APRIL2008.html

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CHICAGO RAILExperts

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APRIL 2008

MARCH 2008

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APRIL 30 2008

49°F - Clear - 54% - ENE 13mph - 7:20pm

MP2 -WB ia SCAL to BNSF main - empty coal - 6:40pm

BNSF9793 (SD70MAC) + BNSF9868 (SD70MAC)

Indiana Ave - NB - mixed - 5:40pm

CN/IC2720 (C44-9W) leads. . . .

. . . .CN5412 (SD50F) + CN/GTW5945 (SD40-3)

Lunch at the Soundings restaurant

Salads - Wine - water

MP2 - NB - mixed - 12:40pm

IC1031 (SD70) + IC6060 (not on my roster) - SD40-2

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - City of New Orleans - 9:40am

Amtrak47 (P42DC) + 5

APRIL 29 2008

Lunch -Frankie's Scaloppine (900 N Michigan Ave)

Baked Spaghetti w/marinara sauce / Cabernet and H20 - Taste Rating (B)

The beautiful Chicago River - Trump Tower to right

Stopped at the car dealer to see if my new wheels were ready - They also sell Bentley

MP2 - SB - mixed - 1:13pm

CN5619 (SD70i) + CN5513 (SD60F) + CN/IC9561 (GP38-2( + WC3022 (GP40). . . .

. . . .lead GCFX3022, 3091, 3061 (all SD40/SD40-2)

At Metra (Roosevelt/Canal

BNSF2871 (GP39M) doing the switching

At AMTRAK Lumber Street

Amtrak508 (P32-8) bringing a couple of Creative Charters cars to join others

16th / Clark [Chicago] - NB - mixed - 7:35am & still waiting at 7:10pm on main 1

CN5602 (SD70i) + IC6052 (SD40-2)

APRIL 28 2008

38°F - Rain/Snow - 93% - N 12mph - 5:35pm

Freeze warning in effect from midnight tonight to 7 am CDT Tuesday

MP2 - NB - mixed - 5:21pm in the rain/snow

UP2259 (SD60M) + CN5267 (SD40-2W)

MP2 - NB - mixed - 2:50pm

CN2504 (C44-9WL) + CN5411 (SD50F)

MP2 - EB/SB - loaded coal - off BNSF main - 2:00pm

BNSF9868 & 9793 (SD70MACs) lead. . . .

. . . .while BNSF5927 (ES44AC) pushes on the rear

MP2 - WB via SCAL to BNSF main - Empty coal - 12:53pm

BNSF6124 (ES44AC) + BNSF5993 (ES44AC) + BNSF8601 (B40-8) + BNSF502 (B40-8W)

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - Saluki on main1 - 12:48pm

Amtrak151 (P42DC) + 4

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - City of N.O. - 9:07

Amtrak80 (P42DC) + 7

MP2 - Outbound to Carbondale (in the rain) - Saluki - 8:32am

Amtrak16 (P42DC) + 4

Private Cars: Bella Vista & Sierra Hotel at Amtrak Lumber Street Yard - Chicago

APRIL 27 2008

54°F - Partly Cloudy - 37% - W 10mph - 7:30pm

MP2 - NB - grain/tank - 7:19pm

CN5771 (SD75i) + CN/IC2458 (C40-8M) + IC1010 (SD70)

Went to lunch at Friday's - Midway Airport

We share an appetizer of mini-cheeseburgers

Everybody had Ribs & Wine

On the way back . . . .

. . . .We took the Orange Line from Midway

. . . .

We saw. . . .

Santa Fe710 9 (Dash9-44CW) on the GTW/BNSF at Kedzie and . . . .

CSX7645 (C40-8) + BNSF2233 (GP38) the CSX N-S main east of Western Ave.

and. . . .

. . . . a GreenLine train waiting for our train to go by at Chinatown and . . . .

. . . .on the St Charles Air Line - waiting at 16th/Clark as our Orange Line train passed above

CN/IC6132 (SD40-2) + IC1033 (SD70) + IC1016 (SD70) + CN5541 (SD60) + IC1029 (SD70)

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - Very late CNO - 12:32pm - Memphis, TN trouble?

AMTRAK23 (P42DC) + 5 plus. . . .

. . . .a Santa Fe private car and Central Pacific Promontory Point private car

MP2 - SB - mixed - 121:30am

CN/IC2711 (C44-9W) + CN/IC2464 (C40-8W) + GTW4926 (GP38-2)

Insiana Avenue (Chicago) - SB - grain/tank - 8:48am

CN2559 (C44-9W) leads . . . .

