaukeeNorth418]

@Barricade360
Haha 614? Yeah boyii!! she is still kicking as well as her sister 611. They won't be going anywhere any time soon. They soon will be shipped out to be rebuilt.

[@trainkid2007]

Metra is cool

[@steventimlin2136]

WHERE IS THIS SWEET SPOT YOU ARE AT TO RECORD THIS.

[@WindyCityRails]

STEVEN TIMLIN It's here in Chicago.

[@daviddowling9830]

Windy City Rails no shit💩

[@siemenstraffic]

At 4:36 A F40C!

[@Nachtwolf1]

@quimbyt A little bit, yeah. Dig through my videos and there should be a couple shot at La Salle. Of course I have a lot of footage of other places on the Rock... 16th St, Englewood, Gresham, Beverly, Blue Island, Joliet...

[@WillGrimm623]

I still wonder how the PRR got in control of the Milwaukee lines. I've tried researching but still cannot figure out where they routed their trains

[@markcutro4727]

There is a bridge at Sacramento and Chicago that used to have Pennsy slogans on it, it used to look like a shared right of way I lived in that neighborhood as a kid

[@steventimlin2136]

CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC, IM FROM CHICAGO BUT I CANT TELL IF YOUR TRESPASSING OR YOU ARE AT A GREAT PUBLIC VIEWING SPOT. CAPS LOCK IS BROKEN ON THIS LAP TOP BUT IT WORKS OTHERWISE SO I DEAL WITH IT.

[@BossSpringsteen69]

4:59 Best shot. You look beautiful baby.

[@moonoink]

i got some action at blue island and washington heights

[@adharris08]

how many miles do u think those F40c's have now days just curious ???

[@purpleturkey6633]

They probably do. But I'll tell you what, they are sure a lot better looking than those new things they've got now.

[@matthewgerend4917]

1:55 cool😀😄

[@rafaelcuevas1235]

I moved 157

[@d64tv06]

@@rafaelcuevas1235 you are an engineer for metra???

[@themartinezfamily1146]

ISO

[@minecrafy5133]

***** 2 still exist