LaGrange seems to be an underrated hotspot

[BamaSubdivision94]

Usually when discussing railfanning in Chicago, I rarely see this location mentioned and that baffles me.

You have 2 busy triple track lines crossing over each other in the IHB and BNSF with the former showcasing trains from nearly every Chicago-area railroad and the combined traffic of both mains yields a high number of trains. In addition to the variety and volume of trains passing through, photography is easy, the action is easy to get close to/ the area is publicly accessible, and it's safe. Why doesn't LaGrange get more love?

[railohio]

It is difficult to see everything from one spot, and there are plenty of additional photogenic locations on the BNSF commuter line.

[~Z~]

I went to LaGrange once for about 2 hours, good amount of traffic seen. Didn't find any easy to access spots to just sit though. Sat at two different spots..got moved away by city workers for one. Bama, where do you park at Lagrange that lets you photograph easily? Would like to jot it down for future reference.

[BamaSubdivision94]

Honestly, I've never been lol

I get my info on Chicago from here: http://dhke.com/CRJ/

Here's the link to the LaGrange/ Congress Park page: http://dhke.com/CRJ/lagrange.html

When it comes to travelling there, I say save yourself the trouble of having to find a parking spot and take a Metra train to LaGrange and walk to the crossing from the station. The Location section in the link will give you all the info you need on how to get there whether by train or car and in the case of the latter, it will give you info on parking.

Videos I've seen also show that the area is easily accessible based on how close many seem to be to the IHB.

[cbehr91]

The over-under at Lagrange has crappy access. I think the couple of times I was there with my family a long time ago we parked along Burlington Ave. I hung out at several Metra depots, not always as a Metra passenger, and never had issues. Even saw a Metra cop at Downers Grove and I don't think he gave StupidFleet and I a second look.

If you want Racetrack + freight another spot is the Lavergne depot at the west end of Cicero Yard where the CN ex-IC Iowa Division goes overhead.

[BamaSubdivision94]

The over-under at Lagrange has crappy access. I think the couple of times I was there with my family a long time ago we parked along Burlington Ave. I hung out at several Metra depots, not always as a Metra passenger, and never had issues. Even saw a Metra cop at Downers Grove and I don't think he gave StupidFleet and I a second look.

If you want Racetrack + freight another spot is the Lavergne depot at the west end of Cicero Yard where the CN ex-IC Iowa Division goes overhead.

How so?

[cbehr91]

How so?

If you're referring to where the IHB goes under the BN, then there's just a narrow strip of grass between you, the busy street and the IHB.

[penn central]

I used to really like going to LaGrange until April of 2000 that's when they started booting people off the overpass, Years ago i started going there in May of 1989, Back then a person could stand on the over and under i got some nice down on IHB shots i have a pic of a cluster of train watchers standing on the overpass with me. The good old days when we still had the E9's in commuter service on the BN. I was told that a railfan got injured on the overpass and has been off limits since.