. . . . CN2428 (C40-8M) with a short freight

APRIL 26 2008

56°F - Clear - 31% - W 18mph - 7:45pm

MP2 - NB - mixed - 7:33pm

CN5790 (SD75i) + CN/GTW5940 (SD40-3)

MP2 - EB/SB - loaded coal - 5:55pm

BNSF8918 (SD70MAC) + BNSF5894 (ES44AC) with. . . .

BNSF9333 (SD70ACe) crossing Indiana Ave on the Rear

[With 30-40mph winds, this is not an easy task today on the balcony]

MP2- NB - mixed - 4:44pm

CN5776 (SD75i) + CN2603 (C44-9W) + GCFX3061 + 3080 + 3091 (SD40 or SD40-2)

Todays delight - Quarter Pounder w/Cheese meal

Cost more than eating at Bennigan's

MP2 - NB - mixed - 10:25am

CN8003 (SD70M-2) + IC1024 (SD70) + CN5693 (SD75i)

MP2 - SB - mixed - 8:47am

IC1029 (SD70) + CN5341 (SD40-2W) + IC1016 (SD70)

APRIL 25 2008

68°F - T-Storms - 84% - SSW 22 - 8:55pm

MP2 - NB - mixed - 6:42pm

CN5529 (SD60F) + CN/IC2456 (C40-8W) + IC6013 (SD40A-2R)

Scene of tragic accident - Cermak/Chinatown "L" station - 6:40pm

2 dead - 19 injured (Red Line shut down) You can see the semi (white truck under the "L"

station) went a long way past Cermak Road

The image

Semi runs in to Cermak/Chinatown station killing 2

MP2 - SB - mixed - 1:49pm

CN2637 (C44-9W) + CN5523 (SD60F) + CN5790 (SD75i)

MP2 - SB - mixed - 1:48pm

CN5502 (SD60F) + CN5562 (SD60F) + CN8813 (SD75i)

Loaded coal - 12:53 pm

BNSF9330 (SD70ACe) + BNSF9609 (SD70MAC) . . . .

. . . . with helper 9731 (SD70MAC) pushing on the rear

Amtrak Saluki meets SB BNSF coal on the SCAL

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - Saluki - 12:44pm

Amtrak68 (P42DC) + 4

MP2 - NB - mixed - 11:28am

CN5268 (SD40-2W) + CN5507 (SD60F)

The C&O train now at Lumber Street Yard (Chicago with an Amtrak California Superliner

Outbound South Shore commuter train at 14th Street

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - City of New Orleans - 8:50am

Amtrak80 (P42DC) + Amtrak504 (P32-8) + 6 + 1

Bringing up the rear -

C&O Chappel Hill

On the St Charles AirLine crossing the old Dearborn Station C&WI roadbed

APRIL 24 2008

Lunch at the Shedd Aquarium

Chop Salad w/Chicken & bacon / Benzinger Cabernet / Goldfish crackers

and Lake Michigan water (I hope its not from the fish tanks)

(Taste Rating: B)

Found another furry creature on the way to lunch

MP2 - SB - mixed - 11:20am

UP9115 (C40-8) + UP2253 (SD60M + CN/IC6103 (SD40-2) + CN5646 (SD75i) . . . .

. . . .GCFX3091 (ExCP SD40-2) + GCFX3080 (exCP SD40) + GCFX3061 (SD40-2)

APRIL 23 2008

61°F - Clear - 31% - ENE 14 - 7:30pm

RAILChicago office - my home - a big guy looking over the Field Museum

Another furry creature at Northerly Island

MP2 - WB - empty coal going to BNSF main via SCAL - 2:58 and sitting at 16/Clark at 6:35pm

BNSF6943 and 7128 (both SD40-2) - unusual coal train power

Going jogging - my workday is over

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - Saluki - 2:27pm

Amtrak162 (P42DC) + 4

It's Bennigans Wednesday $4.99 hamburger Day (Taste Rating B+)

John's Burger - Blackstone Merlot

Outside of Bennigans - the beginning of US 66

MP2 - SB - mixed - 9:05am

CN5519 (SD60F) + NS8761 (C40-8)

One of my favorite cars - At Amtrak Lumber Street Yard (Chicago) - 7:45am

Five Videos - Dan Aykroyd gives a tour of his train car

APRIL 22 2008

73°F - Mostly Cloudy - 46% - S 12 - 3:00pm

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MP2 - SB - mixed - 9:10am

CN5715 (SD75i) + CN/GTW5946 (SD40-3) + UP2157 (SD60) + CN/IC6101 (SD40-2)

Found Nemo's friend having a snack during my jogging today.

