Railfanning Chicago's Train Stations
Railfanning Chicago's Train Stations
What station (Ogilvie, LaSalle, and Union) is the most railfan friendly? Could I railfan on the platforms, without getting yelled at? I know Amtrak doesn't approve of it, but does Metra?
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tadman
- Railroadfan...fan
- Posts: 163
- Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:55 pm
- Location: Chicago / South Bend / Berrien County
Re: Railfanning Chicago's Train Stations
The commuter stations are all pretty easy to explore. There's so many people so often that they can't really control where you go. At Ogilvie you can start at the headhouse, walk back the platforms to the stairs that take you down to the French Market so you can get a coffee or sandwich. At Randolph, the Metra (downstairs) concourse is two-ended with the main station at the south end and the Illinois Center office tower at the north end. Both have plenty of food and such.
That said, if you want to watch trains go by, you don't necessarily want to be in the station. Roosevelt road crosses over the south approach to CUS as well as the only approach to LaSalle and Randolph. You can catch lots of action from this bridge. The Canal/Kinze crossing covers the north approach to both union station and Ogilvie. That's a great spot for rush hour.
That said, if you want to watch trains go by, you don't necessarily want to be in the station. Roosevelt road crosses over the south approach to CUS as well as the only approach to LaSalle and Randolph. You can catch lots of action from this bridge. The Canal/Kinze crossing covers the north approach to both union station and Ogilvie. That's a great spot for rush hour.