Driving down on the 3rd, I only stopped for one train and to do some scouting around a few spots I’ve wanted to get shots from. The one train, an 870 series CP coking coal train stopped just north of B17 waiting to get into Bensenville Yard.
The morning of the 4th, I was out before dawn heading north towards the Rondout and Waukegan areas. Train traffic was not heavy but there was still plenty to keep me entertained. Right off the bat when I got to Rondout, the local was pulling out of the controlled siding heading north with an interesting mix of GP38-2’s, one rebuilt from a Southern GP38, an original SOO GP38-2 now in Candy Apple red and another rebuilt from a GP40X.
A few minutes after the local cleared, 870 rolled south
As this was going on, EJ&E’s Long West was switching in their yard just west of the diamond using 5 of the railroads SD38-2’s. Unfortunately, with the time of day and the direction of the train, they were severely backlit.
Next up in short order was Amtrak’s Hiawatha Service train 330 southward with an NPCU and the Wheel of Fortune car at the front
Heading up towards Waukegan, I caught a UP yard job heading south to pull one lumber car from an industry in North Chicago
Also in Waukegan was the EJ&E’s only GP38-2
Metra trains lined up waiting out the holiday
An old C&NW bay window caboose buried in the yard around the coal train power
Wandering my way back to Rondout, I came across a UP coal heading north with a DPU at the rear
Back in Rondout, a Metra train crossing over towards the Fox Lake Branch…
…and the EJ&E tied down a couple miles south
After that I headed south towards Bensenville Yard catching a northbound CN intermodal near Leithton and getting a crappy shot of it. Not every train I saw will be shown here.
First up once I reached Bensenville was ICE’s MCCNA with DME 6080 leading.
493 heading starting west
Inbound Metra train
One of my favorite shots of the trip, 498 waiting to get into Bensenville with a CEFX 90MAC and a Lufthansa A340 passing overhead
Coke train 891 from the INRD with leased Montana Rail Link power
ICE’s MNACC
295 starting west out of the yard
Over towards Franklin Park…
After a crew change, 498 heads through B12 onto the IHB
UP’s YPRCP coming north on the IHB
And of course M336 doesn’t come south until YPRCP gets there…
After this I took a short trip down to Proviso Yard. Nothing worthwhile from there but roster shots. Back up to Franklin Park, CEFX 101 leads it train into the yard
Back over in Bensenville, CP 8525 waits with its train at the holdout point
In the Elk Grove Village industrial park, Chicago Terminal’s ILSX 921 rests
The next morning started at dawn again. I caught a few train in poor light until catching UP’s MBUPR in Des Plaines
Back into Franklin Park, good power in poor light. A pair of IC GP40’s leading a CN transfer
Long inbound Metra making a station stop
CP’s Southside Job with a SOO GP38-2
M342 pulling south towards B12 on the WC
M346 heads south a few minutes later
MCCNA heads west out of B12
240 starts east from Bensenville
With a SOO leader, 138 pulls out to double its train over
Up in Des Plaines, UP’s MPRBU heads north
On Chicago Terminal’s other spur in the area, ILSX 1396 sits
Franklin Park
A CN unit potash train sits on the West Freight Lead
Soon after I caught X500 (CP’s 242) leaving Bensenville Yard…
…and here is JT’s shot of the same train later that evening near East Saugatuck
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=247775&nseq=1
Rounding the curve just east of B12, X500 is being overtaken by ICE’s MHUCC
CN’s A452 comes south across B12
ICE’s unit ethanol train EAUCC heading east through B17
The only thing I caught of significance on the way on the 6th was the Chicago South Shore’s train to CSX’s Barr Yard at Miller, IN, Z502 to CSX.