CTA - White Sox Bus - on Michigan Ave

Out for a swim in Lake Michigan

The beautiful Roosevelt Road Metra Station

Even the sign is falling off the roof

APRIL 21 2008

63°F - Cloudy - 63% - ESE 09 - 8:50pm

Another earthquake (15 aftershocks) reported at 12:30am - 4.6 magnitude

This keeps up and Chicago is going to fall into Lake Michigan

As I was jogging on the 18th Street Overpass - Metra Electric at rush hour -

a SouthBound Metra train arrives

Spring / Love in Chicago

Lunch at Houlihan's

French Dip / Chips & Salsa / Lake Michigan water / Forest Gen Merlot

(We split the bottle)

MP2 - SB - mixed - 1:57pm

CN5712 (SD75i) + UP9359 (C40-8W)

MP2 - NB - mixed - 9:19am

CN2676 & CN 2562 (both C44-9W)

APRIL 20 2008

46°F - Clear - 55% - N 00 - 9:30pm

Full Moon over Lake Michigan - 9:10pm

MP2 - SB - mixed - 6:17pm

CN2686 (C44-9W) + CN5766 (SD75i) + IC 1016 (SD70)

Indiana Ave (Chicago) - NB - mixed - 3:40pm

CN2547 (C44-9W) leads . . . .

. . . . CN5246 (SD40-2W)

A beautiful Chicago Day with a cute girl

The Field Museum

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - City of N.O. - 9:05am

Amtrak47 (P42DC) +6

MP2 - SB - 7engines (see below) with mixed freight - 6:55am

CN5438 (SD50F) + CN/IC6011 (SD40-2) lead . . . .

. . . . IC/GTW4901 (GP38-2) + IC6001 (SD40A-2R). . . .

. . . . CN5457 (SD50F) + IC1029 (SD70) and . . . .

. . . . CN2685 (C44-9W) in the bright morning sun

APRIL 19 2008

55°F - Rain / Fog - 81% - ESE 05 - 5:50pm

MP2 - WN - empty coal - in the rain - 5:37pm

BNSF5212 and BNSF5181 (both Dash9-44CW)

MP2 - SB - mixed - 4:00pm

CN5540 (SD60F) + CN/IC1039 (SD70) - only SD70 in CN paint

CTA / GOOGLE "L CAR at Roosevelt Road

St Charles Air Line crossing old Dearborn Station ROW - WB - empty coal

BNSF9929 (SD70MAC) + BNSF9497 (SD70MAC) + BNSF9371 (SD70ACe)

Crossing Indiana Ave (Chicago) - NB - mixed - 9:04am

CN2513 (C44-9WL) leads. . . .

. . . .CN5778 (SD75i)

Coast Guard directing boat traffic, bridge is up, to let sail boats go up the Chicago River

to Lake Michigan - 8:55am

MP2 - Outbound to Carbondale - Saluki - 8:37am

Amtrak85 (P42DC) + 4

Still with graffiti from breakdown in Urbana, IL last year

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - City of N.O. - 8:31am

Amtrak136 (P42DC) + 5

APRIL 18 2008

67°F - Light Rain - 67% - S 10 - 9:15pm

4:40am - Magnitude 5.4 EARTHQUAKE shook Chicago

Aftershocks (10:15am) rattle Chicago, Midwest

MP2 - NB - mixed - 11:50am - departed 16th/Clark @ 2:00pm

CN5327 (SD40-2W) + IC1032 (SD70)

APRIL 17 2008

50°F - Partly Sunny - 55% - E 10 - 6:40pm

MP2 - NB - mixed - 7:35pm

A pair of CN SD40-2W at the signals

MP2 - NB - mixed - 3:45PM - still there at 6:25pm

CN/IC6101 (SD40-2) + UP2157 (SD60) + CN/GTW5946 (SD40-3)

Lake Michigan with the Adler Planetarium in the background

Trees in bloom in Grant Park

The BP Bridge

Skline from the BP Bridge

The "Bean" at Millennium Park

Oh NO! Besides the straw & lemon - what is in the Lake Michigan water?

Today at Bennigan's again! However we are at the South Water Street & Michigan Ave restaurant

Chicken Tenders + Mozzarella Cheese sticks + Desert for $8.99

But I did have Lake Michigan water & Merlot

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - Saluki - 1:10PM

AMTRAK69 (P42DC) + 4

MP2 - NB - mixed - 12:56PM

CN2563 (C44-9W) + CN5417 (SD50F) + BNSF5767 + 6005 (both ES44AC)

MP2 - SB - mixed - 12:10pm

CN2512 + CN2501 (both C44-9WL)

Lumber Street Yard (AMTRAK) sees 2 Amtrak P32-B in new paint and Amtrak790 (SW10)

with a barge in the Chicago River heading south - 9:50am

Lumber Street Yard (AMTRAK) sees an old scheme AMTRAK518 (P32-8) moving the Amtrak Express cars - 9:45am

The image

Southwest Airlines is "honoring" Illinois with an eyeball-rapingly hideous plane called "Illinois One."

