Just train pictures and train stories

This is the entrance to the main terminal. There are several tracks just like these, and for both local and express Metra, and Amtrak trains:

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This station opens at 6 AM, and closes when the last Metra train arrives around 1 AM.
 
metalangel said:
I'd hate for a baby carriage to roll away from me near those stairs... ;)
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Yeah, you would. Pulling luggage up those stairs after getting off the Amtrak is no easy task. Thankfully, I have many years of practice to know how to do it without pulling a muscle.
 
The doors that lead to ALL trains. On the left, Metra. Straight ahead, Amtrak.

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Ticket office is to the right, and the gates are just beyond.
 
South Shore Line Street Running:

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I wonder how people sleep in these neighborhoods. :hmm:
 
MangaReader said:
Probably on a bed, pillows and blankets?

Nice pictures.
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Well, yeah. I'm referring to how they sleep when there's a train going through the street at night. There aren't any quiet zones there that I know of, but I could be wrong.
 
ChicagoBlue2 said:
Well, yeah. I'm referring to how they sleep when there's a train going through the street at night. There aren't any quiet zones there that I know of, but I could be wrong.
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That train is small so it shouldn't be that loud. You should hear/feel mine. I am really close to the train tracks. Since I can't hear, I can tell when a train has come by. If I'm on my desk, I can feel it. If I'm in bed, boy I can feel the rumbling. My tv antenna moves slightly. And that takes few minutes. The train is usually long with a lot of cargo after another.
 
MangaReader said:
That train is small so it shouldn't be that loud. You should hear/feel mine. I am really close to the train tracks. Since I can't hear, I can tell when a train has come by. If I'm on my desk, I can feel it. If I'm in bed, boy I can feel the rumbling. My tv antenna moves slightly. And that takes few minutes. The train is usually long with a lot of cargo after another.
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I'll bet. Speaking of which.......
 
Now this is earth-shaking.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZN5tYIBvlA]The Race is On! Two Hot Shot Intermodals Battle it out with Horn and Speed! - YouTube[/ame]
 
This is a video of the Metra rescuing Amtrak passengers and the cars. The locos were disabled on the Southwest Chief, and they requested Metra to tow the cars back to CUS.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G1OWBsyt8g]Metra train tows Southwest Chief back to Chicago - YouTube[/ame]

Quite a popular video.
 
This is another video of a Metra rescuing a disabled train.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u96ZXBrWlwI]Amtrak Southwest Chief pushed by Metra commuter train at Hinsdale, IL - YouTube[/ame]

This is one of my personal favorites.
 
When an airhose breaks on a freight train:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YOD1gC00LQ]CSX Freight Train Goes Into Emergency! (Extremely Fast Stop) - YouTube[/ame]

Fast, right?
 
diehardbiker said:
I don't think they can stop that fast when most cars are full due to weight. The only possible explanation is most cars are empty for fast stop.
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That's what they think, too. Still though-- not everyday you see a train stop that quickly.
 
Not often but I do see once a while, one of my relative works for ConRail (Now Conway) Railroad, he controls the yard and now retired. I do see trains come and go. When cars are full and at max number of cars, it takes forever for them to get start running. But if cars are empty, no problem get going fast or slow down quickly. Most common trains that you see stop fast and zoom out fast is Amtrak.

ChicagoBlue2 said:
That's what they think, too. Still though-- not everyday you see a train stop that quickly.
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diehardbiker said:
Not often but I do see once a while, one of my relative works for ConRail (Now Conway) Railroad, he controls the yard and now retired. I do see trains come and go. When cars are full and at max number of cars, it takes forever for them to get start running. But if cars are empty, no problem get going fast or slow down quickly. Most common trains that you see stop fast and zoom out fast is Amtrak.
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Yes, and the Metra, too, because they run express trains on almost every line, and a quick stop is necessary if an emergency happens. Same with the Amtrak.
 
This is Conception St in Florida. This crossing is unusual, and I like it. I don't know the exact location, but it's on a highway-- sign is in the upper right hand corner.

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For those of you who live in Florida, you may know where this is.
 
ChicagoBlue2 said:
This is Conception St in Florida. This crossing is unusual, and I like it. I don't know the exact location, but it's on a highway-- sign is in the upper right hand corner.

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For those of you who live in Florida, you may know where this is.
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I believe its a busy street like a Boulevard and has entrance ramps to the highways... I doubt there is ever a train track crossing an actual highway (except by bridge or under/overpasses)
 
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