The eagle got older on the Southwest plane

APRIL 16 2008

MP2 - SB - mixed - 3:37pm

CN2401 (C40-8M) + WC6005 (SD40-2) + UP2477 (SD60M)

Spring is here - White Caps on Lake Michigan - boats returning to moorings

Soldier Field and Northerly Island - CHICAGO

Another hamburger day - $4.99 Bennigan's Wednesday

Hamburger - Merlot - Lake Michigan Water w/lemon

Nemo snoozing on the printer

MP2 - NB - mixed - 11:10am

CN2658 (C44-9W) + NS6622 (SD60) smoking it up

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - City of N.O. - 10:24am

Amtrak136 (P42DC) + 5

Amtrak Lumber Street Yard - Chicago

Ancient ex-Santa Fe Hi-Level car with a herd of Private Cars

APRIL 15 2008

MP2 - NB - mixed - @6:20pm

CN5519 (SD60F) + CN5427 (SD50F) + CN5246 (SD40-2W)

Lunch at the Soundings Restaurant - nothing like yesterdays feast

Bacon-Cheese Angus Burger - Benzinger Cabernet and Lake Michigan Water

Top of South Shore commuter car

South Shore commuter train at Roosevelt Road Station

Opening soon at Museum Campus/Central Station

$400,000 - $2,500,000 condos (sold out)

MP2 - SB - mixed - 10:22am

CN2686 (C44-9W) + CN5542 (SD60F) + CN5251 (SD40-2W)

APRIL 14 2008

Late Lunch / Early Dinner at the Park Grill (below the "Bean" at Millenium Park

180z Bone-In Ribeye / R.B. Cohn Cabernet / Lake Michigan Water

Safwty Meeting at 30 N. Michigan gave the crew a nice view of Millennium Park

with the "Bean" atop the Park Grill

MP2 - SB - Mixed - 10:18am

CN2646 (C44-9W) + CN/IC2465 (C40-8W)

MP2 - mixed - 9:07am

CN5737 (SD75i) + UP2157 (SD60) + CN/IC6101 (SD40-2)

Indiana Avenue (Chicago) - Inbound to Chicago - City of N.O. - 8:50am

AMTRAK90 (P42DC) + 5

MP2 - Outbound to Carbondale - Saluki on new schedule - 8:31am

AMTRAK59 (P42DC) + 4

APRIL 13 2008

APRIL 13 2008

36°F - Mostly Cloudy - 70% - NNE 10mph - 8:05pm

MP2 - NB mixed - 7:30pm

CN/IC9635 (GP38-2) + GTW4921 (GP38-2)

MP2 - SB mixed - 6:20pm

CN5778 (SD75i) + CN2513 (C44-9WL)

MP2 - NB/WB - empty coal - 1:19pm

Santa Fe/BNSF 734 (Dash9-44CW) + CN5401 (SD50F)

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - Saluki - 1:00pm

AMTRAK69 (P42DC) + 4 coaches -[No Cafe/Business Class car]

MP2 - SB - grain - 8:13am

UP9432 (C41-8W) + UP2206 (SD60)

AMTRAK Lumber Street Yard (Chicago) - 7:45am

Amtrak126 (P42DC) and a few Private cars

APRIL 12 2008

37°F - OVERCAST - 76% - N 18mph - 7:40pm

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - Saluki - 1:14pm

AMTRAK68 (P42DC) + 4

MP2 (Heavy Action today) - NB - mixed - 11:02

CN8012 (SD70M-2) - IC6250 (SD40-3) - CN9525 (GP40-2LW not roster listed) - CN2420 (C40-8M)

CN9525 (not listed on my roster) crossing Indiana Ave (Chicago)

MP2 - SB - grain/tank - 10:03am

CN5627 (SD75i) + CN5793 (SD75i)

GATX tanks crossing Indiana Ave (Chicago) from train shown above)

Crossing Indiana Ave (Chicago) - Outbound to Carbondale - Saluki - 9:48am

Amtrak165 (P42DC) + 4

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - City of N.O. - 8:22am

AMTRAK94 (P42DC) + 5

MP2 - SB - mixed - 7:00am

CN5342? (SD40-2W) + CN/GTW5943 (SD40-3) + CN/IC6110 (SD40-2)

14th Street/LSD (Chicago) - Inbound to Millenium Park Station - South Shore - 6:55am

APRIL 11 2008

50°F - Overcast - 56% - SW 20mph - 5:10pm

MP2 - WB - BNSF Empty coal - 4:49pm

BNSF1075 (Dash9-44CW) + BNSF5862 (ES44AC)

MP2 - WB - Empty coal - 9:25am

BNSF5756 (ES44AC) + BNSF8939 (SD70MAC)

MP2 - Inbound to Chicago - City of New Orleans - 9:13am

AMTRAK90 (P42DC) + 6